The
Runner’s Bible Dr. Bob Favored and Early AAs Used
Dick B.
© 2013
Anonymous. All rights reserved
I often turn to the
Bible for more information about God’s promises, or for more reminders of how
much Jesus Christ accomplished for us on the cross, or of how many ways we can
count on God as our sufficiency—God, who supplies all our needs according to
His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Perhaps you too get
immersed in trying to read all of Romans, or all of 1 Corinthians, or all of
Hebrews. And, as both Dr. Bob and his wife Anne suggested, not a day should
pass without looking to the Bible as the main source book of all. See www.dickb.com/annesm.shtml.
However, Dr. Bob
took a somewhat different course each day. DR.
BOB and the Good Oldtimers reports that Dr. Bob would go upstairs three
times a day and do the following: (1) Pray. (2) Study a particular subject in
the Bible. (3) Seek God’s guidance as to how he should spend his time along
those lines. (4) “Going about his Father’s business.”
From A.A.’s
Conference-approved literature, and from Dr. Bob’s son Robert R. Smith, and
from frequent mention of The Runner’s
Bible by early AAs, I made a special effort to find a copy. I did. And it
was in a seminary’s discarded books box – for free. And I saw why this compilation
of vital promises, assurances, and guides was so important to the Christian “on
the run” during a busy day. I later realized this hard-to-obtain devotional had
been reprinted and was available at a very reasonable price. And, like Dr. Bob,
I have given copies to a good many alcoholics and drug addicts who wanted God’s
help.
And I think a look
at the Table of Contents (with chapter headings) will show you the wide utility
of looking at the categorized subjects—listed as follows:
The next answer can
properly be: The Runner’s Bible:
Spiritual Guidance for People on the Run, compiled and annotated by Nora Holm,
with an Introduction by Polly Berrien Berends (Lakewood, CO: I Level,
Acropolis Books, 1998). This book is a reprint of The Runner’s Bible prepared in 1910 by Nora Holm. I found a copy of
the earlier book among the books of Dr. Bob that were shown to me by Dr. Bob’s
son and daughter. And Dr. Bob’s son, Robert R. Smith, told me that this was a
favorite devotional his father used. The following statement of the chapter
headings may well show why:
“In the Morning Will I Order My
Prayer to Thee”
The Godhead
God the Father
The Christ of God
Him That Filleth All in All
His Image and Likeness
Walk in Love
Rejoice Always
In Everything Give Thanks
Fear Not, Only Believe
Get Wisdom, Get Understanding
Ask and Ye Shall Receive
He That is The Greatest Among You
Shall Be Your Servant
Forgive and Ye Shall Be Forgiven
Be of Good Cheer, Thy Sins Be
Forgiven Thee
I Will Help Thee
Behold, I Will Heal Thee
For Thine Is The Power
The Lord Shall Guide Thee Continually
Thou Shalt Walk In Thy Way Safely
All Things Are Yours
Peace Be Unto You
Happy Shalt Thou Be
The Lord Will Lighten My
Darkness
Those familiar with
the Bible will quickly recognize the biblical references in the subjects. They
will also see biblical expressions applied in early A.A. And they will be
seeing, in the many verses under each subject, just what “basic ideas” Dr. Bob
stated the early AAs began studying, exerting themselves to learn, and
teaching.
For more
information, see Dick B., Good Morning!: Quiet Time, Morning Watch,
Meditation, and Early A.A. www.dickb.com/goodmorn/shtml.
And contact dickb at dickb@dickb.com
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