Unopened

 Devotion for the Week...

I read a Chinese proverb years ago that I love. It says, "A book unopened is but a block of paper." The value isn't in the fact that the book exists, but in our reading of it. We gain so much by reading, whether we're reading fiction or non-fiction. We gain facts or empathy, understanding or escape. If the book just sits on the shelf and we never open it, we never learn about the characters or the struggle or the new idea. If we don't read the words printed on them, the pages of the book might as well be blank. 

You can probably guess where I'm going with this. The Bible is a book. When was the last time you cracked the cover and read the words it contains? Whether that's a literal cover of a physical book or the opening of an app on your phone doesn't figure into it. When was the last time you read from the Bible for yourself?

Now, before you start to think I'm some super Bible reader, spending hours at it each day, let's just stop and look at the reality for a minute. I read my Bible while I have breakfast, since I'm usually alone at the table for my morning bowl of cereal. On those rare occasions when I'm having breakfast with someone else, I usually chat with them rather than reading, but on the rest of the mornings I read my Bible. I rarely read even a full chapter at one time, but I read a little bit. Slowly, I make my way through one book and then another and then another. Emphasis on the slowly part.

Is it always easy to understand? No. Are there sections I skim over? Yes (genealogies and endless passages of numbers, I'm looking at you). Do I often read something I end up thinking about for a while? Yes and those things often find their way here.

Breakfast might not be the right time for you, but is there a time you can set aside? I'm not talking about hours here. I'm not one of those people who get up before the crack of dawn and read their Bible for two hours before getting on with their day. I'm serious when I say I read while I eat breakfast, so it's the time it takes me to eat a bowl of cereal. It's not much, but it's better than the nothing I was doing before I added the Bible to my breakfast. And over the years, those few minutes a day have added up to a lot of Bible reading.

When would work for you? You may not have a lot of time each day, but being consistent with even a short time each day will eventually get you through the whole Bible.

Do you have a consistent time you spend reading your Bible? If you do, I'd love to hear about your routine!