Read Your Bible

By Danny Saavedra

“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” Luke 24:27 (NIV) 

Read your Bible.

Sounds simple, right? But here’s the thing: It is simple, but it’s also significant! Therefore, it’s worth repeating. 

Read your Bible! 

First, let me explain there’s a difference between reading and studying the Bible. The goal of studying the Bible is to examine content and context, to identify what the Lord is saying, and to find personal application. It should go without saying just how important this is as we seek to understand and apply God’s will to our lives so we can grow to be more like Jesus. But the goal behind reading the Bible is to consume bigger chunks in order to read the entirety of the Bible a few times in our lives. Why? Because when we do this, we’re allowing the whole of God’s story of redemption to pass before our eyes, enter into our minds, and permeate our hearts. 

In today’s verse, Jesus showed His disciples how all of the Bible points to Him and speaks of Him. He showed them the fingerprints of His gospel in the Torah, the Psalms, and the prophets. He pointed out all the moments of foreshadowing and the many times He appeared to His people before His incarnation and His performed miracles. He also did this in Luke 24:45 (NIV): “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.”

Now, here’s the coolest part: At that time, the people only had the Old Testament, but we also have the New Testament. We can see how all of the Old Testament points to the work of Christ and how the New Testament points back to the work of Christ, as outlined in the Gospels. By reading the entirety of the Bible a few times in our Christian walk, we can see how ALL OF HISTORY, HUMANITY, AND THE WORLD points to Jesus! 

When we consume all of God’s Word, allowing His entire love letter to pass through our hearts, minds, and eyes, we experience a new level of gratitude, devotion, and a deeper love for Him. And reading the entire Bible is very doable! It only takes the average person around 70 hours to read through the Bible, or roughly 15 minutes per day. This means, if we dedicate a quarter of an hour each day, we can read through the Bible in less than a year!

Sure, you can instead choose to try and save 15 percent or more on car insurance, scroll mindlessly through social media, watch a few YouTube videos on random things, or watch a TV show that may be entertaining but ultimately does nothing to enrich your life. But I pray, you’ll choose to immerse yourself in God’s fully revealed work so you can understand His character and nature on a deeper level! 

PAUSE: Why is it important to consume all God’s Word?

PRACTICE: When you commit to a plan to read the entire Bible, look for Jesus! When you read through each story, psalm, letter, or law, look for Jesus. Look for the shadows and shades, the appearances and anticipation, the reflections and reminders, the threads and themes of the gospel and our good Savior, Jesus Christ.

PRAY: Heavenly Father, I thank You today for Your Word! Your whole Word, Your good Word, Your holy Word! I thank You You’ve revealed Yourself, Your Son, Your Spirit, and Your plan of salvation and redemption to us through the Bible. I pray You would deepen my love and devotion for Your Word, that my passion for it would grow exponentially. And I pray You would help me remain consistent in my reading of Your Word, that I may consume every word, every sentence, and every page You have gifted us with. Amen.