READING THE BIBLE – A CHORE OR PLEASURE?
BIBLE PASSAGE:
Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of
his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But
these are written that you may believe that Jesus is
the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing
you may have life in His name.
(John 20:30-31)
MEDITATION:
What causes you to have interest in reading a book? Is it an
attractive cover, a ‘catchy’ title, or is it the reputation of the
author? Could it be main theme of the book? For instance,
if you like sports, would you be interested in reading about
a famous sports figure?
What if you are struggling with something like depression – would you
have an interest in reading how someone else coped with it successfully?
If you were interested in a particular hobby, would you look for
“How to” books about it? The list could go on and on, but again
the question is, “What motivates you to read certain books?”
The next question is,
“If you are reading about a specific individual, would you want to
read everything about that person, or would you be discouraged
from reading the book, because including all the details made it
a very large book?”
Would you prefer to read about the highlights of an individual
(with a few details included as needed), so you could get a better
understanding about the specific characteristics of the person?
With these questions in mind, why did God speak through selected
individuals and compile all their writings into one book called the
Bible? What is the core message God is communicating to mankind
in His Word? It is a good question and one that the scriptures answer
for us in John 20:31.
The theme of the Bible is that ‘Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God’.
In order for us to have life, we need to believe this is true. Most of
us understand that whenever we believe in this message, and yield
our lives to Him, we will have everlasting life.
However, it also means that our life here on earth will become ‘alive’.
We experience feelings and emotions that we have
never felt before. Our life has a new focus and a new
purpose, which changes all of our priorities dramatically.
The scriptures also tell us that some of the details of the life of
Jesus are excluded from the Bible (in particular, some of the signs
He performed). Why would they be excluded? It could be that if
all the details of Jesus were included, the Bible would be so huge
that many would be discouraged from reading it.
Aren’t you glad that God knows how much should be included?
Aren’t you glad that He understands the amount of details that
will keep us interested and not discourage us from reading His
Word?
God knows what is important and He has created the perfect book
for all mankind. Our responsibility is to read it, and to remember
anither theme of His book:
Salvation (life) is available for all those who believe that Jesus
is God’s Son, and that He is the Messiah, the Savior of mankind.
The Bible was written for the in order to reveal to us God’s
plan for His redemption of all people. It was written so that
God’s children could clearly understand His laws, and His
great love available for guiding and comforting us while we
live out our lives here on earth.
Without the Bible, we would be overwhelmed with the troubles
of this life. Without understanding the theme of the Bible, we
would have feelings of hopelessness. Reading the Bible gives us
a greater appreciation of God’s love for mankind.
One last question we might have is,
“Why are ‘other signs of Jesus’ not recorded?”
Think about this as a possible answer:
If we knew ‘everything’ about Jesus it would increase
our understanding, which could cause a decrease in our
faith and trust in Him. Our faith is based on the ‘unseen’
(unknown) and not on the ‘seen’ (known). God knows the
things we need to understand, and the things that should
remain a mystery in order to increase our faith. Reducing
our faith is never a good thing. Praise God for His wisdom!
ACTION:
Do you have any interest in the Bible? How often do you read
God’s Word? Has reading the Bible had a major and lasting
impact on your life? What changes have you made in response
to the things you have read in His Word?
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for Your gift of the Bible.
Thank You for the promises included that give me hope
for a brighter future. Thank You for how simply reading
Your Word can inspire and motivate me to make changes
in my own life. Thank You for including guidelines for a
joyful life for me and everyone else. Thank You most of
all for Your promises to those who believe that Jesus is
Your Son, and the Messiah who will return and take His
children with Him into a blissful eternity. Forgive me if
I am not reading the Bible. Forgive me if I have allowed
other things to take the place of reading Your Word.
Restore in me a desire to read the Bible and to apply
to my own life the things it teaches me.”
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