Author: Dave Dishman (Page 55 of 451)

Last week I finished reading through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. On January 1, I plan to start again. Beauty and wisdom, peace and insight overflow its pages. Every minute I spend in the Scriptures yields dividends. Below are nine reasons I read every word of the Bible every year.

I gain an expansive view of God. Left to myself, I shrink God into my own image. I prefer a God who reminds me of me, who approves of my lifestyle and choices, and who hugs me despite my subtle disregard of his ways. No such God exists in the pages of Scripture, but how will I know if I don’t go take a look?

The discipline of daily reading develops my faith. Regular reading creates a habit and builds spiritual muscle. I did not choose to live the Christian life on a lark. As a serious and devoted follower of Jesus, I hope to continually grow deeper and broader in my faith. Bible reading forms the foundation of that growth.

I discover something I’ve never noticed on a daily basis. This may be my favorite part of reading the Bible. I discover faithful heroes and intriguing villains, fresh thoughts and challenging ideas every day.

God surprises me. Not always in a comfortable way.

God wrestles with me. Or better, I wrestle with the God of the Bible. The Lord uses the Scriptures to point out my pride or vanity or loose talk. I don’t like it. At times I despise it. But I appreciate the fact that words in the Bible roll me around in the dirt on occasion.

I wrestle with the Scripture’s approach to the world. I don’t understand parts of the Bible. Why did the child born from David’s sin with Bathsheba have to die? Seems so unfair, but that’s what God wanted. I grapple with my understanding and beliefs about God. I believe questions fuel our faith, just as questions fueled the faith of many in the Bible.

The Holy Spirit blows fresh in my life. The Holy Spirit changes, comforts, challenges and builds us, particularly paired with the wisdom of the Bible. The combination of Holy Spirit and Holy Scripture transforms my heart. Nothing else works in such a supernatural way. I fight temptation, I gain compassion, and I get beyond myself when the Holy Spirit uses the words of God in my life.

I brag to my friends. Let’s face it—not many people read through the Bible. Let the practice slip at a dinner party and notice the reactions.

My soul swells. The psalmist tells us, Blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers (Psalm 1). I want such a life and it only comes by meditating on the scriptures daily. Comfort, hope and peace bloom in such an environment.

I encourage you to join me and read the Bible cover to cover in 2025. You can do it! If you spend 30 minutes a day on social media, you can read the Bible through in a year.

Start the journey—your soul will thank you.

Photo by Aaron Burden

At Thanksgiving I enjoyed the cacophony of little kids running around playing together. With toddlers in the mix, cries of MINE! rang out, as each claimed a toy in the hands of another.

No one was surprised by this behavior among children. But I perceive the attitude in myself. I’m happy if you have what’s yours, as long as I get what’s mine.

The Lord, however, throws a wrench into my grabby nature. He told Job, Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me.

I may consider a possession as my own, but it’s actually the Lord’s. I might hoard dollars in a bank account, but the dollars and the account and the bank building and the bankers themselves all belong to God. What I hold comes from the hand of the Lord, and I simply serve at a steward of his gifts.

As I look back on an old year and turn to the new, it helps me to think on this principle. Hold my money and possessions loosely, and stay generous with the goods under my stewardship. I’m far better when I release the totality of all I have, and instead grab at the ways of the Lord.

Job 41 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Andres Perez

I just finished reading through the Bible this year, cover to cover for the thirty-first time. Selecting the same material seems like it might get old, but that’s not been my experience. The Bible is a huge and complex book filled with challenging concepts and arcane practices. It helps me see my place in the world, and best of all, opens a door to the understanding of God.

The Scriptures point to ways to live and treat others. My mind goes deeper, and I think on topics beyond myself as I spend time in its pages. The habit of daily reading centers my soul. Best of all, an amazing God emerges.

The Holy Spirit uses the words of the Scriptures to comfort, convict, encourage, and embolden me. Bible words create bone-dry tinder for the sparks of the Spirit. Far beyond an academic exercise, reading the Bible generates an interaction with the divine, an ongoing channel to the touch of God.

Even if subtle and rare, God speaks through his Word. God often communicates through a whisper, which takes quiet reflection to discern. If I focus on social media and entertainment and fail to crack the cover of the Good Book, then I miss out on unmatched treasures.

Here’s an open invitation: The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

Within the Holy Scriptures we find the the water of life. Jesus invites us to partake. A little time and attention changes everything. I plan to read through the Bible again this coming year. Then I’ll read it the following years, over and over until my eyes go bad. After that I’ll listen. Take it in. Enjoy nourishment for heart and soul, to the benefit of you and me and all those around us.

Revelation 22 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Aaron Burden

The story of the Magi, or wise men from the East, holds a bit of mystery. Who were these learned men, and how did they come to recognize the heavenly body pointing to a recently born king? When they arrived in Israel they asked for directions—Where is the one born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.

Certainly these were educated men, wealthy enough to set out on a costly journey bearing expensive gifts. But some force beyond intellectual curiosity propelled them, an internal churn to meet this king of which they knew little. Imagine their surprise to find Jesus not in a palace, but living in humble means in the tiny village of Bethlehem.

Which didn’t matter to these seekers at all. The star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

This Christmas day we exchange gifts due to a tradition dating back to the Magi. But more importantly, we reflect their desire to seek out God among us. Jesus himself promised, Seek and you will find. The Magi sought and found. Their story holds promise for you and me as well. May we also find Jesus at the end of our journey.

Merry Christmas!

Matthew 2 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Robert Thiemann