No Excuses

One of the key characteristics of one who follows Jesus is that they “abide in his word” (John 8:31).  That means that the one who follows Jesus Christ will commit to spending time reading and learning to study the Bible on a regular basis.  As a pastor for 25 years I have heard and sadly made many excuses for one not reading their Bible consistently.  Excuses such as:  “I don’t have time.”  “My commute is too long.”  “The kids activities just wear me out.”  “I am meditating on the most recent passage I read.”  “I don’t read very well.”  “I don’t know where to start.”  Someday I am waiting for someone to tell me “The dog ate my Bible.”

The harsh reality is that with the resources and technology available to us today in the United States, there is absolutely no excuse for someone who claims to follow Jesus, to not be able get the Word of God into their lives on a daily basis.  If you have a smart phone you can download a free app called “You Version” that has virtually every translation one could ask for, plus Bible reading programs and even an audio component so that you can listen to the text being read.  Biblegateway.com has many translations available and also includes an audio feature.  There are sets of CD’s available for the person who has a long commute and needs to listen to the Bible being read as they drive their car.  Or one can go “old school” and simply read their personal copy of the Bible.  We have no excuses.  

This year, since January 1, I have been following one of the Bible reading plans available through “You Version.”  I have been amazed again at what I learn from God’s Word when I work through it systematically.  At times I have been deeply moved to change things in my life and other times I have been surprised at God’s timing as I am specifically encouraged by a passage that was part of the reading plan for a particular day.  Truly God’s Word is “living and active” (Hebrews 4:12). 

Someone once told me that we find the time, energy and when necessary the money to do what we really think is important.  You may read this and accuse me of making you feel guilty about whether you spend time in God’s Word or not.  Be that as it may, let me leave you with this:  If I am to follow Jesus, I need to have accurate information about what Jesus wants me to do and how he wants me to live.  That information is best found in the Word of God.  When I understand that reality and assess the vast array of resources at my finger tips, I really have no excuses.