The Conundrum of Daily Bible Reading (Part 2)
The Conundrum of Daily Bible Reading (Part 2)
I have known him for decades. He is a dedicated Christian man, loving Christ and the church. He is also a former minister. He decided he would read through the Bible entirely in 2021. And he did! Many Christians embark on such a journey with varying results. Some complete it; in fact, some do it annually. Others begin and get bogged down. Almost two years ago I told my family I planned to read through the entire Bible in 2020 beginning in January. By the end of May I reported I had made it through Genesis! Ugh!
There is no command in Scripture calling us to read through the Bible in a year so failing to do so is not an act of disobedience. But somehow, when you set such a noble goal and don’t complete it, you feel like you let the Lord, the angels, your best friends and even the dog down. So, a hearty well-done to my Christian brother who stayed with it.
However, my friend said something that resonated deeply with me. This seasoned and biblically literate Christian man said, “There were so many places in the Bible that seemed confusing and impossible to understand.” Because he’s a close friend, he continued, “I told myself repeatedly, ‘Gary I need your help,’ but I couldn’t keep bugging you.” Even this mature Christian needed guidance to understand portions of God’s word.
The Bible itself recognizes this conundrum. An Ethiopian who was in charge of all the treasury for Candace, the queen of Ethiopia, had gone to Jerusalem to worship and was making his way home. The Lord sent Philip to meet this man. As he approached his chariot, Philip overheard him reading from Isaiah. This was a prominent, well educated, literate man of faith with the means to possess the scroll of Isaiah. Philip asked him if he understood what he was reading (Acts 8:26-30).
The Ethiopian official’s response is enlightening. “How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides or instructs me?” (Acts 8:31 ESV, NLT). Philip did not say, “Keep reading the prophecies daily and you will get the hang of it.” This man needed a teacher.
Everyone’s story is different, so I would never say what works for me is how everyone should grow in God’s word. But I can say that the greatest stimulus to spiritual growth for me over the years came from teachers who helped me understand the Scriptures. Classes on Old Testament history, Acts, Romans, the Life of Christ and many more gave me the needed understanding to get so much more out of my reading.
Jesus’ approach with the twelve should not surprise us. Before he turned these men loose on the world, he spent three years pouring his word into them. Jesus spoke over 31,000 words in the gospels compared to the little more than 1,300 the apostles spoke. The focus of the gospels is emphatically on Jesus’ in-depth teaching and on-the-job training. Why? Because like the Ethiopian, like my Christian friend, and like me – they needed a teacher.
Two disciples were on the road to Emmaus. They had come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah but now he had been crucified. Following the resurrection they ran into Jesus, did not recognize him, and still believed that he was dead. Their hope had died with him, or so they thought (Luke 24:13-24).
Jesus responded, “’How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (Lk. 24:25-27 NIV). Do you think from that point on those disciples ever read the Scriptures the same again? It took the Teacher to open their eyes.
So, even the Bible indicates that for most daily Bible reading needs an assist. That, along with other obstacles we have identified, are some of the problems that make daily Bible reading a “conundrum” for many Christians. The final post will not offer a magic bullet. There are too many variables among individuals to give a one size fits all response. However, it will offer some practical suggestions to help us be more consistent in getting into the Bible. Once again, stay tuned for part three.