The lost exercise of reading the Word of God

This morning, after my devotions, I wanted to sit back and read more of the Scriptures. So I opened up to the book of 1 Timothy. It is my ambition, as of late, to study the Pastorals (1, 2 Timothy and Titus) and really - I mean really - understand what the Apostle Paul is saying in these books. So, I sat back, opened up my NAS Bible and read through 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus.

It only took me about 30 minutes. That's it. As I read the entirety of these books, I noticed things, emphases, words, significant concepts that I have completely missed before in my studies of these books.

My point? Oftentimes it can be beneficial for us to read Scripture in bulk. Not to have the credential to say that "I read a lot of Scripture today." But on the other hand, to understand how a particular text (or pericope) fits into the larger context of the book as a whole. For me, reading these three books was truly a blessing.

The many many times that Paul encourages both young Timothy and Titus to preach and to teach and to exhort and to study is staggering. It is convicting. It is challenging. It is heart-wrenching. I want to "take pains with these things" (1 Tim 4:15).

I encourage you to not only read the Word of God, but to study it, to know it, to love it, to immerse yourself in it, and to read it in bulk. Understand that this is how the letters were meant to be read and understood. They are not a mere collection of 3 or 4 or 6 random chapters compiled together. They are complete units of thought from the Apostle Paul to both Titus and Timothy. So read it that way! Have that understanding.

Find joy in reading the Word of God! Don't let it be an academic exercise. Read it to let the word of Christ dwell richly in you.