Growing up, reading was not something I enjoyed doing. Even though reading and comprehension were strengths of mine, you would rarely find me with my nose in a book. I am not sure what it was about reading that was a turn off but to this day, reading can be a challenge. The crazy thing is that I actually enjoy reading a book when I take the time to do so. I love the process of reading the book and conjuring the images of the characters in my head. Finishing a book can bring me a great sense of accomplishment. Then why is it that I don’t do it more often? I don’t have an answer for that.
Reading God’s Word has that same pull on me. I enjoy it while I am doing it, but the act of sitting down and getting into it can be a battle. This is a great word for it as it really is a battle. It is part of the spiritual battle that is waging around me. God wants me in His Word because that is the place I get to know Him more and understand His will for my life. But Satan wants no part of that for me and brings about every excuse there is for me to let the desire to read it pass me by.
In order to help with this, there are great tools out there to assist me in my desire to get into God’s Word. I need these tools to encourage me, support me and hold me accountable. I appreciate the reminders of what I am doing in God’s Word along with the encouragement to keep going when I forget or fall behind. Some tools even allow for a Catch Me Up so I don’t have to feel guilty about falling behind. There are some that help me better understand what I am reading while others help me apply it to my day to day.
This past weekend, Linda spoke about Bible Study and she compared God’s word to food. Just as we need food to maintain a healthy body we need God’s word to help us be spiritually healthy.
So, however you prefer to read and study your bible, just know there are a lot of great resources out there to help you dig deeper and more consistently into God’s amazing Word. I am a firm believer that we are only one choice away from making better decisions that will positively impact our lives. So why not start today? Why not look around and see some of the resources out there to help you on your journey. If you are uncertain as to which tools to try, just log onto our website or talk to one of the staff. Check out the resources available that Linda made reference to, from reading plans, phone apps, dictionaries etc. We have more tools available to us today than ever before. So, however you choose to study the bible the important thing is that you just do it! Get into His word so you can get to know Him better. Go ahead, make that one very important decision to get into God’s Word again and hear from Him, learn from Him and love Him!
Paul Olson