Romans 10:17 "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."
Diving head first into reading the Bible is something I've tried multiple times, and each time I end up getting frustrated and quit reading. This is exactly the opposite effect I want when I open my Bible to read it, yet it happens so often and to so many people.
How do I change this? How do you change this? I think the answer may be simpler than we think. A devotional. Devotionals have short lessons and verses all compacted into one easy to read book. You open it up, read the verses, read the lesson, and then you can open your Bible and go to the verse where you can expand on what you just read. I look at my devotional as a way to get me started. It points out what verses pertain to what areas of my life instead of me blindly opening the Bible hoping God points me in the right direction.
The need for the Bible is a calling from God. He wants to show us so much, but how are we supposed to learn and grow if we can't even open up the Bible and read it. The big and confusing words push us away. We feel as if we'll never understand what is going on in the Bible so we give up. We know we need to somehow overcome this, yet its so hard. Reading the Bible has never been something that is easy for me, and I bet a lot of people would say the same thing about themselves. Because of this, reading a devotional changed my life.
I have discovered so many new truths by reading my devotional and Bible, that I would have never been pointed to if it weren't for learning in my own way how to read the Bible. A devotional will change your life. Don't let not reading the Bible be the one thing that holds you back from a relationship with God.
Joshua 1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall mediate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success."
