Get Excited about the Bible Again
By: Whitney Hopler
Bible Reading:
“Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” – Psalm 119:18, NIV
When a friend invited me to a Bible study, I agreed to go just to spend time with that friend. I’d been reading the Bible for years, and it all seemed so familiar that I didn’t expect to learn much. But during the first session, after we all prayed together, I found a fresh perspective on a Bible passage I’d read many times before. That happened again and again during that Bible study, as the leader encouraged us to ask God to open our eyes spiritually to his messages for us. It was like finding hidden treasure! I was excited to read the Bible again.
It’s so easy for us to read the Bible like a chore on our to-do lists, just like picking up the groceries or folding the laundry. We know it’s good for us, so we try to squeeze it in. But too often, we don’t really feel excited about the Bible’s messages. We might start a Bible reading plan with great intentions, but then we hit a section that feels confusing or dry, and we just give up. Or, we find one day that we don’t relate to the Bible verse of the day when we first read it, so we don’t reflect on it or try to apply it to our lives.
But even when reading the Bible feels like an obligation, it’s actually an opportunity. Every part of the Bible can help connect us to God in wonderful ways if we’re reading it prayerfully.
Psalm 119:18 features a simple yet significant prayer: “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” This tells us that we aren’t meant to understand the Bible just by using our own brainpower or willpower. We need to ask God to show us the “wonderful things” hidden in those pages that we simply can’t see on our own. That takes the pressure off of us to be perfect students and puts the focus on God to be the perfect Teacher – which he is, through his Holy Spirit.
If you struggle with the Bible, it may be because you’ve tried to force yourself into a reading plan that doesn’t actually fit the way you learn or the season of life you’re in. You may think there’s only one right way to read and reflect on the Bible – like sitting at a desk and taking notes on every passage you read – and if you can’t do that, you don’t do anything at all. But God wants you to enjoy his messages! He wants you to come to the Bible with a sense of curiosity and adventure. If you find yourself stuck, you have the freedom to try something new. Maybe it would work better for you to listen to an audio Bible while you walk through the woods, or dive deep into just one single verse for a whole week and journal your thoughts about creative ways you can try applying that verse to your life.
You can discover a fresh perspective on the Bible when you stop seeing it as a set of rules to follow and start seeing it as a wonderful place where God reveals his character to you. The more you ask God to show you the “wonderful things” this psalm talks about, the more you can learn about who God is and what God does to work in your life in wonderful ways every day. Your passion for the Bible will grow not from becoming more disciplined, but from becoming more in love with your wonderful God.
So, give yourself permission to start fresh with the Bible today. Just pray for God to open your eyes to the wonderful things in his word, the Bible. God will meet you where you are and answer your prayer. Expect to be surprised by God’s wonder every time you read the Bible while praying for God’s Spirit to show you what’s really inside!
Intersecting Faith & Life:
As you consider how to get excited about the Bible again, reflect on these questions:
- When you think about reading the Bible, do you honestly feel like it’s an obligation or an opportunity, and why do you feel that way?
- Do you ever find yourself rushing through your Bible reading just to check it off a list? If so, how can praying Psalm 119:18 before you start reading help you absorb the message into your soul?
- What kind of Bible-reading routine would you actually look forward to every day? What details would be involved – format, time of day, location, etc.?
- What’s one “wonderful thing” you’ve learned about God’s character recently that made God feel more real to you?
- What’s something that you’re wondering about who God is or what God does, that you’d like to learn more about from the Bible?
Further Reading:
Jeremiah 15:16
Psalm 119:105
Hebrews 4:12
Psalm 19:7
Joshua 1:8
Join the conversation! Share how today’s devotional encouraged or challenged you in your walk with Christ.
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