by mrs lily 
This morning was the first time in a while that I have felt really compelled to read the Word. Honestly that is not something I have been spending a lot of time doing as of late. I hate doing things just because I feel like I should, but do not feel it come from within me. It feels forced, like I am trying to make myself be 'disciplined' to read, and I feel guilty because I end up skimming over the lines and don't remember half of what I read. It is usually fruitless, because I am not really involved in it.
I think we often turn to the Bible when our faith seems stagnant or when we feel like we do not know the Lord. I was thinking about that this morning, as it also came up in a conversation with someone just last night. I know that the Lord uses Scripture to reveal Himself and that is one way we get to know Him. But the problem is that just reading words on a page does not make us know Him. We can learn facts about Him, but we have not encountered Him by any means. There is something that needs to happen from within us to actually know who He is. A response perhaps? A conversation?
I think you can spend a lot of time learning about someone, but until they show you who they really are, we will never really know them. Think about it, if we go to the Lord because we feel obligated or guilty for not talking to Him, how open is He really going to be with us? Would you share intimate details of your life with someone who always avoids talking about their own life? Would you want to show someone who you really are if they are barely listening to you? Or what about with someone who is only in a relationship with you for what they can get out of it?
Thankfully, the Lord is not quite like us. And He is very gracious and kind when we DO come before Him with sincere hearts to know Him. He is faithful to reveal Himself when we truly open our hearts to Him, when we are vulnerable with who we are to Him, when we wait patiently for Him to speak, and listen to His words. Sometimes it does take a sacrifice and a discipline for us to really sit down and focus on the Lord. But I think He gets really excited when we come to Him because we really want to know Him. Don't you get excited when someone calls you just because they want to know how you are doing?
This morning was precious, because I know I was open to what He had to say and ready to ask questions. The conversation left me wanting more, and I am excited for the next time we talk. It is not just going through the motions of what I 'should' be doing, but a longing to know Him more personally and being actively involved in a relationship with Him.
Do you have trouble feeling connected to the Lord? Is it difficult for you to get into reading the Bible on a regular basis? Do you think your attitude toward reading the Bible has hindered you from really encountering the Lord?
Comments (23)
Allow me to be the first to recommend "Profitable Bible Study" by R. A. Torrey.
If you are evangelizing, teaching or giving people the word of God then the Lord has a reason for talking to you and me.
I think that there is nothing wrong with doing things with our loved ones, God included, because we are "obligated" to. When I think of God I think of him as a father, in my case my older brother is my stand in dad. Sometimes I may hang out with him because I feel like I have to. Sometimes when he asks me questions I don't want to answer. But most times if I will continue to do the right thing I end up getting a blessing out of our time together. By forcing myself to spend time with him I usually end up remembering why he is so great and why I love him so much. I think that works with God too....In Revelation 2 a letter is written to the church at Ephesus they are on the surface pretty cool folks, maybe a bit on the legalistic side, but they are trying. In verse 4 they are told that they have "left their first love".... I have found that legalism does tend to squash love.... So even though they seem to be doing all the right things they have "lost that loving feeling". The solution to the problem is in verse 5. All they have to do is remember why they became Christians in the first place. They just need to basically start over and start doing the things that led them to that first love of God. If they will do those things that made them love Christ in the first place then the "loving feeling" will return.... if not they will pretty much lose the light and drift in darkness...... I find that if someone really matters to me and the loving feeling is not there at the moment if I will just act in a loving way like I used to when I did feel the love then the true feelings of love always follow.... ~Echo
Sometimes I have difficultly readig the bible consistantly. For me, it is because for years it was pressed upon me that it was something that I had to do and if I wasn't then I wasn't a good Christian. It took me a while to get over that. Now I read the bible not because I have to, but because I want to and I really feel that I should.
I know what you mean! Good post
I've never been good at making myself voluntarily study the Bible...at least not for extended periods of time. However, when I was in college the Bible was required reading for the classes in my minor and I learned so much from that "forced" reading. So even if you're doing it out of obligation God can still really use that time. You just have to be careful that those feeling of obligation don't breed bitterness, that's all.
I always try to make time in my day to sit down and read the Bible. I don't know about your approach to reading it, but I would reccommend not reading huge chunks of it at once. Try reading one chapter a day, that way it will be easier to concentrate and learn more from what you read. There's no rule about how much of the Bible you should be reading per day, as long as you do take time to read it, and take it seriously.
read
The Good Book- By Peter Gomes
"scripture is not passive, and neither should those who ready it be passive..."
"trust the text. trust themselves. trust the people. trust the spirit."
-Peter Gomes
I've also had trouble reading the Bible over the years. It was difficult for me in the beginning because it was so different than anything I was accustomed to! Soon, though, God showed me so many cool things about Himself, the world, and everything else that it became interesting. I found that marking up my Bible with a pencil really helped me think about the concepts in it. (There are great big interrogation marks everywhere!) Also, maybe if you try a different version? Some are more "involving" than others.
I like to think of reading the Bible in two ways: First, I can get caught completely up into a different world - our world the way God wants it to be. Or I often talk to God out loud as I read, which is really fun because I'm having a conversation with the Author of the book as I read it!
The word "disciple" has the same root as the word "discipline." So the disciple must adopt a life of prayer, fasting and charity. A person needs to know this going in. Otherwise his formation was flawed to the core.
Regarding the habit of prayer... I recommend the Liturgy of the Hours. It is a treasure of prayer and is the official prayer of the Church and has its source in ancient Jewish tradition that was carried forward by the first disciples (Acts 3:1, 10:9, 16:25).
The Liturgy of the Hours sanctifies the day by common prayer (praying together as a Church).
The readings are an exquisite composition for every day of the year.
To answer all of your final questions: yes, yes, and...yes. Even though, I sometimes have troubles getting into the Word. Especially recently, for some reason. I think that I should still continue to dig in. I've been learning that like in any relationship, we have dry spells, but if we are committed, then we need to be faithful to that relationship even when it's hard. And I can keep myself more faithful by staying in the Word as much as I can.
@Bibliothecaria@xanga - You sound like a particularly gifted evangelist. A rarity indeed!
Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.
Try the Books of Wisdom. They're much more personal. Read Song of Songs. It's really short. It's God's love letter to us.
@WhenFaithandFearCollide@xanga - I disagree, what about the underground church in China who rarely if ever get to even glimpse a real Bible? Or an indigenous tribe whom Christ reveals Himself to? Do you think they do not know Christ?
@echois23@xanga - I understand what you are saying and I do not disagree...I said there are times we need to discipline ourselves to read. You are right, if we commit ourselves to (someone, Christ) the feelings of love will follow. I think that is partially what I was trying to get across in this post...it is beautiful to see that really happen and have that love awakened.
@AllConfused@xanga - That is a good place to be. I think it is hard to want to do something we feel forced to do. I think it takes a lot of humility on our part to lay aside those feelings and really try to do it because we know it is right. Often that is when joy in doing it follows, too :)
@princess1505angel@xanga - I agree, and I went through a similar thing after high school (where we were forced to read, and I became sort of bitter about it)...I realize now I was sort of being rebellious and had to lay down my pride and do it because the Lord wanted me to, not because I felt forced to by other people.
It's already been mentioned that we have dry spells in every "relationship", so I'll just kinda underscore it, because it's just true. We need to be intentional with all of our most valued relationships, and sometimes that requires us to do it when we don't feel like it.
If the relationship is healthy, there is always a reward for the effort. Since relating to God always brings me health, I guess it's the best one of all to insist on keeping it regular while avoiding the "routine" feeling. Should I still feel as if it were routine, then I know it's one of those dry spells..and that the reward will be more bounteous on the other side of the "wilderness" since so much reward will be stored up on the journey.
I feel guilty doing ANYTHING out of obligation. Sometimes I'd rather not do it at all if it gets to that point.
Of all the things to do out of obligation or habit, I think you're safe reading the Bible being that thing. :)
I base my comment on the concept of choice, not emotion.
For example:
If I fall in love with someone, feeling the fire of passion, the warmth of assured comfort, the smell of milk and honey on their lips. Where every day is a wonder and joy, exciting and new.
Do I still love them if my feelings change? Some people say no.
Conversely:
If I choose to love someone, my feelings can be the highest of highs, the lowest of lows, nothing at all even - but I still love them.
Why? Because I chose to. It's not debatable.
Can I change my mind? Yes. I'm human, that's our gift. But that also means I can choose to keep loving in addition to (or in spite of) how I feel.
God wants us to choose to love Him. To be smart about it. To commit His word to memory, to expose ourselves to His Word on a daily basis (at least). He wants His Word to become second nature to us.
Not because we feel like it. Because we choose to. Because we choose Him over our selves. Simply because He asks us to.
Make your choice. Don't let emotions that ebb and flow naturally like the tides guide your decisions.
Willpower must be exercised to grow stronger.
Thankyou for your words of tremendous guidance !
I felt the same as you for many many years. When suddenly my smart-alec ways, showed their true colours !! Now, it is the most important thing of every day to me ! It's like a precious sacred Diary of our Lords. Many times, I'll be given a scripture from my 'Moments of Peace from the Psalms' and so often, its a direct answer to my worries/prayers/questions. Then I'll just open my Bible, and receive even more gifts from inside !!
Sometimes it takes us a while to let Him get through our thick skulls ! But when He does..............Wow...................There is truly nothing in this world, so fulfilling & loving as His messages ! And once He's given complete access, to our hearts & our minds........He just pours and pours and pours His never ending love & devotion on us !
'Oh, Great is thy Faithfulness....Oh God my Father !'
/sjg
Good blog!! It indicates that there are two ways to read the Scripture: (1) just to read words or sentences like for morning devotions because our pastor suggested daily Bible reading or (2) only when the Holy Spirit urges and having a desire to find needed changes in our thinking and doing. Very little will be retained doing the former and divine peace and divine joy will be felt during and after the second way.
My understanding of Proverbs 3:5-6:Trust in the Lord
with all my heart,
and lean not on my own understanding
or past experiences;
in all my ways acknowledge Him
(be thankful to/for God),
and He (via the Holy Spirit) shall direct my thinking and doing.
Most individuals who brag about how many times they have read the whole Bible or how much Scripture they have memorized, don't even live "the Golden Rule". I have been personally relating to the Bible since the Fall of 1974 and have developed many Bible study tools, but I know very little for memory and I don't think that I have read every word in it yet, but I have been blessed thousands of times with divine joy and divine peace. I also have made many changes in my thinking and doing in response to what I have read because I wanted to be more like Jesus Christ.