Lack of nourishment can have a big effect on health. It can cause people to lose their ability to think clearly. It can affect their vision. It saps their strength, and they stop being productive. It’s the same with our spiritual life. Jesus said, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’ (Matthew 4:4 NIV). So knowing that, how come we don’t spend time reading the Bible? We know it’s essential to our spiritual, mental and emotional health, but we fail to do it, or do it inconsistently. Why? 1) Because we’re not motivated. We haven’t experienced the joy that comes from personally discovering great truths from God’s Word. We grow complacent and settle for having our spiritual food handed to us by other people. But when we get serious about studying the Bible for ourselves, we'll never again be satisfied with second-hand knowledge. 2) Because we don’t know how. We hear a great sermon and think, ‘Why didn’t I see that?’ Often it's because most church leaders spend hours studying the Scriptures, and we don’t. The more we get into God's Word, the more we can make new connections and understand what He's saying through Scripture. 3) Because we get lazy. Bible study requires self-discipline. It takes time, effort, concentration and persistence. Most great truths don’t lie on the surface; we have to dig for them. In the Old Testament, when Israel ‘sought God eagerly…he was found by them. So the Lord gave them rest on every side.’ And God will do that for us too.

What Now?

What do find motivates you to read the Bible when you’ve lost a bit of enthusiasm? Do you read your favourite verses to get back into it? Look up some of the historical context of the chapter you’re reading? Or something else? We’d love you to share your top tips in the comments to encourage others!