There was this one time when I was sitting in an auditorium packed full of college students, and we were all waiting for the professor to show up so the first day of class could begin. At the time, I was taking "Bible as Literature – Old Testament," and I didn't expect anything more than a course that would go over Bible stories from a secular literary perspective. I knew that many of the students around me, and probably the professor, might not be Christians. I was hoping that the tone of this course would not turn negative and become critical of a book on which I rested my faith. The professor finally came in and started his lecture. He spoke on what the course would entail then spoke about his beliefs. My suspicions were correct. He was not a Christian. Then after a brief pause, he said these words in a loud booming voice, "If you have come to this point in your life and have never ever read the Bible, then you're a complete fool." I was shocked. I looked around, and the whole class sat surprised too. He continued saying, "With billions of copies spread all around the world, with over 600 translations, the Bible is the most influential book in all of human history." He went to say that regardless of our beliefs, this amazing book must be read. Then I thought to myself, how much more important and essential it should be for Christians, who have placed their faith in these texts, to read and understand the Bible, which to us is the living Word of God.
There are many reasons to read the Bible, and incorporating every one of them will make this article end up in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest blog post. The reasons I mention below are brief and merely scratch the surface, but I hope they will lead you toward a more in-depth understanding of the Bible and encourage further personal study.
- Reading the Bible reveals who God is and who we are - Through the stories of the Bible, we learn of God as the loving creator, the gracious provider, and the constant protector of humanity. His unmeasurable and unrelenting love displays how valuable we are to him as individuals and as his people.
- Reading the Bible reveals our purpose in this world – Throughout the Bible, we are instructed over and over again to love our family, love our neighbors as ourselves, and (the hardest) love our enemies. It helps us understand our role in our community, our responsibilities to our fellow man, and our position with our heavenly Father.
- Reading the Bible equips us for daily life – Like food for the body, we need spiritual nourishment. God provides wisdom and instructions on how we should live our lives each day. In Matthew 4:4, Jesus, when tempted by Satan to satisfy his hunger, said that "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." If we are to live on "every word" that comes from God, then how can we live daily in such a manner if we've never read "every word" from God?
- Reading the Bible reminds us of what love really is – If we are ever discouraged or feel unloved and need an example of real love, all we need to do is read the Gospels to understand the immensity of Christ's love for us. It is an everlasting, all-encompassing, sacrificial love that not only restores but rejuvenates and encourages us to keep going in this broken world. It reminds us of how our love should be.
Sadly, even though there are so many reasons to read, researching polls and statistics surrounding "Bible reading" will reveal that not all of us actually read the Bible daily or even regularly. These statistics also include people who read "around" the Bible—those who have read books about subjects in the Bible or read topical Bible studies but have not read the Bible in its entirety. And for others, the pastor's sermons are the only Bible they know.
Practical Step
Let's not be discouraged by polls and statistics, but let's use them as fuel, so we can become active readers. Let's be determined and disciplined in reading the Bible. There are several resources on the internet to help with choosing a reading plan. For example, the YouVersion Bible App (https://www.bible.com/reading-plans-collection/11477-whole-bible-badge) has many plans to choose from that can fit your schedule. If you have the time and feel adventurous, there are rigorous reading schedules that will allow you to read the whole Bible in a few months. For those who are pressed for time, devoting at least 15-20 minutes a day will enable you to read almost the entire Bible in about a year. Robert Murray M'Cheyne's reading plan https://static.crossway.org/excerpt/3-esv-mcheyne-reading-plan.4.pdf ) allows readers to see how the many stories fit together and integrate into the scripture's singular message.
Ray Bradbury, a well-known science fiction author, once said, "You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them." Let us not take for granted what God has given us so richly, especially in this country. Let us always be encouraged and excited to read the Bible, God's living Word.