Bible Study

Dear Victorious,

I know we are supposed to study our Bibles daily. But I just cannot seem to stick to that. I've tried the reading plans and lots of other gimmicks, but nothing works. How do you develop that discipline in your life?

Terry B. - Prosper, TX

Dear Terry,

You won't develop the discipline until you develop the value proposition. In other words, you have to want to read you Bible. And you won't want to read it until you come to the belief that there is something of value in there for you.

So how do you come to that sort of belief? I started with a good daily devotional. I particularly like Oswald Chambers or A.W. Tozer (authors) devotionals. Pick them up at your local Christian book store or search for their daily devotionals at any on-line book store. Then commit to reading just one page per day. Get an ink pen when you read that page - and look for something to underline that speaks to you, represents your thinking, challenges you, etc. My guess is you'll find something to underline every single day. (I did.)

After a year or so of using daily devotionals, I was really into that and kind of disappointed when I finished the one I was using. By then it was a daily habit, so I moved up to my Bible. Commit to reading just one chapter a day, in anything that you'll read. (Proverbs is an easy place to start.) Again, get an ink pen and look for something to underline each day that speaks to you, challenges you, comforts or encourages you, etc. Again, my guess is you'll find something every day.

Why the underlining? Because what we're looking for and marking are the value propositions. As you learn how and make a habit of finding them, you will find the desire to read your Bible daily will grow. Eventually, with enough value propositions, you'll feel as if you're missing out when you don't read you Bible. That's because you'll know deep inside that it has something in there for you!