It seems so often that we segment Scripture into nice little sound bytes or groups of verses when in reality, most Scripture is much more than that. Sometimes I wonder if assigning chapters and verses did more harm then good when it comes to reading the Bible.
Most of the New Testament was written as a letter to individuals or churches and yet we so often read portions of the letter based on chapters instead of the entire letter. When was the last time someone sent you a letter and you only read a portion of it, then picked it up the next day and read another portion? Seems kind of “disjointed”, doesn’t it? Yet that is how we are often encouraged to read the Bible, a chapter at a time.
May I encourage you, especially as you read through the letters in the New Testament, to not read by chapter or verse, but as a letter you have received from a good friend, or confidant. You may find you understand it a little more than just reading portions at a time.
The account of Lazarus’ death in John 11 tells us that Jesus wept. Jesus got word that Lazarus was sick and noted that the sickness would not end in death, but would be for God’s glory (v. 3 & 4). Jesus knew this and so He stayed where he was another two days. When we hear that a loved one is sick and possibly near death, we drop what we are doing and rush to their side, yet Jesus stayed where He was, he didn’t see an urgency.