How You Can Delight in Reading Your Bible
Do you delight in reading your Bible? If you’re a Christ-follower, learning to delight in God now, is preparation for worshiping Him for all eternity.
Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:1-2
Think about that for a few moments.
We will be spending years and years and years with God in heaven.
If you’re getting up there in years that might sound like heaven to you and you’re so looking forward to it.
BUT . . . for many people, they get bored in church and go into their personal zone.
All week I go at a fast pace, never needing or wanting a nap. Why is it on Sundays I struggle to stay awake during the message?
I have often wondered if deep within my soul, I do not long to be satisfied with Jesus.
I often have said that I get sleepy in church because I am sitting so still and concentrating on the message.
But is my heart despondent to God?
How are we going to enjoy spending all eternity with God if we don’t enjoy Him now?
That’s why learning to truly meditate on God’s Word will cause delight for Him to grow in our hearts.
Meditate on God and Delight Happens!
What do these verses in Psalm 1:1-2 say about delight?
That you will be blessed if you meditate on God’s word day and night. Delight doesn’t come without work.
Did you ever try to meditate on God’s word all day? How does that happen once you start doing dishes while answering questions from your toddler?
Do you forget almost immediately what you read during your quiet time? As soon as you get going on your day, do you find it difficult to remember what you read in your Bible?
It is easy to get so busy that we leave no time to meditate on God’s Word.
Lately, I have been overwhelmed by all I have to do and it gives me brain-overload, causing anxiety (Philippians 4:6-7) instead of resting in God’s strength to get things done.
My plans are not God’s plans (Isaiah 55:8) and what’s on my agenda may not be on His.
I can be faithful to have my Quiet Time but have difficulty slowing down long enough to meditate on God’s Word.
That is why doing these things will result in delight when you meditate as you read your Bible.
- Read a chapter or some verses in your Bible!
- Sit and think about it for 5 minutes!
- Pray one of the verses to God!
- Print off these Scripture Memory Cards!
- Sing a song based on God’s Word!
Meditate and Delight on God’s Word!
There are three things we are NOT to do.
In other words, our walk is to match our talk and all that we do needs to align with Jesus Christ. (Psalm 1:1)
- Not to walk in the counsel of the wicked!
- Nor to stand in the way of sinners!
- Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
Instead, we are to be like a fruitful tree with leaves that do not wither, planted by streams of water. What a beautiful picture of the Christian life!
He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers. Psalm 1:3
Walking, standing, and sitting with the wicked will bring the exact opposite of delight.
The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; Psalm 1:4-5
Delighting in the Lord starts now because living in opposition to God’s ways will only bring eternal destruction.
That’s why it is so important to meditate on the Bible now while it is called ‘today!’
But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Hebrews 3:13
Delight in God’s Law!
The whole purpose of Psalm 1 is to set the tone for all 150 Psalms. Through each of the psalmists, our hearts and minds are drawn to delight in God.
One of the things that we are repeatedly told to do is to meditate on God’s law as we are reading the Bible.
How often we skim over the words in the Bible, never thinking twice about what the word law really means to our lives!
The Greek for law means Torah. If you are like me, you associate the Torah with the Jewish faith. Thing is, Jesus was Jewish and also read the Torah!
Torah refers to the books of the law in the Old Testament that Moses penned.
- Genesis
- Exodus
- Leviticus
- Numbers
- Deuteronomy
The word law also refers to the commands of God. This would include the 10 commandments but also other commands that God gave us.
Something that I never thought of before is that when we meditate on the laws in the Bible, we internalize them. That is what God wants us to do.
That helps to keep us from returning to our sinful habits of the past. It allows the Holy Spirit to work in our lives as God’s laws become an intrinsic part of us.
THEN . . . as we grow in Christ, we remember more of what we read throughout the day and night. Bible verses come back to our mind as the situation and the Holy Spirit brings them to the forefront of our thoughts.
God is our Supreme Treasure that gave up everything to send His only Son Jesus to die our death. That is enough reason to grow in our ability to delight in Him!
Do you struggle to remember what you read in the Bible throughout the day? How can I encourage and pray for you?
DOWNLOAD these FREE Scripture Memory Cards!!
Thank you for this blog. Good information. I have realized that I can actually remember things if I repeat the Verses by read and writing. Thank you
Susan, All my comments were hidden and I am so sorry for not replying for such a long time. You are such a blessing to me more than you will ever know. You encourage me to keep writing for the woman I might encourage. I am not the best at memorizing either but what I find is that I can finish off so many verses. Writing out Scriptures over the years is part of that happening. I think the Holy Spirit brings back to our memory what we put into our heart and mind.