Reading Between the Lines: A Journey of Transformation Through the Bible

Reading the Bible sounds simple. Open pages, put eyes on words, check the boxes, and move on.

I am on my annual journey through the 1,189 chapters of the Bible. To say it is familiar territory is a gross understatement. I grew up in a home that read the Bible. I still have my mother’s and father’s Bibles on my bookshelf. And after 50 years of ministry, I have dozens of Bibles, both in printed and electronic form.

But “Bible reading” is more current than most consider. Until Gutenberg pressed ink onto paper in 1440, the Bible was an oral experience. You listened as someone read it. It took more attention but also suffered from the ecclesiastical arrogance that put it in unlearned languages.

So we are to read a Bible today, to hold it in the hand, linger over the words, and visit it like an old friend. That familiarity is a blessing and a curse because it is easy to read it without thinking about how we read it.

How do we read the Bible? Here are a few warning signs I see.

Make the Bible Conform to Me

We read the Bible and are tempted to say, “That’s how I think, too.” So we let the Bible confirm prejudices and give us permission to be us without change.

Jesus drives the money changers from the temple. All four gospel writers tell the story (Matthew 21:12-17, Mark 11:15-19, Luke 19:45-48, John 2:13-16). Throughout my life, I have heard that Jesus was “angry.” In fact, we have elevated the concept of righteous indignation to stained-glass status.

Yet, none of the accounts have Jesus with flaring nostrils, veins sticking out of his head, and a snarl on his lips.

We put those there. Why? Because that is how we would be. Many who seek justification for their anger turn to this story and make their assumption.

I struggle to separate what I want scripture to say from what it says. The first gives me permission, but the second guides me.

Read what is there, not what you want it to say.

Looking for Information Not Transformation

I admit that much of the Bible is foreign even to the avid church-goer. The details fascinate and can lead you down the rabbit hole. Fun facts are the shiny baubles of scripture.

God leaves his word, not for our education but to change us.

As I read through the opening chapters of Exodus, I can get carried away with the plagues. What was it like for the frogs to be piled so the depth described? Or that the darkness was so thick that you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face?

Yet, I must admit that when it relates to my life, I am more Pharaoh than Moses. I find it easier to resist God’s commands through procrastination, bargaining, or insincere repentance.

The Bible seldom shouts. Instead, it tugs on the sleeve and says, “Here is what God says.” The facts can entertain us, but the truth can trouble us.

Take the trouble.

Seeking Agreement Not Obedience

Once the mirror exposes the spiritual smudges in life, what do you do with them? Do you agree, “Yes, that’s what I am”? That’s insufficient.

In 1 Samuel 3, God calls to the boy Samuel three times in the night. It confuses Samuel. He goes to the old priest and asks what he wants. Eli tells him he did not call him. On the fourth summons, Eli realizes it is the voice of God. Samuel returns to bed, and the voice calls his name in the darkness. This time, Samuel responds, “Speak Lord, your servant hears.”

Would you comfort yourself with “that’s God’s voice” and roll over and go back to sleep?

In Philippians 4, Paul asks his “fellow worker” to help two women resolve their conflict. It will take patience and emotional stamina. We can nod our heads that someone must do that, but if there is a conflict, we decide to go through a different door than these two women use.

When God speaks, he doesn’t want us to stop at reflection but act in obedience.

So how do you read the Bible? Here are a few suggestions that have helped me.

Read it with a journal open. Write down things you see that reflect your life. Not what you learn but what it teaches you. (They are not the same.)

Then, find one small way to do something in response to the reading. Small steps begin long journeys. We are blessed to have the Bible to read at our leisure.

That blessing brings a responsibility. Don’t put it on the shelf but store it in heart and life.