You probably had a Bible-reading plan last year you said you were going to follow through with, but you never quite got around to. Reading the Bible probably looked more like a handful of devotional readings before bed or in the morning, which makes you wonder where people get the time to read His Word in such a thorough and disciplined way.

The truth is you were designed to read His Word, because you were not created to live on bread alone. Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4). So, here are a few ways to begin delving into His Word in the New Year.

1. Make A Sacrifice

Be willing to say yes to God, and no to something that isn’t really nurturing your spiritual life, whether it’s TV, sports or an extra activity you’re just going through the motions with. You have to be willing to sacrifice a few things, because the truth is, time is limited in a single day.

2. Ignite Your Faith

This year, light your soul on fire again. You may have found yourself in the mundane spiritual walk, where reading the Bible is more like a task. It’s not igniting you, because your soul is just wading; it’s not on fire. You’re just letting time pass by, perhaps waiting for the next best thing to happen in your life to finally ignite you again.

But what if the next best thing rests in the very book sitting on your shelf? Your spiritual journey is what you make of it; you’ll never hear God shouting at you to read His Word; He’s always been calling you gently, because He knows it will give you a hope you may have lost throughout the years. Don’t forget that God is excited about you, so be excited about God, and discovering more about Him by simply reading Him.

3. Set Aside More Time With God

Forget the thought that it’s not needed to set aside time to read His Word, because you think you’re getting edified enough going to a church or even a life group. We still need to take it upon ourselves to be disciplined in reading and practicing His Word by ourselves. None of us will ever have fully comprehended God enough to stop learning about Him; He is infinite, and therefore, our learning of Him is like mysteries being uncovered every day. Let go of the notion that you already have enough God in you; there is always room for more.

So how exactly do you read His Word more? I’m not against Bible-reading plans, but it’s not healthy to just go through with something simply because you want to have it done as a resolution. God is the Word; He’s not something we cross off our list. So, just simply make time for Him; you know what that should be and look like in your own life, because you’re the only one who knows how you function, how you run and what fills your time.

“This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.” I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”  —John 6:50-51

His Word is the beginning, and it very well could be the beginning of having your hope back again, having your joy back again, and gratefully growing older and wiser as the years pass on. Make this year change your soul for the better, make your soul dance and sing again, delight in growing older, not bitter, and relish the moments you have with the eternal God. You will see the fruits when 2018 starts walking in.

You may also be interested in Setting Goals: How I Read 50 Books In 2016

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