Heeding God Daily

The benefits of studying through the word of God are immeasurable.  While we may tend to gravitate to what is familiar and comfortable, it is useful to read the Bible in its entirety.  There will be much we do not understand, for God's thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are His ways our ways.  At the same time, reading through the whole Bible ought not to be viewed as a race or an accomplishment we can take pride in.  The point isn't how many times we have read through our Bible in a year but that God's word daily goes through us.  If we see the benefit of fueling our bodies with food every day, we ought to feed spiritually on God's word daily as well.

Our stomachs have limited capacity, and our minds also can be full.  For this reason, I prefer quality over quantity when it comes to reading and studying God's word.  Ironically, the more we read at a time the less opportunity we have to absorb and apply personally what we are reading.  Reading five chapters at once is like grazing on light snacks while systematically breaking down a passage or even one verse in study is like a spiritual feast that sticks to the ribs with many leftovers.  It is possible to read chapters of the Bible at once and not perceive anything impactful God has said to us--though it is all His voice.  We may have observed many divine truths on the page, but it is important for us to reflect on the manner of our lives in light of them.

Thorough Bible study includes observation, interpretation and application.  It is not a complex practice, but it can be a time-consuming exercise that ought to involve our hearts as well as our heads.  Having been born again by faith in Jesus, we must rely upon the Holy Spirit to help us understand what we are reading, grow in our understanding of God's character, and further refine our lives according to God's wisdom.  God's word can have a purifying, beneficial effect when we submit ourselves to believe and practice what God has said.  As Jesus submitted to His heavenly Father, so we ought to submit ourselves to God's word He has provided that instructs, guides, corrects, rebukes and inspires.

If you are someone who enjoys a daily reading to go through the whole Bible in one year, wonderful.  In your reading I encourage you not to treat Bible reading as a tradition or a chore to be accomplished so it can be laid aside, but to take intentional action to ensure the Bible is actually going through your heart, mind and impacting your daily life--besides the time it takes to read.  Reflect on what you have read and take it to heart; have a key takeaway of personal impact you did not bring to the text but God said to you through the Scripture.  In a world full of voices, when we open the Bible and read it is important to give God the floor and our full attention with intent to heed His voice.