Blessed is he that readeth

Revelation 1:3

Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

The Lord conveys many blessings throughout Scripture. There are blessings promised to all believers, there are blessings promised to those who give their lives for the cause of Christ, there are blessings promised to those that delight in the law of God, and there are many other blessings found in the pages of Scripture. But here we find a blessing given to he that readeth. To every person who takes the time to open the pages of Scripture, and glean therein the truths of God, blessed be that person! Blessed be every person that gives attendance to reading the Word of God. Does not Paul refer to this same blessing when he says, “Give attendance to reading”? No doubt, we should give attention and true emphasis to this activity and discipline. It is not only good to give attendance to the books…but especially the parchments! You may, as I have, reap wonderful blessings from books that you may get your hands on. Oh, but dear friend, the greatest blessing of all is the blessing of the parchments! This special, specific blessing is conveyed on those that read the Word of God.

And now, dear friend, are you reading every day the wonderful and powerful words of Scripture? Is it a habit, is it an inveterate activity of yours to every day take a copy of God’s Word in hand and finger through its pages? It must be a part of every day, without exception or excuse. Could there ever be a reason to go a day without the consultation of the Scriptures? Of course not! No valid excuse exists! If the blind will feel around to get a message from God, and those without their own copy will listen to a recorded piece just to hear the words, should we not take down the copy that is on our shelf and pour over its glorious pages? Should we not turn to it in hard times, and run to it for a refuge in days of trouble and anguish? It is our source, our solace, and it is our sword! This sword will combat the evil forces of our diabolical enemy. We will not be defeated by the devil when we are strengthened by the Scriptures.

My dear brother or sister, will you now make an important decision? Will you choose that which is most blessed? Will you now determine that not a day will elapse till you have opened the pages of God’s written revelation? Will you tell the Lord that you will no longer make excuses? If you have made this decision already, let us now determine to enjoy His Word more, gleaning even more from each page, and searching for more in each line. May there never be a reading wasted! May we never do it just to accomplish a task, but to feast on the nourishing morsels that are laid out before us! Oh, dear friend, blessed—how blessed—is he that readeth!

“Dear Father, we thank you for the precious Word of God. It is like none other, and brings a blessing that nothing else brings. Help us now, we pray, to choose a new path, and may it be the path of blessing. May it be the path where we never miss anything that is handed to us by searching your Scriptures every day. The blessings are there! But we never know of them when we do not read! May we read faithfully and diligently every day. And these things we ask in Jesus’ name, Amen.”