Last week, we looked at six excellent rules for reading the Bible. These rules are supplemented in this article by an additional three rules that build upon the foundation laid in the previous article. Before a quick look at the previous six rules and proceeding with the completion of the article, please take note of the following scripture:
"15Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15).
One of the great issues of life, both in the secular world and in the service of God, is the giving of due diligence in whatever task is before us. Too often, the recalcitrant spirit invades our spiritual thinking, leaving us debilitated and ineffectual. This is a grave problem in a world where there are so many temptations that lure us away and impediments that prevent our paying of attention—exercising due diligence, if you will—to those things that God requires of us as His people.
It may be seen in our attention to opportunities of worship and the assembly of ourselves for that purpose, or, as suggested in the excellent article begun last week, in our private, devotional Bible reading. In review, here are the first five rules, as published last week.
Let’s continue the article…
We must read the Bible reverently. Bible reading is not a matter of Pharisaic self-congratulation. It should not degrade into a mere routine. For reverent readers, Bible reading and prayer are inseparable (see Acts 6:4). The regularity of our reading should not diminish our respect for the words breathed out by God. To the contrary, I believe that the persistent reader will become more reverent through the passing of time.
Because this book is from God for our utmost good, we ought to read the Bible expectantly. We must realize that the Bible will do for us what it can do for any person (2 Tim 3:16-17).
It is useful for teaching - what we need to know. It is profitable for reproof – what we must reject and refute. It is beneficial for correction – what we must turn away from and avoid. It is good for instruction in righteousness – what we must consider about our lives and duties with respect to God and man.
Expect to grow stronger, be encouraged, and more fruitful, through regular contact with God’s Word. Conversely, spiritual atrophy is the expectation for those who do not open the Good Book. Confident that it is true, but void of its power, defines the complacent attitude toward the Bible in which the Devil, no doubt, rejoices.
Read the Bible fervently. Mortimer J. Adler in his work, How to Read A Book, begins his chapter on "How to be a Demanding Reader" with a yawning observation. By the way, get comfortable, and enjoy this quotation.
"The rules for reading yourself to sleep are easier to follow than are the rules for staying awake while reading. Get into bed in a comfortable position, make sure the light is inadequate enough to cause slight eyestrain, choose a book that is either terribly difficult or terribly boring—in any event, one that you do not really care whether you read or not—and you will be asleep in a few minutes. Those who are experts in relaxing with a book do not have to wait for nightfall. A comfortable chair in the library will do any time" (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1972, p. 45).
We must stay awake to effectively read the Bible. But more than that, we must read it with focus and fervency. It doesn’t matter if the brain wanders while reading the latest editorial in the paper. The Bible matters. The kind of effort we expend in reading, comprehending, retaining, and applying God’s Word, eternally matters. Choose a time of day when you are alert. Select a place where you will not become easily fatigued. Provide yourself with adequate lighting. And focus. It is work; it is soul-saving work – your own!
We need to read the Bible collectively. As friends, dating couples, married couples, entire families, small groups, congregations – we can read the Bible together and all be better for it. On October 4, 1982 Ronald Reagan signed a Joint Resolution passed by the United States Congress. While it is worthy of being quoted in its entirety, I cite only the final paragraph:
"Resolved the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President is authorized and requested to designate 1983 as a national ‘Year of the Bible’ in recognition of both the formative influence the Bible has been for our Nation, and our national need to study and apply the teachings of the Holy Scriptures" (William J. Federer. America’s God and Country: Encyclopedia of Quotations, ND: Fame Publishing, 1996, p. 709-10).
We desire and pray that our nation’s leaders would resolve to do what this august body resolved. We, however, who are not wavered by infidelity nor distracted by the entanglements of the world – what have we resolved? The Bible demands more than lip service from members of the Lord’s church. It requires our attention in addition to our affection (Ps. 1:2). Become, or continue to be, an effective Bible reader. That is exactly what God wants you to be.
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