Reading is easy, right? Children pick it up early and love books. Some even become “million-word readers.” Then parents give them phones and their reading level hits a plateau. (Okay, it’s not that simple: research says texting is actually good practice for low-level fundamentals, but too much “screen time” becomes a problem later, slowing or preventing the development of deeper reading comprehension skills.)
Still—everyone THINKS they read well. It’s not true.
Many read—many can interpret written symbols and sound-out the words and sentences they represent. But true comprehension requires the mind to go so much deeper, to grasp a deep river of thought, often following several “idea currents” at the same time.
Whether non-fiction or fiction, reading requires a good memory of what has come, the ability to anticipate what is coming, and the ability to move easily from one plot line and set of characters and symbols to another, while keeping some attention on all the other people, plots, ideas, and symbols.
Reading well is a sophisticated task.
And the Bible is a sophisticated text.
While its books contain many passages that are “easy reading,” they also contain many that are difficult. Consider the number of people who have started reading the Bible, versus the number who have actually finished. Lifeway research says only 9% of Americans claim to have read the whole Bible. It is a challenging read.
But don’t go it alone! The Holy Spirit will help you. When Jesus spoke to the men on the Road to Emmaus (great story!), the Bible says:
“He opened their minds to understand the scriptures” Luke 24:45.
Ask Jesus to OPEN YOUR MIND! He will. Frankly, the God-fearing Jews of Jesus’s day were wrong on many issues. They were literate, skilled readers. But until God blessed them with salvation and the Holy Spirit, they did not understand.
Jesus, OPEN OUR MINDS TO UNDERSTAND the scriptures.
ΑΩ
Household Words: 