When I became a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, I was eager to drop the cherry-picking ways I had previously taken with Scripture. I was filled with excitement to dive right in and read the entire Bible from cover to cover. In my mind, I assumed that true followers of Christ would have read the entire Bible more than once. With this belief, I found myself asking every believer I met, Have you read the whole Bible?
To my surprise, most admitted to camping primarily in the New Testament while cherry-picking a few Old Testament books—usually the ones they found most exciting. This left me baffled. I couldn’t help but wonder, Don’t you want to know the whole redemptive story of the gospel, God-driving history from Genesis to Revelation?
For the record, I am not suggesting a legalistic approach to Scripture, where reading the Bible becomes merely a task to check off. But for believers to find joy and delight in communing with God through His Word.
Related: Context is King: How to Study the Bible in Context
Why the Whole Bible Matters
The whole Bible is inspired by God and has a purpose for our lives, as the Apostle Paul tells Timothy.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV
The word of God is designed to train us for righteousness and equip us for every good work. Ponder on that a bit. The Lord loves His children so much that He has provided His word to grow believers as they walk in obedience and to equip them to serve each other in the body of Christ. Our Lord prayed for believers that the word would be used to sanctify them:
Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. John 17:17 ESV
The Value of All Scripture for Every Believer
Ponder once more, dear Christian, on God’s gracious provision to produce glorious Christ-likeness in you through His Word. As you feed your soul with this spiritual food, His Spirit works within you, enabling you to obey and achieve that end. Does that encourage you to have an appetite—not just to cherry-pick—but to savor the whole counsel of God?
I submit to you again to consider that knowing God in His true character can only happen when you savor His word. This not only helps you to know about God but also to grow in knowing Him personally and trusting Him (Psalm 9:10). You see, there is such profound joy in being known by God. So, would you take encouragement from this and seek to know the One who has fully known and loved you in Christ?
Related: Why Theology is Important for Women
Resolve to Start Today
I also acknowledge it can feel daunting when you consider all the books to read. Not to mention, some books are not easy. These and many other reasons might make you feel lazy to dive through all of God’s word. However, it is not impossible; it is doable.
The best thing to do is to resolve is to start today. Do you have a plan and a set time for Bible reading? Get one. Do you feel overwhelmed to do it all alone? Seek a friend or friends to read the Bible with you. Do you get stuck trying to understand one book and give up altogether?
I encourage you to start by reading through and surveying a whole book, then move on to studying it with a foundation of what it is about. Be creative with different plans so it doesn’t feel monotonous, and combine that with secondary resources like podcasts, articles, sermons, and the like.
Journey Through the Story of Redemption
Journey through it all—don’t cherry-pick. Sit with Moses and marvel as God creates the world. Grieve as sin enters the scene, and follow along as God chooses one family, Israel, through Abraham, to bring salvation to His people. See yourself reflected in the lives of the Israelites and acknowledge that the real problem lies in the heart.
Watch them demand a king and witness the consequences: a divided kingdom. Observe them go to exile after being warned through God’s prophets. See them come back to rebuild the temple, and agree with God in Ezekiel that Israel’s ultimate need is a new heart; a heart only God can give through Christ (Ezekiel 36:26–27).
And yes, Obadiah is part of the Bible—the shortest book in the Old Testament. Hear him pronounce judgment against the Edomites, and let your heart join the Old Testament in longing for the Messiah. Sigh at the 400 years of silence, then behold ooh, behold !—when Jesus Christ steps onto the scene in the Gospels. Witness His life, death, and resurrection as He fulfills His mission to save sinners (Mark 2:17–19).
See the Lord establish His church through the apostles, especially Peter, who was restored after defiantly denying Jesus. Be astounded as the gospel transforms Saul, the persecutor of the church, into Paul—the author of much of the New Testament. Contend with Jude for the faith. Let Hebrews declare the preeminence of Christ, while 1 John teaches you how to love fellow believers.
Then, let the Apostle John usher you into the Revelation of Jesus Christ and marvel that in the end, the King of Kings reigns over all, and every knee will bow before Him. Finally, look up to the Lord and say with him, “Come, Lord Jesus,“ and take your people Home (Revelation 22:20).
May this encourage you to savor the richness of the whole Bible, and cause you to be dissatisfied with cherry-picking. There is so much glory and grace to be found in every part of God’s Word.
Related: How to Develop a Gospel-Centered Approach to Bible Study
If you want to deepen your Bible study by learning how to correctly interpret the Bible, feel free to look through our Bible Study archives. There, you will find useful articles to help you on your journey.
This blog post was originally posted on infalliblejoy.com.
