If you are reading this column, chances are good that you consider yourself a “Christian.” But how do you know? Did you pray a prayer, accept a doctrine, or perform some ritual that caused you to take that designation to yourself?

Have you ever wondered if you really are who you think yourself to be — a “Christian?” Have you ever felt some nagging sense of doubt? Have you ever wondered what God thought of you?

Questions like these are not often expressed out loud for fear that others might think our faith is somehow lacking. Our own fear of uncertainty can even keep us from pondering them in the privacy of our own thoughts.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was some other-worldly authority to which we could take all of our most troubling questions? Here’s the great news: there is just such an authority! It is a book, long neglected, that not only holds the answers regarding the Christian faith, but answers some of life’s biggest questions as well. “How did we get here?,” “Who are we?,” “What is right and wrong?,” “Is there a God?,” “What is God like?,” “Where are we going?,” “What is the meaning and purpose in life?” — the answers to all these questions (and many more) are found in a volume that might be properly named “The Lost Book.”

In the Bible’s Old Testament book of 2 Chronicles, chapter 34, we find the last great king of Judah — a young man by the name of Josiah. This boy-king reigned in the years leading up to the collapse of the nation and its deportation to the foreign land of ancient Babylon.

What’s interesting about Josiah is that he was a man of God in a godless age. He sought after the Lord and attempted to reestablish sacred worship of the One True God.

Part of his efforts included the rebuilding and refurbishing of the temple in Jerusalem. It was in the midst of this work that the priest, Hilkiah, found the “Lost Book.” It was the neglected Law of God (likely our first five Old Testament books) that had been completely forgotten by both priests and common people!

Upon the discovery of the “Lost Book” it was taken to young King Josiah and read to him. His response? He tore his clothes in a sign of grieving and called for Hilkiah to inquire of the Lord on behalf of the nation.

The result? A revival swept across the nation of Judah. Idols were destroyed and the people heard the Word of God and committed themselves to follow the Lord.

Our day is not unlike that of Josiah’s. While many claim some religious affiliation, their actions are no different from those who do not. The reason for this is the fact that, for them, the Bible has again become a “Lost Book.”

While most Christians have read parts of the Scripture, they have never read the entire collection of books that are the Bible. The result is that ours has become a biblically illiterate generation whose questions have gone unanswered. Instead of returning to the words of God, the opinions and wisdom of men have become the standard for answering life’s greatest questions.

The consequences of neglecting God’s Word are everywhere to be seen. Not only has society lost the preserving influence of the church, the church itself has succumbed to the corrupting influences of fallen human nature.

What can be done? Each individual can choose to personally recover the words of the “Lost Book.” If you would simply commit to reading three chapters of Scripture a day (85 verses), the entire Bible would be read within one year.

The effects of such a practice can be dramatic. Not only will you find the answers to life’s greatest questions, but your own worldview will begin to change. As your worldview changes, it will guide the way in which you live your life and interact with others. If enough people join in the effort, a true, lasting national reformation would result.

Every great spiritual renewal has been preceded by a society’s rediscovery of God’s “Lost Book.” Our own society is ripe for such a renewal. Your own personal commitment to reading through the Word of God will make you a part of God’s solution to our nation’s problems.