Why I Keep Rereading the Bible

I don't know if anybody is asking this question, but today I got to thinking about why I keep reading.  My answers aren't all that deep, but it helped me to think about it, and maybe it will help you, too.

1.       I find God there

When I am seeking to hear from God, I can hear him in the stories of the Bible.  I can hear him talking to Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Samuel, Elijah, Elisha, Job, Jonah, and the prophets in the Old Testaments.  I can hear him in the words of Jesus in the Gospels.  In some parts of the Bible it is harder to hear, but I keep reading those, too, because sometimes they speak to me in different ways, or I learn things that help me to understand other parts of the Bible better.

2.       I find other cultures there

When I am reading the stories in the Bible, I am reading about people who lived in different times and places from me.  Their values were similar to mine in some ways, but very different from mine in other ways.  As I work to see from their perspectives, I am also learning to be respectful of different perspectives in people in my current world.

3.       I find challenge there

I struggle with many of the same things about which people in the Bible struggled.  At the core, our human failings are no different than they were 2000 years ago.  Reading the Bible helps me to see and understand my failings, and challenges me to let God help me overcome those failings and do better.

Because we're supposed to

Throughout the Old Testament, God tells people to remember what he has said, and to keep repeating his words to help others remember.  Jesus tells us to remember his words, and at the empty tomb the angels encourage the women to remember what Jesus has said (Luke 24:6-8).  One of the best ways to remember is to keep rereading the Bible.

I keep finding new things

Every time I do another read through, I find things I didn't see before.  I understand things I didn't understand before.  I am reminded of things I had forgotten.  The words don't change, but I do and my life does, and so do my perspectives.

This year I'm reading through using the NRSV Daily Bible which is set up in 365 sections, each with a focus verse on which to meditate, some words on which to reflect from various authors, and a prayer prompt.

“But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul." (Deuteronomy 4:29 NKJV)