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The most important thing about Bible reading is the attitude we bring to it. Bible reading is more than an obligation on a To-Do List that we check off with a sense of accomplishment.
Reading to get through the Bible is not enough — we need to let the Bible get through us.
Since good fruit grows from a good tree (Matt. 7:17-18), let’s consider how our time in Scripture can cultivate a life that bears fruit for God's glory — shaping us to become more like Christ and to love others with the same self-giving love Jesus shows us.
Four Fruitful Ways to Read the Bible
There are many ways to read the Bible. I’ve benefited from Bible-reading plans like the One Year Bible many times. In addition, let me suggest some uncommon and transformational approaches:1. Ingest the Word in Large Doses
Periodically, read a whole Gospel in one sitting so you can be drawn into it and captivated by Christ! It takes about one hour and twenty minutes to read the Gospel of Mark. For instance, I enjoy listening to an audio version of Mark while I exercise.2. Savor One Phrase of the Bible for Minutes — or a Lifetime!
Just as we need large doses of Scripture, so also we need to go deep with particular words, ideas, and images.The key is to saturate your mind with God’s revelation until it seeps down into your heart to form your desires and intentions. Meditate on a phrase of Scripture like a bee plunging into the depths of a flower to draw up its sweet nectar.
In this kind of attentive meditation, Scripture begins to shape not just what we think, but how we love—drawing us closer to God and forming us into people who reflect his love to others.
3. Pay Attention to the Emotions and Needs that Surface in You
When we let the Bible read us, we will sometimes feel things like conviction of sin, thankfulness for the mercy of Christ, restlessness or emptiness, or a longing for more intimacy with Jesus. One reason the Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Truth is that He brings awareness of our personal feelings and experiences.The Psalms especially help us open up our hearts to God, but the Holy Spirit can use any portion of the “living and active word of God” to do his surgery of the soul (Heb. 4:12).
4. Memorize Long Passages of Scripture
I think the most important thing we can do is to memorize whole chapters so that we’re taking in divine thoughts that build on each other in a supernatural progression — we’re internalizing the order that’s part of God’s Word and Kingdom.This may sound daunting, but you can learn to do it! Memory is a muscle that can be strengthened with training through repetition (over time), concentration (free from distractions, external and internal), understanding (realizing why one thought follows another), and mnemonic devices (like acronyms or silly songs).
Praying you can be transformed by the renewing of your minds: Lord Jesus, may your word be a lamp for our feet and a light on our path. (Psalm 119:105).
—Bill
