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When we first begin the Christian life, there is often unbridled joy. The truths of the gospel thrill our hearts: to be known by God and to know Him, sins forgiven, adopted into God’s family, victory over our greatest fears, access to Him in prayer, and the hope of heaven. As the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are sons of God, our eyes are opened to our Father’s world. The Bible comes alive for us; before we couldn’t understand it, but now we see that it is the very words of God.
It can be tempting to think that the Christian life will always feel like this, and therefore it can be something of a shock to find that the Christian life is full of battle. The freshness that we felt gets somewhat stale. The privileges of being a child of God can even feel mundane. Reading the Bible can seem so ordinary. We can wonder whether it is having any effect. Seeds of doubt appear regarding whether God’s Word is good and right and worth keeping.
This temptation has been there since the very beginning of the Bible. In the garden, Eve faced the temptation of holding on to God’s word when it seemed so ordinary and mundane. The devil came in the form of a serpent, questioning, “Did God actually say?” and then outright lying, “You will not surely die” (Gen. 3:1, 4). That temptation is still the same today; it is helpful to remember that there is an enemy of our souls. He will come questioning, denying, and lying about God’s Word. In fact, he will do anything to keep us away from our Bibles.
So when you don’t feel like reading the Bible, know that you are not the first, and you won’t be the last. This is not unusual; it’s a sadly common experience for many Christians. But here is the vital truth: we must not trust our feelings. Feelings come and go in every area of life, and to live on the basis of our feelings is foolish. In the normal course of family life, a child might say, “I don’t feel like eating this.” Good parents will ensure that their children eat what is good for them, not just what they feel like eating. Our children’s eating cannot be governed by their feelings but must be governed by their needs. In the same way, with reading the Bible, we need to take God’s Word into ourselves because we need it to keep us grounded in reality and truth. This means even reading those parts that are difficult to understand and believing that it is the daily sustenance we need.
When reading our Bible seems like hard work, we may also need to recognize that we may be holding on to some sin. Never underestimate man’s capacity for self-delusion. We’ll kid ourselves that the problem is the Bible when it’s actually our own sin. The Bible confronts us, and we often don’t want that. We don’t want to be disturbed, so it’s easier not to expose ourselves to God’s Word. As Christians, we cannot live without the Bible. Jesus says, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). Holding on to sin will only cloud our love of the life-giving Word.
When we remind ourselves of what God’s Word is, thankfully, our feelings and affections can be stirred. God has revealed Himself in the Bible. Without Scripture, we cannot know Him. The Bible is the record of God’s acts in history. We find that from the very beginning, God’s Word is life- giving. We need to come recognizing the privilege that is ours. God says in Isaiah 66:2, “But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”
We know what it is to spend time with people we love, to hear their voices, to listen, to be reminded of their love for us. It is our privilege as we open the pages of Scripture to have the God of heaven and earth address us, tell us what He has done, remind us of His love, show us paths of righteousness, and warn us of wrong paths.
Here are three things that I think help us when coming to read the Scriptures. First, look and listen to Jesus. It was He of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke: “Morning by morning he awakens; he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught” (Isa. 50:4). He knew Scripture and spoke Scripture. Jesus Himself tells us, “I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak” (John 12:49). Jesus constantly said to His religious opponents, “Have you not read?” He said to the Sadducees, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God” (Matt. 22:29). He recognized that all of Scripture was about Him: “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me” (John 5:39). Heed the words of our Father in heaven when He says, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him” (Mark 9:7). Where can you hear Him? In your Bible.
Second, you are not alone. The ascended Jesus has poured out His Spirit on His people. As a follower of Jesus Christ, you are indwelt by His Spirit. The same Holy Spirit who inspired men to write the Scriptures (2 Peter 1:21) enlightens the Scriptures today so that you can understand the things of God. Come humbly, in a posture of dependence and teachability, to God’s Word. Pray that the seed will fall on the good soil and bear much fruit in your life (Matt. 13:1–23).
Finally, use the Bible to help you love the Bible. Go to Psalm 19 and read what it says about God’s Word and what it does. It is perfect, sure, right, clean, and true. It is like the finest of gold, the sweetest of honey. It revives the soul, makes wise the simple, rejoices the heart, and enlightens the eyes. Go to Psalm 119, and you’ll find 176 verses where the psalmist meditates on the beauty of God’s Word. There are truths to commit to memory that will keep you throughout your life: “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (v. 11).
Remind yourself of the awesome privilege that is yours that you get to read the life-giving words of God in your Bible.