Starved Souls: 4 questions to ask if you want to read your Bible more!
Where do we go to quench the thirst and ease the hunger pains in our souls?
‘Meals’ and ‘reading the Bible’ came out as pain points and growth areas when I did a recent social media survey. The parallels did not elude me. The Bread of Life in literal form and the Word of Life, inspired by the spirit, sustain us!
I’ll do a post on nourishing our bodies and meal planning another time.
In this season of harvest, we are reaping what we have sown: spaghetti squash, mashed potatoes, warm apple crisp, zucchini chocolate cake. . . but are we reaping good fruit from investing time sowing Scripture into our hearts?
Could we be spiritually malnourished?
We work to feed our appetites; meanwhile our souls go hungry.
Ecclesiastes 6:7 MSG
This verse says it like it is!
It is easy to indulge in delicious sweets and savories but do we delight in Scripture?
A number of years ago Lysa Terkeurst wrote Made To Crave: satisfying your deepest desire with God, not food.
I will not pretend to have this figured out.
Even while reaching within ten pounds of my wedding weight this year (the last ten could very well take another year), the struggle and pull towards food as a quick emotional 'fix' has been ever-present.
This is not a guilt trip or another ‘should’.
I offer these words today because I am on this journey with you, wanting to consume the Bread of Life more and more, because I believe this is where our lives will receive the power to live out our mission.
If you don’t know your mission yet, well just wait!
If you need to dust off your Bible or download the YouVersion app congratulations!
Start where you are.
By the way, in this case, a second helping is always a good idea!
Here are 4 questions to ask if you want to read your Bible more:
1. Why?
What is the point of doing something if we don’t know why?
When we take up the sword of the spirit, which Ephesians 6:17 says is the word of God, we are fighting the lies being shot at us hour after hour with Truth!
We have the wisdom and strength to take thoughts captive.
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
2 Corinthians 10:5
Our souls are renewed.
“…but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31
Our mission is clear.
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105
We have comfort in our final days.
“Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.” Proverbs 7:2-3
I love that imagery—writing His words on the tablets of our hearts!
While my dear grandma baked delicious treats she also invested hours over her lifetime, meditating on Scripture.
In her final days, precious passages from the Bible comforted her—and all of us grieving.
Her legacy is a huge part of why I am writing on this blog and changed my Bible reading habits.
2. When?
Plan ahead and decide when you will read your Bible.
Not everyone enjoys a scheduled life, but most of us appreciate some rhythm or routine.
We carve out time for the things we value!
Plan to make reading the Bible a daily habit.
Though I am an early morning person, when I had a newborn or was extra tired during parts of pregnancy, I'd rarely get up hours ahead of the children as I do now (and from 2009 until early in 2020 I was either pregnant or nursing).
Our second baby had an internal alarm clock of 6 am, which is also mine—but preferably not with a baby crawling all over me!
Sometimes I would have a few minutes to myself for a quick devotional or I'd listen to the audio version of the Bible as I nursed.
I'll admit, I was starving my soul...
I filled my mind with lots of good Christian living books, children’s devotionals while homeschooling, and encouraging podcasts as the day progressed, convincing myself this was enough.
While these things were helpful, I let the beautiful spiritual discipline of spending focused time alone in Scripture wane for many years because I often couldn’t do it at my ‘ideal' time of day.
If this is you, take baby steps to a new way.
Thankfully the little ones have progressively slept in later and I am often amazed to be waking our sixth baby (he is almost two) around 8 am—I know, a dream come true!
There is so much grace for mothers in these seasons but as we look at some of the ideas below, there are ways to carve out this life-giving time even during the sleep-deprived years of early motherhood.
All that to say, this can quickly become a formality too.
The positions of our hearts as we come before God to receive is what matters—not a perfectly clocked-in-time or daily checklist!
Tip:
If you want to take this on first thing in the morning, then heading to bed on time is where the real preparation begins. We have never used an alarm clock but I often wake before 6 am because I’m asleep before 10 pm. If you work outside the home, maybe your lunch hour is a good pocket of time. For parents at home who don’t enjoy early mornings, you can set aside time while kids are napping or in a quiet time themselves, to chew on truth. The night owls may find that ending their day reading their Bibles is the ideal time to nourish their souls!
When are you going to read your Bible with an open heart daily?
Make a plan. . .
3. Where?
Alright, we know this food for our souls is important and we have decided on a time, now let’s brainstorm and decided where we will read our Bibles.
Pick a place to be your sanctuary!
For those who are highly sensitive to their environment, lighting a candle, dimming the lights, finding a cozy blanket or comfy chair, and sipping on a warm drink may be just the right company for you to go deeper in the Word.
Think about what brings you joy in this season and include some of these elements in the setting you choose!
I have a little basket with my Bible, journal, stack of books and a pen ready to go, so I can quietly slip down to the living room with my arms full of nourishment and curl up on the couch for one of my favorite times of the day.
4. How?
Decide how you will read the Bible.
How do I naturally engage with information?
In Sacred Pathways: discover your soul's path to God, Gary Thomas describes nine pathways for connecting with God. It is helpful to consider your bent.
For example, audio versions or dramatized recordings of Scripture may work well if you already prefer listening to audiobooks over reading books.
Pairing a walk in nature with beautiful melodies of Scripture could add a special touch for those who especially love being outdoors and listening to music.
Maybe you are visual and would appreciate a dramatized version of the Bible for variety.
My big study Bible is written in the New Living Translation and I enjoy looking up verses in The Message on my phone app for a fresh perspective on a familiar passage!
Others may lean towards the intellectual side of cross-referencing and looking up words in Greek or Hebrew.
You could do a reading plan through YouVersion, or follow a devotional guide.
Currently, I read through two pages of my Bible each morning, engaging the study notes at the bottom. It doesn’t take a huge amount of time, but it is the first thing I do before journaling my thoughts and prayers, reading a few pages from my current stack of books, looking at my phone messages, and hopefully getting in 30 minutes of physical exercise and a quick shower before I pour out to my family!
Have I mentioned how much I LOVE starting my day this way?
This is not static, the way we connect with the Lord and engage with His word will morph and change over our lives.
Embrace and get creative with the season you are in.
I hope this has encouraged you to begin or continue making reading the Bible a special part of your day!
We are all trying to figure out these roads less traveled—what a blessing to do it together.
Open the love letter written for you and nourish your soul day by day—the adventure is just getting started!
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If you are a person who wants to slow down and care for your soul, this is for you!
