Malcom Gladwell popularized “The 10,000 hour rule” in his book, Outliers. The idea is that anyone can become an expert in any given field provided they dedicate 10,000 hours of practice to it. Though science has shown the rule to be more like a guideline, it still points to an objectively true principle. That is, that a person who dedicates vast amounts of time and energy to pursuing proficiency in a given area, very likely will find it. He may even become an expert.
With that in mind, is there any reason why God’s people should not be known as Bible “experts?” We ought to be in the habit of “searching the scriptures daily” like those in Berea (Acts 17:11). Timothy was to “give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine” (1 Tim. 4:13). David loved God’s Word and meditated upon it “all the day” (Ps. 119:97) and no wonder, because doing so is a sure way to be blessed (Ps. 1)!
We have no trouble dedicating time in large amounts to earn a degree, or excel in a sport or profession. A mechanic can fix a car without looking at a manual and your grandmother can cook “with her eyes closed” because they’ve done it so many times through the years and they’ve perfected their skill. So, what keeps us from dedicating the same amount of time and attention to reading, studying, meditating on, and memorizing God’s Word?