The aim is a thriving, living, intimate relationship with Jesus, the king of the universe. Pursuing a relationship with Jesus delivers incomparable seasons of immense joy. However, pursuing a relationship with Jesus without reading the Bible is like being in a relationship where you do all of the talking, and none of the listening. It would take a patient person to put up with that kind of relationship. While it is true that God wants us to present our requests and concerns to him, with prayer, petition and thanksgiving, God importantly wants us to read and dwell on his word.
Here are some ways that I have grown my relationship with Jesus though Bible reading.
Memorisation
When I started the home schooling journey with my children, the Christian curriculum I chose included Bible memorisation. We memorised Bible passages together. Repeating God’s word many times to memorise the passage helped me to pay close attention to the reading. The meaning and impact of the passage became increasingly clear to me. By the time I memorised the passage, its meaning was crystal clear. This was a delightful and unexpected outcome! The clarity and understanding armed me with courage and wisdom to face my daily challenges. Memorising Scripture is surprisingly powerful.
Teaching Scripture
While I was comfortable in my knowledge of Scripture, explaining it to a room full of wide-eyed, attentive Canterbury school children immediately highlighted my gap in the topic knowledge. Being held responsible for delivering a Scripture lesson compelled me to fully understand a biblical principle or story to the point where I could easily explain it to the students.
‘Google It’
Reading my Bible is dry at times because of the number of unanswered questions it raises in my mind. I find it stimulating and insightful to read the responses to my googled questions from John Calvin, Matthew Henry and Charles Spurgeon. I am grateful to God for the access to this information. I also often listen to a Bible sermon while driving. Finally, I plan to formally study the Bible in the future because I believe it will enhance my relationship with Jesus.
Other Helpful Resources
Bible plans are a great way to assist regular Bible reading. Steve publishes a five-day plan in the weekly church newsletter. You can also download the ‘Bible App/You Version’ on your phone. My husband David and I start each morning by reading a devotion from the Bible App. We love it and have gained much personal counselling from God!
I find the ‘Bible Project’ videos excellent for making clear what can be longwinded and complex reading. Often, my children and I watch a five-minute Bible Project video before we read that book in the Bible. Here is a good one on Leviticus:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmvyrLXoQio
These ways of reading the Bible have enormously helped me to grow my personal relationship with Jesus.
These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. (John 15:11 ESV)