Leave Your Bible Open

“Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” -Deuteronomy 8:3-

Daily Bible reading is a habit worth developing. The Word feeds us spiritually and satisfies our thirst for peace. It convicts us of sin and reminds us of God’s grace. Still, the Bible will not jump into your hands or demand your attention. Chances are, nobody will be checking up on whether you spent time in the Scriptures today. Yet few things could possibly be more important.
According to the American Bible Society, more than half of the population would like to read the Bible more often, but only 15% of Americans do it daily. Southerners and the elderly do it the best. (So, if you are an elderly Southerner, you get a free pass to skip to the next devotional tomorrow.)
Most of us would cite the same reason for not spending daily time in our Bibles: “I’m just too busy.” But are we? I don’t mean to get too nosy, but how much time did you spend on Facebook or Pinterest today? How often did you check your Twitter feed or scan the latest Groupon deals? How long did you park yourself in front of your TV or gaming console? We find plenty of time to scan today’s news headlines or devour our newest novel. Yet we ignore the very words — the only words — that have the power of life.
What you feed yourself is what you start to develop an appetite for. God’s Word will appeal to you more and more as you learn to turn away from competing interests. In other words, you may have to subtract something in order to add Bible reading to your day. But you’ll find the trade to be well worth it.

Pursuing Today
To help develop a new habit, plan to read your Bible (even for a few minutes) at the same time and in the same location every day. Leave your Bible open or set an alarm to remind you. Try it for the remainder of this 25-day section. If you have some extra time, read Psalm 119, an entire psalm devoted to the power of God’s Word. Notice all the different names for God’s Word — laws, statutes, etc. Then make note of all the benefits of spending time in it.