Imagine coming home from work and your spouse is cooking supper. You walk right past them, hurrying to collapse on the couch. Maybe you eek out a quick “hey” before catching up on work emails with the TV on in the background. Then, when it’s time for bed, you make a comment about your schedule the next day before falling asleep. Obviously, if this pattern continued, your relationship would suffer. When every interaction is rushed, social connections never deepen. No, it’s not wrong to check your emails or update your appointment calendars. However, it’s small things that pile up and consume our attention that can also keep us from actively pursuing a relationship with God. What better way to connect with God than to read the Word of God? Just as you would make time for a friend to strengthen that relationship, your relationship with God is strengthened when you take time to get to know Him better. We even find that Jesus “went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read” (Luke 4:16, ESV). Studying Scripture has long been a Sabbath tradition, both in groups and in solitude. The Sabbath offers undistracted time to read and reflect on the passages you read. Try keeping a notebook or journal with your Bible, so you can write down any questions or thoughts that come to mind while you study. Remember to pray before, during and after your study as well. Make it not only a study time, but a time of communing with the One you’re wanting to learn more about. Reading the Bible can also show us other ways to spend time with God.įor example, reading the Psalms can teach us examples of praise, prayer, and worship to God.
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