Many times, when I am talking with people as I move about the city of Augusta and surrounding areas, people ask me about reading the Bible. They want to know what I think are some of the most important passages to read from different books of the Bible. Of course, I tell them that ALL of the Bible is important even though some sections are hard to completely understand such as Leviticus in the Old Testament and Revelation in the New Testament. Most of the people inquiring about important places to read have never read Leviticus and almost all of them state that they have a hard time understanding Revelation.
I usually tell people that it really doesn’t matter where you read in the Biblical text. All of it is God’s Word and as such is given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We are also told that God’s Word does not return to us void which means that even though you think you could never understand certain passages, they will implant something in your spirit whether you realize it or not…(Isaiah 55:11).
We are also told it will accomplish what God wants it to do in you and that it will “prosper in the thing whereunto I sent it.” So, we have God Himself promising us that reading His Word and hearing it will prosper us in some way.
But the question still remains….”Pastor, what sections do you do you recommend for me to read for guidance and instruction. My reply is that if one would read Psalm 1 and the Book of Proverbs, they would do a good thing. Psalm 1 will give a person an excellent picture of the value of living a Godly life and Proverbs will inform a person of how to live that Godly life. I read through the Book of Proverbs very often and it instructs me and warns me about how we are to live. It tells us what a Godly person does in situations in life and it also tells us what not to do. This Book of Proverbs is only thirty chapters long. One can finish it in a month when reading only one chapter each day. It will become something that you will want to do at some time every day. I find that even though I have read it many times, there is always something new that God’s Word delivers into my spirit which helps greatly and gives me vital instructions.
In Proverbs one will find instructions on how a Godly life is different from those lives which are not guided by Him. How to raise a child. Warnings about immorality. “My son, forget not my law, but let thine heart keep my commandments” is very valuable. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding” puts us in our place when we think we can control our lives properly by ourselves. Wisdom and understanding are shown to be the most valuable things a man can possess. They are far more valuable than rubies…Prov. 8:11. “The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish, but he casteth away the substance of the wicked”…is a good thing to remember in life. Proverbs is absolutely FULL of such statements concerning the value of living a righteous life and the foolishness of ignoring God’s instructions.
This one Book in the Bible, Proverbs, is indispensable because therein God tells us how to spend our time in life in a way which will produce the life with which He is pleased. Listen to this one: “The desire of the righteous is only good but the expectation of the wicked is wrath.” If a person reads Proverbs, they will discover a lot about how God expects us to live.
Going back to Psalm 1, I encourage everyone to read the first four verses and you will find out some wonderful promises God makes to those who honor Him and follow His guidance. Verse three would be wonderful for anyone’s life and it can be if only a person will order their life by what is contained in verses 1-2.
So, when a person asks me to recommend some areas of the Bible for them to read, I always tell them about Psalm 1 and Proverbs. Of course, I let them know to read the Book of John in the New Testament. The other books are essential as well but John was the best earthly friend of Jesus and he presents Jesus and His ministry in a wonderfully understandable way. All the books of the Bible are God’s Word and as such they are essential to us but John is a very readable and understandable accounting of the life and ministry of Jesus. Read it more than once. Read it slowly and “chew” on what it is saying and God will reveal many wonderful things to you that you have never seen before.
The fact is a person is enabled to live like the person in Psalm 1 only when they come to the Lord through His Son, Jesus Christ. John made all of that very clear to anyone is they will only read the book he wrote letting us know about the person and ministry of Jesus Christ. It is made explicitly plain that a person must be committed to Jesus if they are going to be saved and please God with their life.
Don’t let your Bible grow dusty and old from not being used. Wear it out and then get you a new one. I say all this because there is “Something That Everyone Ought to Do”…Read the Bible, God’s Word, every day.
William F. Harrell….9-5-25
