Cairo: Jesus in Egypt & God's Unusual Leaning
God seldom gives us all we need to understand, but He always gives us what we need in order to obey. The story of Jesus in Egypt as a boy offers a...
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Mar 7, 2017 9:00:28 PM
Let’s admit it. Sometimes reading the Bible can seem, well—can I say it?—boring. Especially if you’re reading through a program and you get to Leviticus. How can a book that has changed the lives of billions ever seem boring?
(Photo: By William Hoiles from Basking Ridge, NJ. CC-BY-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
Some reasons Bible reading seems boring could be:
Whatever the reason Bible reading is tough, the problem is still the same: How can we keep a dogged devotion for the most un-boring book in the world?
Our two dogs used get to breakfast from one of our daughters, and later they would receive supper from the other daughter. They always know which daughter came with which meal because they would wait outside the appropriate bedroom door.
Most days, they waited a LONG time.
(Photo: Our dogs waiting at the appropriate door for breakfast.)
The dogs’ devotion to food reminds me of a proverb where wisdom offers a simple invitation:
Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD. —Proverbs 8:34–35
After reading these verses, the picture of my dogs changes from comical to convicting.
How do we benefit from Bible reading? By “watching daily at [God’s] doors, waiting at [His] doorway.” Literally, the Hebrew reads “yom, yom”—or “day by day.” It takes a daily commitment to listen, to watch, and to wait in the Word of God in order to gain wisdom.
Don’t misunderstand. By “daily” I don’t mean a legalistic box to check. (Even the Pharisees did that.) No, I mean a daily, dogged devotion that listens to, watches for, and waits upon God’s wisdom as found in the Bible. Bible reading gives us that benefit.
In addition to reminding ourselves the benefits of regular Bible reading, it helps to be aware of good tools that help us keep our commitment to read.
Here are 4 tools I have found helpful:
In our Bible reading, as with any discipline, we need encouragement at times to keep on with what we know we need—even if we don’t feel like we need it.
Tell me what you think: What helps keep the Bible from being boring to you? To leave a comment, just click here.
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