Recently I was asked to record a podcast on Devotional Bible Reading. It took me a few minutes to realize what they meant, despite the fact that I write daily devotionals. My definition of this type of reading versus Inductive Bible reading, would be the reading we do more or less casually, usually on a daily basis, and with no real aim in mind beyond that. Inductive reading, then would be more of a study method involving reference works and cross referencing other passages in the Bible, with some writing almost always included. They didn't tell me I was wrong when I gave them those definitions so I'm sticking with them.
At first thought, devotional Bible reading seems almost pointless, but now that I have actually thought about it, I can see several advantages. First, it gets the Word into your head. You would be surprised how many things I was taught incorrectly as a child. I am sure the teacher just knew the narrative so well that she didn't bother to read it again and told what she had always heard or remembered. That is exactly how errors get passed from generation to generation. I remember the first time I discovered an error like this. I had pulled down my Bible and actually read what it said. I sat back in shock for several minutes. Over the years I have discovered several more of these instances. It isn't that we have false teachers in the church who deliberately set out to teach our children incorrect details. It's that we are sometimes a little lazy and we know we know it so why bother taking the time to read it again? Because you may not know what you think you know, that's why.
Another advantage is the ingrained habit of reading the Word of God on a schedule. Once you train yourself to do it, you generally keep on doing it even when times are rough and life is difficult. While I do not believe in any sort of mysticism, I do believe in God's providential care. Who knows but as you sit there reading that particular morning (or evening), you might come across something that is just what you need right then? Sort of like assembling. I do not remember a time in my life when I did not assemble with the saints on Sunday morning. Even when my spirits were low and my spirituality suffered, I went out of habit. But where was the best place for me at such a time in my life? Right there where I might hear something I needed, or receive an encouragement that pulled me out of the pit. The same can be true of a practiced habit of daily reading. A passage may "speak" to you, even a familiar passage, like it never has before.
A third advantage may be that Devotional Reading might be easier to relate to your life at that moment. When you are studying more deeply, you are looking up word meanings, studying customs and geography, and finding other pertinent passages. The nuts and bolts of taking a passage apart can completely rip the fabric of application, while a more casual reading might instantly make sense for a problem you are currently facing. I remember tearing a passage to pieces one day, then looking with satisfaction on my paper full of notes only to suddenly think, "So how does this help me tomorrow?" It didn't actually. I may have learned a few things, but it didn't help me live a bit better the next morning.
A final advantage could be that it moves you on to that deeper study we have been contrasting it to. Keep a journal beside you as you read. It will help you keep track of where you've been, but you can also write down things to study more intently later on. What does this word mean? Is this character mentioned anywhere else in the Bible? (Do you know who that king Absalom ran off to was?) How far is this place from that place? (Do you know how far Hannah was from Samuel after she took him to the tabernacle?) How much money is this (that the Samaritan left to care for a perfect stranger or that the Christians were giving when they sold property in Acts 4)? And then, just write down things that are bothering you that particular day or that you struggle with. All of those things can lead you to a longer, and maybe more beneficial study at another time.
If you aren't reading your Bible daily, I hope you will start. Two men in the Bible were told to "eat" God's Word—Ezekiel and John (Ezekiel 2:8; Revelation 10:9). It is our spiritual sustenance. You really can't do without it.
The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. Princes persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of your words (Ps 119:160-161).
Dene Ward
At first thought, devotional Bible reading seems almost pointless, but now that I have actually thought about it, I can see several advantages. First, it gets the Word into your head. You would be surprised how many things I was taught incorrectly as a child. I am sure the teacher just knew the narrative so well that she didn't bother to read it again and told what she had always heard or remembered. That is exactly how errors get passed from generation to generation. I remember the first time I discovered an error like this. I had pulled down my Bible and actually read what it said. I sat back in shock for several minutes. Over the years I have discovered several more of these instances. It isn't that we have false teachers in the church who deliberately set out to teach our children incorrect details. It's that we are sometimes a little lazy and we know we know it so why bother taking the time to read it again? Because you may not know what you think you know, that's why.
Another advantage is the ingrained habit of reading the Word of God on a schedule. Once you train yourself to do it, you generally keep on doing it even when times are rough and life is difficult. While I do not believe in any sort of mysticism, I do believe in God's providential care. Who knows but as you sit there reading that particular morning (or evening), you might come across something that is just what you need right then? Sort of like assembling. I do not remember a time in my life when I did not assemble with the saints on Sunday morning. Even when my spirits were low and my spirituality suffered, I went out of habit. But where was the best place for me at such a time in my life? Right there where I might hear something I needed, or receive an encouragement that pulled me out of the pit. The same can be true of a practiced habit of daily reading. A passage may "speak" to you, even a familiar passage, like it never has before.
A third advantage may be that Devotional Reading might be easier to relate to your life at that moment. When you are studying more deeply, you are looking up word meanings, studying customs and geography, and finding other pertinent passages. The nuts and bolts of taking a passage apart can completely rip the fabric of application, while a more casual reading might instantly make sense for a problem you are currently facing. I remember tearing a passage to pieces one day, then looking with satisfaction on my paper full of notes only to suddenly think, "So how does this help me tomorrow?" It didn't actually. I may have learned a few things, but it didn't help me live a bit better the next morning.
A final advantage could be that it moves you on to that deeper study we have been contrasting it to. Keep a journal beside you as you read. It will help you keep track of where you've been, but you can also write down things to study more intently later on. What does this word mean? Is this character mentioned anywhere else in the Bible? (Do you know who that king Absalom ran off to was?) How far is this place from that place? (Do you know how far Hannah was from Samuel after she took him to the tabernacle?) How much money is this (that the Samaritan left to care for a perfect stranger or that the Christians were giving when they sold property in Acts 4)? And then, just write down things that are bothering you that particular day or that you struggle with. All of those things can lead you to a longer, and maybe more beneficial study at another time.
If you aren't reading your Bible daily, I hope you will start. Two men in the Bible were told to "eat" God's Word—Ezekiel and John (Ezekiel 2:8; Revelation 10:9). It is our spiritual sustenance. You really can't do without it.
The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. Princes persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of your words (Ps 119:160-161).
Dene Ward
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