Creator, Father, King #86

I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word.

THE AVERAGE HUMAN CAN read 200–300 words a minute. Yet there are self-proclaimed speed-readers in the world who claim to be able to read 25,000 words a minute.

That’s a lot of Dostoyevsky in sixty seconds. Hey, that’s a lot of Dr. Seuss in sixty seconds!

Regardless of the reading proficiency of these supposed speed-readers, this is not the way to read the Bible! When it comes to God’s Word, the point is not to skim large amounts of information quickly just to say you did it. The point is to prayerfully meditate, learn, and grow.

As we have been discussing the last four days, God is a God of self-revelation. Most beautifully, he has revealed himself in Scripture. This leads to the natural question: How should we respond to his Word?

As today’s verse says, we should “tremble.”

What’s It Mean?

The Bible is a beautiful gift that we should continually explore and treasure. No other book in the world is like it. As God’s inspired, inerrant Word, it offers eternal life. It holds spiritual truth for today and promises for the future.

If you read Scripture and it doesn’t move you, the problem is not Scripture. You might need to take a long, hard look at your heart.

We all have hard days and stretches where the Bible’s words feel like dry pages in a textbook. We’re human, after all. But if you suffer through an abnormally long period where the truth of Scripture doesn’t amaze, encourage, and exhort you—causing you to worship the Lord—you need to prayerfully examine yourself.

That’s because Scripture is a divine tool designed for heart penetration. As Hebrews 4:12 says, “The word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”

God’s Word shows who we really are (helpless sinners apart from sovereign grace) and who God really is (the Savior of the lost). It proclaims how much God loves us and what Christ did on our behalf. It reveals how we need to grow spiritually in loving obedience to our heavenly King. Therefore, we tremble—not in fear, but in awe and worship.

Is this how you approach God’s Word?

Now What?

If you don’t already, pray before reading Scripture to focus your mind and prepare your heart for what God wants to teach you during time in his Word.

Did You Know?

Jeremiah 23:29 features a fascinating description of Scripture.