4 D’s to Reading God’s Word

April 15

4 D’s to Reading God’s Word

Early morning is my favorite time of day to slide open my Bible and read God’s Word. My long-term Scripture reading goal is to complete the Old Testament, and my current, short-term goal is to read through Jeremiah.

As dawn filtered through the clouds on Friday morning, I came across a verse in Jeremiah 15 that made me stop.

Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts (Jer. 15:16).

Jeremiah ate God’s words? What does that mean?

In confusion, I followed a cross reference to Ezekiel 3 where God tells the prophet: Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel (Ezek. 3:1b).

It dawned on me. Before God’s prophets could carry his words to the people of Israel, they first had to digest them. And then delight in them. This led me to list four steps from these passages that I can apply to my personal reading of Scripture.

1. Devour it. (Your words were found, and I ate them…)
2. Digest it. (…and your words became to me a joy…)
3. Delight in it. (…and the delight of my heart…)
4. Distribute it. (…go to the house of Israel and speak with my words to them.)

I love when the Lord reveals special points through his Word that can make me stop, think, and smile.

Have a super Sunday, friends,

Bethany J.