Week 4 | Wednesday

Read: Psalm 19:7-11

Daily Bible reading is one of the most impactful disciplines you can engage in. Why? The Bible, from the beginning of Genesis through the end of Revelation, is the story of God’s relationship with humanity throughout history. Jesus is the hero of that story. He isn’t mentioned by name in the Old Testament, but it contains over 300 prophecies about him. There are places throughout the New Testament that connect Jesus to the Old Testament all the way back to creation. Jesus is the Son of God, the second Person of the Trinity – our Three-in-One God – Father, Son, Holy Spirit.

We read our Bible to know this story, to know Him, and to know each other. The word of God is alive and active (2 Timothy 3:16). So, we don’t read it once, understand it all, and put it on the shelf. We read it over and over and over again, asking God to read us through it. The Bible reveals God to us as we learn to see ourselves in relation to Him, our fellow human beings, and Jesus Christ, the ultimate manifestation of everything God created us to be.

We long for an Emmaus Road reaction to reading the Bible for these reasons. Jesus made several appearances to his followers between his resurrection and ascension back to heaven. One day, two of Jesus’ people were walking down a road on the way to Emmaus, heads downcast, hearts heavy. They didn’t know Jesus had been raised. They were sure he was the Messiah, but all evidence seemed to say they were wrong.

Another traveler caught up with them and asked why they were so down. When they told him, he “took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning [Jesus]” (Luke 24:27). By the time he finished, they had arrived at their destination. The two men were so uplifted by hearing the whole story that they didn’t want it to end, so they invited this third person to stay the night.

So, the man came in, the three ate together, and shared Communion. The man took the bread, gave thanks, and broke it. Then, much like Peter on the boat, revelation hit them like a slap in the face. JESUS! It was Jesus this whole time! “They said to each other, ‘Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?’ And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem” (Luke 34:32-33).

The word of God (what we call the Bible now) was shared through telling more than reading in those days because not many people could read. So, these disciples essentially “read the Bible” on their walk, and it lit a fire inside them and opened their eyes. Before hearing the word, they didn’t recognize Jesus literally walking with them, sitting across the table, or speaking directly to them. Once it settled in, they took off to tell others!

Have you had this kind of moment with the Bible? If so, write about it. If not, ask God to prepare your eyes, ears, heart, and mind for such an experience.