Do you ever have good intentions on doing something long term? Like New Year’s resolutions? A new diet plan? Do we ever keep up with them all year? It’s hard to get going on something and keep it going. Many of the resolutions we make are ones that are material or earthly. There is something to be said, though, for taking a spiritual truth and forming lifelong habit (and desire) of it.
One such would be to begin anew the habit of daily reading His Word. Why is this important and how can you follow through on this 365 days a year for life?
Believe He has something for you in His Word
Every great event in our life comes with expectations of something wonderful. You expected that perfect day when you walked down the aisle after pledging to have a life together. Some days you have to return to that day and remind yourself to start anew anticipating a good life with your spouse. The hope you had as you entered the hospital to deliver that sweet baby. Go back and grab that joy again after you’ve cleaned up his mess.
You believed in the joy of these events and delved into life. Believe that when you sit down to study His Word you will find that joy and hope once again. It’s a daily renewing. Waiting with anticipation on God by being in His Word brings strength. Isaiah 40:31 says, “but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
Exercise your spiritual mind daily as you do your body
Paul told Timothy in I Timothy 4:8 – “For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” We are pretty quick to concentrate on getting to the gym or running that mile daily but do we put the same effort into studying His Word. After all, this world is going to pass away but eternity won’t. Wouldn’t we rather prepare for something that is eternal?
Go to His Word expecting to learn from it
When we do something with an expectation of a certain outcome it helps the process, right? By getting into His Word daily expecting to see results we will! “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” Psalm 40:8, is a great example of expecting great things. Delighting in doing God’s will (which involves knowing His Word) means then His law will be written within us. What a delight that is!
Insist on keeping all distractions away
A practical way to form this habit of being daily in God’s Word is to get alone with Him where it is quiet and you can concentrate on His greatness and your needs. I prefer the early morning meetings with Him when my home is the quietest and I’m the freshest. Keep a journal to write things down you have learned or write some passages out, too. If we do as Proverbs 16:3 says we will be able to concentrate solely on God. Seek Him. “Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.”
Never stop trying
Did you miss a day? Did the baby have a bad night, you woke up late and rushed out to your day? It’s okay. They say it takes up to 66 days to form a habit so seek His forgiveness and begin again. Keep at it. Don’t let yourself give up or be discouraged. “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9 reminds us that in the end with eternity in mind, we WILL triumph.
My dad used to sign his name with this verse and it truly sums up that when we begin to develop the habit of daily Bible reading we can be assured of its success. “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” Phil. 1:6
