BIBLE READING - PROFITABLE AND PLEASURABLE

Make Bible Reading a Delight

The psalmish spoke of the happy man whose "delight is in the law of Jehovah, and in his law he reads in an undertone day and night." (Psalm 1:2) Our daily Bible reading should not be a chore but a real delight. One way to make it a pleasure is to be ever conscious of the value of the things learned. Wise King Solomon wrote: "Happy is the man that has found wisdom . . . Its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its roadways are peace. It is a tree of life to those taking hold of it, and those keeping fast hold of it are to be called happy." (Proverbs 3:13, 17, 18) The effort needed to acquire wisdom is truly worthwhile, for its ways are ways of pleasantness, peace, happiness and finally life.

Yes, Bible reading is both profitable and pleasurable. But is it enough? Christendom's church members have been reading the Bible for centuries, "always learning and yet never able to come to an accurate knowledge of truth." ( 2 Timothy 3:7) For Bible reading to be fruitful, we must do it with a view to applying the knowledge thus acquired in our personal lives and using it in our work of preaching and teaching. (Matthew 24:14; 28:19, 20) This requires effort and good methods of study which can also be enjoyable and rewarding, as we shall see in the following article.

Next time: STUDY - REWARDING AND ENJOYABLE

Watchtower, 2000