A Light for Our Reading and Our Faith

The Voice of Zion February 2026 - Editorial --

Much of life today happens quickly and online. We read in fragments – headlines, captions, short updates – often moving on before a thought has time to settle. Over time, this shapes how we read and how we listen. Deep, sustained reading becomes harder, and with it the quiet attentiveness that faith itself invites.

This matters because Scripture is not meant to be skimmed. God’s Word is not simply information about God; it is the means through which God speaks, illuminates His salvation plan, comforts, and teaches. God does not need our reading in order for His Word to be powerful, yet He has chosen to work through it. He calls us to hear and read His Word, and He gives His Holy Spirit to open the Word to our understanding. We do not read Scripture to awaken God’s Word, but because God awakens faith and understanding through His Word by the Spirit.

Scripture describes God’s Word as light on a dark path. The apostle Peter compares the prophetic writings to a lamp shining in a dark place, guiding believers safely onward. The psalmist echoes this image: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” God’s Word does not remove all darkness at once, but it gives enough light for the next step. Trusting that light, believers are guided safely toward their destination.

Christian faith and reading have walked hand in hand through the centuries. Alongside the Bible, hymnbooks and other writings that explain and confess Scripture have shaped the life of the church. Through written words, faith has been taught, preserved, and defended. Reading leaves a mark. What we take in shapes how we think, what we value, and what we trust. The Reformers warned against neglecting Scripture or treating it as something to be quickly mastered, reminding believers that God’s Word is not mere text, but living words meant for faith and life.

When we are able, reading Scripture with our eyes also has value. Seeing the words on the page – the shape of a verse, the flow of a chapter, the way passages relate to one another – invites attentiveness that supports meditation. Visual reading allows us to pause, return, and linger. It helps us notice repetition, structure, and connection. This does not replace the preached and heard Word, which remains central in the life of the congregation, but it can support faith by helping the Word become familiar and well known.

Personal reading of Scripture is therefore not an isolated achievement. It is a way of being near the roots of faith. Knowing Scripture helps a believer recognize God’s promises, receive comfort, and find orientation in times of uncertainty. At the same time, reading the Bible requires patience and perseverance. Scripture contains poetry and narrative, promise and warning, repetition and mystery. Learning to read it takes time and stamina. Many believers find this challenging, and that is not a failure. We are all learners, endeavoring with God’s Word as we are each able.

This becomes especially clear when we teach others – whether in Bible class, youth Bible class, or Sunday school – or when we study Scripture personally. Teaching and reading alike draw us back into the Word and remind us how dependent we are on God’s Spirit to give understanding. While Scripture should always be approached with humility and within the life of the congregation, God does not withhold His Word from His children. He invites them to hear, read, and ponder it, trusting not in their own understanding but in the Spirit who teaches through the Word.

Reading – even Bible reading – does not save. Salvation rests entirely on the perfect atoning work of God’s Son. Forgiveness and faith are given through believing the gospel, proclaimed in the power of the Holy Spirit. Whether heard or read, God’s Word works by the same Spirit, giving faith where and when He wills. Reading serves faith, but Christ alone saves.

We should not take this lightly. The future of faith and God’s kingdom among us does not rest on trends, technology, or our own cleverness. It rests on God’s Word and His promise to work through it. Staying close to Scripture – hearing it, reading it, and learning from it – is part of how God keeps His people on the right path, guided by the light of His Word and sustained by His Spirit.  

Scripture References (KJV)

• Psalm 119:105 – “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

• 2 Peter 1:19 – God’s Word as “a light that shineth in a dark place.”