Read Your Bible!
In the first post, I mentioned that it’s important to read your Bible. But how often are we supposed to read it? Is there a minimum or maximum amount of time we are supposed to spend reading God’s Word?
Well - there’s not exactly a single verse that lays out which days of the week you are supposed to read the Bible, and how long you should spend on each study session. BUT - there are some pretty good clues that we can obtain from Scripture, and then - hopefully - it’s pretty clear on how to apply things.
Let’s start with a few examples. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list, but instead just a quick look into how this topic is sprinkled throughout the Bible.
Example 1
Context: As Joshua nears the end of his life, he gathers the leaders of Israel to offer guidance for those he helped lead into the land promised by God.
“Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left … “
Joshua 23:6 (NIV)
Sidenote: The Book of the Law of Moses refers to the first five books of the Hebrew Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
Example 2
“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither — whatever they do prospers.”
Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV)
Example 3
Context: A group of Sadducees are asking Jesus about the Resurrection.
“ … Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.’ Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother. So too the second and third, down to the seventh. After them all, the woman died. In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her.
But Jesus answered them, ‘You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.’ And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.”
Matthew 22:23-33 (ESV)
Example 4
Context: The Apostle Paul wrote this letter to Timothy from a prison in Rome. It was meant to encourage Timothy in the work of the ministry.
“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:14-16 (ESV)
So, what can we take away from all this? Let’s break things down by example.
Example 1: Joshua warns the Israelites to “be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses.” At this point in Scripture, Israel has repeatedly messed up in their attempts to follow God - and that’s putting it mildly. So, Joshua is really emphasizing that they need to obey what is written in the Book of the Law. How do you know what’s in the Book of the Law? Well - you study it! You can’t apply something if you have no familiarity with it.
Example 2: We are told that blessed are those who delight in the law of the Lord. Furthermore, this passage emphasizes meditating on the Law, day and night. Now before you panic - that doesn’t mean we should turn into mindless drones who just read Scripture out of obligation while neglecting our other responsibilities in life. We still need to live our lives! That includes the joys, obligations, and everything in between. However - it’s clear that the author of these verses is making a point to say that it’s important to consume God’s word as often as we can.
Example 3: This section has a lot going on … but for the sake of not going off into other rabbit holes of conversation, let’s focus on the bit pertaining to Scripture. In particular there’s a part that was underlined where Jesus rebukes/condemns the Sadducees for not knowing Scripture more thoroughly, which contributed to their poor understanding of how to apply what is written. Again - we have a better understanding of the Bible when we read it - AND - when we read it consistently. And if we come to sections where we don’t understand the context or are just completely confused by what is happening, it’s always okay to consult experts (i.e. elders or a pastor/priest at your church, Bible scholars, study guides, or anyone else whom you know and trust to be knowledgeable in the Bible). Searching out trusted sources for clarifying information is how we learn more about what the Bible says, so we can correctly apply its teachings to our own lives.
Example 4: The Scriptures will point us toward Jesus and the sacrifice he made for us! That’s one of the big takeaways from these verses. As we read His Word can we better understand and appreciate what Jesus has done for us (through his death and resurrection) and why it was necessary. Notice that the verses also say Timothy has been exposed to sacred writings/Scripture since childhood, and then it goes on to say the uses for Scripture include “teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” Basically, we just read that it’s always a good time to read your Bible - regardless of your age. So, reading and applying the teachings of the Bible is a lifelong process.
Let’s summarize it all into something with less bullet points.
We should read our Bible as often as we can and allow time for reflection on what we read to help absorb information or even to let the Holy Spirit convict or prompt us in any guidance we may be seeking.
I have found that keeping a journal helps to organize my thoughts as I read. I will make a note or jot down a question as I go, being sure to also include the chapter and verse for reference later.
If you are reading all this and starting to think, “There is no way I can read my Bible every day,” - start small.
Try reading for 10 or 15 minutes, a couple times per week.
Designate a certain space (i.e. the kitchen, study room, basement, etc.) as your official “Bible reading area” and try to be consistent in the time of day that you read as well.
Once you get used to managing that new addition to your schedule, try adding another day, and so on. And if you fall out of your routine of reading - that’s okay - just make sure to get back into it!
I would encourage anyone reading this to gradually work toward a habit of reading your Bible daily (if you aren’t already). But again - you can ease into that. Don’t set your goals too high, too quickly, because then you might become discouraged. Keep expectations manageable before you increase how often you read God’s Word. I used to think that holding myself accountable to daily reading was unreasonable, but frankly - it’s hard to overdose on the Bible. The “more good” you put into your being, the “more good” that comes out.
I can tell you from my own experience that I definitely notice a difference in how I handle the challenges of day-to-day life when I am reading my Bible regularly. When I stop getting into the Word consistently, I tend to have less patience in stressful scenarios, and I have a harder time thinking about situations from other people’s perspectives. But when I am reading scripture regularly, I have a better foundation for guidance on how to approach each day. I also just feel more of a sense of peace and fulfillment.
Now that you made it to the end of the post, let me know if there are additional verses of scripture that you think are also good for guiding our behavior when it comes to reading the Bible!
Keep an eye out for the next post where we’ll chat about specific Bible study methods.
