“How sweet are Your words to my taste!
Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103)
Almost everyone knows that honey is sweet, and most people enjoy eating it on buttered toast or drizzled on fruit. Not everyone feels the same enthusiasm for the Bible, though. Have you struggled to read God’s Word because it seems boring, and sometimes even confusing? If so, then stick with me for a few minutes, and I’ll show you how the Bible can become a delight to read.
Since the Bible uses honey to picture how good God’s Word is, let’s start there. How do you know that honey is sweet? Well, you didn’t discover that honey is sweet by putting a jar of it on the living room table and looking at it. You don’t believe that honey is sweet because it smells sweet or even because you heard someone say that it was sweet. You know that honey is sweet because you put some honey on your tongue. You tasted it for yourself.
T he same is true about reading the Bible; you must taste it for yourself. That is why the Bible says, “O taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” (Psalm 34:8). Tasting the Bible for yourself takes some real effort on your part, but it is really worth it.
How do we taste the Bible for ourselves? I’m going to show you some tips that will help you do that. These are hints to use before, during, and after reading your Bible.
#1 Before you start reading the Bible, pause and ask God to help you understand what you are about to read. King David did this. He prayed: “Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law
Doing this is very important because the Bible is a gift to us from God Himself. For this reason we need to approach the Bible reverently. The Bible reminds us that its words are not, “… taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the [Holy] Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words” (1 Corinthians 2:13).
It is even possible to have things in our lives that will keep us away from the Bible. That is why Peter says “Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation” (1 Peter 2:1–2). If your appetite for the Bible is a bit “dulled,” maybe you are embracing one or more of the sins Peter just mentioned. John Bunyan, the author of the classic Pilgrim’s Progress, wrote in the front of his Bible, “This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book.”
#2 While you are reading the Bible, you should be thinking about what it means. It is a waste of time to just carelessly run your eyes over the words. God intends for us to understand what He wrote. We must engage our full attention on what we are reading. Jesus put it this way: “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened” (Luke 11:9–10).
Because you are trying to understand the Bible, it is important that you read a translation in a language you understand. Bibles in another language or full of ancient words we don’t use any more will hinder your understanding instead of helping it.
#3 When your Bible reading is over, look for ways to put into practice what you just read. In other words, keep thinking about what you have learned. Ask yourself questions like: What did I find out about God?; What did I learn about myself?; How has God demonstrated His love for me? You can probably think of your own questions each time you read. When you do this, you can claim the promise in James 1:25: “But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.”
Yes, the Bible can become a joy and a delight to read. Pastor Thomas Watson (1620-1686) points out that when you become a follower of Christ, you will then “Read the Scripture, not only as a history, but as a love–letter sent to you from God.”
I would recommend you start reading the book of John, and then read the book of Romans, but it’s all good. Also, if you don’t have a Bible of your own, I’ll be glad to send you one free of charge if you need one.
King David declares that God’s Word is “… more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward” (Psalm 19:10–11). What was true for David can be true for you, too.
Leave A Comment