I got a call one morning from Travis Hafner, a former MLB player who had just retired. He was in town for the summer and wanted to stop by my house. 

When we met, he was eager to tell me that he had given his life to Christ in the last year. He told me that he was almost finished reading through the entire Bible.

I cannot recall another new believer telling me that he had read the complete Bible in his first year as a Christian. Over the last nine years, Travis has read the Bible cover to cover … every year. I have rarely seen a man grow so fast and so soundly in his relationship with God. 

Number 1 effect on your growth – what you are reading. 

Some parts of the Bible won’t make sense initially, but God will use any part of the Scriptures to mold us, correct us and make us more like Jesus. God’s Word prompts growth in our lives. 

Reading is not just scanning the content of the Bible. In the pages of this book, God tells us about Himself and the plans that He has for our lives. 

In Romans 15:4, the apostle Paul explains that the Scriptures were written for our instruction, that we might live with hope, meaning a confident expectation that God will do what He said He would do. 

As we read, it is helpful to hold several questions in the back of our minds: What does this tell me about God, about myself, about knowing Christ, about life? What does God want me to know, believe and obey? 

If the Bible seems like a large and complicated book, check out Google for a yearly Bible reading plan. You will find several options. You may want to invite a friend or two to join you in the plan and regularly share what you learn while reading.

Today’s devotional is one of five this week on “Spiritual Growth” by Tom Petersburg. 

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