Read the Bible every day. Know the truth that sets you free. Breathing is vital, and so reading is vital too.

It’s God’s love letter to you, so take your time for it. Like you would if you had a treasured letter from a fiancé(e), reread it over and over again. Let the words sink in. If you can make time for Netflix, but can’t make time for the Bible, probably something is wrong.

One of the most important aspects of my spiritual growth has been reading the Bible. A few tips:

1. Realise you need it. I have come to realise I need the Word of God, because I often stress and am quite weak. I need to absorb His love.

2. Pray that God will help you understand.

3. Make sure you read it through the right lense. Remember God’s grace and love as you read and don’t take verses out of context. Realise you are saved by grace and safe with God, so don’t allow condemnation to seep in as you read the word: “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). At the same time, remember that you read what has been given to you by a Holy God. What He says are more than just suggestions for how to live your life – they are the words of your loving holy Father, and should be obeyed.

3. Read and ponder what you’re reading. Think about it. Let it sink in. You can do this by journalling in it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=743Uu-HExio I’ve been doing this recently, and find it helpful.

4. Ask questions like:

• What’s going on here? Imagine how the scene would look like in your head.
• Huh? What does this mean? If you don’t understand, think about it and/or look up online commentaries.
• What is  the setting of this Biblical passage? How does the setting relate to the message?
• What would it like to be this Biblical character? How would I feel? Here you can imagine what it would be like to be different people in the passage, e.g. Jesus or one of the disciples. Which of these characters do you most relate to?
• Why is it happening?
• What is the main message/are the main messages of this passage?
• What can I learn from this passage?
• How does it apply to my life?

5. Take your time to read. You can read it aloud, or reread the passage a few times. Pay attention to words that stick out in the passage. What do those words mean? What is God telling me through this specific word? You can pray Bible passages as well. Perhaps turn over a verse in your mind again and again. This is meditation. Let it sink in. I often repeat “Be still and know that I am God” in my head. It helps me be quiet in my mind.

6.  Do it. You can spend ages trying to meditate on the Word, but the core is very simple. The core is this I believe: Jesus, God in Human Form, died for our sins, and rose again. When we allow Him into our lives and receive His love, He changes us. We then live out His love by in turn laying down our life like Jesus: laying down our lives for others and loving them, and sharing the gospel, and being in constant communion with God. Living like Jesus is hard, even though the basic premise is simple. That’s why we need the Holy Spirit!

Now I need to admit, I’m fine at reading the Bible. I am loving it more and more. But living it is another story, that I need to learn more about.

That’s why I need a heart revolution. You can’t serve God in this way from a sense of duty, but only from a deep sense of the grace and love that God has given you. “Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8). Receive freely from God, without feeling you have to earn it. Then give it freely to the world.

The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever. – Isaiah 40:8