A Serious Case of the Shoulds
I can't count how many times I've heard someone say "I know I should read my Bible". I've said it myself, and maybe you have too. I always feel like a reason or excuse is about to follow, but the speaker mostly just kind of trails off. We all know that no excuse is really adequate. We know that we really should be reading. After all, "man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD." (Deuteronomy 8:3b ESV)
There's been a lot of attention given lately in the blogosphere to the biblical literacy crisis. The long and short of it is, amongst professing Christians, there's a whole lot of Bibles gathering dust on bookshelves and nightstands. "Multiple surveys reveal the problem in stark terms. According to 82 percent of Americans, “God helps those who help themselves,” is a Bible verse. Those identified as born-again Christians did better - by one percent." (quoted from www.albertmohler.com/2016/01/20/the-scandal-of-biblical-illiteracy-its-our-problem-4/). ***In case you're wondering - this "verse" is no where in the Bible, and it's really unbiblical!
Listen, not reading God's word = not knowing God's word. Let me say that again, if you aren't reading the Bible, you can't know the Bible. I'd also venture a step further, if you aren't reading the Bible, you don't know God - at least not as fully as you could. Like any relationship, we can learn certain things about a person through observation. In the case of God, this means we can learn about him by studying his creation, but observation has its limitations. We can know about a person by watching them, but without having a conversation with them we can't ever actually know them. If you want to know God, you must read his words - listen to him. Yes, it's hard work. Yes, it takes time. But I promise, the investment of time and effort in this relationship pays out BIG time.
Today, I offer you two resources that have been really helpful to me in getting beyond I should read my Bible to actually reading it. I hope you find them helpful too.
Grant Horner's Bible Reading Plan - Don't be put off by this challenge. Try it for a month. Someone challenged me seven years ago and after a month, I discovered that I'd been existing on crumbs when a feast lay before me. After a year, I was quoting Scripture without even realizing it or having done intentional memorization. You'll be amazed at how God writes his Word on your heart.
Read Scripture - I've just started using this FANTASTIC free ap. The videos are really helpful, it prompts prayer time, and it'll get you through the entire Bible in a year. It also places the readings in the context of the whole Bible, showing you how it all fits together.
Let's get reading!