In the last post, I wrote about the necessity of Bible study for spiritual growth. Now, I want to consider some of the ways in which we open ourselves to God’s Word so that it can transform us. The most basic posture toward the Bible that we need to adopt is that of hearing. The Word will have no effect on us unless we expose ourselves to it. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it” (Luke 11:28). Note that hearing must precede obeying. We won’t know what to obey unless we first hear.
Romans 10:17 says that “faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.” Hearing the word must precede faith as well as obedience. There are many different ways that we can hear the word. We can talk with an informed believer, such as a pastor, who can explain the meaning of Scripture to us. We can read the Bible in private devotions. We can attend weekly worship service where we hear God’s Word taught and proclaimed. We can participate in a group Bible study where believers share their understanding of Scripture with each other. We can listen to a narration of the Bible on our iPod or MP3 player. However we do it, we must open ourselves to its teachings.
III. Reading the Word
In the beginnings of the church, most believers could only hear the Word read to them. Paul’s letters, for example, were read aloud to the gathered congregation. Even in later centuries, most believers could not afford their own copies of either Old Testament or New Testament writings. It was only after the invention of the printing press and the translation of the Bible into other languages that it became widely available to believers. Today, we are fortunate that we have easy and inexpensive access to the Bible in our own language.
- Since the Bible became more available, Christians have practiced regular Bible reading as a spiritual discipline. However, they do not practice it as frequently as one might think, according to the following research (Stark & Johnson, 2011). A 1988 study by the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center found that 25% of men and 39% of women in America read the Bible weekly.
- A 2000 Gallup poll found that 29% of men and 43% of women read the Bible weekly.
- Similarly, a 2007 national religion survey by Baylor University found that 29% of men and 40% of women read the Bible about weekly.
Why do so many Christians neglect something that is so crucial to their spiritual growth? Like so many things in life, I think the most common problem is simply finding the time. We need to remember that how we spend our time indicates our priorities. Is there something you do for 15-30 minutes a day that you could give up for the higher priority of reading your Bible? Consider that you can read the entire Bible in a year by reading it only 15 minutes a day. John Blanchard challenges us to make Bible reading a priority (1984, p. 104):
Surely we only have to be realistic and honest with ourselves to know how regularly we need to turn to the Bible. How often do we face problems, temptation, and pressure? Every day! Then how often do we need instruction, guidance, and greater encouragement? Every day! To catch all these felt needs up into an even greater issue, how often do we need to see God’s face, hear his voice, feel his touch, know his power? The answer to all these questions is the same: every day! As the American evangelist D.L. Moody put it: “A man can no more take in a supply of grace for the future than he can eat enough for the next six months, or take sufficient air into his lungs at one time to sustain life for a week. We must draw upon God’s boundless store of grace from day to day as we need it.”
Perhaps some believers think that it is good enough for them to get their weekly dose of Bible teaching in the Sunday sermon. But let’s assume that the average sermon is 30 minutes long. If a person attends church 50 weeks a year (allowing for two weeks of vacation and holidays), that person would receive 25 hours of Bible teaching in a year, which is less time than they spend watching TV in one week. And that assumes that the sermons they hear will actually teach the Bible and not just be filled with video clips and silly stories!
Perhaps we can be inspired by those who had much greater responsibilities than we do and yet have made time to read their Bible. Kent Hughes tells the story of Lt. Gen. William K. Harrison, Jr., who was the most decorated soldier in the 30th Infantry Division, which was rated by General Eisenhower as the top infantry division in World War II. Harrison was the first American to enter Belgium at the head of the Allied forces. He received every decoration for valor except the Congressional Medal of Honor, including the Distinguished Silver Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star for Valor, and the Purple Heart. He was one of the few generals wounded in action. When the Korean War began, he served as Chief of Staff in the UN Command and was chosen by President Eisenhower to head the long and tedious negotiations to end the war. Surely this man was too busy to read his Bible!
When he was a twenty-year-old cadet at West Point, he began reading the Old Testament through once a year and the New Testament four times a year, and he did this until the end of his life. Even in the thick of war, he would catch up during the two- and three-day periods of replacement and refitting that followed battles so that, when the war was ended, he was right on schedule. By the age of 90, when his eyesight no longer permitted his discipline, he had read the Old Testament 70 times and the New Testament 280 times (Hughes, 1991, p. 76).
The Israelites knew the importance of regular reading of God’s Word. This is reflected in Deuteronomy 11:18:
You shall put these words of mine in your heart and soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your head, and fix them as an emblem on your forehead. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land that the Lord swore to your ancestors to give them, as long as the heavens are above the earth.
This teaching was literally employed in the practice of the tefillin or phylacteries, which are small leather boxes that contain scrolls inscribed with verses from the Torah. Jews wear them during the morning prayers. One type is worn on the upper arm, and the other is worn above the forehead. This practice symbolizes devotion and attention to God’s Word.
The king of Israel also was commanded to keep his attention on God’s Word. Deuteronomy 17:18-20 instructed the following:
When he has taken the throne of his kingdom, he shall have a copy of this law written for him in the presence of the levitical priests. It shall remain with him and he shall read it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, diligently observing all the words of his law and these statutes, neither exalting himself above other members of the community nor turning aside from the commandment, either to the right or to the left, so that he and his descendants may reign long over his kingdom in Israel.
When read the Bible in a disciplined, systematic way, we find there are propitious moments when what we are reading intersects with some issue or concern in our lives. We often find the Bible speaking to our situation, providing us with wisdom, guidance, and hope just when we need it.
To maintain the discipline of Bible reading, we need a plan. When I was a junior in high school, I committed myself to reading through the entire Bible in a year. I subscribed to a monthly booklet called Bible Pathway that laid out a daily Bible reading plan and provided commentary and information. Not only did I read the Bible in a year, but I did it again my senior year.
There are also many Bibles on the market, such as the One Year Bible, as well as websites that have the Bible divided into daily Bible readings. These are available in every translation. Bible software programs, such as Logos Bible Software, will set up a reading plan for you. Another simple plan is to read three chapters of the Bible every day and five chapters on Sunday. For variety, one might start in Genesis, Job, and Matthew (Whitney, 1991, p. 30).
Whatever plan we choose, the important thing is to do it. Don’t make it too difficult. Don’t think of it as time-consuming or overwhelming. Just 15 minutes a day over your cup of coffee in the morning may produce some amazing results.
Reflection Questions:
1. Evaluate how well you have maintained the discipline of Bible reading. What obstacles hinder you from it? How can you remove those obstacles?
2. What can motivate you to make Bible reading a higher priority?
3. What reading plan would work best for you? Make a commitment now to follow your plan.
Sources:
Blanchard, J. (1984). How to enjoy your Bible. Colchester, UK: Evangelical Press.
Hughes, R. K. (1991). Disciplines of a godly man. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
Stark, R., & Johnson, B. (2011, August 26). Religion and the bad news bearers. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 10, 2012, from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903480904576510692691734916.html
Whitney, D. S. (1991). Spiritual disciplines for the Christian life. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress.
Next topic: Study: Looking into God’s Word, Part III
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