How to Let the Bible Read You

You may think that reading the Bible so quickly is one of the worse things you can do. It can be, but I’ve learned to let the Bible read me as I read it.

I remember the day I had the epiphany. I don’t know how old I was – probably before I was twelve. I had memorized John 1 and John 3, Revelation 4 and a few other large portions of Scripture before I could read them. I “knew” about the Bible. I could say all the books in order before I was five and the I could tell you a bit about each one before I was ten. But the epiphany I had that day I was reading about David was, “This guy really lived. He wasn’t a myth or a legend. He lived and he loved and he fought and he died.”

It’s amazing how ancient this book we have is.

My wife bought me uncleaned Roman coins for Christmas. I have cleaned coins that I bought on eBay years before people thought to charge more money for them. I wanted uncleaned coins because I thought cleaning the coins and keeping the patina would be a good hobby for my kids and I. I got the coins the other day and I took one out and placed it in Karen’s hand. I said, “Just imagine, you may be the third or fourth person to hold that coin since the Roman soldier who buried it 2000 years ago.” I’m thinking about  how that person lived and how that person died and who that person knew and what that person did. Did he here about Jesus? Was he an original pagan? We might guess more once it’s clean but right now it’s just exciting to wonder.

Karen responded, “Should I wash my hands?”

Much of the book we leave gathering dust on our shelf is was ancient when Aristotle lived. The absolute newest part was old when Rome was first sacked. In pre-classical literature it stands apart in the way it talks about people’s failures and fears. It’s rare. It’s unique. It’s more life-changing than winning the lottery.

We can read the Bible to learn knowledge, to learn how people lived and thought. We can read it to find wisdom, to light our path and guide our steps. We can read for the words of Life that flow though it as they flowed through Christ, The Word.

We can read it out of habit or just to say we did. Anything not done in faith is sin (Romans 14:23).

We can let it read us.

To let the Bible read us we need to read it regularly and not just when we feel like it. We invite the Holy Spirit to teach us. We read until something jumps out at us and then we stop and camp out there for a while. We meditate on what the Word and Spirit is saying. We change our thinking so it lines up with God’s.

Have you read your Bible today? What’s been keeping you? It’s a love letter from the lover of your soul. It’s part of His part of His conversation with you.

Don’t even follow links. Take some time to shut yourself in and let the Bible read you.

You’ll be glad you did.

Mind If I Pray For You?

Heavenly Father, Eternal Savior and Holy Spirit, reveal your love and challenge to everyone who seeks You in Your Word. Help us to make choices to stop busy-ness and other excuses. Show us how to make it part of our daily routine. The manna in the wilderness was only good for one day so to Your words of life and faithfulness is new every morning. Thank you for the spirit of wisdom and revelation so we know the hope to which you have called us, the glorious inheritance of the saints and incomparably great power for all who believe.