The questions for this week’s Booking Through Thursday are:

1. Just out of curiosity, as we enter into Passover and Easter season . . . have you ever read the Bible? Just the odd chapter or Psalm? The whole thing? (Or, almost the whole thing? It’s some heavy reading, of course, and those “begats” get kind of tedious.)
2. If so, was it from religious motivation or from a literary perspective? Stuck with nothing else to read in a hotel room the Gideon’s have visited? Any combination?
3. If not, why not? Against your religious principles? Too boring? Just not interested? Something you’re planning on taking care of when you get marooned on a desert island?
4. And while we’re on the subject . . . what about the other great religious works out there? Are they more to your liking?

My answers:

1. Yes, I have read the whole thing, several times. When I first became a Christian as a teen-ager, the pastor of the church I was in at the time encouraged his congregation to read the Bible through in a year. I don’t try to get it in in a year any more — I’m not quite sure how long it takes me, but I want to feel free to stop and ponder things along the way — but I think reading the Bible is the best way to get grounded spiritually and to grow. Romans 10: 17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.”

2. My motivation was to learn more about God, His character and works, the way of salvation, and what He expects of me. God speaks to us today through His Word — reading it and hearing it taught and applying it are the only ways to really get to know Him. But I do believe it is the highest and best of literary works as well.

3. Different times I have gone through where I haven’t read it have been mainly due to distraction and business. But when I don’t read it, even for a day, I feel out of kilter, and I can’t go too long without reading it without feeling the loss. It keeps me on track.

4. No, I’ve had no desire to.

Edited: When I first answered the last question, I was thinking of “sacred texts” of other religions, and so the answer would be no. But I saw some participants included any general religious works. In that case, I’ve read many: multitudes of Christian biographies and Christian fiction, some of Spurgeon and David Martin Lloyd-Jones and C. S. Lewis and others.

If anyone is interested, a few previous posts on this topic are Reasons to Read the Bible,  Devotional Tips (ideas to enhance one’s Bible reading), and What Do You Say About This Book?