If we ‘sell’ our Christianity as being all about Bible reading, then we may not be offering an exciting message or even good news at all. The Bible itself describes this position this way:

He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit produces life. 2 Cor 3:6 HCSB

In other words, the letters or words in the Bible are deadly unless the Holy Spirit is active when you read. If you just read this book like any other piece of literature, then you will tire of it in due course.

If you follow a reading plan it is easy to get through the Bible in a year, but if getting through your readings is your aim, then it can become a part of your life that you just rush through to complete, like any other task. What is important about any relationship is that you allow it time, and as we build relationship with God through the Bible, we must also allow it time.

What we must believe

What you believe about the Bible is of course important to the process. If you choose to believe that God has something to say to you through His book, then it is much more likely that you will hear. The Bible claims that listening to it generates faith within us.

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. Rom 10:17 NIV

As we hear the word of God, our faith is built up. If you feel low in faith it is often because your Bible is collecting dust on the shelf.

Paul advised Timothy:

…that from childhood you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Tim 3:15-17 HCSB

That word ‘inspired’ is sometimes translated ‘God-breathed’, theopneustos (theh-op'-nyoo-stos), theo meaning God and pneustos connected to that wonderful word pneuma that means spirit, breath or wind. So we who are of God’s breath, should seek to fill our lungs with even more of it.

We should have a ‘high’ view of scripture, because it has all these great qualities – it instructs you for salvation, it teaches you, rebukes you, corrects you, trains you and equips you!

All this is great in theory, but how do we meet God in the Bible?

How does this work?

Find a quiet place; comfortable, but not too comfortable. Sit down with your Bible and talk to God. Ask the Holy Spirit to inject life into the words and to speak to you as you read it. Ask God for a real experience of his presence and voice as you read.

Don’t treat it as a sprint, but more of a marathon. Take some time. Don’t gobble your food – chew it instead. Read a little, then pause and think about what you have read. If it makes no sense, then pray about it – telling God. The carry-on reading, and sometimes you will find it necessary to re-read the same section. Prioritise times like this, giving time when you are not tired out, or in a rush.

Talk to God whilst you are reading – when some words speak to you, tell Him and wait for more.

Discipline

Quite rightly we often talk about spiritual disciplines and reading the Bible is one of those, but the discipline is making time to do it regularly, because it is good for you. The reading itself is not just a discipline, it is a time of refreshing. You could say that it is a discipline to eat and drink, but there is also pleasure and refreshment in them, and so it is with gathering with your Bible and talking to God. Eating meals regularly is good for you, so it is with reading the Word of God. When I say reading of course, I do also mean having it read to you. The women in my house have all recently started listening to David Suchet and his fabulous new reading of the NIV Bible. The advantage is that he reads for you and you get to enjoy his voice; the only disadvantage is that you must keep stopping when you want to think about a particular line, but it opens up a new dimension in spending time with scripture.

Writing

Why not invest in a journal - a notebook, with a decent cover that you keep with your Bible to make notes about anything you read or feel you hear from God? It is amazing what a treasure trove these become over the years and how useful they are when you are trying to remember something. You don’t have to write an essay or keep it too tidy – only you have to read it – but believe me you will find it a great investment!

Above all I find that God is with me when I read my Bible and often the most memorable times are when I am alone with Him. Nothing beats church – there is something incredibly special about being with like-minded and like-spirited people who themselves are all God-carriers, but alone is great too, no one can replace that.