How to Enrich Your Appreciation of the Bible

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Teach me your decrees, O Lord; I will keep them to the end.” Psalm 119:33 NLT

As we finish up this series of Five Attributes Needed for A Close Connection With God, we end up having a hunger for God’s Word. Have you ever thought about your relationship with the Bible and the impact it has on your loving union with God?

Early Morning Annoyance

I wake early and plop down in my favorite chair with my cup of morning coffee and messy bed hair, ready for my morning rhythm with God. Immediately I pay attention to my heart, and it feels heavy and worn out. I’m physically exhausted and spiritually bankrupt. I’ve given and given and served till it hurts, and I feel weary.

 I reach for the Word that brings typically comfort, but today I’m annoyed.  I’ve been reading the Bible for decades.  “What new thing could I find”, I scoff in my thoughts.  That’s the problem with my personality; as an Enneagram 7, I have an insatiable appetite for the new shiny thing.  Anyone else gets easily bored?  I hate it, but it’s the way I’m wired, and today I need help. The combination of weariness and boredom can lead me ever searching for excitement. Today I  receive a thrill straight from God’s Word. Reading this one chapter changes my view of the Bible forever.  

I’m in Psalms, one of my favorite books, and I stumble upon Psalm 119.  This is no small feat to read as it contains an unusually large amount of verses, 176 to be exact.  I slowly start reading, then turn the thin page again and again, and as I read, I feel my heart expand.

Psalm 119 is written by King David, and it is an intimate conversation between him and God about his desire to stay close to God and keep the Word. David cries out to be taught by God and to revere the Word.  The Word is called many different things in this psalm: precepts, law, decrees, promises, commands, truth, teaching.

Reading this psalm opens my eyes to the wonder of the Word and all the goodness within.  It helps me realize my greatest connection with God will come through His Word.  It’s the letter God’s written to us to reveal Himself, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  It’s a source of life and truth, to help me understand God more clearly.  My spirit is renewed as my attitude shifts to the glory of God’s Word. I now make it a regular practice to read Psalm 119 because it lights a passion in my soul each time I’m reminded of the power of God’s Word.

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Increased Intimacy With God

The greatest way to increase your intimacy and connection with God is through your relationship with God’s Word.  Have you ever thought about how you view God’s Word?  Is it boring?  Is it too hard to understand? Is it obsolete in 2021? Do you see reading it as an obligation or as an opportunity to connect with God? Do you hunger for it?  Do you find delight in it?  Do you understand God more from reading it?

It’s helpful to take an inventory and ask yourself what you believe about God’s Word.  We behave based on what we believe. Perhaps you need to let go of some assumptions about the Bible that have kept you from connecting with God through His Word.  

The Bible is no ordinary book.  It is written by men through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, so we could know the heart of God by reading it. It is living, active, and has the power to transform our minds and emotions.

 John 1:1  says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  This is a powerful statement about what the Word is and does.  It carries the essence of God.  It’s important to remember, we don’t worship the Word, we worship the God who inspired the Word.  We read it as a means to understand the heart of God towards us and the world.

So, if you’re feeling a little distance between you and God, pick up your Bible and start with Psalm 119. It may rekindle your love, or it will help you begin anew to feel a connection with our gracious God, through His Word. 

Let’s pray.

Dear Papa, I thank you for Your Word. Help me lay down any unhealthy assumptions I’ve made about the Bible. Open my eyes and heart to the wonder of reading it.  I want to experience Your goodness as I work through the stories.  I want to know You more.  Reveal Yourself and help me connect with You as I read. Amen.

Still, struggling?

Maybe this will help.

I’ve created a free guide, “Five Attributes Needed for A Close Connection with God.”  Simply enter your name and email below so I know where to send it.