Bible Reading: Fiftieth Time

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, an unashamed workman, cutting straight the word of the truth. (2 Timothy 2:15, RecVer)

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalms 119:105 

On the 10th of January 2026, the Lord graced me to complete read my Bible for the fiftieth time. This transpired while in a train journey from Bengaluru to Chennai. As I completed my fiftieth time of reading the Bible, I thanked and worshipped the Lord for His special grace. Personally, it was a joyful day indeed. Following this, a passenger next to me started conversing with me that led me to preach the gospel to him. Later, after I arrived Chennai, I boarded a Uber Cab to the hospitality home. I made friend with the cab driver, preached the gospel of Jesus Christ to him, led him to call on the Lord, and finally introduced him to the local brother when I reached my destination. This was my first gospel preaching for this new year.

Trusting in God’s grace, I have a goal of reading through the Bible at least a hundred times in my lifetime, if the Lord wills so. This is my personal goal, and it gives me immense joy to be able to read and read the word of God. I do trust the Lord that He will grant me my heart's desire to read and read and read His words. And along with the reading, He may also speak to me and enlighten me as He did so many times as I was reading His words. In fact, all that He need to speak to man were already spoken and recorded as the Bible. The need of the time is to diligently spend time to read His word day by day. This is man's responsibility. He will do the speaking and give the enlightenedment. Therefore, I exercise myself to be diligent in coming to His word and cut straight the word of the truth.

Like Timothy, I have been graced to know the sacred writings even from my early age. What a mercy! Thanks to my grandfather who taught me to read the Bible since my childhood. What a great blessing it has been to me to have learned this lesson of reading the Bible! And I am passing on this lesson to my own children, to my spiritual children, and also to all the young ones and the believers the Lord has brought to me, time to time.

And that from a babe you have known the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through the faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, That the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:15-17, RecVer)

To me, the only book worth reading again and again is the Bible. To me, the only time that must be spent at any cost is to read the Bible even if it means doing it as a habit. Let it be a habit and be a part of my life. I reckon this is a good habit. God forbid, if I say that reading the Bible and prayer are the only things that must be done every day at all costs, even at the sacrifice of other things.

My prayer has been that the Lord would grace me day by day to be able to read the Bible with good eyesight; with a renewed mind filled with the shining of the divine light, sight, vision, and revelation; and a strong spirit to absorb the word as spiritual nourishment. And that, no matter what my circumstances may be, the Lord may grace me with the reading of the Bible and prayer day by day. I cannot think of a life without the word of God and prayer. They have become a part and parcel of my life. I have been married to the word of God and prayer. I can't help but keep reading the Bible and praying. And it has been my joy and enjoyment day by day. I can sacrifice anything else in the world, but not my time with the Lord in prayer and the word of God. 

I pray that all my children, family members, saints in the church life, and all the children of God should love the word of God and read it to be constituted with it, and be a man of prayer to the extent that we all be "living Bibles" and "talking Bibles" for others to see and read the Bible. 

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God. Col. 3:16

Though I have read the Bible a half-century times, I still have miles to go before I complete a century. As I begin again my fifty-first journey, the Lord may grace me and lead me on and on, till I reach the goal.

May the Lord grace me with the taste and enjoyment of His word that I may read and eat the word of God every day, all the days of my life.