Life is funny. Sometimes you get to do things that, well, you never saw coming. Like, say, having a cameo in a rap video.
No, it wasn’t me. I didn’t have a cameo, though I think that’d be pretty great. But Focus on the Family’s Emerson Collins did—showing up right about the 2-minute mark of Christian rapper Not Klyde’s video for his track “Bible in My Hand (Remix).”
If you’re wondering how that happened, it’s because Collins leads Focus on the Family’s Bring Your Bible Day initiative, which takes place the first Thursday of every October. If you’re a student, we encourage you bring your Bible to school! If you’re an adult, bring your Bible to work. No matter what stage of life you’re in, it’s a powerful reminder—to ourselves, to others—that God’s Word provides a foundation for our lives and for living in a way that pleases him.
Which brings us back to Not Klyde. Each year, the Bring Your Bible Day initiative teams up with like-minded friends to get the word out about this event. And this year, that meant connecting with Not Klyde on the song “Bible in My Hand (Remix).”
Not Klyde compares the Word of God to the five stones that David picked out before his battle with Goliath: “Bible in my hand, treat it like a rock/Watch David steppin’ on the field/Sling swingin’, go crazy.” From there, the song’s next lines jump to the New Testament: “Watch Jesus steppin’ on the water/Eyes up, no wavin’.”
As the song progresses, the rapper emphasizes having the Scriptures with him always (“Bible in my hand, I got it/ … I bring my Bible every day, who’s askin’?”), connecting with other believers (“I’m in the pen, I’m in the flock”), relinquishing isolating individualism (“Not independent, big squad”) and prayerfully remembering to be good stewards of the time we’ve been given (“My prayer lifted, wristwatch/The time is tickin’, tick tock”).
Klyde also tells us he’s saying no to drinking the vodka brand Cîroc, which is frequently name-dropped in mainstream rappers’ songs: “No Cîroc, I’m on the rock.” (Parents may want to talk through this allusion if younger listeners aren’t sure what Klyde is referring to here.)
The second verse expands the song’s spiritual warfare vibe, describing God’s Word as a weapon to use against demonic enemies: “Bible in my hand, treat it like a spray (pew, pew)/Flip the script, watch demons turn away.” Those lines recast, in a contemporary way, the notion of putting on the full armor of God that the Apostle Paul writes about in Ephesians 6. And in the chorus, not Klyde echoes Hebrews 4:12: “Scripture like a double-edged sword, guess you get cut.”
We do hear one use of “oh my gosh.”
In Romans 12:2, Paul writes, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
How do we grow in our walk with God, knowing His will as well as recognizing and rejecting the world’s counterfeit truths? By grounding our hearts, minds and lives in truth, as revealed in His Word.
Bring Your Bible Day encourages all of us—and especially students—to build our lives on that firm foundation, one that Not Klyde reminds us of in “Bible in My Hand (Remix).” Only as we equipped, infused and empowered by God’s Word will we be able, as Paul exhorts, “to withstand the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”
And that’s not just a message for Bring Your Bible Day, but for every day.
After serving as an associate editor at NavPress’ Discipleship Journal and consulting editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In’s reviews as the site’s director. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. In their free time, the Holzes enjoy playing games, a variety of musical instruments, swimming and … watching movies.
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