(1 Tim 4:13) . . . give attention to reading . . .
You hear a lot about how you should read your Bible. That has been a challenge we’ve been presented with since day one of being a Christian. We’ve done well at times and at other times we haven’t been so hot. But guess what? I’m not going to challenge you with something so basic. I’m going to challenge you to do something maybe you’ve never done . . . READ THROUGH THE BIBLE!
I have talked with so many Christians who have never read through the Bible. They choose a reading here or a book of the Bible there. Psalms and Proverbs always seem to be the favorite of many. Genesis? Oh yeah. The gospels for sure. Skip Revelation because who can understand it? Skim past Leviticus and Numbers because of all the minutiae. It’s kind of like a top hit list. Read the most popular and avoid the obscure and the more drier passages or books.
But guess what? God gave us sixty-six books of the Bible to read and to grow in our Christian faith with. Genesis through Revelation incorporates the whole counsel of God. God has something to say to us through each and every book (66), each and every chapter (1,189), and every verse (31,103). It’s the full spread of God’s truth like a buffet you’ve never experienced before in your life!
When we were dating, Cheryl would occasionally leave me love notes on my car windshield wiper. When I came out in the morning I would see the note and read it and be warmed in my heart. (One time in the rain she put a note in a sandwich baggie to keep it dry!) What if I read some love notes and tossed out others? What if I was so in a hurry one day I just crinkled one up and threw it aside? How would she feel? I would never understand the full scope of how she felt about me. Well, God loves us so much and has expressed it in His Word in so many ways. When we read THROUGH the Bible we will discover the depths of His love.
So how do you read through the Bible? Well, let’s keep it simple and just say READ-THROUGH-THE-BIBLE. Just pick it up and read it through. Bookmark it when you finish your reading at that sitting and then pick it up from there the next time. Read it every day? Definitely! How long will it take? Well, to what extent do you want to know how much God loves you?
Some people like a Read Through the Bible guide. Some of these guides are found in your study Bible, probably in the back somewhere. Others can be found online. My particular favorite is Read Through the Bible in a Year. I’ve done it for years. Each day it tells me what to read. It averages about three chapters a day (two from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament). Cheryl also does it and many times we will have occasion to share personal insights from our reading. It doesn’t matter how you do it or how long it takes. Just take the challenge and join me in READING THROUGH THE BIBLE. Route 66 is an awesome ride!
Louie