“Dusty bibles lead to dirty lives.”
I’ve heard this – read this – a dozen times or more. To me, it’s one of those thoughtful, impacting little nuggets that makes reading a whole book just to stumble upon it, well… worth it.
Sometimes the book I’m reading may not be spectacular, but there’s one thought in it that changes the way I think, and this is one of those thoughts. It convicts me.
Is your Bible dusty? Is is reflected in the way you live? In your relationship with Him? With others?
Ouch.
As my husband and I begin planning next year’s Bible reading, I stumble upon this, from Dr. Hendrick’s book Living by the Book: The Art and Science of Reading the Bible
:
“You see, a lot of people nowadays are making all kinds of claims about what the Bible supposedly teaches – claims that are simply not true. A closer inspection of Scripture reveals that the Bible doesn’t, in fact, teach what they say it does. Likewise, there are a lot of things that the Bible does teach that many people don’t even know about, because the truths are deemphasized or ignored altogether.”
Dear friend, do you know what the Bible teaches? Have you read it for yourself? Studied it? Poured over it?
Have you felt His love, His story in it?
Have your tears ever washed over its pages?
It is for you.
Many of us want a word from God, but not the Word of God. We may own a Bible, but the Bible does not own us, it’s not in us, not in our hearts and minds.
If you were without face-to-face communications with your husband for many years, and he carefully wrote you a book out of His tremendous love for you, and you longed to be reunited with him again someday, wouldn’t you read that book over and over again, savoring every sentence?
Surely you would. How could you not?
“Like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the Word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.” – 1 Peter 2:2
Later this week, I’ll share some tips and a tool that we use in reading our Bible through, cover to cover. We’ve done it in years past, and plan to do it again this upcoming year.
Would you prayerfully consider reading the Bible through? Or perhaps at least one testament?
It will change you.
{You can read part two of this post here.}
I had never heard this.. "Dusty bibles lead to dirty lives." So true! It's also true that we often want a word from God without looking in the Word of God and what a waste of time to look elsewhere for it. Thank you Jesus that you gave us your Word where we can find you always. Blessings!
I also recall the saying 'A Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone that isn't.'
I have also heard Christian parents say in regard to raising their children ' They aren't born with a manual' to which I respond 'Oh yes they are and you probably have several copies at home … it is called the Bible!'
Jaime, I love the saying, "Dusty Bibles lead to Dirty lives." I have never heard it, but it's so true.
However, this impacted me the most:
"Likewise, there are a lot of things that the Bible does teach that many people don't even know about, because the truths are deemphasized or ignored altogether."
May we be stirred to soak in the true Word, and be healed by the life it gives to those who trust and obey.
Thank you so much.
I begin every new year with determination to read through the New Testament and it hasn't happened yet! (I usually fall off around February) I am looking forward to reading your tips. Thank you for posting this convicting post.
Jaime,
Oh my goodness, I've spent so much time reading through your blog this afternoon. I've been so blessed by it and the wonderful words you've shared.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Blessings to you from your newest follower,
Jamie
Jamie,
Thank you for such a beautiful post! I have read through this post several times & have been blessed greatly by it. So inspiring…so convicting…once againg thank you, thank you! My soul has been touched by this post. God bless,
Tiffany
I totally agree! I was raised Unitarian and was familiar only with the best-known Old Testament stories. After joining the Episcopal Church, I listened to the readings each week and sometimes read devotionals and looked up the scriptures they cited, but that was reading the Bible only in little bits and pieces. Ten years ago this spring, I resolved to read all 4 Gospels during Lent, and it changed my life! Jesus turns out to be even more my kind of guy than I had thought! 🙂 As I've gone on to read other books of the Bible in their entirety, I've learned more and more.
One of my biggest motivations for Bible reading now is my son, who just turned 6. Details about our Bible reading experiences are at the end of my article on chapter books. I learn even more from reading when I read aloud and when I explain it to him.
So true and beautifully written! I'm amazed at the scriptures I've read that are either distorted or ignored altogether.