For years, I have made it a goal to read my entire bible. There have been some books that I read during my time in college but it still seemed a little distant from me. I would pick the bible up and randomly select a book or scripture to read and put it back down. I will also admit-sadly that I would google a scripture that I have heard of to find what exact book it has come from as well.
Now don’t get me wrong. I have been a Christian all my life. Bible study and Sunday school were always important but I always learned about the bible in bits and pieces. For instance, the four gospels were important and I would learn about specific stories and read about them over the years. So after attending a Christian college over the past year, I was assigned pretty much the whole bible to read over the course my classes. Between attending the classes and being at home for a little more time than usual-when we were all quarantined, I have become obsessed with learning more about His Word. The end of the year was vastly approaching and all I had left to read were the poetic books like-Job, Psalm, Proverbs, etc. and the prophets-Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, etc. So as the countdown to the New Year approached, I was getting closer and closer to my goal.
So here are some life lessons I learned from reading the whole bible in 2020.
- God’s Word repeats and does not contradict
One of the first things I learned attending some bible classes were that you can’t study the bible from a 2020 Western culture perspective. It will always seem out of the ordinary and there are things that will never make sense. I found that you must study the bible through the biblical time, culture, and politics that took place. After focusing on those key themes, you will discover that there’s so much symbolism that takes place through the stories, poetry, and references.
Therefore, the bible repeats more so than contradict itself. Prophecies, sayings, proverbs, and poems are just a few of the many things that become repetitive. I believe that it repeats for a reason. Themes and symbols along with the many different things that have taken place repeat for us to get the bigger picture-God is in control. A lot of Moses life aligns with Jesus’ life. I think this is shared for a reason. As readers, we need to really dive into what is more important instead of just reading the word itself.
2. God loves humanity-SOOO MUCH!!!
God has been in pursuit of humanity since His first creation. I always understood it. However, I have never known it to be far more than I could have ever imagined. It is so amazing to read and learn about ALL of the many mistakes humanity has made and yet He STILL loves us despite of it. Yes, He does punish us. Yes, He does correct us but it is done because He loves us.
Proverbs 3:11-12 states, “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” When the Israelites and the people of Judah were exiled through the Assyrians and Babylonians, this was not done “just because” or through hate. All of this occurred because God spoke, warned, and tried to correct His people but they never listened. They continued to worship idols and forsake Him. He did turn His face away from the for 70 years. However, He still sent His prophets to speak a word of hope an restoration to get them through the years. Through His abundance of love, He punished and corrected His people so they would come back to Him.
Remember, God is a jealous God. He does not want anything to be put higher than Him.
3. God does not break His promises
Everything that has been said in the bible has come to pass or has not as of yet. This does not mean that we doubt Him. This simply means that we are to wait patiently for Him to act.
4. We must trust in Him
There are so many times God has spoken for us to trust Him. The books of Job and Habakkuk and the story of Gideon are all examples that we must trust in Him through any and every season we go through. If we don’t trust Him, it makes the journey harder. He knows exactly what He’s doing. We must trust and believe in Him because like in point 3-He does not break His promises.
5. There’s so much history in the bible
Some years ago, I remember learning about some things mentioned in the bible in my Western Civilizations college course. After taking some biblical classes and reading the bible, I have found that there’s so much history in His word. I find this fascinating as these miracles and messages were first passed through word of mouth. This is evident that the bible is proof that God is real! Think about it. If any of those events were not true, it would not have been written down and there would have been people to deny it before it was written.
6. There’s so much symbolism in the bible
The bible is to be read literally. However, there are lot of sections that have underlying meanings. This has shown me that reading the bible should not be a one time thing. I have learned that you must read the bible over and over again our life perspective constantly changes. I have read some passages at 21 that has stood out to me and helped me even more at the age of 26. The fact that there’s symbolism, life lessons, and stories show me that the bible is a must have, must read book. This book should be kept close to our hearts.
There’s so much more to learn from the word of God.
7. You will not understand everything the first time around
The bible can be a very complex book to read. There will be plenty of sections to read that will be easier to read than others. However, that doesn’t mean you stop reading it. This just means that you will need to reread these sections and seek commentaries or summaries to better understand what that passage is saying.
8. We ARE capable of reading the bible
It wasn’t until I was about 80% through the bible that I discovered that I really could do it. All I had to do was organize my time. As I was focusing on my time management, I discovered that my heart was set on fire for God. My heart was hearing the words of the Almighty God. My heart was becoming one with my Creator. Most of all, I was able to spend countless hours in communion with Him.
Overall, I have learned so many lessons from reading the entire bible. One thing I do know for sure, is that I will ensure that it will not only be the first and last time I will do this.
I have heard over the years that the bible is God’s love letter to His people and it is so true. The bible is full of God’s words, promises, and expression of His love. After reading it, I know how much I am loved and valued. I can feel His presence as my heart is overwhelmed by all that He has done for me.
I have learned and will always be grateful for His word.
Spreading God's Love One Heart at a Time 