Open my eyes that I may see the wonders of your word. Psalms 119:18 (paraphrased)
Reading fiction is different from reading Scripture. While you can skim through the contents of a novel, you need to spend quality time reading and absorbing Scripture. Reading and meditating on God’s Word has always been my passion and desire.
I have the habit of reading selected books. One such book that comes to my mind as I write is, “Battlefield of the mind” by Joyce Meyer. It was a game changer for me, a must read, do grab a copy if you can. I read books whenever I find time, books are also my travel companion for long journeys. I love good books, buying and piling them up on my shelf even before I can complete the previous one. Well! that is the kind of person I am ☺. However, when it comes to reading God’s word it has a different meaning, it is more about deepening the relationship with the GOD of the universe. His Word reveals who He is, and I keep falling in love with Him over and over again when I read. In short, the Bible is a love letter that was given to us by God. God loves us so much! He kept nothing back for Himself but sent his only Son to die for us so that we could become His beloved children. You can find it right here: “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in Him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. John3:16 MSG https://bible.com/bible/97/jhn.3.16.MSG. How sweet is that! Yes, the Bible is such a sweet book. I read it prayerfully, thoughtfully, and thankfully.
God’s Word encourages me, edifies me, gives me strength to overcome sin and most importantly God speaks to me and gives me the encouragement I need for the situation I am facing. During this pandemic, I felt so hopeless and weak regarding my future. Oh boy! Not to mention my quiet time with God, it became so inconsistent that every day I got lazier, you know what I mean. That is when I came across someone who completed reading the Bible in a week and seeing that, I was challenged within myself. ‘Hey, why don’t I give it a try if they can, then why not me’, so it all started there. I made up my mind, cleared my schedules, made myself available, and came up with a plan as I was determined to complete reading.
Below is the picture of how I managed to pull off this great feat, of course with God’s help. I still remember there was a day where I couldn’t meet the target for that day, I made sure to follow up the next day and complete a little more than the expected target. I’d read out loud, I’d read in my mind, I gave it my all, except for the time spent on food and sleep. I was with my Bible all day long. It’d be unjust if I don’t give credit to coffee. Yes! you hear me..coffee came to my rescue when I felt sleepy. Thank God for creating coffee beans! Ha! Ha! With supernatural help I was able to complete reading the entire Bible in one week starting from 24th May to the 30th of May 2021. This was the second time I was able to complete reading the entire Bible in less than a month. And guess what, now I’m so hopeful and certain of my future, much more than ever. This reading has not only brought me closer to God but has also helped me know that His power can save me in all types of circumstances.
You may think reading God’s word is difficult or boring, even I used to think the same way, but it is not, take my word, this could be the most fun and loving experience that one could ever have in knowing the Father. And did I mention that I find Jesus is the coolest person to hangout with. Therefore, I encourage you, my friend, to persevere. If I could do it, so can you. I would like to take this moment to encourage you to keep pressing on because help is on the way. It is not you, but it is God who will supernaturally help you do it. May you not only read the Word of God, but I pray that you will discover the secret treasures hidden within.
Reading God’s word doesn’t have any specific methodology; it is all about a relationship and how you are changed inside out when you read it. Some complete reading the Bible in a year, some in a month, some in a week some just meditate on a short passage. There is nothing wrong with any of these methods. But I’d recommend that you stick to the method that is most comfortable for you and your goal should be to know HIM. May God bless you richly.
Not a minute that’s spent in the presence of God goes wasted, it makes you stronger instead.
