Have You Not Read?
LIGHTED PATH DEVOTIONAL
Monday, 18th May, 2026
Memory Verse:
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” — Hosea 4:6 (KJV)
Reflection:
One Sunday after service, a young man walked up to his pastor looking visibly frustrated.
“Pastor, Christianity is hard,” he complained. “Too many rules. Too many expectations.”
The pastor looked at him carefully and asked, “What exactly have you been reading in your Bible lately?”
The young man answered honestly.
“Well… mostly the parts about blessings, favour, prosperity, and grace.”
The pastor nodded slowly.
Then he asked another question.
“So when last did you read the parts about forgiveness? Holiness? Self-control? Loving enemies? Carrying your cross?”
Silence.
Because many people do not actually reject Christianity. They reject the version of Christianity they edited for themselves.
We live in a generation that likes customised faith.
People highlight the verses they enjoy and quietly avoid the ones that confront them.
“Judge not.”
“Yes.”
“Forgive others.”
“We skip that one.”
“I can do all things through Christ.”
“Amen!”
“Deny yourself.”
“Let us not go too far.”
The truth is, many believers want a God who comforts but never corrects. A gospel that inspires but never stretches them.
But Scripture was never designed to entertain us only. It was given to transform us.
This is why Jesus repeatedly asked people, “Have you not read?”
Not because information was unavailable, but because people often read selectively.
And selective reading creates selective obedience.
Some people know every verse about breakthrough but ignore verses about character. Some pray for open doors while refusing to change destructive habits. Others want resurrection power without crucifying the flesh.
But God does not build balanced believers through partial truth.
A faith built only on comforting verses becomes fragile when life becomes uncomfortable.
This is why some people collapse spiritually during trials. Nobody prepared them for suffering, discipline, waiting, sacrifice, or endurance. They only learned the parts of Scripture that felt pleasant.
Yet healthy growth requires the whole counsel of God.
The verses that encourage you.
The verses that correct you.
The verses that humble you.
The verses that expose you.
Sometimes the Bible comforts like a father. Other times it confronts like a surgeon.
Both are love.
And honestly, maturity begins the day we stop approaching Scripture like customers picking preferred items from a menu.
God’s Word is not a buffet for personal preference.
It is truth.
Scriptural Insights:
* Hosea 4:6 — Ignorance destroys people spiritually.
* 2 Timothy 3:16 — All Scripture is useful for growth and correction.
* James 1:22 — Hearing truth without obedience changes nothing.
* Matthew 4:4 — Man lives by every word from God.
Application:
Spend time this week reading portions of Scripture you usually avoid. Ask God to shape you fully, not comfortably.
Prayer:
Lord, deliver me from selective obedience and shallow Christianity. Give me humility to receive all Your Word, even the parts that challenge me deeply. Transform my heart through truth. Amen.
Deeper Thought:
A gospel that never corrects you will eventually deceive you.
A Word a Day Increases Your Faith a Day.
© Alex Olaiya
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