“Captain, we’ve entered some kind of space-time continuum. Time is accelerating and we can’t slow it down. It’s already 2010!” Yes, I know Star Trek is science fiction but as quickly as 2009 flew by, sometimes I wonder if we’re caught in some kind of time warp. It seems I just started my read-the-Bible-in-a-year program. I’m happy to report I finished it on time, even though I fell behind a few times.
I’m glad I did this. It’s been years since I had read some books in the Bible. Reading straight through has one major drawback, however. It allows no time for lingering over interesting passages or doing extra reading on the background and context. This year I’ve decided to go back and spend time in the passages and subjects I found intriguing. It’s like walking slowly through a park rather than jogging. I plan to take my time, pick up rocks and leaves, sit on the grass, watch the clouds go by and smell the flowers. Both are acceptable ways to read the Bible. It was good to read straight through because it left me wanting more.
How are you reading the Bible? Are you reading it? It’s easy to put it off, especially if you’ve been reading it for years and feel familiar with it. While we don’t worship the book itself as some do, we realize the Bible is the inspired Word of God. As Paul told Timothy, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NLT).
Reading the Bible from this perspective is good. After all, Paul was speaking under inspiration. But if we only read it this way, we may miss something important. If I had approached my year-long Bible reading with the goal of being corrected and taught to do right, I might have missed the overarching purpose of the whole of Scripture. On the road to Emmaus, Jesus opened up the Scriptures to the disciples, showing them how they pointed to him (Luke 24:27). He didn’t point out their sins; he showed how the Old Testament was all about Jesus.
I remember when I stopped reading the Bible simply to discern right and wrong and started reading it to see Jesus. Not only my perspective but my whole attitude toward the Bible changed. I wasn’t reading it as a handbook for living so much as a way to know Jesus. When we read the Word of God, we are reading the Word of God, the living Word, the Logos of John 1. As we read the Bible, the Word comes alive in the form of Jesus and he is the reason, the center and the point of Scripture.
I may not read straight through the Bible again for some time, but I will be spending time with the Word – Jesus – as I walk through the park and linger beside the still waters with him.
Hello Tammy, I like the new format of this webpage, the ability to common. I like your letters. Thanks for the insight experience on reading straight through the Bible. It made me think about meditating vs. just going straight through it, and Spending more time with Jesus. I just love that and makes me happy!
A little late logging onto your webpage…but better later than never. Thanks for bringing new things to savor at the banquet table when feasting on God’s Word.