MICROSCOPIC OR TELESCOPIC?
PSALM 119
9 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
12 Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes.
Of all the earthly treasures we have, the word of God is probably the greatest.
So how do we read and study it. Christians use different methods, some read thee bible once per year using various schemes, some just read the bible in large chunks, such as five chapters per day.
Some read randomly, they don’t follow any scheme, they read in John one day and Psalms the next, is that helping them?
I used this method for many years and to be honest, did not grow in my faith very much, I had favorite passages that I constantly read, which kept me away from the books I felt were difficult, such as Job, Jeremiah, Joel and Ezekiel ( this last one is still a struggle!)
Now I am using a method, that could be of help to you.
When I read a book such as Acts, which I will start next month, I will read the whole book, splitting into sections to gain an overview (telescopic) and then read it slowly, taking as long as it takes (microscopic), examining it section by section.
The bible is a treasure trove, it is full of rich diamonds, which we often miss, it is a book to dwell on, it is a book to be meditated upon, it needs to be examined closely and carefully.
Let me make a suggestion, say you are reading Revelation, read all of it, splitting it into sections, and then take time to read it slowly.
Use a good commentary , go online and seek to find Matthew Henry’s concise commentary or the reformation study bible.
We miss so much, for the first time, I have read the psalms one by one, some of these I have never focused on, Oh yes, we read all the popular ones such as Psalm 23 and 51, but have you ever read psalms 12, 38, 75 and 148
but we forget the words of the apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 4:
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
Thomas brooks said these wise words:
Bible reading…
by Thomas Brooks–
“Remember that it is not hasty reading,but serious meditation on holy and heavenly truths,that makes them prove sweet and profitable to the soul.
It is not the mere touching of the flower by the bee that gathers honey, but her abiding for a time on the flower that draws out the sweet.
It is not he that reads most, but he that meditates most, that will prove to be the choicest, sweetest, wisest, and strongest Christian.”
I say a big amen to that, it is not how many pages you read, it is how much does the bible affect your life.
In Nanjing, we are surrounded by mountains, the most famous being purple mountain, when you climb to the top of that mountain, you can see the whole of Nanjing including Xuanwu lake, that is the telescopic view , but it is only when you get down to ground level, can you experience the full intimacy of the Lake.
You can explore every path, every hidden corner. I have walked round the lake several times, but every time I do, I find something new. That is like reading the bible, when we put a microscope to scripture, you see it’s full glory and we constantly amazed as Gid reveals new things. The bible is inexhaustible, we can never plumb its depths.
I remember I tool three weeks to study John chs 1-3, there was so much it.
Christian, it is good to read many chapters at once, there is nothing wrong with it, but to get the nuggets out of scripture, you must dig deeply and this takes time and effort.
I am a Christian devotional writer, I hope people read what the Lord has shard with me, but what I write and share are primers for you to go away and dig some more.
Have you ever done a word study. following a word through the bible. You could start by doing the word Redeemed or Redemption, or choose a word for yourselves.
You need to study the bible for yourself, relying on others and picking up someone else’s manna is not good, we are to dig deeply into the word of God for ourselves, not rely on some teacher or pastor, these again are useful, but they are only primers to drive you deeper into the word.
Poem by Keith
Search the bible, meditate on it’s truth.
So, its transforming power has free reign in your life.
The power of the word gives light to your path
The authority of the word gives meaning to life
Fall in love with God’s word.
Let it become your greatest treasure and deepest pleasure.
Let me run to it and never away from it
Knowing that it is the book of books
Written by the King of Kings
To bless and comfort his children
May we fly to the word.
The final word goes to Don Fortner
Bow to the Word
by Don Fortner
I bow to the Word of God.
There are many good creeds, confessions, and catechisms written by men, clearly setting forth the gospel of the grace of God; but I do not pin my faith to the writings of any man,or any group of men, no matter how much I may admire them.
The Word of God alone is my rule of faith and practice.
I bow my will and my reason, my experience and my feelings, to the Word of God. I do not understand all that is written in the Scriptures; but I believe it all.
I bow to the authority of Holy Scripture.
I do so unreservedly.
Let men call it bigotry, ignorance, or whatever they may, I am not even open to the consideration of any thought, idea, or evidence which contradicts the Book of God.
God bless you
KK