Reading Through the Bible With Purpose

By Wayne Story
Posted on March 17, 2005

Reading through the bible is an incredible, life changing experience. I’m not very good at giving step-by-step instructions. So I thought it would be better to just tell you a story. If you will implement the lessons in this story and allow them to change your life actions this year, I promise you a 300% quality of life improvement next year.

About 10 years ago, I decided to completely read through the bible. Actually (I’m ashamed to say) I decided 3 different times over that first year. Each of the three times I started at Genesis 1:1. But after Exodus, I felt like I was dragging myself through a Louisiana snake infested swamp. I would get bogged down in all the rules and regulations of Leviticus. Or, it was the ”son of so-and-so from the tribe of such-and-such in Numbers that just drug on and on and on.

Each time I would find a mountain full of excuses that caused me to delay my quest to read through the Bible. Each time I felt like a loser and committed again that I would definitely get it accomplished this time. But, again each time I came to a grinding halt in the same part. Here I had been a believer since I was 16; but I had never read all of the verses in the bible.

Oh, I had been in a “Sunday School” class every Sunday for almost 40 years. I had even taught “Sunday School” classes 10 or 12 of those years. I ‘d read sections and heard passages of scripture taught in sermons over all those years. I could even beat just about anyone at the “Bible Trivia” game. But I hadn’t ever actually read the entire bible. Nor had I even read all of the New Testament. That should be easier right? It’s a lot shorter. But, no, never had. That’s pretty sad isn’t it?

Then Christmas came along and someone gave me a quiz on the Christmas story to complete. I think I only answered 9 out of 30 questions correct. I was devastated. For instance, you know the question about how many Kings there were that visited Jesus. I said three. But there weren’t any 3 Kings; despite the Christmas Hymn I had been singing all my life. Truth of the matter, we don’t know how many “Wise Men” there were. We only know there were three types of gifts brought to Jesus.

That slapped me up side of the head. Now I was motivated. I wanted to read through the accounts of the Christmas story so I’d know the truth for myself.

I started reading in Matthew that Christmas. Another thing happened this time. In the past, I had always tried to read the bible I took to church. It was either the King James Version or the New International Version. But it wasn’t very clear. This time I happened to pick up a paraphrased version of the Bible. It happened to be the Living Bible that was popular at the time. It was actually a dual version. On one side of the page was the Living Bible on the other side was the New International Version for me to compare. Suddenly, reading the scripture was fun and interesting.

I now do my daily scripture reading from “The Message.” It’s great for me because it incorporates language I might use in my daily discussions with friends and business contacts. It combines a bible and a bible commentary into one unit and does it in 20th/21st Century language. And, it makes the lessons clearer.

Back to my story, I started discovering new teachings and principles in Matthew that I hadn’t noticed before. I finished Matthew and started Mark. This was fun and interesting. I pulled out a yellow pad and started recording the new teachings and lessons that I had never seen before.

Before I read too much further along, I went back to the beginning of Matthew and wrote down everything that was new to me. I was on a roll and I decided I needed a purpose for reading through the New Testament and a record I could use later. My purpose was to record every new teaching and interesting event that I hadn’t noticed before.

I consumed 2 yellow pads the next few months as I read through the New Testament. Once I finished, I excitedly started over again. During the next two years, I read through the New Testament three times. Each time before I started, I wrote down 3 significant questions that I wanted God to answer for me that time through. This had an amazing affect on my life. (To this day my growth is measured in the new complexity of the questions I am asking God this time through.) This one little improvement to my scripture study has done more to produce spiritual growth than anything else I do.

I was now reading with purpose. As I discovered a scripture with a part of the answer to my question, I wrote down the reference and what the scripture said about my question. I now had an objective and the scriptures were rejuvenating me. I was giddy with anticipation. Each day I would have to force myself to put the bible down until the next day.

God was just flooding answers to me. I was overwhelmed. I couldn’t believe how many different scriptures provided answers to my questions. Often God led me through several isolated scriptures passages throughout the New Testament to answer a question I had. There wasn’t just one scripture that supplied the answer but a series of partial answers that led to a mammoth size answer.

Most of the time I was asking God “Why” and “How” questions. How can YOU (God) expect me to give my money away when my family has lots of needs? Since YOU hate slavery, why did the New Testament never specifically condemn it? (I probably received more spiritual growth out of the answers to this question than any other I asked.) Why did the 1st Century believers multiply in numbers so fast (even in the face of such death and persecution)? What should be the roll of Christians in the political process of our Country? How do YOU want me to run my business life?

I wanted to ask God the really hard questions. I wanted the truth even though “I CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH” (said with a decidedly Jack Nicholson accent). I grew more, spiritually, in that first two years than I had in the 30 previous years of church going and Sunday School.

The second time through, I added a small reference book to my reading time: “Halley’s Bible Handbook.” Written by Henry H. Halley back in 1927 and revised many times since, it provided the historical background to the scriptures I was reading. That helped me fill in the context necessary to understand the author’s background and particular slant on the events. It also helped me understand what was going on in history at the time. This is where I found the 2nd Century quote from Pliny, (a Roman sent by the Emperor to kill Christians) discussing his view of the Jesus followers he met that you may have heard me talk about.

After reading the New Testament three times trying to understand how Jesus wanted me to change my life, it was time to tackle the Old Testament. I just couldn’t see the relevance of the Old Testament. I asked God to show me why the Children of Israel fouled up time after time. It seemed to me that they never got it right for very long. But, God still loved them and kept his promises. Why would he do that? He was certainly justified to break his promise (by my human understanding).

This time the reading was a breeze. The Old Testament now made sense. Not only that, but it helped me understand the purposes behind the teachings of Jesus and the apostles in the New Testament. I have continued to read through the Bible over and over again. Each time I make a significant leap in my spiritual growth. I usually read through the New Testament 3 times for every time through the Old Testament. Use whatever blend God leads you to. Each time I have at least 3 questions I want answered.

Try this approach to reading your bible this year. You will encounter God in a way that will change you forever. You will grow beyond your wildest imagination.

I would love to hear what you discover. After you’ve tried this type of study through the New Testament, please call me and tell me what you are uncovering and how it’s helping your daily life. You may reach me at 994-8470.

One last thought, storing knowledge about the bible on your mind’s hard disk is not enough. Knowing how to use it to live your daily life is an incredible transition. Actually internalizing what God says to you from His Word rather than what some preacher or teacher has told you, will blow you away.

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