What do these words have in common? They are: instructions,
laws, commandments, decrees, regulations, word, commands, ways, deeds, and
promises. They are all words used multiple times in psalm 119 to describe God’s
works and the way to please Him. There are 176 verses broken into 22 sections –
one for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Over and over again the author
spells out the wisdom in following God’s instructions found in His Bible.
Theodore Roosevelt once said “A thorough knowledge of the
Bible is worth more than a college education.” I concur!
I’m not an exceptional person BUT I’ve learned so much
through studying the Bible that a person might think I am very learned – what I
actually am is a person who listens to what the Bible says. I began back in
1974 reading it for the express purpose of checking if a doctrine was really in
there. I started in Genesis and read to
Revelation and discovered that the doubted doctrine, although not specifically
name in the Bible, is indeed in there.
This is not the way I would recommend for a novice to read
the Bible because if you don’t get bogged down in Leviticus, Numbers might do
you in. I suggest starting in the New Testament but do, at some point, read the
Old – it helps you understand so much of the New.
I read through the Bible many years through a ministry
called Bible Pathways. They would send me a booklet with the reading for the
month and a checklist where I could chart my progress. For a woman who loves a
checklist this was very helpful in keeping me committed.
There are many free reading programs to help someone take on
this task and successfully complete it. Google “Free Bible reading programs” to
find one that suits you. You don’t need to wait until January! If you start
reading today in Matthew and read 15 minutes a day, you can read through the
entire New Testament in 90 days. Read with a notebook on hand to jot down and
questions that arise. There have been times when I thought I found errors in
the book but when I investigated further or asked a Bible scholar, I would see
that I was wrong.
I guarantee that if you take my challenge, you will have more knowledge than you ever thought possible!
