When I was in grade school one of the teachers had us do an interesting experiment in which we were led outside and told to lay down on our backs and stretch out our arms are far as we could. When we did that, someone came by and put a white chalk mark on the pavement at the end of our fingertips. Then we were told to stand and turn sideways and lay down beneath the two chalk marks, while someone marked our height. Would you believe that in almost every case, our reach was equal to our height? In other words, the chalk marks from fingertip to fingertip were the same distance as from the tops of our heads to the bottoms of our feet. While there are exceptions, the wingspan of most people will almost always equal their height.
I share this because it illustrates a spiritual truth.
Our level of spiritual growth will always be in direct proportion to our reach around God’s Word. While there are a few individuals whose arm span is greater than their height, this is never the case spiritually. You will never grow any taller or mature any greater than your understanding of the Bible. The extent of your grasp of God’s Word will determine your stature as a Christian.
Unfortunately, statistics tell us again and again that the majority of Evangelicals have never read the Bible. Not in its entirety. In fact, reliable studies have shown that as few as 10-15% of church-goers have ever read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. While I would like this article to be an encouragement, rather than a rebuke – this should alarm us. There are Christian brothers and sisters around this globe who are not fortunate enough to have a Bible, yet many of us have multiple copies of the Bible, but undervalue this priceless gift. Other followers of Christ face bitter and cruel persecution if they are caught with a Bible (or even a portion of the Bible) while we toss our Bibles in the backseat or floorboards of our cars, from Sunday to Sunday; as if they mean very little to us. Shame on us!
I realize and readily admit that there are parts of the Bible that are difficult to understand. Other parts seem to have little or no significance on the lives of modern American Christianity. However, I will remind you that 2 Timothy 3:16 states, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for instruction in righteousness.” All Scripture is profitable. All Scripture is beneficial. Even those parts that are hard-reading. Even those parts that make us uncomfortable. All Scripture is rewarding-reading.
The sad truth is that it doesn’t take as much effort to read the totality of the Bible as people think. Do you realize that even the average reader can read the whole Bible in a year; by reading only 10 minutes a day, every day? It really is that simple, it just takes commitment. If we would devote only a fraction of the time we now spend on electronic devices to Bible reading, by the end of this year we would have easily read the entire Bible.
If I may, I would highly recommend that you find and follow a reading plan. Rather than just starting out and not having a plan in place, personal experience has shown you are far more likely to succeed if you follow a schedule. You can find numerous Bible reading plans available online or in print. I would also encourage you to remain consistent in your reading time, and guard that time religiously. Many, many good godly people have started out strong in January with the best of intentions, only to get frustrated when they fall behind, or don’t understand everything they read – and give up. Keep plodding along.
With the numerous Bible translations that exist, someone will invariably ask – “What version should I read?” My answer is this, the best translation is the one that is read. It makes no difference at all, how great the version is, if it is never read, studied or learned from.
Many objections are always raised when someone starts to insist that it is vital that every Christian read their Bible in its entirety, yet none of these objections are justified or of any true substance. I have heard many excuses as to why it isn’t all that important to read the whole Bible, as long as you read some of it … but that causes me to ask, then why did God inspire the whole Bible? If we only need to read parts and pieces?
I wonder why people treat the Bible (the world’s most important book) differently than any other book? There is no other book on the planet that we would pick up, flop down on our desk and wherever it falls, we start reading and actually expect to understand what is being said! Why would we treat the Bible this way?
In the 119th Psalm the writer said repeatedly, that he loved the law of God; that it was more precious to him than gold. One would have a hard time convincing the Psalmist that it wasn’t important to read the whole counsel of God.
- God’s Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Psalms 119:105)
- It is how we cleanse our way (Psalms 119:9)
- The Bible sanctifies us. (John 17:17)
- Paul reminded Timothy that the Holy Scriptures he learned as a child, are able to make us wise unto salvation (2 Timothy 3:15)
- The “volume of the book” points us to Christ (Hebrews 10:7)
Make 2018 the year you read the Bible.
You can and you should.
Expositor Online 