Every Scripture Is Written For You — But Not Every Scripture Is Written To You! (And why this might be the most important thing you read today.)

Day 1 of the 7-Day “Pick Up the Bible and Let the Bible Pick You Up” Reading Challenge

This past weekend I had the honor of speaking at a conference, and I got to announce something I’ve been praying about for a long time: a 7-Day Pick Up the Bible Reading Challenge. Every day for the next seven days, I want to walk with you through one chapter of my book, Pick Up the Bible and Let the Bible Pick You Up, right alongside your own Bible reading time.

Today we start with Bible Reading Secret #1, and it might be the most liberating thing you read all week:

All Scripture is written for you — but not all Scripture is written to you.

If you don’t understand that one sentence, you can open the very Word that was meant to give you life… and walk away feeling like you’re falling short.

So let’s fix that. Here’s an excerpt straight from Chapter Two.

Satan’s Greatest Weapon Against You: The Bible

Satan is a counterfeiter. He doesn’t show up with obvious lies — he presents something that looks like truth, sounds like truth, even quotes Scripture… but carries none of God’s heart or authority. Like a counterfeit bill, it may look real, but it has no power to produce life.

And here’s where it becomes deeply personal.

When you open your Bible, there are two voices vying for your attention: the voice of your accuser… and the greater voice of your Intercessor. One voice twists Scripture to push you away from God. The other reveals Scripture to draw you closer.

Here’s a truth I want you to anchor in your heart today:

The voice that pushes you away from God is never the voice of God.

Satan Loves Lying to Perfectionists

The enemy especially targets sincere, tender-hearted Christians — those who genuinely want to please God. He loves lying to perfectionists, whispering through misapplied Scripture until conviction feels like condemnation and relationship feels like rejection.

As Craig Groeschel once said:

“The enemy will try to use your sensitivity to God as a weapon against you.”

Read that again. If you’re the kind of believer who is hardest on yourself, who genuinely wants to walk right with God, hear this: the enemy twists Scripture to condemn what God is actually trying to restore, strengthen, and heal. God has not called us to be holy perfectionists. He has called us to be perfectly loved. The voice that feeds your inner perfectionist — even when it sounds holy, even when it quotes Scripture — if it pushes you down, discourages you, or fills you with guilt, it is not the voice of God.

When the Enemy Quotes Scripture

It’s one of Satan’s oldest tricks — using Scripture itself as a weapon of accusation. He quoted the Word to Jesus in the wilderness, twisting it just enough to change its purpose. He still does the same thing today, especially with believers like you who sincerely want to please God.

Take James 5:1–6, for example — one of the strongest warnings in the New Testament:

“Look here, you rich people: Weep and groan with anguish because of all the terrible troubles ahead of you…”

If you don’t rightly understand who that passage is written to, you could easily read those words and walk away feeling condemned, confused, or afraid. But it’s not a rebuke aimed at believers who are blessed. It’s a divine indictment against godless oppressors. And here’s the clue that makes it unmistakably clear: in the very next verse, James shifts his tone completely and writes, “Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return…”

In verses 1–6, he’s addressing them. In verse 7, he turns and addresses you. The harsh warning is directed at the oppressors. The tender encouragement is directed at the believers.

That is the difference between reading Scripture through the voice of the accuser… and hearing it through the heart of a good and faithful Father.

Are You Reading Scripture Through the Lens of a Cancelled Covenant?

Here’s another layer to this same secret, and it might be the most important thing you read all week:

The covenant you read the Bible through will determine the God you see.

Jesus came to change the lens through which we see God — from the God who is against us to the God who is 100% for us. If you miss that, you can read the same Bible… and come away with two completely different conclusions about who God is.

The New Covenant is not a continuation of the Old. It is not an upgrade of the Old. It is a replacement. Scripture says it plainly: “He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect” (Hebrews 10:9, NLT). And again: “When God speaks of a ‘new’ covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear” (Hebrews 8:13, NLT).

Cancelled. Obsolete. Replaced forever.

And yet this is exactly where many sincere believers get tripped up. They’re living on a mixed drink — blending law and grace. A little performance… a little grace. A little pressure… a little peace. But the result is confusion. God is not the author of confusion. As long as there is even a trace of “I have to earn this,” you will never fully rest in “Jesus has already done this.”

Here’s the clearest way to understand the difference between the two covenants:

The Old Covenant was the God who said, “stay away.” The New Covenant is the God who says, “draw near” — because of the blood.

At Mount Sinai, the message was distance, fear, separation: “Do not go up on the mountain or even touch its boundaries… Anyone who touches the mountain will certainly be put to death” (Exodus 19:12, NLT). But under the New Covenant, everything changes: “Let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him” (Hebrews 10:19, 22, NLT), and, “Let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God” (Hebrews 4:16, NLT).

Nearness. Confidence. Access.

This is not a small shift — this is everything. Because a covenant is the foundation of your relationship with God. If you read Scripture through the wrong covenant, you will misinterpret God’s heart. But when you read through the lens of the New Covenant, everything comes into focus.

Why This Changes Everything

When you misapply a passage meant for someone else, the enemy seizes the opportunity to turn a message of justice into a feeling of judgment. What was written to comfort you becomes something that condemns you. What was meant to strengthen your faith becomes something that weakens your confidence before God.

But when you read it correctly, everything changes.

Instead of shrinking back, you stand firm. Instead of feeling accused, you feel assured. Instead of fearing judgment, you rest in the justice of God.

Romans 8:1 declares it plainly: “There is therefore now NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” That means if you are in Christ Jesus, any time you read a verse that makes you feel pushed away, hopeless, or unworthy, you can know instantly — that’s not the voice of God to you.

Your Bible Reading Secret #1 Takeaway

Before you open your Bible today, carry this with you:

• Every Scripture is written for you — for your instruction, your comfort, your growth.
• Not every Scripture is written to you — some passages address the rebellious, the oppressors, the enemies of God, not His beloved children.
• The voice that pushes you away from God is never the voice of God.
• When conviction turns into condemnation, that’s not the Holy Spirit — that’s the enemy misusing what God meant for good.

This is exactly why understanding this truth is so critical. All Scripture is written for you — but not all Scripture is written to you!

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Join the 7-Day Challenge

This is Day 1 of 7. Tomorrow we pick up Bible Reading Secret #2, straight from Chapter Three: “The Bible: God’s Voice of Encouragement to You.” Pick up the Bible… and let the Bible pick you up.

If this excerpt was a blessing to you, get your copy of Pick Up the Bible and Let the Bible Pick You Up on Amazon and read the full chapter — plus everything else God has for you in the pages ahead.

And if you know someone who reads Scripture and walks away feeling condemned instead of loved, share this post with them today. It might be exactly the shift they need.

Pick up the Bible… and let the Bible pick you up.