Is Reading the Bible a Joy or an Obligation?

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth. 

Psalm 119:103 ESV

When I was a child, my mom typically added some sort of vegetable to my dinner plate. I was an expert at eating everything I was served, except that dreaded food group. Rather than viewing veggies as good for me and something to potentially be enjoyed, I ate them purely out of obligation. Some of us approach Bible reading the same way. We know it’s good for us, but if we are being honest, we lack the desire, and if we do it at all, it's out of obligation. How can we begin to see Scripture as David describes it as “sweeter than honey”? Let me offer a few practical steps that I have found helpful.

1. Read consistently - Spending time in Scripture daily, or at least on a regular basis, grows our hunger for it. Conversely, the more we skip reading the easier it becomes to continue down the path of neglecting our Bibles.

   
   

2. Start your day with it - Let’s face it, life is busy. I have found that the best way to prioritize reading my Bible is to make it one of the first things I do in the morning. That’s not to say that it can’t be done anytime of the day, but it’s easy to let the day get away from us, and without a consistent reading time, it often gets forgotten.

   
   

3. Pray before you read - It goes without saying that if you want to understand a book, there is no better resource than the person who wrote it. We have the privilege of asking the author of Scripture to open our eyes and hearts to understand his words before we read them. 

   
   

4. Pray as you read - As a task-oriented person, I am often guilty of plowing through a chapter or book to accomplish the mental task of “getting done”. Since the purpose of reading Scripture is to learn and grow, don't just focus on finishing but read to understand what God is teaching you in that passage. Whether it’s a single verse or an entire book, pray as you read.   

   
   

5. Use a Bible reading plan - I like to use a reading plan as a way to stay on track and hold myself accountable. It also keeps me reading in all parts of Scripture, balancing the Old and New Testaments. 

   
   

6. Use a study Bible - Some parts of the Bible are frankly harder to understand than others. I find that a study Bible helps me navigate the more difficult passages. A word of caution, however: the study notes are written by men and are therefore not inspired. Scholars often disagree on how to interpret certain Scriptures. Study notes are helpful, just don't treat them as authoritative!

   
   

7. The best time to start is today - Just as the human body needs food for healthy growth, our souls need the Word of God for the same reason. Don’t put off refreshing your soul with Scripture. 

These are just a few of the things I have found helpful over the years, maybe you have others.

One thing I have learned is that nothing inspires me to read God’s word like reading God’s word. The more I read Scripture the more I hunger for it. Psalm 119:93 says I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life.

Spend time daily in God’s Word. Scripture is truly life-giving.