When reading the Bible, it is best not to skip around according to our interest; neither should we read the Bible in a religious way. Rather, we should read the Bible sequentially. Every mother knows that a child who is selective in his eating will not be healthy and grow normally. Children should eat whatever their mother prepares for them. This is how mothers in the United States train their children so that they will not be picky in their eating. In order to eat healthy food, we must learn not to be picky. When we study the book of Romans, we should begin with chapter 1 verse 1 and then read verse 2. Even if we do not understand what we are reading, we should continue in this way. We should spend ten minutes every morning on half a verse or one verse. Drops of water eventually make a hole in a rock. You have many days ahead of you. Even if you gain very little in one day, in three hundred sixty-five days you will accumulate much. In this way you will complete the entire Recovery Version of the New Testament, including the footnotes. After many years, there will be a result. I believe that after two years the truths will increase in you. If you have a burden to read the Life-study of Romans, you may do so. You do not necessarily need to read it in the morning; you can read it at other times. These are a few suggestions.
I hope that the young people will remember my words and begin to read the Bible. To read the Bible is to know, to contact, the truth. We need to be clear that doctrine is merely doctrine; it is not the truth. We do not merely have the words in the Bible; our Lord is one with the Bible. The Bible is the written word of God, and the Lord Jesus is the living word of God. He is God’s living word, and the Bible is God’s written word. These two must be linked as one. Therefore, we must read the Bible with a praying spirit. We should not merely understand with our mind; we must use our spirit to touch the words in the Bible. Our spirit must be exercised. It is possible for us to read the Bible on three levels: with our eyes, with our mind, and with our spirit. We need our eyes to see clearly, our mind to understand, and our spirit to receive. When we read the Bible, we should let the words become our prayer and then continue reading.
The Lord Jesus and the word of God are one. Furthermore, the Lord is the Spirit. The first line of Hymns, #815 says, “Christ is the Word and Spirit too.” Christ, the Word, and the Spirit are three, yet these three are one. The Lord is in the Word, and He is the Spirit. Therefore, when we read the Bible, on the one hand, we are contacting black and white letters, and on the other hand, we are touching the Lord Jesus with our spirit. Eventually, the Lord, His word, and the Spirit are mingled with us. By enjoying the Lord in this way every morning, we are daily eating healthy food.
I am physically healthy mainly because of the breakfast that I eat. I also urge you to change your physical breakfast habits. You should eat more for breakfast. It is a pity that most young people wake up late in the morning and consider that eating something quickly is breakfast. People who eat in this way will ultimately have a dull mind, because their food is not healthy. Likewise, if you are willing to spend five minutes to pray and ten minutes to study the Word every morning, you will be fed every day, and you will be spiritually healthy. I hope you will daily take Christ as your life, read His word, receive Him, and be mingled with His Spirit.