In 2019, a Lifeway Research study indicated 32% of regular church attenders read their Bible everyday. We hear it taught during our weekly worship services, maybe read a few verses in a devotional or as we scroll social media, but only a third of us intentionally take the Word in every day.
Time evaporates - we're too tired or stayed up too late. We struggle with routine or discipline. The season with littles prevents us from developing consistent habits.
You've found yourself at one time or another, starting a reading plan, until you've finally landed in Leviticus overwhelmed trying to make sense of what you're reading. Understanding Scripture can seem daunting and difficult, causing you to lose any momentum you had.
In The Epic Story of the Bible: How to Read and Understand God's Word by Greg Gilbert, he provides us with the basic facts about the Bible, how the books were put together and became accepted as Scripture. Then he outlines the narrative of the Bible through the lens of creation, the fall, redemption and consummation; with a handful of the peak points in between, fitting together the chain of events of God's work in the world.
The next 4 chapters each highlight a theme throughout scripture - God's presence, covenant, kingship and sacrifice - following how these come up from cover to cover and how they are connected.
To work through the challenge of understanding what we're reading when we approach the Word, this book is a helpful tool. As we gain understanding about what it is we're reading, we're less afraid to open the pages and better equipped to learn about who God is and what He's doing.
If you've felt a bit overwhelmed approaching Scripture, or just unsure, even though you've been a believer for years, this could be for you.
Quick Stats
# of pages: 176 pages
Level of Difficulty: Easy-Moderate
My Rating: 4 stars
*A big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC and for the opportunity to post an honest review!