The B-I-B-L-E, yes, that's the book for me . . .

Many years ago, my sister walked into her living room and found my nephew - a toddler at the time - standing on top of their rather large family Bible, which he had somehow gotten off the end table and onto the floor. “What in the world are you doing?” she asked with surprise. He replied with confidence, “I’m standing alone on the Word of God!”

Perhaps you’re familiar the words he had memorized -- and taken literally. They came from one of the children’s songs he had sung in Sunday School, “The B - I - B - L - E, Yes, that’s the book for me, I stand alone on the Word of God, the B - I - B - L - E.” I think many of us today could stand to learn from this childlike expression of faith. We could also stand to learn from the Bereans. When the Apostle Paul came a-preaching in Berea on one of his missionary journeys, they -- unlike the villagers in the previous town -- were “of more noble character ……., for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Acts 17:11 NIV

Do you believe everything you hear? everything you see on TV? everything on the internet? Surely not! But do you automatically believe everything you hear from the pulpit, or from a televangelist, or from another religious leader -- for example, your Sunday School teacher. I hope not. Everything I teach in class, everything the pastor preaches in his sermon, everything you hear about God should be judges according to the Holy Scriptures.

The Bible itself is self-authenticating. Passages like 2 Tim 3:16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” speak to the validity of God’s word. But even these verses must be proven true. The only way we can verify the Bible is to examine it in detail and determine if it is indeed true, if it is indeed correct, if it is indeed the holy, inspired word of God. And to accomplish that, one must read it . . . lots of it . . . ultimately, ALL of it.

So . . . I would suggest that you get started as soon as possible. If you have tried before to read the Bible and met with failure, here are some practical strategies for getting started: Who knows, if you make a genuine commitment to follow His leadership, the Holy Spirit might even guide you through the process!

#1 - If you can handle it, it’s great to read straight through the Bible. This is a great idea if you’re not the kind of person who might get bogged down in all the mildew regulations halfway through Leviticus. If you’re not sure about this approach, then perhaps you might . . .

#2 - Start in the New Testament - choose a gospel that appeals to your style. Matthew features content-specific teachings, Mark focuses on the facts, Luke follows a very thorough, organized approach, and John is filled with personal stories. You might even try Luke followed by Acts. They’re written by the same author and Acts takes up right where Luke leaves off. If starting with a longer book like one of the gospels still seems like a bit too much with your schedule, then perhaps you might . . .

#3 - Start with short books - Obadiah, II John, III John, and Jude are so short, they are not even divided into chapters. After reading some of these, then you could work your way outward by reading Haggai (2 chapters) and Zephaniah (3 chapters). Pretty soon, reading the Bible could become habit forming. However, if this still doesn’t work , you are likely going to need some inspiration to get started. Then perhaps you might . . .

#4 - Pick a theme that interests you. If you’re into adventure, read the books of Old Testament History, starting with Joshua, then moving through Judges, Samuel, and Kings. Talk about your “wars and rumors of wars” . . . well, these books have got plenty of ‘em. You can even skip the end of Joshua if you wish - the part where they are divvying up the promised land to the various tribes. Or how about romance? If this seems more appealing, then start with the book of Ruth, which is probably one of the greatest love stories ever penned. Follow that with Esther, the story of the peasant girl chosen by the king to be his bride. If you’re still not convinced, then perhaps you might . . .

#5 - Take an incremental approach. Some of the world’s greatest wisdom comes from the books of Psalms and Proverbs, and you can read them both in 6 months by reading basically only one chapter a day. Here is how it works: January 1-30 corresponds to Psalms 1-30. On January 31, you can take the day off. On February 1, you’ll start on the next set, Psalms 31-60. Since you only have 28 days, you’ll need to read Psalms 58-60 on the last day of the month. Then when March rolls around, you’ll be ready to continue with Psalm 61. This really is easy to keep up with (just add a multiple of 30 to today’s date) once you get started. In June, you’ll be ready for Proverbs, and in July you can start over with Psalm 1 and read up to the spot where you started in the cycle.

“The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 NIV Why not check it out today? There is a link to an on-line Bible near the top-right of this page. Or if you prefer a more old-fashioned approach, you can probably find a paper copy lying around somewhere. Why not curl up on the couch with a good Book and get started . . .