The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. (John 6:63 (NKJV))

Remember that cute guy in high school? The one you stared at every chance you got. You were nervous every time he walked by you in the hallway because it might be the moment he would finally notice you.

What would you have done if he had written you a note? I’m guessing you wouldn’t have set it aside to read later. You wouldn’t have put it in a place you could see so you would remember to read it – yet, never actually get around to opening it.

And I’ll bet it didn’t go unread so long that you finally committed to waking up at 6:00 every morning to read three lines a day until you had finally finished reading it. Then, when you did read three lines on the morning you managed to drag yourself out of bed, you probably wouldn’t have forgotten what you read almost immediately after you read it.

I would be surprised if that’s how it went down.

No, the moment you had that letter in your hand, it would have set your heart on fire. You wouldn’t have hardly been able to wait until you had a moment to open it. And then you would have devoured it. You would’ve taken it all in, reread it multiple times, and literally held it close to your heart.

Why? You loved him and wanted to know what he said.

It’s the same now with my husband. When he writes me a note, I want to read it as soon as I can. I want to know the words he took the time to pen. I know the note will reveal something about what he thinks and who he is.

It’s about relationship, isn’t it? In a relationship, you want to know the other person. You want to

• hear his voice;
• discover what he likes;
• find out what he hates; and
• be close to him.

You read something he wrote because you get to, not because you have to.

So, why is it so hard to read the Bible sometimes?

God has written down things for you to read. The Bible is literally God’s word. And when you take time to read it, the Holy Spirit teaches you what God wants you to know in that moment.

The point is that we make time for the things we want to do. Are you reading the Bible because you think you have to – as an item on your checklist? Or do you open it up and read it because you get to?

Check your heart motivation. If you find that you’ve been reading the Bible mainly because you’re supposed to and not because you want to, ask God to give you the desire to read His word.

God wants you to know about the things He loves and the things He hates. He wants you to know Him better. God wants you to know how much He loves you. And His words are life (John 6:63). If you truly want that desire, God will give it to you.

So, open up God’s word and devour it. Take it all in. Think about God and who He is – not because you have to but because you get to. Keep God in your thoughts all day long as you walk by faith with Him.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash