So we just finished the daily devotional through John and WOW! Few things I love more than digging through the Bible and sharing it with others. Throughout the month of February, I’ve been thinking about how Western Reserve can be a church of people who genuinely, not perfectly, love to read Scripture. I believe the Word of God is always evolving but never changing. Meaning, it is a rare constant in our lives but is always relevant to the times in which we live. At the foundation of creation, God knew that in 2016, gender identity and Donald Trump would be at the forefront of news. Scripture is never surprised. When we start to believe that the Bible has a vibrant pulse in today, we can excitingly engage it with the doubts, fears, and hopes of tomorrow.
I feel like the Church has failed in recent times conveying how to engage Scripture. So here are a few tips that I pray helps you on your journey:
Less is More: Don’t expect to read for hours. I don’t think Christ calls us to block out the outside world in favor of reading the entire book of Isaiah in one sitting. The great martyr and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer use to give his students one simple verse and ask them to pray and meditate through it for an entire afternoon. The discussion and worship that followed was astounding. Reading the Bible is always about quality over quantity. If a verse strikes you, spend some time journaling/praying about it. The Spirit of God will do the rest, one word, one verse, one chapter at a time.
Ask Questions: One of my theology professors equipped me with three simple questions to ask when reading. 1.What does this say about the character of God? 2.What does this say about the character and response of man? and 3.What does this say about the relationship between God and man? The point of reading Scripture is to foster intimacy with our creator. When we know who God is, we will better know how to live. Another question I ask our students sometimes is “Why is this in the Bible?”
What am I reading?: The Bible is full of different genres of literature. Each book requires a different style of reading and engaging. Is it history, wisdom, poetic, or prophetic? When we recognize this, we can understand why Scripture uses hyperbole and speaks so much on cubits. The boring parts of the Bible (yes, there are a few) can be better understood when we look at the context in what we are reading. The genealogies and details stand to reinforce that what we read can be trusted, but is not necessarily a great place to do your daily devotions in, unless you really dig gopher wood and the exact curtains in the temple (try the Nate Berkus translation if this is the case. It’s FABULOUS!).
Reading is overrated: Many people use the excuse that they hate to read. While I believe reading is, like most things, a skill that needs practice to develop, I understand. If you have the Bible app, there is a great option to have it read to you. Many times I have jumped on the treadmill and let the fine people at Youversion theatrically read the Bible to me. It still counts and is sometimes a better way to visualize what is happening. If you cannot find this, call the WR office and one of the pastors will read whatever you want using the celebrity voice of your choosing (Pastor Josh does a great Seinfeld).
Hopefully this helps. The best Bible reading plan is the one you stick to. Don’t compare or be overwhelmed. God always blesses our feeble attempts at drawing near to Him.
Matt simon blog 