One’s relationship with the Holy Scripture may be briefed in some main aspects, viz : having it in one’s possession and company all the time; reading and understanding it; meditating on it; studying and memorizing it; and above all complying to its words, practicing its commandments and turning them into a life.
1- Possession of the Scripture:
Everybody should have the Holy Bible at home in the handbag wherever one goes whether in a trip, at work, at rest, or even while with others.
One should it as a friend and companion in every place and never dispense with it.
I fear the Holy Bible be a stranger at your house or life, finding no place to lay (LK 9:58), neither on your book shelves and your desk nor in your mind and heart! However, I do not mean that you possess it as a gem or an amulet, but rather as a friend, for continual use. Such friendship with the Holy Bible can only be attained when you love it.
2- Love of the Holy Scripture :
You ought to love it as a message from God to you which should be received with love.
As when one receives a letter from one’s beloved, so should one read such a message and read it, being a dear message to him. David the Prophet, speaking about God’s words, said, “More to be desired are they than gold… Sweater also than honey and the honeycomb,” (Ps 19:10) “ I long for Your precepts,” “The law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of coins of gold and silver,” “How I love Your law!” “I have seen the consummation of all perfection, but Your commandment is exceedingly broad,” “How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” “I love Your commandments more than gold, yes, than fine gold,” “Your word is very pure; therefore Your servant loves it,” “How I love Your precepts,” “I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure.” (Ps 119: 40, 72, 96, 97, 103, 127, 140, 159, 162) Indeed, if you love the Scripture you will find pleasure in reading and enjoying it continually.
3- Continual reading of the Scripture:
A godly and blessed person finds his delight in the law of the Lord, and in it he meditates day and night (Ps 1).
It is the same command which the Lord gave Joshua the son of Nun, saying, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.” (Josh 1:8)
The reading of the Scripture will be more useful if done regularly and continually everyday.
In this way reading will become a habit and the influence of the Scripture will abide in you. Therefore you can read some passages in the morning to meditate on during the day, and some at night to have their company in your sleep and dreams. Regular reading helps us meditate on the words continually as the Lord commands.
If a great king like David the Prophet, or a great leader like Joshua, could meditate in the Lord’s words day and night in spite of their many responsibilities, how much rather we ought do!!
To benefit from reading the Scripture, we ought fulfill some elements.
4- Reading with a feeling of awe:
When reading you are listening to God speaking to you, so you ought to listen to Him with awe. As far as you have such a feeling, the word of God will have its influence on you, because your heart will be ready and you will feel that you are in God’s presence. That is why the deacon during the reading of the Scripture cries: “Stand with the fear of God and listen to the Holy Gospel.” And before the reading of the Gospel and raising of incense the priest prays, saying,
“Let us be worthy to hear and act according to Your Holy Gospel…”
The mere hearing requires worthiness and preparation. We remember how Moses the Prophet – before reading the Ten Commandments – called upon the people to wash and consecrate themselves and be ready for the third day that they might be worthy to hear God’s word to them (Ex 19:10-15).
On the contrary, whoever reads the word of God with disregard and carelessness will not benefit.
Train yourself then to read the Scripture with awe and respect. Remember that in the church you stand while listening to it, and the high priest takes away his crown while reading it. Therefore do not behave at church differently from home.
5- Reading with understanding:
Go into the depths of the divine words to understand their meaning, because “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament.” (D 12:3)
Although the scribes and Pharisees were the scholars of the Jews, they could not understand the word of God not its meaning, as the case with the Sabbath commandment and the word “neighbor”. To explain this word the Lord gave them the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
Understanding is so important that God said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” (Hos 4:6)
However, it is required not to rely on one verse only, for the Scripture is not a single verse and one verse cannot give the full meaning of the word of God.
You can therefore gather together all the verses on a certain topic in order to get the true and complete meaning.
The quantity which you read is not important, especially if without understanding and meditation. What really avails is the deep reading by which God’s word may go deep into your mind and heart and touches you.
Lay stress on the spirit rather than the text, for the words of God are spirit and life. (Jn 6:63)
Do not stick to the letter, but to the spirit of the commandment, for as
Understanding also is very important for spirituality as well as for faith and dogma.
Many read the Scripture but strayed because they did not know the sound meaning. They could not grasp what the Spirit says to the churches (Rev 2,3). Therefore the Lord Christ said, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures.” (Mr 22:29) Try then to know the proper meaning of what you read, otherwise seek guidance. Many of the heretics read the Scripture and were considered scholars, but they strayed for lack of understanding. Perhaps they used a single verse of the Scripture and ignored other verses that complete the meaning. Some may, for instance, take the words of the Lord, “My Father is greater than I,” and skip the words, “I and My Father are one.” (Jn 14:28; 10:30) Others may take the words of the apostle, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household,” and do not mention the words of the Lord, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.” (Acts 16:31; Mk 16:16).
If someone, Therefore, says to you, “It is written…” , say as the Lord said, “It is written again …” (Mt 4:7) Or if some grave person says to you : It is written that by a sad countenance the heart is made better (Eccl 7:3), say to him : It is also written, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice,” “To everything there is a season … a time to weep, and a time to laugh.” (Phit 4:4; Eccl 3:1-4) Be wise to understand what you read. If the Sabbatherians fight you, saying, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Say to them : It is also written, “ Let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come.” (Ex 20:8; Col 2:16, 17) It is clear then that the verses together may form a deep harm harmonious integrity that helps understanding.
6- Memorizing the verses of the Bible :
Try to memorize verses that give certain spiritual principles or basics of faith and dogma, or give promises from God that may encourage and comfort you, or give answers you need. Repeat them often within your mind and heart that they may stick to your soul, enter your subconscious, and be dug into your memory till you need them.
There are many passages to be memorized, such as:
The Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5-7); the qualities of love (1 Cor 13); spiritual pieces of advice as in (Rom 12; 1 Thess 5); parts of the Proverbs or the Ecclesiastes Books, or the Ten Commandments (Ex 20; Deut 5); a number of Psalms or prayers of the prophets; certain verses on some virtues or doctrines in which one can find answers in spiritual wars.
If a spiritual person memorizes one verse every day, how many verses will be memorized in a year, or in several years?! Even if you verse is memorized every week, 52 verses will be memorized in a year, and 520 in ten years! But this is considered by a spiritual person so little and his conscience will not be at peace for that. Then one can move to applying the verses one has memorized. I often said to my spiritual children:
Memorize the Scripture, and it will keep you safe.
Memorize the Psalms, and they will keep you safe.
How they will keep you safe, this I shall expound in another Article – God willing.
7- Meditating on the Scripture:
What you read or memorize can be a field of meditation in which your spirit and your mind may be mixed and suggest to you meanings that will be renewed and multiplied, bringing you into a spiritual atmosphere. Do not confine yourself to mere reading but go deep through meditation. This is my advice to you and I refer you to a whole subject on meditation to read.
8- Reading with the spirit of prayer:
Start reading with prayer, asking God to give you understanding and to reveal to you His will, as David the Prophet says, “Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law.” (Ps 119:18) And conclude reading with prayer, asking the Lord to give you power to fulfill what you read, and as He gave you understanding He may give you the will and the power.
Again pray while reading and lean not on your own understanding (Prov 3:5). Try by prayer to receive God’s message to you. Some people have a certain view in mind, then they search for a verse to support such a view or try to adapt the words of the Scripture to these views!! Do not do like them, but read with a desire to learn and to know. Therefore you need to be humble in your prayer that you may submit to the doctrines of the Scripture and correct your views. Say with David the Prophet, “Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths.” (Ps 25:4) Say to Him, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” (Acts 9 : 6).
What should you do? This I will tell you afterwards – God willing.