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I want to want God’s Word. I want others also to want God’s Word.

God’s Word is meant to bring us life, not death. By reading it, studying it, believing and living it the Word of God is meant to lead us through life and lead us to life.

The life we find in it is not merely nice practical tips for living but the Life is Jesus Christ himself (John 14:6). Jesus is our life.

And yet, although this is true, there are times when God’s Word becomes our death. The death happens when:

1. We read it legalistically and not joyfully: we read it because we “have to” not because we “get to.”

2. We read it only for the trees (the details) and not the forest (the grand story): the trees are important and great to study. But the forest, the grand story of what God is doing, is the heart of God’s Word.

3. We read it looking only for practical help and not for the Prince who help by saving us: practical insights are great (just like the trees) but we need to focus our attention on Jesus Christ Himself. Insights don’t save, Jesus does.

4. We read it without faith: God’s Word is meant to lead us to faith but also meant to be read with faith. When we read it without faith, we lose the joy.

5. We only read it alone: it’s good (and necessary) to read God’s Word alone but we also need to read it with others–not just to learn from them but to share the joy (even in the midst of questions and struggles we may be having with what we are reading) of what we are reading.

Let’s pray that as we read God’s Word it would give us life and life to the full (John 10:10).