The "rookie" mistake is to simply "read" the Bible as a revered wisdom book full of tips on how to be "happy, healthy, and wealthy." I know that's what I did! I had big plans for my life when I became a Christian, so I read the Bible for tips on how to be more successful. I even once pledged to tithe a certain amount to obligate God to bless me with the income to support it. He clobbered me for that one! For over a decade I tried to change God. Finally, the Bible helped me understand something: God wanted to change me. That's when I started to read the Bible every day.
The "pro" way to approach the Bible is to "immerse" ourselves in it as the living word of God. It's to let His Holy Spirit speak to, commune with, convict, correct, direct, encourage, challenge, and inspire us. It's to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). It's to "be there" as Moses speaks on the shore of the Jordan, explaining that it's not because we are good but because the people of Canaan are wicked that God is giving us this land--and to feel pierced. It's to grasp that I sent Jesus to the Cross. It's to revel in His Easter. It's to feel the weight of His holiness. It's to be drawn into a life of worship. It's to realize that God alone is worthy of all our praise, glory, and honor. It's to progressively find ourselves in the place where David found himself: "Passion for your house has consumed me" (Psalm 69:9).
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