Do you remember your first Bible? Most of us received one as first graders, and we went home and sat down and opened it. We were excited. We turned to Genesis 1:1, and started reading … and it quickly became difficult and a little boring.
The Bible is not a children’s book.
It includes rape, incest, adultery, murder, sodomy, famine, wars, starvation, cannibalism, including one story of a woman eating not only her newborn child but the afterbirth as well. Not a children’s tale.
But you are not children. You are educated and mature enough—it’s time to become good readers of the Word, readers who can tolerate dullness in light of the payoff—the little nuggets of truth hidden in dull passages.
Athletes say “Pain is weakness leaving the body.” I would argue “boredom is weakness leaving the mind.” Learn to ignore boredom the same way you ignore pain.
Bible reading means reading architectural blueprints in ancient prose, or family trees that deserve a massive Excel spreadsheet, or lengthy catalogues of the spoils of war or the supplies for an exodus—again materials better suited for a library index, but, you guessed it, written in prose. And then there are pages and pages and pages of songs, entire books of songs, and Psalms is one of the longest books in the Bible, and it’s all lyrics and no music. Today we would put it on a digital device and sing along.
But it’s God’s Word, His love letter to children He adores.
He will bless you if you study it. Are you studying it? When was the last time you read it on your own? When was the last time you studied—looked up verses and tried to find answers? How long has it been since you memorized something? If you want God’s blessings, make time.
Consider Nehemiah 8:3: Ezra “read out of [the Bible] from daybreak until noon…” He was standing–AND all the people stood to listen–for SIX HOURS–and they wept the whole time, because the words made them realize their sinfulness. (Do we weep over our sins? Have you EVER wept over sins?)
Our sin put Jesus on the cross. Take it seriously. Weep and repent and ask Him to help you change.
—And read the Word without letting it bore you. Remember the Israelites who could honor the Word with six hours of standing, listening, and weeping. Can we not give it five or ten minutes a day?
Boredom is weakness leaving the mind.
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Household Words: 