Your Bible is not a Museum Piece

“How many never in their lives read through all the Scriptures?
These have a sword but only to hang on the wall.” William Gouge 

When I was growing up, I never understood why we had a formal dining room. It included a large china cabinet with a set of fine china. There was a matching chest of drawers with silverware that had to be periodically polished. It even included a coffee and tea set. Yet, we never ate in the dining room. None of that beautiful china or silver or furniture was ever used. It was like a museum display or perhaps wishful thinking of some future formal meal that never happened.

For far too many Christians, their Bible is like that. They have one. Most own several. They probably have a Bible app on their phone. But the Bible was never intended to be a museum piece, set off for display. The Bible is to be a work truck. It’s not how it looks on the outside. It’s the “tools,” the content of what’s between the leather cover that makes the Bible valuable. As Christian author, David McKenna, wisely points out: “Unless we read the Word of God, we cannot be instructed by the Spirit, and unless we are instructed by the Spirit, we cannot become godly and effective servants. To put it another way, loving the Word, learning from the Word, and living out the Word are interlocked in God’s plan for our spiritual growth.”

Are you reading the Bible? Is it important to read it daily? Yes. Let me suggest a few reasons why you want to make Bible reading a daily habit.

Daily Bible reading can bring peace into our lives. Each day we roll out of bed and, as C. S. Lewis put it in Mere Christianity, “all your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals.” One reason to read the Bible is so that we don’t live out our day in a state of frenzy with little or no purpose. It helps us focus and remember the brevity of life, the eternality of heaven, and the abundance of gospel hope from which no sin or failure is excluded. The promises of Scripture are like an inhaler for an asthmatic. God’s Word helps us to slow down and take a deep breath.

Daily Bible reading is like beginning the day with a good breakfast. The president of the Bible college that I attended shared that his life phrase was, “No Bible, No Breakfast.” For some, it might be, “No Bible, No Coffee.” Reading Scripture is like eating a nutritious meal. We have to do it regularly, it tastes good to taste buds that are alive and nourishes us for the day. Bible reading is stored energy, stockpiled emotional and psychological capital. We stay energized and afloat throughout the day by making moment-by-moment withdrawals from that vast reservoir.

Daily Bible reading gives us wisdom for the day. How many dumb things do you do each day? How many dumb things do you say each day? None of us do wise, godly things naturally. Doing the right things comes from being plugged into God’s Word and empowered by His Spirit. We won’t act heavenly without being plugged into Heaven’s message to us. The Bible is the world’s great self-corrective. If we read God’s Word faithfully, it tweaks our lives and prompts fresh mid-course corrections.

Daily Bible reading deepens our minds about what truly matters. Have you ever thought about how much trivial data we store in our minds? I left home in 1975 but I still remember my home phone number. Play a few musical bars from a popular commercial from a few decades ago and most of us can immediately hum the rest. Remembering who played in Super Bowl XXIV may impress sports fanatics, but it’s not going to help you live. Though Tom Hanks is one of our most popular actors, knowing about his last movie won’t help you be kinder or more patient. One reason we read the Bible is to deepen our perspective of what ultimately matters. It helps us know God and live a life that pleases Him. It helps us think more accurately about life, eternity, and all that matters most.

Daily Bible reading helps us wisely invest our time. Are there times when you have so much to do, so much that you could do that you’re not sure where to start? The Bible is your best daily planner. It gives us direction to take action in concrete ways. Sometimes the passage commands action very directly. Other times it doesn’t, but at the least, indirectly, a text will mess with us, change us a little bit, alter our outlook, and impel us forward in some new step of practical obedience externally because we have been changed a tiny bit internally.

Daily Bible reading guides us in how to pray. Reading the Bible gives us an instruction manual on the right way to pray. In Jesus’ most famous sermon, the Sermon on the Mount, our Lord shares with His followers what’s known as “The Lord’s Prayer.” His example illustrates a prayer filled with praise, submission to the will of God, reliance upon Him for our daily needs, and requests for forgiveness. Jesus’ prayer focuses more on honoring God than listing needs to be met. Too often we pray “Happy Meal” prayers while our Heavenly Father wants to give us steak and lobster. It’s only as we’re in the Bible that we even know what’s on the “menu” to ask for. Biblically informed prayer reminds us that we don’t have all of the answers. As we go through our day full of responsibilities, pressures and struggles, we recognize our need for God moment by moment and turn to Him in prayer. Being faithfully in the Word guides us in what to pray about.

We’re nearing the beginning of a New Year. A great way to start in 2021 is to plan and prepare now for being in God’s Word each day. A great tool to help you is the One Year Bible. Even if you split into two years, you’re headed in the right direction.

They’re only $12.99. The deadline for ordering them is Sunday, December 6^th.  Most of the items on our Christmas list will be old and out of style before summer. God’s Word is eternal and can direct you into a life of true significance. If regularly reading God’s Word hasn’t been part of your daily life, please make it part of your life in the coming year.

Can we help you spiritually? Can we help you know Jesus better? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or, call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.