Taking on the New Year: Bible Intake

Not all that long ago I was looking through some of my old seminary notebooks. These books have course notes and outlines provided by my professors in order to assist in learning the material, applying the Scripture, and (probably most important in a class setting) making an A. What my notes have included are side conversations that Christi and I had in class. I made sure that I took as many classes as I could with her. Yes, we were on different degree tracks, but in the seminary setting, there are so many classes that every student has to take. My angle was this…if I can take class with her, then we have good excuse to study together. See, it worked in my favor.

The great benefit of all of this is that it continued to build our relationship. I wanted to date her, we began dating, and then we were engaged to be married. You know, the normal process. These notes we passed on the back of our course outlines were one more step. We probably should have been paying attention to Dr. Lanier. We probably should have not passed notes. But, in the end we were taking extra steps to grow our relationship. The extra time we spent studying together and preparing one another for our exams added to this. In very real ways, we were getting to know each other better because of the time we spent together.

Now, think with me for just a minute about a God who is all-knowing, all-powerful, all-loving, supreme beyond our wildest dreams, and interested in getting to know you, the person that He made in His image for His glory. The man or woman that He has saved in Christ Jesus. The one who has run from Him, but He rescued. Think about how that God wants to know you and desires for you to know Him! How would that God give you an understanding of who He is? What would that God do to communicate to you? What would it look like for Him to invest in a relationship with you?

Unfortunately, you can’t schedule your coursework to take classes with Him, pass notes during that class, and then study together. Sure, you can take classes about Him. Yes, His Spirit can guide you as you learn. But, what if He has given you that very door through which you can walk to know Him? This is why Bible intake is so very important for you and for me. It is THE way that God has provided for us to know Him better.

Those notes that Christi and I would pass to one another were written insights into our personalities, our hopes, our dreams, and our desire to know one another. God’s Word is His written revelation that shows us how infinitely holy He is. It teaches us how life in Him works best. It shows us that God has something better than anything this world can offer. It gives us access into His purpose and His plan. IT is the fuel for the power of the Holy Spirit to be set loose in our lives. It is the primary way we hear from God as He builds His relationship to us.

Too often, I am convinced, we flounder in our relationship with God because our Bibles are unused. We know all of the cliché phrases for why: “I don’t have time”, “I’m not a Bible scholar”, “I get bored reading”, “I don’t understand everything in the Bible”, “I read my Sunday School lesson”, “I get enough in the sermon each week”, and so on we go. But, I love the observation that Don Whitney makes about Bible intake: “No spiritual discipline is more important that the intake of God’s Word. Nothing can substitute for it. There is simply no healthy Christian life apart from a diet of the milk and meat of Scripture.”[i] If we have time to eat and take care of our physical bodies, then we must make time for our spiritual health as well.

So, where should you begin? Let me give you just a few easy steps:

1. Start small to ensure success. DO NOT try to read the entire Bible this year if you have struggled to keep a regular reading time. You will get frustrated and stop within a few days. Take one book of the Bible and determine how many verses are realistic for you to cover in a day. It may be a chapter, it make be 5 or 6 verses, or it may be that your Bible has sections within the chapters that you can manage. Start there. You will know right where to pick up each day. If you miss a day, just start where you stopped. There is no discouragement for how many days behind you are, just read!
2. Use a Bible reading plan. If you have the time and discipline, a reading plan is a great path of Bible intake. Most are dated and cover a few chapters at a time. I have a few that I can personally recommend to you, if you are interested. The biggest key to successfully holding to your reading plan is to set a time each day. Mark it off and guard it. Yes, things will come up, so be flexible if necessary. You may find that getting up an extra 15 minutes earlier (I know…the horrors!) gives you undisturbed time to accomplish this.
3. Find a group with whom you can read. Believe me, there is strength in numbers. Having a group of 2 or more reading with you every day can be a great encouragement. Find someone in the church and ask them to read with you. I will be glad to assist you in getting started.
4. Cover your reading in prayer. You are not just reading, you are seeking God’s heart. You are taking in His Word, not James Patterson, not what someone else has said about His Word. Pray, pray, pray.

You will not regret the time you take now to invest in His written Word. I cherish those short notes that Christi and I passed more than a decade ago. I love the way they built our relationship. I am sure that you have notes you passed to build a significant relationship in your life. Nowadays, they are probably text messages. How much greater is it that we have God’s written Word, His step in teaching us about His love, our need for Him, and His Son, Jesus Christ. Start today and begin the journey of taking in God’s Word.

---

[i] Donald S. Whitney, “Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life,” Colorado Springs, CO: Navigators Press, 1991, 28.