We constantly and deeply encourage people to read the Bible, to spend time in the Scriptures for themselves. Reading the Bible can and should be deeply rewarding, but is also a challenge, especially as you get to parts of the Bible that seem odd or culturally different. Add to this the crazy stories of wacked out people and the laws in the Old Testament, and sometimes reading one’s Bible can be frustrating. But the key to reading every portion of the Bible is to put on the correct lenses, or, in other words, to discover the true center of the Scriptures.
If I read the Bible as a set of disjointed stories it will read like Aesop’s fables. If I see the Laws as nothing more than a giant list of “Thou shalts” and “Thou shalt nots” then I will find deep frustration because I will realize that I can’t do all these laws are commanding. If I am the center in my Bible reading, I will read each story or passage and ask, “What does this mean to me.” While I can glean some application, I will miss the “Big E” on the eye chart of Scripture. Several times in his ministry, Jesus told us that the Bible is not primarily about me, it is primarily about Him. He is the center, and the first question to be asked should always be, “What does this teach me about the necessity, life, and ministry of Jesus?” This blog from The Resurgence website is a very good explanation of this idea, and well worth the read. Take a few minutes to look it up and read through.