Lesson ▪ 1998 Tags: Bible reading Excerpted from “Just a Closer Walk with Thee”: Spiritual Disciplines for Devotional Vitality
“My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according
unto thy word” (Ps 119.28).
Insights
- According to Psalm 119, we have many duties to
God’s Word, including loving it, delighting in it, trusting in it, longing for
it, finding strength in it, and respecting it.
- Devotional Bible reading is to be distinguished
from Bible study. Devotional reading has inspiration
for its purpose, while study aims at the procurement of knowledge. Both are necessary to spiritual growth.
- Some books of the Bible readily accommodate
devotional reading. The Psalms are essentially journals of the spiritual
experiences (thoughts, feelings, beliefs, hopes, etc.) of believers much like
you and me. It is not hard to gain inspiration from them. The Proverbs are filled
with wisdom so relevant to our lives that we can hardly read them without being
touched personally. The historical portions of the Scripture tell us about
believers who lived long ago, offering us insight concerning our daily lives.
The gospels place us in a face-to-face encounter with the person of Jesus Christ—certainly
a refreshing experience.
- Several strategies can help to make your
devotional reading more lively. For example, you can read a passage aloud
slowly to occupy your full attention. Or, you can pray through a passage,
applying the truths to yourself silently or out loud.
Exercise
Ask the audience to read a passage conducive to devotional reading (e.g., Psalm 23) in a prescribed number of minutes. Participants should
read for the purpose of inspiration, gaining encouragement through the application
of spiritual truth to their life situation.
Further Reading
There is little identifiable literature specifically on the
devotional reading of the Bible. Most writings about Bible reading focus
primarily on the study of the Scriptures. While there is much to be gained from
systematic approaches to the Word, they should be carried out with a view to
furthering our relationship with God.
| 