Can I share a spiritual habit that has helped enrich my Bible reading?
R-E-A-D your Bible. This acronym helps me daily meditate more deeply on God. Before you even open your Bible to read, try this:
Remember God. I use a simple breathing technique so that my devotional time with God is less about me and more about him. “I remembered you, God” (Psalm 77:3). I exhale in confession, exhale what I’m trying to control, exhale my fears and disappointments. In turn each time, I inhale while remembering all that is true about God. Who he is. I say, “God, you are ______.”
Enjoy God. The one “who meditates” on God is “like a tree planted by streams of water” (Psalm 1:2,3). That is one happy tree. Always nourished and fresh. Content and confident as God’s breeze tickles its leaves.
Appreciate God. I give thanks for five recent blessings. Different each day. It puts the focus on God’s work and God’s glory and helps keep me from complaining. “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever” (Psalm 118:1,29).
Direct your attention (1 Samuel 3:10). Shut off your devices. Find a quiet place. In your schedule and heart set apart free time for this moment so that you don’t worry about the next thing. Ask, “God, what do you want to tell me today?”
So don’t just read the Bible like you read your mail. R-E-A-D the Bible.
PRAYER: God, what do you want to tell me today? I want to meditate more deeply on you, losing myself in what you promise and who you are. I want to enjoy you more and appreciate your blessings. So I direct my attention to you. Amen.
FURTHER MEDITATION: I’ve created a video for anyone who wants to know what my devotional time with God looks like. It’s not the only way, but it’s what I find helpful. If you’d like to see the video, just reply via email to this blog or create a new message and send to pastordaron@crosslifepf.org. I’ll gladly show it to you!