I read my Bible a lot. Normally, I try to go through the Bible, cover to cover, every ninety to one hundred and twenty days. There are a lot of benefits to reading large portions of Scripture at a time. I’m not studying verses when I do this; that’s for another time and separate reading. I’m reading large portions to get a bird’s eye view rather than an eye level view. Reading this way allows me to see the “big picture” and not get preoccupied with focusing on smaller portions. Again, that’s for a different time. Another excellent benefit to reading through the Bible every three to four months is that I am never a few months from reading the same thing twice. This helps with memorization, recalling stories, and key events and/or people. But I also understand that while I may read through the Bible a lot, it is significantly more than many other Christians throughout the world.

Now before I continue, I want to make it perfectly clear that because I read through the Bible several times a year, it does not make me a great Christian. It doesn’t mean that I am any better of a Christian or closer to God than someone who doesn’t read as often as I do. I have realized that in my own life and walk with Christ, I need that daily communication. I can easily recognize when I miss a couple of days of reading. Things begin to get out of order in my life. I believe each and every person that says they follow Christ, should spend time in His Word (as I have already stated with the importance of communication in a relationship). But please know that I write today’s entry not from a position of boasting or being proud, but rather in humility and encouraging you to pick up your Bible, open it, and see what God has to say to you today.

According to the Pew Research Center, 48% of men read God’s Word once or twice a month, compared to 52% of women the same number of times within a month. These numbers are alarming when it comes to Christians and how much time they spend in God’s Word. We know that no relationship grows when the two people in that relationship fail to communicate with one another. It’s impossible. How would your marriage be if you walked around the house and didn’t talk with one another? How would your marriage grow if you only spoke to one another once or twice a month? One of the biggest ways God communicates to believers is through His Word. When the same men and women who claim to follow Him aren’t spending time communicating with Him through Scripture, their relationship with Him is going to suffer. And it will suffer significantly. Attitudes will be worse, increased tension, feelings of loneliness, abandonment, and depression are all very possible. One of the biggest ways in which the relationship will suffer is that the believer will become callous to sin in their own lives and the world around them. They will soon forget how to view others and the world with a biblical worldview.

Does this mean that because I read my Bible daily, or anyone else that does, we will have a life that is nothing but rainbows, gumdrops, and unicorns? Absolutely not. In John 16:33, Christ tells His disciples, “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world” (CSB). You and I will not be immune to suffering, regardless of how much we read our Bibles, go to church, give money, help the poor, or pray. Suffering is a part of life in a world filled with sin. Do I believe that someone who clings to God will have less? Absolutely. But I don’t believe someone who reads their Bible daily will be immune to or spared suffering here on earth. That thought can’t be backed up with any Scripture. Furthermore, if that was the case, Lazarus wouldn’t have died and the disciples wouldn’t have been imprisoned, beaten, and martyred for the cause of Christ. There are things that tend to happen when we do maintain close communication with God. When we spend time daily in His Word, there are tangible results that cannot be ignored.

In 2009, Center of Bible Engagement conducted a study in which they tracked 40,000 individuals ranging from 8 to 80 years of age. More results and info from the study can be found here. Their study found that when the participants spent one time a week in Scripture, there was a negligible effect on some area in their life. The same happened for those who opened their Bible two times a week. There was no difference between once or twice a week. For those who spent time in Scripture three times a week there was a small improvement. But the results of those who engaged in Scripture at least four days a week, yielded remarkable results.

• Getting drunk – 57% lower odds
• Sex outside of marriage – 68% lower odds
• Pornography – 61% lower odds
• Gambling – 74% lower odds
• Sharing their faith with others – 228% higher odds
• Discipling/mentoring others in the faith – 231% higher odds
• Memorizing Scripture – 407% higher odds

The results are clear. Spending more time in Scripture will result in a decrease in negative behavior and an increase in behavior characterized by those who claim to follow to Christ. The fruit of spending time in God’s Word four or more times per week is exponentially higher than less than four times per week. The statistics are there, and I have only mentioned a few that were found in this exhaustive study.

So what? What can we take away from this? I could go on for several pages with the benefits of reading your Bible consistently, but I think you understand the point I am attempting to drive home. If communication is important in our earthly relationships, as well as our relationship with our Creator, and if the Bible is the primary way through which God speaks to His followers, why would we neglect that time with God? Why wouldn’t we spend more time in His Word and trying to see what He has for us? In a world that is completely upside down, why wouldn’t we turn to that which is constant? Shouldn’t Christians want to do everything possible to grow in a deeper relationship with the One they claim to follow?

As we close out 2023 in less than a month, I not only encourage each of you, but challenge you, to open a Bible and read it. You don’t even have to go and buy a physical copy (although I love reading out of an actual Bible and not from my phone). But if you aren’t able to purchase a Bible, there are a number of great Bible apps that can be downloaded directly to your smartphone. Many of these apps have reading plans, devotions, a place to share prayer requests, and much more. You and I in this digital age are blameless when it comes to not spending time with God in His Word. Which translation do you choose from? I will eventually write a separate post regarding this, but I will at least tell you this: read from a translation that you can actually read and comprehend. Choose a translation through which the Holy Spirit speaks to you. We are blessed as English-speaking people to have a number of excellent Bible translations. There are some to stay away from like The Passion Translation or The Message (these are paraphrases and should not be considered actual translations), but we are left with many great translations. Choose one, dive into it, and seek the Lord daily.