Personal Note: This is my February newsletter. Please subscribe to my monthly newsletter at TonyaAnn.com
LEARNING TO LOVE IT!
The Bible is God's Word, authoratative, infallible, completely trustworthy and the only Truth. It is how God speaks to his people today. Moses had a burning bush because he didn't have the written word of God. We do. Every Christian feels the need to read this Word and every Christian wants it to be more than a commandment. It's just so long, and all those lists of names. You read the Bible the same way you eat an elephant. Take these ten bites to help you learn to love it!
1. Timing can help or hinder. Most christians are told to read the Bible first thing in the morning. This gives it priority in our daily schedule. However, not all of us are morning people, some have obligations first thing in the morning. When are you most likely to enjoy the reading? If reading the Word of God is a 'to-do' that you dread, you won't grow in the Word or enjoy it. Schedule a time that works for you, and stick to it!
2. Location, Location, Location. Where do you sit when you read the Bible? Find a comfortable place where your Bible is close and you won't be distracted by dirty dishes or laundry. Frankly, I do well in my bed propped up with pillows after I've had my coffee and am fully awake. It's a date with my Bible and I look forward to it. I have a friend who lays in the floor. Find your place.
3. Pray before you read. Thank the Lord that he loved you enough to speak to you. Ask Him to let you see something new even in a familiar passage of scripture. Anne Graham Lotz says to remember that the God of the Universe is speaking in his Word. We are blessed that He wants to speak to us.
4. Enjoy the story. Read the scripture like you would a novel. Think of it as a story and see it in your mind as you read. Imagine the real people you are reading about.
5. See Jesus in every book, even the Old Testament. Check out this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?=HmfFW0gPuyE Tony Evans tells you who Jesus is in every book of the Bible. Refer back to it as you read a specific book.
6. Motivation. Why are you reading the Word? Be honest. Are you checking off a to do list, reading out of guilt or a false sense of getting something from God (works based) or to impress someone? Ask God to give you a sincere love for His word.
7. Habit Forming Let your reading become a habit. And forget everything you think you know about establishing a habit. James Clear (https://jamesclear.com/goals-systems) says the way to reach a goal is to establish a system that will help you reach any goal, not just this one. Bites 1-6 are establishing a system.
8. Translations. Choose the right translation for YOU. Not the most popular, the most downloaded, the one your grandmother's pastor suggested. They are different depending on your motivation for reading. (March's newsletter will address translations with several expert quotes and notes)
9. Until then, check out the resources on my website TonyaAnn.com, Gordon Fee's book How to Read the Bible for all It's Worth. Which Translation should You Use? by Rick Hamlin at Guideposts.org Ask some trusted friends which translation they read from in their personal devotions. Confession, I read from several depending on the book, this year I'm reading the prophecies in The Message.
10. Grace Give yourself grace. If you get behind, catch up when you can. It's not about reading the Word on a timeline, it's about hearing from God. It's about learning to communicate with the King of Kings. It's about loving hearing from Him. He may be slowing down to hear a word just for you.
Learning to love it takes committment, practice and an open heart. Are you ready to try? Drop me an email. Or comment at TonyaAnn, Writer on facebook.
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