Do You Dread Reading the Bible?

I was inspired to write this post after reading an Instagram post by Ps. Pacer Tan of Lighthouse Evangelism:

“I’ve spoken with many people who love God but dread opening the Bible. A lot of people are scared of the idea of reading the Bible because it feels like something you need to be productive with. We were taught to always walk away with a takeaway, always journal something, always apply it. They’ve been trained to approach it like a test, and when nothing lands, it feels like failure. The pressure make it easier to close the book than to keep feeling like they were failing at it. Your time with God was never meant to be measured. He just wants you there. Dwelling in His presence.

It reminded me again of the meaning of Shema Rhema and how it has become the purpose of this website and the merchandise I create. It’s to point people back to the Word of God, so they can Shema (hear) the Rhema (the spoken word that jumps out). If we don’t open the Bible, it becomes harder for God’s words to “jump out.” I once heard Ps. J.John say, “If you want to hear God audibly, read the Bible aloud.”

Reading Scripture is about understanding more of God and His ways (productive) and building a relationship with Him (relational). Just like our conversations with people, some are productive (for example, work meetings), some are relational (for example, a casual dinner with friends). Our relationship with God is built through conversation with Him, and Scripture is one of the ways He speaks.

The caption mentioned that many people love God but dread reading the Bible. But if I know my husband dreads talking to me all the time (and eventually stops), I wouldn’t feel or think he loves me.

There will be days when we don’t feel like reading the Bible, yet we still show up because love sustains what feelings don’t. Routines carry us when emotions fluctuate. But if reading Scripture becomes a routine done merely for the sake of doing it, love doesn’t show up there either. That’s why it’s important to pray and ask God to help us illuminate the Word and breathe fresh understanding through the Holy Spirit before we read the Bible, just as we can ask Him to breathe fresh love into a marriage when it feels stale.

For those who don’t “feel like it” at all, a simple routine can increase our appetite for the Word. As we taste the sweetness of the Word, the desire for it grows.

How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Psalm 119:103 (NKJV)

Years back, Ps. Bill Johnson shared something that inspired my own reading plan: he keeps reading until a bible verse jumps out at him — that is when he gets a rhema. I did this for a few years, and recently, I decided to copy the Bible verses that jumped out to me, but I always end up copying in chunks. Writing them down helps me focus better and remember what I read better.

(P.S. That’s why I designed a lined journal with a dedicated space to write down the Bible verse (rhema) that stands out for you each day, followed by lined sections for your reflections, prayers, or insights. This rhema becomes your ‘Verse of the Day’.)

Different people read the Bible differently. Recently, I got to know someone whose style is similar to mine — we both copy Bible verses into our journals. But she plans and breaks down her reading into a meticulous chart that guides her on exactly how many verses she should read and copy each day to complete her plan to read the whole Bible.

I’m less structured. I usually jump all around the Bible, and I don’t follow structured plans well, like “Bible in a year”. Hence, I’m not sure I’ve even finished reading the whole Bible! So after finishing the book of Ezra last week, I decided to use my highlighted portions of the Bible as a guide to the parts I have read and not read (unhighlighted). After Ezra, I should continue to Nehemiah, but since the whole book of Nehemiah is highlighted and thus studied, I’ll skip it. My goal is to have the whole Bible highlighted to indicate that I have indeed read all.

I will usually continue reading the Bible from where I left off the day before, then I’ll copy Bible verses that speak to me until I sense that’s enough for the day. If I have time, I will add on Psalms to read. Some days, the Word speaks directly into my life. Other days, it reveals fresh insights into Bible details I never noticed or heard preached before. In any case, simply reading the Bible deepens my understanding of the Scripture. Just like reading a fiction novel, you may not walk away with practical tips the way you would with a non-fiction book, but you still walk away knowing something. Bible stories can sometimes read like a novel too, but the difference is that it’s factual. You’re gaining real knowledge about God, His people, and His ways.

Pray before reading, and I believe God will reveal things to you as you read.

How can we carry the wisdom of God if we don’t read the Word of Christ? This ties into worship too, as I wrote in my previous post. Self-help books and videos can only bring us so far to the highest point of human wisdom. With the help of the Holy Spirit, reading the Bible brings us higher to the godly wisdom God has tailored for us.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Colossians 3:16 (NKJV)

I will end with the quote I took from “The Way of the Wildflower: Gospel Meditations to Unburden Your Anxious Soul”, by Ruth Chou Simons:

Be consumed with God’s Word and help yourself and others remember it through speaking truth, thinking truth, singing truth, and praising God for truth.”

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