“Do you think I care if Aslan dooms me to death?” said the King. “That would be nothing, nothing at all. Would it not be better to be dead than to have this horrible fear that Aslan has come and is not like the Aslan we have believed in and longed for? It is as if the sun rose one day and were a black sun.”
In The Last Battle, the final book in The Chronicles of Narnia series, C.S. Lewis poses a predicament among his characters. Dare they risk their lives opposing a leader they suspect to be against their Narnia kingdom but claiming authority of Aslan, their true reigning king? How could they be sure of allegiance?
We might relate in our own way, questioning if our God is actually who he claims to be, if he deserves the attention he’s said to command. Maybe we question if he’s worth believing in and longing for.
While expectations and circumstances tempt us to doubt, the confidence we have in our King’s character is our God has made himself known, and he does not change. [1] He has come to us, spoken to us, and preserved his written word across generations. It is possible to know God.
His Word is that path.
Among endless commentaries and teaching, it’s tempting and may even seem wise to rely on resources. But without reading the Bible ourselves, we miss context, insight from the Spirit, discernment, and intimacy. We may, most concerningly, miss God himself.
Experience will vary, but consistent Bible reading is a necessary discipline for all Christians to know God, and perhaps, a more sustainable habit than we think.
We begin with a right view of the Bible. “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!” Jesus exclaims, rebuking the religious leaders (John 5:39 NLT). Generations later, we need the same orientation–the Bible isn’t about us. It isn’t primarily a book of rules. Cover to cover, the Bible is a book about God.
Because the Bible is about God, we have to stop making excuses for neglecting his Word. We’ll never accidentally drift into deep knowledge of him. Rather, through his Word, we gain knowledge for an ongoing relationship. It requires training, and we grow one step at a time.
When I began working out postpartum, I was embarrassed by how sore I felt after “easy” workouts. A lifelong athlete, I expected more from myself and felt regular frustration about being behind.
Starting off was rocky. I missed workouts, found myself making up modifications, and navigated exercises as wild toddlers ran laps around me. It was a circus. But it started a routine. And years later, that routine is still effective.
And it is still imperfect. I still miss days, make up modifications, and am now learning to survive children with weights in their hands. Lord help us. Nevertheless, the habit sustains me. And the habit keeps me strong.
Similarly, starting a Bible-reading routine, we can absorb condemnation for lacking the spirituality we think we should have, perhaps even once had. But like beginning a workout routine, we can commit to start, expect modifications and interruptions, and honor the ongoing commitment that will keep us spiritually strong. The longer we continue, the more instinctive the habit becomes.
And yet the reality is, we can master the routine and still not love God.
“Jesus answered, ‘The most important is, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength”’” (Mark 12:29-30).
Ultimately, we study the character of God through the Word of God so we can rightly love God. We treasure him, because he first treasured us.
“Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2). We are the joy that was before him, motivating him and willing him to endure the cross. Through his blood, we can be friends with the King. “Consider him,” the author of Hebrews continues, “who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or faint-hearted” (Hebrews 12:3).
If we’re destined to live with God for billions of years, then our relationship with him is the most important piece of our lives. We can experience him now and forever, having confidence in the day the true lion returns, exactly who we believed in and longed for. Through his Word, may we “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen” (2 Peter 3:18).
[1] Psalm 102:27, Malachi 3:6, James 1:17
“Start where you are, not where you should be.” – John Mark Comer
Related: Let’s Be Honest: Reasons Why We Don’t Read Our Bibles
How We Got Our Bible
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