2017 is here, and so are New Year’s Resolutions. Some common resolutions each year relate to health and wellness. Others are developing a new hobby or spending time with family. Resolutions can be anything for anyone.
Many Christians each year attempt to read through the Bible. This ambitious goal starts off well for many, but either the busyness of life or the Levitical Law causes many Christians to lose their momentum. Consequentially, parts of scripture are then never known to the modern reader.
Yes, there are many reading plans. However, there is an overlooked strategy in our exposure to the Bible that we neglect. So as we read the scripture, why not focus on hearing God’s word too!?!?
Today we have many different audio Bibles to choose. Even more, with smart phone apps where we can store an entire 90 hour reading of the Bible in our pocket. Now free apps do have their problems, but for only $15 you can purchase an entire audio Bible from Audible. They have many different options. Personally, I find hearing God’s word while I drive or workout is a great use of my time.
Now some people may claim that hearing God’s word is not the same as reading the Bible. Technically, they are correct, but this approach doesn’t mean it’s less effective. Many educators often know the value of seeing, hearing, and even doing something as important ways to learn. If so, then hearing the Bible is valuable even if it is different. But also, hearing God’s word is scriptural.
In the New Testament, Paul writes, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Here in Romans 10:17 Paul is referring to our sense of hearing and how it helps our faith. This isolated Bible verse is not the only example. In the Old Testament, Ezra read the entire Law to Israel. There are other scriptural passages that I could cite, but both the Old Testament and the New Testament encourage us to hear God’s word as we seek to learn it.
In closing, I think there is importance in reading the Bible. In fact, I want to encourage you to read through as much of the Bible as possible. However, may we also not neglect the hearing of God’s word. Be it reading, hearing, or both, Isaiah 55:11 reminds us, that Gods word does not “return and void” so let’s read and hear the Bible together.
