Through The Word

This year, like most Christians, I have made the commitment to read through the Scriptures. I must say that I am not on schedule. There are some mornings that I wake up later than anticipated, so there goes the New Testament reading and a passage from the Psalms. Then, after the most hectic and trying day, the evening discipline of reading Scripture before going to bed becomes me going to bed and not reading the Scripture. So there goes the Old Testament reading and a Proverb.

This morning as I prepared not to catch up, but to pick up on this mornings reading I began to think about this discipline. The reality is that I cannot recall or retell with total precision all that I have read. I mean I am reading for the next sermon. I am reading the latest subscription of Preaching Magazine. I am trying to finish reading a book that has taken longer than expected. I am reading emails and snail mail. Somehow, the significance of the Scriptures I have read becomes lost in my memory of other reads.

This has taught me a very powerful lesson: Reading through the Scriptures does not mean the Scriptures get through you. The psalmist says: “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you (Psalm 119:11 ESV).” You see there is one thing to read through the Word. However, it is another thing to allow the Word to read through you. Paul encouraged his young protege’ Timothy: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15 HCSB).” God is more concerned with how much of the Scripture has made it’s way through our lives and not how much Scripture we have read through. The bottom line is that application matters more than the accomplishment. 

While I may not complete the task of reading through the Scriptures; I humble myself to the hope of allowing the Scriptures to complete its task of reading through my life.