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Wait! I Am Not Finished Reading Yet
Wait, I am Not Finished Reading Yet
For those who are still with us in our reading through the Bible, we have hit the point where we fly through the New Testament. We are doing a book a day (smaller books). We will finish reading in14 days. We have read 3 books in 3 days.
While we need to have such reading that acquaints us with each book of the New Testament, such a fast pace doesn't let us digest the material. "Receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls" said James. "Let the word dwell in you richly" wrote Paul. This requires a constant exposure to the word.
A schedule where you read the whole bible is needed to give a context of the books. A chronological approach such as we have used with LaGard Smith's 'Daily Bible' really helps with the historical context of the books (although some dating and arrangements are done with an educated guess). Such also will help your understanding as you will find that you recall reading something like this before… It also helps in that you begin to anticipate what follows the passage your are currently reading. This helps to see the flow of the book, which can give further insight to understanding.
Along with this fast paced reading we also need to slow down and 'tear things apart'. The three books we just read (Colossians, Ephesians, and Philippians) are treasure troves of scripture gems. Each book has its own theme and underlying main point. Each book gives us a unique look at who Christ is, what God has done, and how we are to respond to all this.
I often take one of these books and make it a project for a week or more. This is where I will read the book in one sitting, and then turn and read it again, and again. I like to start with a clean copy – just the text without my previous notes. I like to have it arranged in paragraphs (even though I realize such is a bit of an arbitrary arrangement). I usually print this out on cheap paper, grab my colored pencils, and scribble all over it. I circle words, draw lines to show relationships, and color thematic words in the same color. I like to print it out with wide margins and good space between the lines. Sometimes I keep these copies, other times I discard them when done.
So, as we read a book a day, I find myself saying: Wait! I am not done reading that yet! Hugh DeLong
