February is the month of valentines, candy, love, red roses, and other opportunities to express our devotion to others. Our actions seem to occur rather spontaneously and generally require little effort or angst in planning. Yet, when it comes to falling in love with the Bible, how do we ignite that spark without the dread of finding time, energy, or enthusiasm to dig deeper into scripture?
Here are a few practical ways in which to launch your quiet time back to those first years as a new believer—when scripture appeared to jump off the page, and similar to a bestseller, you couldn’t wait to continue reading.
1. Ask God to reveal His glory. Before beginning to read the Bible, pray, and ask Him to show His glory. Sometimes we become self-focused and begin our scripture reading by asking what WE can learn from a passage. Instead, pivot and be ready to witness HIS glory. “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” – Revelation 4:11
2. Show us the Father and His son Jesus, and acknowledge that with the gift of the Holy Spirit, His word is enough. We rely on the Holy Spirit to transcend our minds and help us understand. “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:7
3. Prepare to study scripture further using a good commentary, looking up several scriptures pertaining to a topic, journaling, recording meaningful passages, and memorizing in order to meditate on God’s truths. “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” – Romans 15:4
4. Use The Character of God Study Method. The character of God study method looks at the audience (Who was the writer addressing?), historical context (Was Israel in captivity? Who was the king/leader during this time period?), and cultural aspects (What mandatory acts of hospitality were expected?) Additionally, we are to consider what the passage reveals about the nature, character, actions, and ways of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
5. Pray for God to help purify my heart and mind. If I truly believe and act on what God’s word says, then how will my heart and mind be different tomorrow, affecting my daily actions? Similar to my personal relationships, I must be willing to change. “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?” –James 2:14
6. Consider that the word of God is alive! We are able to grow and change (sanctification) as we fix our eyes on Jesus and live out the truth of who He is. “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…” –Hebrews 4:12
This is the greatest love story ever written! How can we not get excited?! Rekindle the fire, and fall in love with the Bible once again!
With Love In Christ,
Diana