Desires of the Heart: Reading Scripture

What’s the normative view of scripture by the layman?

-Have to read to be better

-Wisdom for living right

-Rules for living righteous life

-Required each day

Struggle to understand the wording, without today’s language. 

Scripture is seen as a vital role in discipleship, but individuals don’t follow up with it. 

Bar has been set too low. A simple devotion page is good enough for the average Christian. Christian leadership has taken a well-intentioned idea, daily devotion, and failed to teach principles of good Bible reading. 

These daily devotions can lead to a weak faith and knowledge of faith. We end up with this problem where people aren’t taught well how to read the Word of God. So then when they try to grow in their faith and they open the one day devotion, they find at the end they haven’t actually grown in their faith. 

The Bible is a big book. 66 books with 40 authors, covering a big theme. But if you read a section over 365 days you won’t really remember genesis by the end. How much will you remember about John at the end. 

Some people see reading God’s word as a way to earn God’s favor. Alison shares this was how she felt when she was younger. 

What is the value of scripture in the life of a believer?

Gaining truth and grounding you in peace. Learning who God really is. Learning about your identity. Life was miserable for Alison with her self-worth when she just read it as a check off item. 

Matthew 4 Jesus responds to Satan in the desert. Jesus showed us that he makes the claim that scripture is equal to sustenance like bread and water in the life of an individual.

The second and third temptation satan misinterprets and twists the intent of the scripture. Jesus corrects him using the proper context. 

Psalm 119: We can make it through our afflictions by studying the word. 

How should I read it?

In Psalm 119 we see the Psalmist use the action words and not passive words about reading God’s word, law, precepts. We have the soak in the word and meditate on it throughout the day. It can’t just be a reading and then move on.