Carving out time to read (that is, enjoy!) the Bible

G. Campbell Morgan pointed out that it takes all of 72 hours to read the Bible , from cover to cover, at what he called "pulpit speed." That’s the pace one would read Scripture out loud, with clear enunciation (like in doing 1 Timothy 4:13). The Bible is composed of 66 books most of which could be read cover to cover in less than 45 minutes. The question I have: Why don’t we read it more?

If we read for 15 minutes a day, we would have two months left in the year to explore specifics topics in God’s Word. Or, if we invested 5 minutes daily reading the New Testament alone, it also would take us 288 days to go from Matthew to Revelation. The issue is not so much that the Good Book is too big, but that other things compete for our time and affections.

It all comes back to passion and values. We devote time to what we value, and we value what we desire (are passionate for), and vice versa. Some would argue the root lies with the objective (values), and I would argue for the subjective (affections). God must awaken our affections, and we work with Him to develop an appetite for God’s Word (1 Peter 2:2). Either way, we are a society of people that esteem the Bible in general, but give little credence to its worth specifically. We arrange our lives around our favorite shows (or TiVo them), but the Scriptures are an afterthought.

Some quick stats:

• A 1993 Barna poll said more than 90% of Americans have a Bible in their home. (Don’t think they ask that question any more in this digital age.)
• Yet, only 37% read it at least once a week (Gallup poll, 2000 ). This is actually higher than I thought.
• Six in ten Americans say they read the Bible occasionally.
• Sixteen percent say they read God’s Word daily.

I’m not lamenting our culture here; rather, pointing out that for those of us who consider the Bible to be the direct revelation from God, we don’t respond to it that way.

What to do? Dust off that Bible on your shelf, and dig in. Pick a time , a place , and a plan .

Where to start? I counsel others to start in the Gospel of John in the New Testament. If you want more, read a few Psalms each day (there are 150 of them), and begin to interact with God’s Word.

In the coming days I’ll unfold some tools to enjoying the Bible for all its worth .