Do You Read Your Bible?

Posted on May 27, 2020

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By David Ettinger

An Important Question
A month ago, in a post titled “The Day When All the Laughing Ends,” I used this quote from GQ magazine: “The Holy Bible is rated very highly by all the people who supposedly live by it but who in actuality have not read it. Those who have read it know there are some good parts, but overall it is certainly not the finest thing that man has ever produced. It is repetitive, self-contradictory, sententious, foolish, and even at times ill-intentioned.”[i]

bible read

In that blog, I focused on the second and third sentences. In this blog, I want to focus on the first. As much as I hate to admit it, this first part of the quote – from an article which disparaged the Bible – is correct. Let’s read it again: “The Holy Bible is rated very highly by all the people who supposedly live by it but who in actuality have not read it.”

Over my 34 years as a Christian, I have found this to be the case far too often. The plain truth is that most Christians don’t read their Bibles on a daily basis, and when they do, they only read small portions of it. And this is a shame.

What about you? Do you read your Bible daily; a few times here and there; once in a blue moon; or never? It’s an important question.

No Way Around It
If you’re thinking I should mind my own business, you’re probably right, but there’s no way around the truth that believers in the Lord Jesus Christ should be reading their Bibles every day.

We read in 2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” When the apostle Paul penned this crucial truth, there was no New Testament; he was referring to the Old. That “Old” was created by God as His primary specific means of communication between Him and His children. He gave it, preserved it, and made it available to us today. He expects us to be reading it – both Old and New Testaments – on a consistent basis.

psalm 119

Psalm 119:105 tells us: “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Christian songwriter Amy Grant turned those beautiful words into a beautiful song. Sadly, too many Christians love the song far more than the truth it expresses.

Joshua 1:8 gives us this instruction: “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Notice the expression “day and night.” Does this require an explanation? (Quick note: “prosperous and successful” refers primarily to spiritual endeavors.)

Romans 15:4 imparts this soaring promise: “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” How can you receive this endurance, encouragement, and hope if you are not reading the Scriptures God gave you for this very purpose?

And Hebrews 4:12 informs us that: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Of what other writings can such a claim be made? None, and yet multitudes of Christians are filling their minds with those “other writings” instead of the Lord’s God-breathed, soul-inspiring, life-altering, and spirit-convicting Word.

How to Go About It
If you agree that you need to be more consistent in you Bible reading, it is really quite simple. Just read four chapters a day and you will have completed the Bible in one year. If it’s your first time through, don’t worry about not being able to comprehend everything; simply get it done!

commentary_

Do you need some help? Let me recommend two good commentaries: The Bible Knowledge Commentary edited by the Dallas Theological Seminary (1985); and The Moody Bible Commentary (2014). You can find them both online (I’ve linked them), and they will be your Bible-reading/study companions for the rest of your life. (Never used a commentary? Once you have one in your hands, it is self-explanatory.)

Time to Start
If you have been a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ for several years and have never read through your entire Bible at least once, and/or do not read your Bible every day, it is time to start. In light of the Scripture verses above, I state this confidently and without fear of contradiction.

May the Lord empower you in this most blessed of endeavors and may He “Open [your] eyes that [you] may see wonderful things in [His] law” (Psalm 11

[i]  https://www.gq.com/story/21-books-you-dont-have-to-read

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Posted in: Application, Bible study, Bible teaching, Christian Behavior, Christianity, Commentary, Editorial/Blog, Loving God, New Testament, Obeying God, Old Testament, Practical, The Bible