The Bible is like a vitamin. It’s not like an aspirin, which offers fairly fast and definite results. It’s not like a meal, which most people look forward to and plan their lives around, and which makes you weak and cranky if you skip it even once. No, the Bible is more like a vitamin.
Daily dose…
I take an iron pill every day. I started this regimen because I like to donate blood every eight weeks, and for a while I was not able to donate because my iron count kept showing up below the required 12.5g/dL.
…and the results show up in the test
Now, when I swallow this iron pill each morning, the result is not immediate. I do not feel a mood lift or a sudden surge of energy or anything. In fact, even after a week or two of iron pills, I’m not stronger, or happier, or more vibrant.
But I am able to donate blood. Without the pills, my hemoglobin is usually in the 10s or 11s. With the pills, I’m as high as 13.6.
So it’s doing something. Even though I can’t tell.
Daily Word…
Now, this might be a kind of depressing comparison to Bible-reading, because people want God’s Word to have a more dramatic effect on their lives! They want a burst of light or an angel chorus, and when they don’t get that, they think the Bible’s not working. But the point is this: If you want to see the effects of daily Bible-reading, you have to put yourself in situations where you can see them.
…and the results show up in the tests
I wouldn’t know the difference those iron pills are making if I didn’t get my blood tested every eight weeks by the good people at LifeSource. It’s a simple test, and the results are straightforward.
But what about tests for Bible reading? Are there indicators that might show God’s Word is making a difference? What about things like:
- Being able to write a meaningful verse in a sympathy card
- Resisting an urge to gossip about a co-worker
- Recognizing whether taking advantage of a particular opportunity would be wise or foolish
- Discerning the unspoken needs of someone who asks for prayer
- Answering questions from a Hindu curious about the Christian God
- Feeling peace instead of fear
- Feeling confident instead of apathetic
Most of these are not dramatic. And if I stopped reading the Bible, I might still be able to do them for a while. But they seem to go better when I’m in the Word and the Word is in me.
The simple fact is, without my daily iron pill, I am not a blood donor. I might hang out at the blood center, I might wear the “Be nice to me…” sticker, I might talk about all the times I’ve donated blood in the past. But without that iron pill, I stop being a blood donor.
Is there a parallel here between reading the Bible and calling myself a Christian?
nice article – food for thought.
Thanks Mom!
Love your parallel.
I’ll add this circular thought: If I am serving God, I obey His commands and fulfill His purposes for my life. If I don’t read His Word, I don’t know what His commands are or have the means of determining His purposes for my life. If I don’t know what His commands are or have the means of determining His purposes for my life, I’m probably not serving God as fully as He desires me to serve Him..
Thanks Pat. You love my parallel; I love your circle!
For me, God’s Word is an antidote for fear. It builds me up so that when the enemy wants to bring me down, Jesus and I together resist the attack!
Thanks Laura!
When I was told I had a life threatening medical issue I eventually found peace in the community of believers, and from the Word.
I worried – Luke 12:22-25.
I had fear -Isaiah 43:1-2
High medical costs-Hebrews 13-5
I live alone -Psalm 41:3
With prayer,support, and His Word,I got to feel the peace Paul talked about in Philippians 4:6-7.The Word is in me and now I try to share it,and learn more every day.
I loved your parallelism.
Thanks for sharing these references, Dave—and your personal experiences.
Love this post Melanie…you’ve written some foundational truths here that can benefit both believer and non-believer. Your correlations are spot-on! And David Brown tied it up like a nice package by showing problems and verse-answers. I’m bookmarking this one … it’s a keeper!!
Thanks Jean! Feel free to share it!