Getting into God's Word


I’ve really felt God wanting me to write on this topic for a while now, and since then, I have spoken to quite a few friends who are really struggling with reading their Bible at the moment, so I’ve taken that as a sign from God that this is what He wants me to write on this week!

I know for most people – in fact probably for every Christian at some point in their life – reading the Bible can seem like a big and daunting task. It is such a big book – well, a book of many books, really - covering so many topics, and it can seem impossible sometimes to know where to even start or to persevere with reading the Bible when you get to some of the trickier and not-so-easy-to-read books. I know this was the case for me.

Last year, I really struggled with reading the Bible. I was trying to read the whole Bible in a year (which I didn’t quite finish and still haven’t quite!), and I had read all the New Testament books and just had some of the harder Old Testament books left, which I had kept on putting off reading! I struggled with finding motivation to continue reading the Bible. But at the end of the year, I really desired to grow in my relationship with God and to draw closer to Him, and I knew that a good way to do that would be to get back into reading His Word regularly. So I made it almost a new year’s resolution, to try hard and get back into God’s word in 2018. I really desired a passion for reading His Word, and prayed and asked the Lord to help me in that. Then for Christmas, my parents gave me a journaling Bible. I was really excited as I love drawing and calligraphy writing, and I was really looking forward to having a creative way to help me memorise Scripture. I began reading some of my Bible every day, but to be honest, at first it was mainly for the artsy side of it. But then, as time went on, I realised how much I was enjoying reading God’s Word, and how much He was speaking to me through it. I began to really look forward to this quiet time with God where I could read and doodle His word! And I realised that He had granted me my desire – He had given me a passion to read the Bible! And now I love it! I’m discovering so many new and wonderful things in the Bible - some that I must have read about a thousand times, but missed, or other new passages and scriptures from books I’ve never really read before. That’s why I love the bible – no matter how many times you read it, depending on your situation and circumstances, your mind-set and attitude, God’s Word can speak to you in so many different ways, and you can notice new things each time you read it. There’s a scripture that I love, in Hebrews 4:12, which says, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” God’s Word is alive! It’s not a historical book which was only for past generations. Even though some of it was written thousands of years ago, it’s a book that is still true and relevant and can still speak to us today! How awesome!
Reading the Bible is a key way to having a closer relationship with Jesus because you read and understand more about God’s character and who Jesus is. And the Bible (God’s words to us), can help us and guide us through life (Psalm 119:105). It can be a source of comfort and it gives us boundaries and commandments on how to live our lives. So if you struggle with reading your Bible, I want to below, give a few hints and tips on things that I have found so beneficial that you might find helpful to get into God’s Word too:

1.       Set aside time and be intentional
Setting a specific time aside to read your Bible is a great way to get consistent at it. Choose the time of day when you are at your least stressed and most awake – maybe when you get up, or before you go to bed. For me, it’s actually the middle of the day when I take a break from my revision. But whenever it is, be intentional about reading your Bible each day at that time. Maybe set a reminder on your phone, or a post-it note by your bed to remind you. Then hopefully soon it will become a habit.

2.       Read it because you know it will benefit you
There are some things we do in life because we know that they will benefit us. At the weekend we had a glorious mini heat-wave! On one of the days, I went for a walk with one of my friends, but because it was so hot, I knew I needed to put sun cream on. I really don’t like sun cream – it just makes me feel sticky and greasy. But I put it on because I knew that it would benefit me and protect my skin from getting burnt. There are many other things we do in life because we know that they benefit us, not necessarily because we enjoy them; exercising, chores, dieting, eating certain foods, or not eating certain foods etc. So if you don’t enjoy reading the Bible, read it because you know it will benefit you, and hopefully, the more you read it, the more you will enjoy it, and soon you will do it because you want to!

3.       Try and memorise some scripture
Memorising scripture is a great way to have the Bible with you wherever you go. If you have Scriptures memorised, when you face difficult situations in life, you will be able to recall these scriptures to mind to help calm you in those times. One scripture I have memorised which really helps me whenever I feel afraid or anxious is Psalm 56:3 – “Whenever I am afraid I will put my trust in You.”

4.       Get a Bible app on your phone
I have the YouVersion Bible app on my phone, and I have found it great for doing Bible plans on my own and with friends, as well as getting a daily Bible verse. This really helps for those days when you are so busy – it’s better to read a quick verse on your phone than to not read the Bible at all.

5.       Read it with others
Reading the Bible with others is a great opportunity to fellowship with others – it can be friends, your youth group, your family, anyone really. It also allows space for discussion of Scriptures and their meanings, and getting other people’s insight and wisdom on Bible verses you may not understand.
I hope this post was encouraging. If you struggle with reading your Bible, know that you are not alone – so many have the same struggle, just like I did. And even now, there are some days when I do forget to read it, but it’s also important not to feel guilty if you forget or find it hard. As is the answer to most Christian struggles – PRAY ABOUT IT! Ask your loving Heavenly Father to help you in that area you struggle with, and watch Him start a transformation in your heart and life as you begin to get into His Word.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 – “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Thank you for reading and please leave a comment below on what you thought of today’s post. I would love to hear your feedback and also receive any questions you may have!
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Love in Christ,
Chloe xxx


Comments

  1. Anonymous4 May 2018 at 20:07

    Thanks for doing this blog post!! It`s really got me thinking, Sophie xx

    ReplyDelete

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