I TOOK THE CHALLENGE. WILL YOU?

Bill Popejoy was not strong enough to stand. He sat on a chair in front of the assembly of eager listeners. His physical frailty didn’t equal the aliveness in his voice. Hearing of the nine surgeries, including a prosthetic jaw, made me wonder why he had traveled from Missouri to Minnesota to speak to us. Yet, his life-giving message energized him as it compelled us to listen.

It was 1976, at a minister’s seminar. My husband and I responded to the key-note speaker, Bill Popejoy, who promised our lives would change forever. He guaranteed it! His message was unmistakable—the consistent, daily reading of God’s Word transforms the Bible reader. 

With tears of gratitude, he recounted the life changes in the congregation – crumbled marriages mended, crippling addictions broken, rival conflicts resolved, lives filled with God’s presence and peace. The new-life-experience with his congregation so moved our speaker that his message poured out like a fast-flowing river spilling into our lives.  

We weren’t new to the Bible. We read it, knew the stories, and had memorized passages. Yet, as underfed children, we hadn’t discovered the incredible spiritual strength available in reading through both the Old and New Testaments from Genesis through Revelation, the whole counsel of God.

Pastor Popejoy’s congregation was organized into two Bible-reading groups.  One group read through IN ONE YEAR (three pages per day, about ten minutes). The other group read through TWICE IN ONE YEAR (about ten pages per day, twenty to twenty-five minutes). 

As the church grew in knowledge of the Word, the pastor’s counseling dropped off as people found needed answers as they read the Scripture. Over time their love and value for His Word emerged into authentic, godly relationships with God and one another.

We left the seminar determined to read through the Bible twice in one year! 

The first time reading from cover to cover, the congruency between the Old and New Testaments yelled out a new awareness of God’s perfection, His outlandish love, generous grace, and perfect justice. Growing into a renewed mind because of the Word, my attitudes changed. I trusted God more.  I made better choices and learned obedience in pleasing God.

Now, after forty-five years of reading through the Bible, I couldn’t live without hearing from God daily! Yes, treasures buried still need to be mined, burdens need lifting, and repentance over sin needs to be confessed when brought to light by the Word.  But, in the presence of God and at His right hand are joys indescribable. For the hungry reader, God’s Word is the doorway to His heart.  It’s daily Bread! 

The Scripture is true. God’s Word is “alive and active” (Hebrews 4:12).

Reading from Genesis through Revelation, one or one hundred times, God speaks. It’s amazing! Like print glowing on a page, the Holy Spirit illumines my thoughts, gently corrects me, speaks to my needs, and gives peace. It’s challenging to be consistent, but as with any pleasant habit, He never fails me when I create time to read and hear from God.

Consider how our human body responds to working out at a gym.  With consistency, muscles develop and overall strength and stamina grow stronger. Similarity, repetition, and ongoing consistency in reading God’s Word strengthens spiritual muscle and increases love for Jesus. And godliness is the outcome.

Paul reminds pastor Timothy and us of this truth, Physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:8

All my gym work won’t count for much of anything with my new immortal body in eternity. But the relationship I build with God through the Word will live in me forever.

The Word of the Lord endures forever. 1 Peter 1:20

I took the challenge from Pastor Bill Popejoy, and as he guaranteed, it has changed my life forever! 

The Word speaks whenever we listen. God-secrets await! As students of the Word, we instill unshakable faith as we “grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

Will you take the challenge too? 

And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. 1 Thessalonians 2:13