Spiritual Disciplines
Day 8: Scripture Reading
Few things can transform a life, like reading scripture. Most people have a Bible lying around their house, yet The Bible is the last book they would pick up on any given day. It can seem intimidating, complicated, or even boring, but it doesn’t have to be. Let’s discuss why we should read scripture, and then we will look at some practical ways to begin reading the Bible.
The first reason we should read scripture is to hear God:
There are lots of ways we hear God’s voice. He can speak to you my thoughts or ideas, He can speak to you through a friend, He can speak to you through a song. God can speak to you any way he’d like, He is God, and if He wants to use a talking donkey as He did in the book of Numbers, then He will. The Bible is a way God speaks to us. Often it is the most accurate. Why the most accurate? Because my thoughts can be ungodly, my friends can give bad advice, but the Word of God is always true, accurate, and consistent. So even when we hear God through other means, using scripture to cross-reference what you believe God is saying to you is always a good idea. If it lines up with scripture, great! If it doesn’t, you know it wasn’t God because He will never speak contradictory to the words He has already spoken in the Bible.
The second reason we read scripture is to be reminded of the truth.
When we read the Bible, it reminds us of what is true. Without a doubt, we live in a time where we need to hear the truth and hear it often. We have so much changing and conflicting information saturating our lives daily that we need to turn to the truth that will never change. The Bible reminds us of truths like who we are, who God is, and how we should live our life. Without biblical truths, our standard for living will always be changing. We will chase after a moving target of our purpose in life.
Now that we have covered why we read scripture let’s talk about how to read scripture.
- Read the Gospels: It’s a good idea to start off reading one of the Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. Our lives should exemplify the heart of Jesus. Scripture helps us understand who Jesus was and how he responded and acted to the events of life. It will also give you an excellent filter for the rest of the Bible.
- A little at a time: Reading the Bible is not a race. There is no need to read more than you can process. Read a few verses, then put it down and think about it.
- Trust your heart: People always ask the question, “what does this verse mean?” – and the correct answer is, “what does it mean to you?” – That does not mean the Bible is relevant truth. However, each time we read it, God reveals something different to us, personally. God may want to reveal something to you about a verse that others would not see because they are not walking in your shoes. Don’t underestimate your intelligence and ability to hear from God on what a specific verse means to you.
- Ask practical questions: What does this verse say about mankind? What does this verse say about God? How can I practically apply this verse in my life today? These are all great questions to ask after reading a verse or passage in the Bible. It can help take it from a good idea to something applicable in our life.
Scripture of the Day
“16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Examples of Scripture Reading:
*Read 1 Chapter from the Old Testament and 1 Chapter from the New Testament (i.e., Genesis 1 & John 1)
*Use a Bible app for a daily devotional or 365 Bible Reading plan
*Read a few verses from one of Paul’s books (Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy)