What Does the Bible Say About Reading Books

While reading comes with a huge series of benefits, we sometimes struggle to stay motivated to power through reading slumps or tough times when we simply cannot find the energy or time throughout the day to keep doing it. Perhaps some divine intervention could help? What does the Bible say about reading? 

Here at Basmo, we care about all things related to reading. Whether you’re interested in reading the Bible, fiction, non-fiction, or whatever floats your boat, we are here to support you in every way possible. From providing you with a set of tools that can make every reading session more intense and rewarding to supporting your interest in religion and spirituality. 

So much so that we decided to try out one of the most interesting apps dedicated to Bible study. The Bible Chat app uses artificial intelligence to provide you with an interactive journey through faith, spirituality, and Bible study. Here’s what we were able to find out about the way reading is approached in the Bible using this AI-powered Bible Chat app.

What Does the Bible Say About Reading?

So, what is the way the Bible approaches reading as an activity? Well, let’s see what Bible Chat has to say about that.

So, while reading as an activity is indeed mentioned in the Bible, it is generally focused on reading and studying the Scripture. One thing you need to keep in mind is that the Bible was written more than 2000 years ago. Back then, reading was not a leisure activity, it was not a hobby as it is today. The Bible does encourage people to read, but things were considerably different than we know them now.

Asking Bible Chat for more information on the topic reveals some more details about the way Bible teaches us to build a relationship with reading and learning. The app generates clever answers with artificial intelligence, rooted in the teachings of the Bible, as you can see below.

The Bible mentions reading in several verses and encourages people to consume the Scripture and other written teachings as a form of study and a way to learn God’s ways. The way we interpret the teachings of the Bible differs from one person to another, but we know with certainty that there are some key values that the Bible promotes throughout its books:

As Bible Chat explains, reading was not a common activity back in the times when the Bible was written. Most of the mentions of reading and studying are focused on the Scripture and its teachings, but there are several ways we can interpret different parts of the Holy Book to accommodate our reading habits. There are several teachings from the Bible that we should look at.

The Value of Wisdom and Knowledge 

In Proverbs 4:7, we can find this verse: “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.” As you can see, the value of knowledge and general wisdom is emphasized. While there is no special mention of reading in this particular passage, one thing we know for sure is that reading is a sure way to gain knowledge.

How we choose to interpret the Bible can change its whole meaning and can make it the ultimate motivator for self-improvement. If we make the choice of reading between the lines and picking up on the hidden messages, there is a lot for us to gain from the Bible.

Also, while not explicitly stated, the Bible’s presentation of figures like Solomon, who asked God for wisdom above all else, suggests approval of the love of learning, which can include reading books.

Discernment

In 1 Thessalonians 5:21, it says to “test everything; hold fast what is good.” This suggests that the Bible encourages us to make the right choices and apply discernment to the things we take in. 

While this can be true for many other aspects of our lives, it applies to reading quite well. The Bible encourages us to process any information through our own filters and to use our priorly acquired knowledge to interpret the things we read or learn. 

Again, this is not a clear mention of reading in the Bible, but it is clearly one of the teachings that can be applied to our reading and the reading habits we establish throughout our lives. Having the ability to discern between good and bad, true information and false data, and being able to extract the essential teachings from the information we are presented with is truly important in day-to-day life and in God’s eyes.

Literacy

According to Luke 4:16-21, Jesus was clearly literate. God has always communicated with the people in one way or another and always insisted that his teachings were put into writing so that they are not forgotten or misinterpreted. 

There are several important references to literacy in the Bible. Reading and writing are mentioned several times and God’s will to have the Scripture in writing suggests that His plan for all people is to be able to read and write.

We are expected to read the Bible and understand it. Moses and many others were expected to put God’s teachings in writing. All of this strongly suggests that according to the Bible, we should all be literate in order to be able to study God’s ways and teachings. 

What Are the Bible Verses About Reading?

By asking Bible Chat to provide us with the most eloquent verses about reading in the Bible, we get the response below.

Again, while the focus in these passages is on reading God’s teachings and studying the Bible, we can use our interpretation of these words to fuel our motivation to keep reading.

If we want to study the Bible more thoroughly to explore the different ways reading is being mentioned, we can always ask Bible Chat to list all the relevant verses, which will get us a clear answer like below.

Once we have all these verses listed, we can go ahead and read them in more detail and study the complete passages where they appear. This can shed some light on the relationship the Bible promotes between people and reading in general. 

While there are not many Bible verses about books, there is quite a lot we can understand from the rest of the books about the way we should approach reading and wisdom in general. The Bible promotes a healthy lifestyle first and foremost, and reading is definitely an important part of our health.

If anything is unclear, Bible Chat can explain each verse individually. On top of this, the AI chatbot has a clever and precise answer to any question you may have. Whether you need a summary of one specific passage of the Bible or a piece of advice rooted in God’s teachings, Bible Chat can help out.

How to Use the Bible as the Ultimate Motivator to Keep Reading?

The Bible can be a huge source of wisdom and it is our duty as readers to study it. There are many things we can learn about empathy, the importance of balance in our lives, and the relevance of spirituality for our existence. Its teachings have multiple applications, which means that we can benefit from the Bible by powering our thirst for knowledge and self-improvement.

While there are many ways we can study the Bible and use it to benefit our reading habits, there are two foolproof methods you should try.

Use Basmo

Basmo is our dedicated reading tracking app that will give your reading habits and performance a huge boost. Whether you use it to study the Bible or simply to take control of the way you read, here are some important features that you will surely enjoy:

• Monitor your reading performance: with Basmo, you will always have a clear picture of how much and how quickly you read. The app times each reading session and tracks your performance by taking information about how much time you spend reading, how many pages you go through, what your reading speed is, and other important details and turning them into a comprehensive report. You can use this data to improve your performance
• Set goals: You can use our app to set clear goals for how much you want to read. You can choose a daily goal, focused on the number of minutes you spend reading every day, or a yearly goal for the total number of books you read.
• Take notes: Read more diligently than ever before with our note-taking feature. This will make writing down your thoughts or the important information from what you read a lot easier and more fun than you might expect. 
• Set a schedule: Consistency is key, whether you read the Bible or you are just trying to maintain healthy reading habits. With Basmo, you can easily create your own tailored reading schedule.

Use Bible Chat

With the Bible Chat app, you can completely change the way you approach your faith and the process of studying the Bible. Here’s why:

• AI will guide your journey through spirituality. The AI Chatbot will help you better understand how you should navigate your own faith. All you need to do is ask for guidance whenever you feel lost and the chatbot will provide you with a solution deeply rooted in the teachings of the Bible
• Understand the Bible like never before. Whether you need a summary of a part of the Bible or simply want to better understand a particular Bible verse, Bible Chat will quickly generate an AI-powered explanation or summary. All you have to do is use a prompt to start the conversation. 
• Personalize the way you communicate with God. A good prayer goes a long way in your relationship with God. With Bible Chat, you have the option to create personalized prayers for your particular needs. Just tell the chatbot what your troubles are, and it will generate a tailored prayer you can simply use whenever you feel like it. Whether you want to ask for forgiveness or for better motivation to keep reading every day, the AI Chatbot will be there for you in mere seconds.

Final Thoughts

While a particular Bible verse about reading as a pass time activity doesn’t exist, there are many teachings of the Bible we can use as a motivator for our reading habits. The Bible teaches us to be responsible, to take care of ourselves, and to seek wisdom. Reading provides all that, and all we need to do is figure out a way to find the strength to prioritize reading over other activities that take up our time. With Bible Chat and Basmo, things have never been easier.

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