Prescription for Reading: Read. Extract. Apply. Do.

The ability to read is greatly underrated. It’s like receiving a gift that continues to keep giving. It’s like being entrusted with a key that opens an infinite number of treasures. As a boy I became an avid reader, taking me on adventures with teen inventor Tom Swift, solving mysteries with the Hardy Boys, traveling to distant lands through books like Treasure Island, Hans Brinker and Ivanhoe, and enjoying sports exploits with the likes of Chip Hilton and Mel Martin. 

I also devoured books about American history, nature, science fiction, mystery, and a host of other topics. My younger days would have been impoverished without being able to read and learn about so many intriguing topics. For this reason, I believe literacy should receive paramount attention in our society. Gaining the capacity to read can provide a pathway out of poverty and into prosperity.

However, the power of reading involves more than being able to recognize letters, words and even comprehend sentences. Because we can read many things but if we don’t put into use the information we acquire, we’ve gained little. 

 

Recently during a discussion a friend suggested an acronym that illustrates this point. It’s READ: Read. Extract. Apply. Do. He explained that when we read something, we should seek not only to recognize words and meanings, or even for intellectual understanding, but also for application – striving to put what we have read into action.

 

For instance, when we buy a new kitchen appliance it comes with directions for use. We might read them, but if we don’t follow what they say we should do, we could damage the product – or worse. When we rented a cabin to attend a family function, the owners had left a list of instructions we needed to take care of before we left. Reading the list would have been of no use if we hadn’t followed up on what it said.

 

We could cite many other examples, but the wisdom of ‘Read – Extract – Apply – Do’ is particularly vital as we read the Scriptures. In fact, the apostle James gave this admonition to followers of Jesus as he taught how they should conduct their everyday lives: 

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it – he will be blessed in what he does” (James 1:22-25).

 

While He never used the READ acronym, Jesus Christ was clearly a strong advocate of it in principle. He found it particularly applicable for responding to accusations leveled at him by the Pharisees, Sadducees and other religious leaders who opposed His ministry. On numerous occasions He would chide His hearers, “Have you not read…?” 

 

For instance, in rebuking the Pharisees for complaining when they saw His hungry disciples picking heads of grain on the Sabbath day, He said, “‘Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.’ Then He said, ‘The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath’” (Luke 6:3-5). 

 

Another time the Pharisees were challenging Jesus on His views about divorce. He responded, “Haven’t you read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate” (Matthew 19:4).

 

One day the Sadducees, another group of religious leaders, were attempting to trick Jesus with a question about people being resurrected of the dead. Jesus replied, “…have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living” (Mark 12:26).

 

And speaking to the chief priests, teachers of the law and elders who confronted him about His teachings, Jesus gave a parable about a vineyard owner and then concluded, “Haven’t you read this scripture: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” (Mark 12:10).

 

In each instance, Jesus knew the religious had literally read the words from the scrolls that were so fastidiously stored in the synagogues and temples. They had read what the Scriptures said, and perhaps even worked to extract their meaning. Their fault came in failure to properly apply and put into action what they were saying.

 

The same can be said for us today. It’s said that while many homes across the United States have at least one copy of the Bible, only about nine percent of professing Christians actually read the Bible on a regular basis. As for how many of those are diligent to apply and do what they read, we can only assume it’s less than nine percent.

 

The Scriptures assure us that salvation – receiving God’s forgiveness for our sins and being assured of eternal life – is solely a gift of His grace and mercy. At the same time, we’re instructed to live out what we read in God’s Word. As the apostle Paul urged believers in ancient Philippi, “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). In other words, as James the apostle said, don’t just read and listen to the Word of God. Do what it says to do!

What We Miss by Not Reading Books

One reason I’m a writer, I suppose, is because I grew up an avid, even voracious reader. When you read a lot, you can’t help but learn how words, sentences and paragraphs properly go together.

 

I vividly remember one day when my mom kept me out of school because I had a bad cold. I stayed in bed all day but wasn’t too sick to read. I had borrowed the book, Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates, from the library and read it cover to cover that day. I’ve never succeeded at ice skating, but vicariously enjoyed it through young Brinker’s adventures that day.

 

Bookcases in my room held hundreds of books – fiction and non-fiction, mysteries, science fiction, natural history and prehistory, war and westerns. Through these books I ventured to distant lands and times, gained much knowledge, and discovered the joys of exploring new ideas and using my imagination.

I’ve never outgrown my love for reading. It wasn’t that long ago that over the course of each year I would read upwards of 40 books, some relatively short and others of considerable length. All in the name of learning and growing, as well as being very intentionally entertained.

 

These days, reading seems a lost art. Ask many young people what books they have read recently, and they might be hard-pressed to name even one. They’re reading, but it’s things like text messages, their social media of choice, and Internet websites. Reading in bits and bytes, but not physical books with pages you must turn to discover what happens next.

 

And it’s not just a phenomenon among the young. Many older adults find the time they once spent reading now being consumed by some of the same diversions, along with the vast universe of TV, cable and streaming options. 

 

But there’s something special about books with pages we can touch, with covers made of paper, cloth or leather. Between those covers reside realms of wonder, whether it be facts or fantasy, non-fiction or fiction. Instead of being told what we should think, in reading we exercise our minds and hone our thinking skills, expanding what we already knew and discovering things we didn’t. Compare it to feasting on a sumptuous meal vs. digesting food someone else has already chewed.

 

Of course, when it comes to reading a book, I can recommend nothing more highly than the Bible, the Word of God. Nowhere else can we find such an amazing array of history, narrative, poetry, wisdom, prophecy, guidelines for living, and most of all, truth – God’s eternal, unchanging Truth.

 

The first time I read through the Bible, while a senior in high school, I did it solely as an intellectual exercise. I had read lots of other books, so why not read the Bible and cross it off my list? Most of what I read then made little sense to me. Only years later, after I had committed my life to Jesus Christ, did I begin to grasp the depth and scope of the Scriptures.

 

In 1 Corinthians 2:14 we’re told, “The natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” With the Holy Spirit as my Teacher, however, I could start understanding what incredible treasure God has provided in the 39 Old Testament and 27 New Testament books.

 

During times when it’s difficult to figure out what to do or which way to go, I’ve found God’s Word an incomparable roadmap. As Psalm 119:105 declares, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” Another passage from that lengthy (176 verses) psalm asks and answers, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word. I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands. I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:9-11). 

 

How can we truly get to know someone and build a meaningful relationship with them unless we spend quality and quantity time with them? In an even more profound way, time spent with God in the study of His Word is never wasted.

 

In America we have access to myriad resources for learning about God and the Bible: radio and TV programs, Internet sites, sermons and messages from gifted preachers and teachers, CDs, DVDs and films. We have excellent books that address many Christian topics. I’ve had the privilege of writing, co-authoring and editing some of them myself.

But best of all, we have the Scriptures available in a variety of editions and translations, all ripe for the reading. Through them we can discover “the way, the truth and the life,” which Jesus declared Himself to be in John 14:6. Faithfully reading God’s Word points us to “the abundant life” Jesus promised in John 10:10, and it can ensure that we will not “ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus Himself and then delivered to us by those who heard Him speak” (Hebrews 2:3). 

Is There Value in the Bible?

Tony Evans tells the story of a young man who ran afoul of the law and was sentenced to a couple of years in prison. Despite his wrongdoing, his mother continued to love him and pray for him. One day while talking to his mother, the man asked her to send him something that would be useful during his days of incarceration.

Within about a week he received a package from his mother, and inside was a new Bible. He looked at it, shrugged, and thought, “What good is this? I need something practical.” A few days later the inmate had an opportunity to call his mother again. She asked if he had received the Bible. “Yes, I got it, Mama, but I need something practical.” “Read your Bible,” his mother replied.

As time passed the man would receive letters from her, and she continued to urge him to read the Bible. During one of her visits he said, “I know we used to go to church together and all that. I get it and yeah, I’m reading the Bible, but Mama, I need something practical.”

About a year later the young man finished his sentence and was released from prison. After returning home, he hugged his mother and then said, “Mama, I asked you to send me something practical. But all I ever got from you was that Bible.”

Looking her son straight in the eyes, she replied, “Son, at the front of each of the 66 chapters of that Bible, I placed a $100 bill. But you never saw that – because you never read your Bible.”

There’s a powerful moral to that story, even if you’ve never found a Bible containing even a single $100 bill – or any currency, for that matter. Every year the Bible, in all its various sizes and shapes and versions and translations, is proclaimed the best-selling book in America. But each year, sadly, it also ranks as perhaps the least-read bestseller.

In our home we have well over a dozen Bibles, some that I’ve bought and others that I received over the years from publishers while I was the editor of a Christian magazine. One thing I’ve learned about each one of them – they don’t read themselves. We have to physically retrieve one, hold it, open it, and then proceed to do the hard part: Read it.

Thanks to technology, it’s even simpler. We have the Bible available online. It can be downloaded to our tablets and smartphones. We can even get audio versions of the Bible – again, in the translation or paraphrase of our choice. And yet, biblical illiteracy remains alarmingly high.

Maybe if Bibles came with cash embedded people would be more inclined to read them, but it’s unlikely, as Pastor Evans’ story points out. And yet there’s no escaping the priceless treasure we can find if we commit to spending time consistently – even daily – in the Word of God. 

What value does it offer? The list could go on indefinitely, but here are just a few examples of its worth for everyone who professes to know and follow Jesus Christ:

1)     It can keep us out of trouble. As King David wrote, asking and then answering his own question, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I will seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:9-11).

2)     It teaches us right from wrong, shows us the way to live properly, and prepares us for all God wants us to do: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

3)     It enables us to know and understand God and His ways: “My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding…. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair – every good path” (Proverbs 2:6-9).

That barely scratches the surface, but if we really want to make a difference in the world around us, if we’re concerned about the course society is taking and the values being espoused, perhaps what’s needed is less complaining and hand-wringing and more Bible reading, studying, meditating, memorizing and applying.

Maybe we need to return to being “people of the Book,” as the ancient Hebrews once determined to be, as well as millions of believers through the centuries. Instead of simply giving lip service to “the good book,” we could dig into it and try to find out what treasures we can uncover. Even with the new year still weeks away, it’s not too early to make that our resolution – or even a goal.

Flexing Your ‘Memory Muscle’

How do my fingers know which keys to strike when I'm writing?

Taking Personal Typing during my junior year of high school, I had no clue it would be instrumental for my career as a journalist. All I knew was I needed to learn the “home row” and train my fingertips to type “ASDF-space” and all the other letters, without staring at the keys.

At the time I considered it preparation for writing papers in college. But my first class in news reporting showed me the genius behind learning to become proficient at the typewriter. (This was, of course, years before anyone had personal computers. Even electric typewriters!) I could pound out articles on deadline without time-consuming hunting and pecking for letters.

Over the years my keyboard proficiency increased dramatically. Secretaries and administrative assistants – whose jobs often revolved around typing skills – would marvel whenever they passed my office and heard my keys rapidly clicking away.

Today, decades after my high school typing class, the skills I began acquiring then continue to serve me well. What’s strange is if you asked me to locate a specific letter on the keyboard, I’d be hard-pressed to do so without looking. As the old Yellow Pages ads used to say, “my fingers do the walking.”

This trait is shared by many others – such as pianists and other musicians, craftsmen, surgeons, even video game aficionados. After years of practice and repetition, their hands and fingers move as quickly as their brains.

It’s called “muscle memory.” One definition describes it as “consolidating a specific motor task into memory through repetition. When a movement is repeated over time, a long-term muscle memory is created for that task, eventually allowing it to be performed without conscious effort.”

In simpler terms, it means doing the same things the same way, over and over, until they become subconscious habits.

Perhaps other uses for muscle memory come to mind, but I think it’s particularly valuable for times when we need to flex our spiritual “muscles.”

For instance, when we face an unexpected crisis, how do we respond: Anger? Panic? Confusion? Or do our first thoughts turn to God, asking Him for direction and assistance as needed?

Or at work, when confronted with a situation that would compromise our values, or we need to make a crucial decision, do we defer to expedience – or do we consult the Lord and pray for His wisdom in doing what is right and best?

Maybe we encounter temptations that plague us. Do we yield to them, playing the “I’m only human” card, or do we run to God for strength to overcome or flee from potential sin?

How do we build “spiritual memory muscles”? There's no quick, simple way. It takes diligence and determination, repetition and practice, day after day. I hate legalism, the religious guilt-trip that tells us we must pray, as well as read, study and meditate on what God says in the Scriptures. But there’s no other way to build a relationship with Him, get to know who He is and who He wants us to be, or learn how He desires for us to live.

Just as one hour of practice once a week will never suffice to develop a virtuoso pianist, an hour a week in a worship service will never result in a faithful, fervent, consistent follower of Jesus Christ.

But time devoted every day in prayer, meditation and reading the Word of God will equip us for moments of crisis, days of decision, and times of temptation. As King David wrote in Psalm 119:9-11, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart, do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”

And the apostle Paul urged his followers in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

If you do that consistently, you can always feel confident of doing the right thing – the godly thing – just as through repetition and practice, I trust my fingers to strike the right keys to complete this blog post.