When it comes to Bible reading, we often feel stuck. Deep down in our hearts, we know the importance of meditating on the Scriptures, but we never seem to get any joy out of it.
We try to be consistent with different Bible reading plans, but we fail. We ask our pastors for good books and commentaries, but even with help, we can start out strong but eventually our enthusiasm ebbs away. How do we become people of Psalm 1:2?
“But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
(Psalm 1:2)
We see from this verse that the key to consistent bible reading is not primarily a matter of technique. Instead, it’s our delight in the Bible that gives us the power to read, meditate, search, and soak our lives in the Bible every day. People of the Bible are first and foremost lovers of the Bible.
So we must aim to grow in our delight in the Word of God, but how? There are three basic steps we can take: Hear, pray, and trust. My prayer is that as you go over these three steps, a spark will kindle in your heart, ultimately leading to a bright flame of love for God’s Word!
1. Hear
“You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
(Psalm 16:11)
Before you can love the Bible, you need to hear the great invitation of the Bible: to know perfect and never-ending joy in God’s presence. God has written to us so that our joy may be full (John 15:11). Through His Word, God invites us into fellowship with Him, where joy abounds and pleasures never end (1 John 1:3-4; Psalm 16:11).
This joy is not just a simple feeling. The apostle Peter explains this joy as “inexpressible and filled with glory” (1 Peter 1:8), far exceeding any joy this world can offer. This is the joy you were made for — the only joy that can completely satisfy your heart.
This joy has been revealed to us in the Scriptures, and the path has been laid out so that we can know it. If you hear this invitation, your enthusiasm for the Bible will follow. How can it not?
2. Pray
“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.”
(Psalm 119:18)
Prayer is also crucial to become people who delight in the Bible. If true joy is knowing God, you need to pray that God will give you the eyes to see Him truly as He is because we cannot see God and know Him truly on our own. Our hearts are too divided, broken, and sinful. We need the Holy Spirit to illuminate and soften our hearts.
By God’s help, through the simple act of reading the Bible, we will be able to see the glory of God supernaturally. We’ll taste His goodness, and experience the fullness of joy found in His presence. Reading the Bible will become a delight to your soul!
So go on your knees and pray that God will give you illumination to really see Him in His beauty. Pray that as you read the Bible, God will fill you with His love, leading you to joy and peace (Ephesians 3:14-19). Pray that God will incline your heart to God’s Word and not to selfish ways. These prayers are according to God’s will, and so you can be assured that He will answer them!
“Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!
(Psalm 119:36)
3. Trust
Lastly, we need to trust that everything God says in the Bible will come true. God’s success rate is 100%. God promises us that one day He will restore all things, and wipe away every tear from our eyes (Revelation 21:1-4). He promises us that He will finish the good work He began in us (Philippians 1:6). God promises that He rewards those who seek Him in faith (Hebrews 11:6).
There is no greater comfort for the soul than the promises of God found in the Bible. The promises of God are the strength and joy of God’s people. We should delight in the Bible because it’s loaded with promises everywhere! In the Bible, we have a never-ending treasure of promises that can comfort us in every affliction, give us hope when life seems hopeless, and give us strength in our warfare with sin. Trust in the promises of God and taste and see that the Lord is good!
Taste and See
In the days to come, take some time in silence and solitude to hear the invitation of the Bible. Pray that as you read, God will supernaturally open your eyes to see His glory in the Bible. Then lastly trust in the promises of God. I pray that as you go through these steps, your love for the Bible will grow, and you will sing with the Psalmist,
“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”
(Psalm 119:103)