Family Worship: Scripture Reading

“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” ~Psalm 119:11

As we've mentioned over the past few devotionals, biblical family worship consists of three essential parts: Scripture reading, singing God's praises, and prayer. Today we'll say a few things about Scripture reading — its value, and then a couple of concerns you might have about it.

First, its value. The Westminster Shorter Catechism tells us that the Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man. When we read the Bible as a family, we are encountering the living God — the Creator of the universe, the Redeemer of His people — in His own words. And that encounter is not merely informative but transformative. 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us "all Scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable." A good prayer book, a hymnal, even a solid commentary can assist our worship, but nothing we could read together is better than God's own Word.

Second, reading Scripture gets it into our minds and hearts — even the minds and hearts of our youngest ones. Some of you might worry that little children can't benefit from Scripture reading. The apostle Paul would suggest otherwise. In 2 Timothy 3:14-15 he tells young Timothy to continue in what he had learned from the sacred Scriptures, with which he'd been acquainted since infancy. Timothy had God's Word planted in him before he could understand a word of it, and Psalm 119 tells us that this — storing up God's Word in our hearts — is one of the very means by which we fight temptation and grow in godliness. Reading the Bible aloud, even to children too young to follow along, moves a family closer in conformity to Christ.

Now, perhaps you're concerned this will be the hardest part of family worship for your little ones or that you won't be able to answer the tough questions your spouse or older kids might raise. Here are two recommendations.

First, start small. There's a strong pull toward reading through the whole Bible with the family in a year; resist it. A paragraph is enough. A short psalm or a few verses may be plenty for families with young children. Read a little and meditate on it — that's both faithful and wise for a family just starting out.

Second, let the possibility of hard questions motivate you rather than deter you. Fathers and mothers are called to bring up their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph. 6:4), which means growing in our own knowledge of Him. So if the worry is real — my child might ask me something I can't answer — let it push you toward your own private study, rather than away from family worship altogether. It's a humbling gift, not an excuse to avoid this wonderful practice.

Be encouraged: reading the Bible in family worship doesn't need to be a burden. Only a few minutes will do. But don't miss the benefit of those few minutes: hearing from God and growing in godliness because of it. For those blessings, let's read Scripture in family worship.

Rev. Kyle W. A. Lockhart, Pastor