It’s Always Worth It

“It’s good to be in God’s Word throughout the week” isn’t a statement with which any Christian would likely disagree.

It is good to be in God’s Word—not just for the brief hour or two on Sunday (or whichever day you worship) but every day.

God’s Word is where we learn about Jesus, our Savior from sin, and how God wants us to live as his redeemed, dearly loved children. As Christians, spending time in Scripture isn’t something we force ourselves to do—we want to grow closer to him!

So why can opening a Bible or a devotional be so difficult?

We don’t have to look too hard for the answer—it’s our sinful selves. It’s us. Even as God’s children, we struggle against our sinful nature that wants absolutely nothing to do with God’s Word, even as the new creation in us yearns to grow closer to our God. As the apostle Paul wrote, “I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing” (Romans 7:19, emphasis added).

Dear Christian, understand that getting into a habit of regularly being in God’s Word is not like any other habit.

What do I mean? You do not have the devil, the world, and your sinful nature all allied against you to keep you from eating healthier or learning how to play the tuba, but they will fiercely oppose you from opening your Bible with all their might.

They distract us with other seemingly important things to occupy our time: endless scrolling on phones, watching another episode on the streaming service, or whatever else filling our day until it’s over, and we say, “I’ll read my Bible later. Tomorrow.”

When distractions don’t work, they fill us with questions of indecision and doubt. I haven’t read the Bible for so long now. So many books and devotions are out there—where do I even start? Can’t I just read my Bible? Isn’t that enough? Or do other Christians do more than that?

Often, the combined efforts of the devil, the world, and our sinful nature are more than enough to keep us from spending any amount of time in God’s Word.

Is the frustration building up in you? It built up in Paul too until he wrote, “In my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?” (Romans 7:22-24, emphasis added).

Hear the answer, dear Christian:

“Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25).

It is good to be in God’s Word. It doesn’t have to be grand or expansive. Don’t think you need to read five chapters in one sitting. Start small and go from there. Will you have to make sacrifices and not do other things? Absolutely—but it’ll always be worth it.

As you build the habit, look to God and rely on him. The combined might of the devil, the world, and our sinful nature may often be too strong for us, but they cannot stand against our God. Look to God—he is your strength and song! He will bless your time in his Word.

Look to your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ—we’re in this together. The body of believers supports and encourages one another, even as we look to Christ.

On that note, two of my friends and coworkers at NPH, Joshua Vick and Tanya Gerbing, have recently launched a podcast: Faith Footnotes: Christian Conversations with Northwestern Publishing House.

Each monthly episode focuses on practical advice for Christians living out their faith. The first episode with special guest Pastor Luke Werre dives into a heartfelt conversation about the importance of being in the Word throughout the week and some valuable resources that help us do that.

If you’re looking to get into God’s Word and say to yourself, “Well, I don’t know where to start,” why not listen to the podcast and get some great ideas? I promise you, it’s worth it.

God bless you as you grow in his Word!

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