Imagine reading the Bible takes the same number of hours as driving coast to coast in the USA. The math is fuzzy, but let's say reading speeds and driving breaks equalize to around 60 hours. For reading, that's around 10-15 minutes per day.
Is reading the whole Bible a trip worth taking? I say yes.
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| Pixabay, Larisa-K |
The Bible is much like a long trip to a large country that needs exploring. From Creation to the richly woven historical tapestry of the patriarchs and all their descendants, the head counting, the who-begat-who, the unpronounceable names, and prophecies of multiheaded beasts and eyeballs melting, the wars, grisly murders, love stories (racy, some of them), epic friendships, ancient songs, heart-melting poetry, nature defying miracles, the world changing ministry of Jesus and the men who walked with Him, His death and conquest of death, His Spirit outpouring on an infant church, the promise of His return… and so much more.
A road trip skeptic might say, why not just fly to where I’m
going? It’s faster. It’s simpler. I can fly and be just as present at my
destination.
Bible reading skeptics might say, why not just study the parts about
Jesus’ love? Why not just extract the Gospel that will save me, and move on
with my life? Why not just let someone tell me what they think of it?
Does it sound like anything good will come from asking, “Why not just…?”
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| Pixabay, MaxxGirr |
Let’s answer
the road trip questions first. I asked my Facebook friends why
long drives are worth it, and their reactions were all echoes of one another:
flying is fast and more direct, but the long-haul drive is an experience you
simply can’t achieve any other way. It’s about the time spent bonding, the
memories made, the special connections with the people you encounter and the
deeper meaning linked to the places you’ve been. The drive shows you the big
picture, the grand landscapes, and how they change, sometimes gradually,
sometimes dramatically. You see how the big picture fits the little picture,
from massive cities to tiny towns. You discover obscure interests and
adventures, wildlife, fascinating people and new foods. You see diversities and
contrasts, and with enough experience you learn to navigate beyond the GPS
voice, using your own senses and a paper map.
My friend Jasmine
Mason Hambey summed it up well: “You learn that it’s about the journey, not
just the destination. You get to see and experience things that you would miss
if you fly. The detours and unexpected turn offs allow you to see beauty that
you would never know existed.”
She makes an important point. Not all beauty is famous. Through-reading, just like through-driving, rewards you with surprises reserved for the ones who travel the slow way. Those 60 hours will force you to sit, slow down, be close, focus, and enjoy the view. You'll make connections. You'll learn to navigate. You'll see massive themes, and smaller ones, and how they're interconnected. Yes, there are difficult stretches (like Numbers...), but you keep pushing forward because the journey is worth it.
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| Pixabay, 12019 |
If you want to be seen, and known, and understood in the blinding light of Truth, read the Bible and your heart will be enlightened about who you are, why you're here, and who you're meant to be.
If you need comfort because life has
been nothing but wildernness, unscalable mountains, and landslides that have weighed you down in grief, anxiety, and fear, you’ll find the paths through them in the Bible.
If you need wisdom, because life has shaken cosmic questions to the surface of your mind, search the Scriptures and find words so sharp they'll cut right through your uncertainties.
If you feel entrapped in a life you don't want, but you don't know how to get out, you'll find the ultimate freedom in learning who Jesus is.
If you’re weary and worn down, and need
to feel something meaningful beyond the shadows of this life, look there, and
you will find the strength to grasp a hope worth hoping for.
If you're still
wondering, "Ugh. Why drive for 60 hours when you can fly there?" Yes,
you can get someone to teach you what you need to know about
the Bible in a pretty short time. (Do that, if you haven’t. I’ll set
you up if you have those kinds of questions.)
You could ask,
"Why not just...?" You could learn the bare minimum, but my friend,
you’d be missing so much. I know the writers of the Bible are
long gone and dead dust, but I promise you these words live. They are the door to
eternal life (John 12:44-50). They strike deep, exploding with meaning every
time they collide with a listening heart.
If you’ve read it all
before, you haven’t read it this year. Unless you choose to read it again, you
won’t know how the Word will breathe again and speak new life into your future.
You'll find the Bible to be both the most universal and the most personal book.
It's the biggest story ever, and it has a specific message for you. You
are the intended audience. You'll find priceless treasures in it, and you get
to keep them all.
Will it all make sense? No, but that’s part of the gift. You can study it your
whole life and never stop discovering.
I hope you read it.
“And he that sat upon the throne said,
Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me,
Write: for these words are true and faithful.”
Revelation 21:5
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