Reading Scripture with Attentive Mind and Urgent Care

"Let him that readeth understand" (Mark 5:14). This command demands reading with utmost attention, diligence, and devotion—weeping as John did until the sealed book was opened, digging deep in the mine of Scripture for the mind of God, and holding it fast lest it slip away.

Philostratus relates an apt comparison: the precious stone Pantarbe possesses such orient brightness that it both dazzles and refreshes the eyes simultaneously, drawing heaps of other stones by secret force from great distances. Yet nature hid this costly gift in the innermost bowels of the earth and gave it a faculty of slipping from careless hands unless guarded with vigilance.

Consider three motives for diligent private Scripture reading: First, recognize the excellency of Scripture above all human writings—they are the books of Elohim Himself, the Creator's letter to His creatures. Second, understand the spiritual fruit reaped by diligent reading: building knowledge of God's glory and our salvation, confirming faith, and quickening obedience to His will. Third, observe examples of those most diligent: Oliver Cromwell could recite the New Testament without notes; Bishop Ridley learned all St. Paul's Epistles by heart.

Opportunity itself is a string of stepping-stones across a swollen ford. The traveler who delays, though home lies in sight across the opposite bank, may find crossing impossible and face a journey of miles. The Arctic passage narrows daily as floating ice-islands draw nearer—the moment for crossing narrows perpetually.