Read the Bible slowly

The joys of slow Bible reading

As a musician (former), I have spent more hours at the piano than I can recall, playing the same music over and over and over again. I no longer play, but the sounds of Bach, Debussy and Shostakovich accompany me every day. There is something about music where familiarity doesn’t breed contempt. I must have listened to Debussy’s La Mer 500 times and played Chopin’s Etudes the same, and yet I still learn something new and enjoy these compositions.

The same can be said of admiring the paintings of Rembrandt and Pollock. Or it may be hiking to your favourite seaview or visiting the Royal Botanic Gardens. It may eating yet another meal at your favourite restaurant or meeting with friends.

There are experiences from which we never tire or become bored. There are life encounters that invite us to return again and again, like a warm summer’s day,

How much more is this true of the Bible, and the God of the Bible.

person reading the bible at home

I’ve been laid up with a serious illness for more than 2 months now, and I expect it’ll be another 2-3 months before I’m feeling vaguely normal again. But far from being a disastrous season and wasted time, good has also come. Don’t get me wrong, I am not enjoying hearing loss, dizziness and other symptoms, but grace isn’t blocked out by discomfort. Among the good things is how I’ve adapted my daily Bible reading.

During this forced period of rest, I am reading the Psalms (amongst other Scripture). Because of my condition, I’m forced to read slowly, much more slowly than I would otherwise. I’ve dropped down to third gear, much like I do when I’m exegeting a passage for a sermon. This different and slow pace helps to see and enjoy things in God’s word that I may otherwise have missed. It’s the difference between driving at 110km/hr or at 60km. It’s not that one is wrong and the other right, but a slower pace helps you see more. It’s not that I’m not already familiar with Psalm 8 and Psalm 22. It’s not that I’ve never read them before or have no idea what their message is. And yet, like studying a musical score once again, or taking that fresh look at Rothko’s Green and Maroon, you notice something else. And even when nothing is new and no detail changes, you are giving yourself the time to be mesmerised, confronted or comforted.

Of course, when we read the Bible, it is not the Bible that changes; the Bible changes us. One of the great blasphemies of liberal theology is to force the Bible’s words and meanings to adapt to our preferences, much like a vandal bringing a pair of scissors to a Rothko because they think needs altering or improving in some way. The right posture before Scripture is to plead with God, ‘help my unbelief’. Our prayer is, grant me understanding and do that good work of correcting, rebuking, encouraging and training me.

This requires time; it necessitates patience as well as humility. I don’t know about you, but in normal daily life I often find my Bible readings and prayers are competed quickly, like scoffing delicious food. It does you good, but you miss out on the delicacy of flavours and the fullness of the experience. That is why I have so enjoyed reading my Bible these weeks. The illness doesn’t give me any choice other than to read slowly. In doing so I am not only being reminded of Divine truths the I know and love well, but I’m discovering more about these same truths. I am picking up on analogies and themes in ways I hadn’t, even though I’ve been reading the Bible for 45 years.

That’s the thing, the never changing word of God remains full and endless in its treasures. Bible reading isn’t a fix it moment like taking our morning medication, this is communing with the living God who is addressing us, expressing his love and grace and explaining truth and goodness so that we may delight in him. If we manage to find an hour in the day for Netflix or scattered minutes for some stupid YouTube video, surely, we can make time: quiet real time to listen to enjoy our God lovingly speak to us.

No wonder Jesus used the Scriptures at the foreground of his ministry. No wonder he loved to teach and preach. In our aim to be microwave efficient in every activity, we are missing out on the thing that will not only fuel us, but fill us with wisdom and strength and peace; give time to read these holy Scriptures, as savour them like a fine wine or drinking in the most incredible artist singing the most wonderful sounds composed.

This is something David understood,

‘The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.

8

The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.

9

The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.

10

They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.

11

By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

12

But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.

13

Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.

14

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

If David’s description of Scripture is accurate, and it is, let’s not deny ourselve of this beauty and goodness.