What is your practice for reading the Bible? Do you read every day? Every week?

Ever?

I have become increasingly concerned through the years at the growing lack of knowledge of Scripture, even with Christians who regularly attend church.

I fear that many only read the Bible on Sundays, and even that is growing more rare. In some worship services the only time the Bible is read is when the preacher reads the sermon text.

If the Bible is the Word of God, and if it the record of His work in our world, we need to have a better understanding of what it says.

Joshua, following Moses’ death challenged the children of Israel. “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it.”

Notice a couple of things from that verse. First, Joshua speaks about meditation. That’s an idea we don’t often consider. To meditate means to think deeply about. We need to study and meditate on the Scriptures.

The second thing I notice is the purpose of reading and meditating. It is not simply to gain knowledge. Rather it is so that we will do what it says. Do you get that?

Yes, I need to increase my knowledge of what the Bible says, but if it does not change my behavior then it is of no real value.

Jesus said the same thing in John 13:17, “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

I want to encourage you to be more faithful to read the Bible every day.

Study it.

Meditate on it.

Learn it.

But then be sure to add this to it. Seek to put into practice what you have learned. God has called us to be obedient. He has called us to be faithful. He has called us to be holy.

The Bible is one of God’s great gifts to us. In it He shows us how to live. May we be faithful to read it. May we be faithful to do what it says.