You may have noticed that not everyone thinks about the Bible in the same way. Because of that not everyone reads the Bible for the same reasons. The reason we read the Bible will affect the way we read it and the results we get. Think about why you read the Bible and ask yourself if you are getting the most you could be getting out of it. 
     Some read the Bible to find fault with it. They don’t believe the Bible is from God and are looking for mistakes. Others read the Bible just so they can say they read it. These don’t try to understand what it means their goal is to get through it as fast as they can. Another group reads and rereads the same few sections over and over because those verses or chapters are their favorites or it comforts them. This group will never get the full benefit of the scriptures. They are like a person standing in front of an enormous elaborate mural and examining in detail one square foot. Mat. 21:42 tells of some like this.
      There is also that person who goes to the Bible to try to prove some point that they believe. This person will often ignore any verses that they cannot twist to mean what they want to prove. The Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus’ day were like this (Mat. 22:29, John 5:39). Next time we will consider why people should read the Bible.

     In Deuteronomy 17 God gives the people instructions for the time when they were going to have a king. One of the things their king was supposed to do was keep a copy of God’s law and read from it every day of his life. That is a good thing for all of us to do as well. On at least six occasions Jesus answered a problem the people had by asking them if they had read a particular passage that answered the question. Revelation in chapter 1, verse 3 calls down a blessing on those that read, hear, and keep the things written in it. There is no doubt that God wants us to read His message to us. Consider the time and effort and expense that was necessary for God’s word to be made available for you to have access to it. If the Creator of the universe thought it worth His time to give you a message I hope you will believe it is worth your time to read it. If you have not read the Bible start today.
      More than just read His Word, God wants us to study it. Studying is more than reading, it involves trying to gain an understanding of the meaning and how it applies to life. Understanding needs to be followed by obedience. The people in Berea were called noble because they searched the scriptures daily to ascertain the truth of the teaching they heard. We need to be like these people. The first thing we need to do is read the Bible, then we need to start studying it and  obeying it. So, how do you start? With a decision to make it a priority. You have heard people talk about something that was “a matter of life or death”, studying your Bible is more important than that. It is a matter of eternal life or eternal death.

     Last time we saw that some people are so busy that they have difficulty finding time to read the Bible, and a few truly are very busy. They could be multitasking by listening to the Bible being read on CD, mp3, streaming on the internet, etc. while driving, getting ready for work or eating. The fact is that the argument about not having time is usually bogus. Many who claim not to have time for the Bible have an hour or two a day to watch TV, listen to music, gossip on the phone, etc.
     The truth is uncomfortable for most of us. We could read the Bible, but there are other things that we would rather do so we never get around to time with God. It is ironic that we claim to believe God is the eternal, all-knowing, all-wise creator of mankind who lovingly gave us an instruction manual to guide our lives to reach their full potential, but about 75% are not listening to it. What makes it disturbing is a UPI report of a survey claiming that 90% of American adults pray. It is pretty arrogant to think that God should listen to us anytime day or night that we have a problem for Him to solve, but not have time to listen to the teachings and wisdom God revealed  in the Bible. Jesus said in Matthew 4:4, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” “How Do I Start Studying?” next time. Got Bible questions? Ask me. 

    True, there are some who don’t believe the Bible is worth reading. There are certainly those who are intimidated and afraid of the Bible. There are others who are in denial: either believing they are safer not knowing what is in there, or believing they get all they need at church. There is another group that doesn’t read and study the Bible like they should and even those who do are tempted to be in this group. This is the group that just can’t find the time.
    Life is busy. There is school, then college, then work. There is a house, a yard, or maybe a garden to keep up. For families with children there is always something going on either with school or an extra activity. Retired people seem to have as little time as before they retired, I guess that is why they say “retired” means “tired again”. Grandparents are kept busy keeping up with the grandchildren. There are clubs and groups of all kinds, even churches, demanding our time in a variety of activities that don’t include sitting quietly, reading, studying, and meditating on God’s Word. Don’t forget about keeping up with the news and favorite television programs. 
   These are not necessarily evil things, but they do take time. The fact is that we do find time for the things that are important enough to us. Did you know that an average reader could read most of the chapters in the Bible in 5 minutes or less? Did you know that the Bible is available to listen to in many kinds of recorded format? Did you know that about 15 -20 minutes a day would get you through the whole Bible in 1 year? More next time. Got Bible questions? Ask me. 

     The last two articles dealt with some of the fears that keep people from reading the Bible, but today let's look at a different reason. 
     Some don't read the Bible . . . because they go to church! You might think that people who go to church are more likely to read the Bible and perhaps that is true for many, but there is a large group that attends church, but doesn't read their Bibles. Even though one survey reported that 75% of US adults say they have read a Bible passage in the last 12 months, only 21% of church goers read their Bible daily and 57% read occasionally or hardly ever. I think many of these don't read their Bibles because they believe they are getting enough at church. They may think that their preacher, pastor, or priest is telling them what they need to know from the Bible.
     There are two big problems with this thinking.
1) Odds are the pastor has not read the Bible either. One survey suggest that only 38% of preachers study the Bible outside of preparing a lesson and some suggest, though there is no data to confirm it, that 9 out of 10 "pastors" have not read the entire Bible through.
2) Even if the teacher is well-studied and knowledgeable, there is not enough time in a short lesson of 20-30 minutes once a week to deal with much of the Bible. I know of one church that had a sermon that only had 1 Bible verse in it each week. At that rate they could go through the New Testament in 153 years. Got Bible questions? Ask me.

     We last looked at the fact that many believe the Bible is hard to understand and there certainly are some parts that are. The Bible is written in such a way that small children can get some good things out of it, teenagers can get more out of it, adults can gain even more, and it can still be challenging for the scholar who has studied it for a lifetime. Feeling that it is difficult puts you in a group with the apostle Peter who said that some of the things the Apostle Paul wrote were "hard to be understood" - 2 Peter 3:16. 
     Having said that, we must realize that difficult is not impossible. Jesus said that we could know the truth and that it would set us free, John 8:32, but to know it we have to continue in his word, John 8:31. We can't give up simply because something is hard. None of us would be walking today if we had given up the first time it was difficult and we lost our balance and fell.
     There is another reason that some don't read the Bible. They live under the misguided idea that what you don't know won't hurt you. One poll showed 57% believe the Bible should shape their daily lives " a great deal", but how can it if it is not read? Some are afraid that they will find something in the Bible that will force the choice between doing what the Bible says and continuing to live as they are against the Bible teachings. More next time. Got Bible questions? Ask me.

     It is sad that the Bible is the #1 best selling book of all time, but many have not read it. Even of those who own one or maybe several copies a large percentage  has never read it at all and even more have not read it all. A Gallup poll found that while 92% of homes had at least one, only 25% had read the whole Bible. 72% of those who admitted they had not read the Bible said they want to before they die.
     Though there are some who just don't think the Bible is worth reading, that is only about 21%. They may be atheists or of some religion that has its own book that is held as sacred. If 25% have read it and 21% don't want to that leaves 54% that say they want to but haven't.
     Of that group most are probably intimidated by the Bible. It is a large book and believed by 56% of Americans to be hard to read (some translations are more difficult than others). If you are in this group don't allow fear of the unknown to keep you from some wonderful truths. As we begin reading anything that is unfamiliar it may be difficult, but with practice and experience it becomes easier. Don't worry about the weird names either, even the scholars don't know how to say some of them. If you have trouble understanding get help like the man in Acts 8:30-31. Got Bible questions? Ask me.