WHY YOUR ‘VERSE OF THE DAY’ IS RUINING YOUR ABILITY TO READ THE BIBLE<\/p>\n
Many Christians struggle with consistent, meaningful Bible study. Most simply do not know how to read the Bible, so any attempts to do so leave them feeling overwhelmed, confused, or defeated. Others lack the desire or discipline to prioritize their time so that Bible study can take place on a regular basis. Still others for a variety of reasons are disinterested in studying the Bible altogether.<\/p>\n
Despite these limitations, Christians are quick to recognize the responsibility they have to read their Bibles. Whether out of genuine desire to learn and worship God or the burdensome obligation of a task to check off the spiritual to-do list, many Christians attempt to achieve some form of regular Bible reading.<\/p>\n
Those Christians who are not able to deeply study the Bible because of a perceived lack of time, interest, or knowledge are often encouraged to start and follow a reading plan of some sort. Frequently, they don’t take the time to actually open the Bible themselves, but simply expose themselves to one verse a day. The Bible app brings a verse to their smartphone every morning. Or a quick email signup allows a daily verse to be sent to them with a single click. In addition, isolated Bible verses are plastered around the Christian sub-culture. Verses appear on bumper stickers, coffee mugs, t-shirts, refrigerator magnets, Christian radio stations, and social media posts.<\/p>\n
But as admirable as the encouragement and the attempt to at least be exposed to the Bible through a single verse on a daily basis might seem, it is absolutely crippling to your spiritual health.<\/p>\n
Because reading a \u2018verse of the day\u2019 actually ruins your biblical literacy. It robs your of your ability to read and understand the meaning of God\u2019s Word. And it inherently prohibits real spiritual growth.<\/p>\n
Certainly, memorizing and meditating on impactful verses that communicate powerful truth is valuable and important. But if your only exposure to the Bible is in the form of single isolated verses, the result may be more detrimental than helpful.<\/p>\n
A \u2018Verse of the Day\u2019 Ignores the Surrounding Biblical Context If allowed to pull isolated statements out of a given document, you can severely alter or subvert the original intended message of the author. With the biblical text, this is especially true. Taking individual verses out of context allows individuals to make the Bible say something it is in fact not saying at all.<\/p>\n For example, Luke 4:6\u20137 asserts, \u201cTo you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will.\u00a0If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.\u201d On the surface, it might appear that this is indicating that we are called to worship God and in doing so, he promises to reward us. However, the context of this verse reveals a scary reality. These are in fact the words of Satan, who is tempting Jesus in the wilderness. By itself the verse doesn\u2019t communicate this \u2013 only when it is seen in its proper context can it be fully understood.<\/p>\n Or in a more well-known example, consider the case of Jeremiah 29:11 \u2013 \u201cFor I know the plans I have for you, declares the\u00a0Lord, plans for welfare\u00a0and not for evil,\u00a0to give you a future and a hope.\u201d A \u2018verse of the day\u2019 reading hermeneutic causes one to read this verse completely independent of the context of the statement. These words are not directed toward a hopeful graduate or someone down on their luck who needs a good pick-me-up. Contextually, they are written directly to a specific people at a specific time. Jeremiah 29:11 is actually intended as an encouragement, a glimmer of hope, for a group of Jewish exiles heading off into Babylonian captivity.<\/p>\n Knowing the context surrounding a verse is essential to discerning its meaning.<\/p>\n Reading a verse on a coffee mug or decorative wall art doesn\u2019t exactly tell the whole story.<\/p>\n Reading a \u2018Verse of the Day\u2019 Dismisses the Biblical Metanarrative In fact, to pull verses completely out of order with no regard to the cohesive unit is to reject God\u2019s revelation as it is written. In essence, it dismisses the surrounding verses as unimportant and even suggests that the order in which God has directed and preserved his Word is flawed.<\/p>\n In reality, however, God has chosen to construct Scripture as it is for a specific purpose. The Bible is a cohesive unit that tells a great story of redemption. From the opening verses of Genesis 1, the stage is set for a tremendous narrative to be told. Soon in the story, disaster strikes and sin enters the world. The conflict has appeared. The rest of the Bible reveals how God will resolve this great conflict, ultimately climaxing at Calvary with the sacrifice of the Son of God on the cross and his subsequent resurrection from the dead.<\/p>\n If you understand this overarching story, passages that are shaping and framing or progressing the narrative hold their proper place. In other words, knowing the whole story helps you understand how the different pieces of the story fit together. As a result, a verse like Jeremiah 29:11 points to the hope for redemption, God\u2019s faithfulness to his promise to deliver a Messiah through the nation of Israel, and the sovereignty of God in accomplishing his purposes.<\/p>\n A verse a day will never allow you to see the greater story and actually dismisses the value of it.<\/p>\n Reading a \u2018Verse of the Day\u2019 Limits Exposure to the Full Biblical Canon In reality, though, a very small percentage of verses actually merit \u2018verse of the day\u2019 readership. Verses from Leviticus and Numbers, 1\u20132 Kings and 1\u20132 Chronicles, or many of the minor prophets would not be expected to appear. As a result, significant portions of Scripture are completely ignored.<\/p>\n Additionally, highlight verses that appear most often on these \u2018verse of the day\u2019 plans tend to omit verses that are somewhat unpleasant or unappealing on the surface. Coffee mugs and t-shirts that speak about the wicked depravity of man, the hopelessness of the flesh, the wrath of God being poured out on sin, or the eternal suffering of the lost are not likely to be best sellers. Verses that teach hard truths, develop difficult doctrines of theology, and convict us of sin are expunged from an individual\u2019s biblical radar.<\/p>\n Paul tells the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:27 that in his teaching he boldly declares the whole counsel of God. In the same way, we should submit ourselves to the whole counsel of God in our reading and reflection on the Bible. Reading a single verse for the day makes this simply impossible.<\/p>\n Reading a \u2018Verse of the Day\u2019 Skews the Purpose of the Biblical Text The Bible was not written so that we might have something spiritual to think about for the day. The Bible was written as special revelation. The Bible reveals who God is. It is not a story about us; it is entirely about God. To study God\u2019s Word is to seek to know the One who is being revealed. And with greater knowledge comes greater ability to worship.<\/p>\n A glance at a painting might elicit a response of some appreciation for its beauty. However, if you were to learn about the intricacies of the brushstrokes, the precision and intentionality of the artist, and the purpose behind the painting itself, your appreciation for the beauty would increase exponentially. The painting does not change. But as you come to know more about it, your appreciation for it does.<\/p>\n In the same way, the Bible is written so that we might come to know and worship God. The beauty of who he is and what he has done is on full display.<\/p>\n And it is too much to be captured in just a single verse.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As admirable as the encouragement and the attempt to at least be exposed to the Bible through a single verse on a daily basis might seem, it is absolutely crippling to your spiritual health.<\/p>\n Because reading a \u2018verse of the day\u2019 actually ruins your biblical literacy. It robs your of your ability to read and understand the meaning of God\u2019s Word. And it inherently prohibits real spiritual growth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":673,"featured_media":314,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-312","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-theological","8":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/tjdaugherty\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/28\/2018\/09\/bible1.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":854,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/tjdaugherty\/should-you-use-a-hard-copy-of-the-bible-for-corporate-worship\/","url_meta":{"origin":312,"position":0},"title":"Should You Use a Hard Copy of the Bible for Corporate Worship?","author":"TJ Daugherty","date":"September 23, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"One of the most noticeable developments within the church in recent days shows up at the beginning of each sermon I preach when I invite the congregation to turn with me to a particular passage of Scripture. 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\n<\/strong><\/span><\/em>First of all, reading a verse of the day completely negates the surrounding context, which serves as the key for unlocking all the biblical truth packed within a verse or passage.<\/p>\n
\n
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/em>Equally as important as understanding the context of an individual passage, chapter, or book, we must also not fail to recognize the importance of the whole biblical story. The Bible was not written as a series of singular verses or truth assertions and placed in some arbitrary or random order. However, this is the approach that the \u2018verse of the day\u2019 mentality encourages.<\/p>\n
\n
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/em>If you were to faithfully read one verse a day every single day, it would take you more than 85 years to complete the entire Bible. And that is assuming that every verse eventually would make its way into the rotation.<\/p>\n
\n
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/em>Finally, the idea behind a \u2018verse of the day\u2019 reading plan is often to provide encouragement, give direction, or fulfill some sort of Christian obligation. But this distorts the purpose for the Bible altogether because it places the focus on the reader.<\/p>\n