Last year my friends and I set out to do something impossible. We decided we’d take New York City in a day. We planned to go up Friday night and come back Sunday after church, which left only Saturday to take in the sights. It was a fun but frantic day, as we darted from place to place, trying to make it to Times Square, Wall Street, the Statue of Liberty, and beyond. The trip made for some great memories, but there’s so much to see and do in NYC that our day-long dash was overwhelming.
When we sit down to read our Bibles, many of us read it as though we’re trying to see all of Manhattan in a day. We read large chunks – far more than we can really process. We read fast – there are other things to do today. And some of us get so discouraged by this that we don’t read at all. So this week I’d like to offer some advice for those of us who are trying to get more out of our journey in the Scriptures.
1. Get a lay of the land – You can’t start a journey if you don’t know where you’re going. One of the most confusing ways to read the Bible is to open to a random passage and just read it. Every text has a context and it helps you as a reader to know what it is. Is the passage in the Old Testament or New Testament? Is it a letter or a poem? Taking a few moments to orient yourself can make all the difference. If you’re starting a new book, like Luke for instance, consider reading an introduction. Most study Bibles have good introductions to help you know what to look for. The ESV Study Bible is my favorite. If you want something more detailed, check out a New Testament or Old Testament introduction. Think of it as reading a guidebook before you get on the plane.
2. Slow down – Don’t feel like you have to read a certain amount so you can check off the box. God can speak to us through reading a single book, a single chapter, or a single verse. Read at a pace that allows you to actually think about and reflect on what you read. Feel free to linger. Travel at your own speed.
3. Look for signposts – Whenever we’re on a journey, we look for signs to guide our way. In the Bible, these signs often take the form of key words. If a word repeats often in a passage (e.g. “holy” or “fear”), that word is probably really important for understanding what the passage is saying. Other words might link a passage to the one that comes before it (e.g. “therefore” or “likewise”) which clue you in that the idea is building momentum.
4. Enjoy your stay – What’s worse than coming back from vacation being so tired that you need another vacation? Vacation isn’t meant to be a chore and neither is reading the Bible. Wherever you are, whether it’s 1 Samuel or 1 Corinthians, enjoy it! Though the Scriptures, God speaks to us by the power of the Spirit. How beautiful is that?
In Him,
Tom