You might be tempted to stop reading the Bible at points in your life… but you shouldn't! Here's some common excuses, and answers to all your objections.
1. “It's going to take too much effort, and I'm tired.”
Yes. The Bible DOES take some effort to study. For example, if you simply open to the book of Joel, you may get confused. It's going to take some time to get out a study Bible or fire up a helpful Bible application like logos. BUT IT'S WORTH IT.
It's like digging for gold. You have to get some tools together. You have to sweat a little bit. But you get GOLD.
2. “It's going to take too much time, and I'm busy.”
There are times when it's necessary to read God's Word for an extended period of time. There is however, a myth that's floating around in your head that unless you read for an hour it's not beneficial. This is just false.
Take Psalm 103 for example. It takes less than 5 minutes to read but it is PACKED with beneficial reminders. OR, take the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000. You can read that in no time at all, and it will be very fulfilling. The truth is, it's ok to read a small portion of God's Word or just spend a few minutes in his presence. There is no time limit either way.
Think about your relationship with your best friend. Sometimes, you will talk for hours and other times you text.
I think in our relationship with God we can have the same balance. Even if it’s only for a moment, listen to his voice.
3. “I read it before, and all I got were lists of people's names.”
If you don't know that there are parts of the Bible that are a little hard to read, you haven't read the entire thing. The truth is, everybody can get discouraged because they start their year-long Bible plan and get bored in Leviticus.
That's not the entire Bible though. (Btw, the book of Leviticus is particularly exciting in light of the cross).
There is so much more to explore. Just because you've started it a thousand times doesn't mean you've seen all there is to see. Wait until you get to the part about David and Goliath or Rahab. Even though you've heard those stories a million times, reading them for yourself is really fun. More fun than hearing them told. Also, check out the richness of the Psalms, the wisdom of Solomon or the History of the Church in the book of Acts. Yes, you have gone to read your Bible and fallen asleep. But, that's just one section out of thousands. Give it another shot.
4. “I don't know where to start.”
Let me ask you this. Where do you start with a newspaper? Front page? Sports section? Business? Probably whatever is most interesting to you. Well, what is interesting to you spiritually speaking? Money? Marriage? Anger? Lust?
If you’re looking for a place to start, why not get on Google, do some searching and find out what the Bible has to say about these topics? Searching any one of the topics I just mentioned will keep you reading for hours.
5. “It's boring”.
The beginning of all time, wars between nations, dramatic healings, mind-boggling miracles, God visiting earth, visions of a new heaven and earth … and the secret to eternal life. If you can find a more interesting book, let me know!
6. “I already know what it says.”
It's true! You can know exactly what the Bible says. I'm very, very familiar with the content of the Bible. In fact, at one point during college, you could name any book and chapter, and I could tell you what was in it! It's true! Now, since the exams I've forgotten most of that. But the point is, I know what the Bible says.
That doesn't mean I know everything about God. That doesn't mean I know everything about myself. You see, since college a lot about me has changed. I'm in new circumstances and facing new challenges. When I go to read the Bible now, I learn things about me and my life that I simply couldn't learn back in college.
I also find that there are things about the Lord that appear highlighted to me because of how much life has changed. Things I didn't previously know or emphasise about God, are now at the forefront of my mind.
There is no excuse! We need God, and the knowledge of God is found through the Word.
God wrote the best book ever written. Read it!