October 5, 2006

Good Morning! It has been suggested to me many times that daily Bible reading is essential to the Christian faith… then it was suggested that reading the Bible both in the morning and at night would be of great benefit. Is the next step then morning, noon, and night? Maybe, and it certainly can’t hurt, only help. The explanation for this is found in the Gospel of Mark where Jesus tells his disciples about understanding.

22 "Everything that is now hidden or secret will eventually be brought to light. 23 Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand! 24 And be sure to pay attention to what you hear. The more you do this, the more you will understand-and even more, besides. 25 To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But to those who are not listening, even what they have will be taken away from them." (Mark 4:22-25, NLT)

Jesus gives us understanding in this passage about why we need daily, even twice daily, Bible reading; it is to understand more! That is why the Bible is the one book that you can read over and over gaining further understanding each time. I have heard people say that “Yes, I have read the Christian Bible, it was interesting, but kind of dull (preachy, boring, etc)” You might even know someone who has said something like that. The Bible is also one of the most quoted works in many languages. However, it is so much more than that, and in the same passage Jesus explains why some people, even after reading through the Bible, just don’t seem to understand. What little understanding they had is taken away when they refuse to hear.
When Jesus tells us in the Bible to “listen”, he is telling us to study the Bible with an open heart to gain understanding. This life is tough, there is no question about that, even the pagans understand that fact; we need the Bible to remind us of our great hope and strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. There is a devotional out there entitled “New Every Day” and that is exactly correct. It seems that every time I read the Bible, even the passages that I am very familiar with, I gain new understanding and Jesus said that it would be that way.


Yours in Christ Jesus!
Bucky