From Boredom to Blessing: How to Find Joy in the Bible
The first time I started reading through the Bible, I was in middle school. My best friend, who I spent most of the week with, decided to give up an hour of her day to read the Bible for Lent. Since we were usually together anyway, I decided to join her. She was reading through the New Testament, so I started there too. However, I quickly decided that if I was going to read the Bible, I was going to do it the “right” way, so I flipped from Matthew back to Genesis and started at the very beginning.
It took me until the end of my sophomore year of high school to get to the last chapter of Revelation. Many times, I fell asleep sitting on the floor by my bed, trying to force myself through a particularly long and confusing section, only to have to reread it the next day. There were whole books that I felt like I didn’t really understand, and I nearly gave up in the middle of Numbers.
Honestly, there wasn’t a whole lot of joy in the process the first time I read through the Bible. However, making regular scripture reading a habit set me up for success in finding that joy later. By the time I graduated college, my love for God’s Word had grown deep.
Get to Know What the Bible Says about Itself
My first read-through was frustrating and boring in part because I didn’t know that much about the Bible itself. I knew that it was God’s Word, that it contained the Gospel, and that believers were supposed to study it regularly and deeply, but my knowledge pretty much ended there.
“MAKING REGULAR SCRIPTURE READING A HABIT SET ME UP FOR SUCCESS IN FINDING THAT JOY LATER. BY THE TIME I GRADUATED COLLEGE, MY LOVE FOR GOD’S WORD HAD GROWN DEEP.”
— CAROL R.
In my freshman year of college, a wonderful woman named Aubry discipled me. Together, we worked through a study of the Christian life based on the Navigators’ Wheel Illustration, which focused on the major disciplines of the faith, starting with studying God’s Word. Together, we studied passages from the Word that proclaimed the worth and value of Scripture, and quickly, studying the Word started to transform from something I did because I knew I was supposed to into something I did eagerly because I could see the value. Below, I have listed a few of the passages that we studied together, along with some of what each passage has to say about God’s Word. I strongly recommend these as a starting place for discovering the immense value of scripture.
We studied Psalm One, which contrasts the life of someone who meditates day and night on God’s Word with that of someone who listens to worldly counsel:
He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
That yields its fruit in season,
And its leaf does not wither.
The wicked are not so,
But are like chaff that the wind drives away.
(Psalm 1:3-4)
We also studied 2 Timothy 3:16-17, which says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
Both of those passages helped me to find new seeds of joy in the Word, but the chapter that really changed my attitude was Psalm 119. This lengthy chapter (The longest in the whole Bible), is a beautifully constructed love letter to the Word of God, praising God’s goodness and faithfulness for revealing truth to us through his Word. It is written as a type of acrostic poem, with each stanza corresponding to a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and expanding on the ideas of the previous stanzas. If you are looking to understand why you should study the Word, this Psalm will give you an abundance of reasons, and if you need a model of what finding Joy in the knowledge of God’s Word looks like, it seeps through each line of the psalm. In fact, this chapter is so central to my understanding of what it means to find joy in studying God’s Word that you will find that it’s referenced in nearly every section of this post.
Get to Know Your Way Around the Bible
Understanding the value of Scripture is the first step to finding joy in studying it, but knowing how to approach it is a critical next step. The Bible is made up of 66 different books written by a myriad of human authors and spanning a variety of genres, and studying scripture wisely requires knowing how to approach and interpret each book. Here are some of the basics you should always pay attention to when you approach a book of the Bible:
Author– Who wrote this text? Is the author known? What is their relationship to the events or information described in the text?
Genre– What kind of writing is this? What features are common to this genre and how does that affect how we interpret it?
Context– When was this written, and why? How does it fit into the wider narrative of scripture?
Audience– Who was this originally written for? How would they have read, interpreted, and used this text?
The Bible Project has great videos answering the basics of many of these questions for each book, but I strongly recommend How to Read the Bible for All its Worth by Gordon D. Fee as a more in-depth foundation. You will also benefit from having access to a good study Bible in the right translation for you. Furthermore, commentaries, while they may be overwhelming at first, are an invaluable resource for deepening your knowledge of the Word. Tim Challies has a great guide to commentaries for each book of the Bible.
I am someone who loves to learn for learning’s sake, so the process of learning more about the Bible always ignites that joy for me, but even if the learning itself doesn’t excite you, building a deeper knowledge of the Word will ultimately pave the way for a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Word.
Make Dwelling in the Word a Daily Habit
Even if you don’t yet see the value, or if you’re not yet finding joy in your study of God’s Word, make it a daily habit to spend some time reading and meditating on it. Joy will follow discipline (check out Psalm 119:9-16).
This daily habit can take a variety of different forms. In fact, I recommend mixing it up, as sticking to just one method can lead to stagnation, which leads to boredom, which leads to habit-breaking. The options below should all be a regular part of your time in the Word; I like to move through these options with the same passage, starting with reading or listening to it several times, then studying it using my study Bible and other tools, then meditating on it. Often, I will work on memorizing the passage (or part of it) intermixed with each of these other options.
Reading– This is the most obvious starting place, and you can even start with just one chapter a day. A word of caution, though: while it’s wonderful to have the Bible accessible on your phone, I strongly recommend against using your phone for your daily time in The Word. Opportunities for distraction abound, and your brain will have a more difficult time focusing while using a device that is so often a distraction. Using a physical Bible will help train your brain to slow down and focus.
Listening– If you are an auditory processor, or if you’re struggling to find time to be in the Word, listening to it is a great place to start. When my husband and I were dating, we would pick a block of Psalms and listen to them during our morning commutes and then discuss them later. Both YouVersion and Bible Gateway have wonderful audio Bibles available in a variety of translations.
Studying– While making a daily habit of reading the Word is a great starting place, we should strive to build a deeper knowledge of the Word throughout our lives through purposeful study. Unlike just reading, studying is a focused effort to understand the passage you are reading. This means learning about the context in which it was written, the author, how it fits into the broader narrative of Scripture, etc. This includes using the resources mentioned in the section above, but it also includes taking notes, asking questions, annotating the text, and many other ways of engaging the passage with your head.
“UNLIKE JUST READING, STUDYING IS A FOCUSED EFFORT TO UNDERSTAND THE PASSAGE YOU ARE READING. ”
— CAROL R.
There are many different approaches to Bible study, but if you are new to it (or even if you’re not), I strongly recommend Women of the Word: How to Study the Bible with Both Our Hearts and Our Minds by Jen Wilkin, which gives readers a helpful framework for studying the Word with their minds in order for it to impact their hearts. Even though it’s marketed to women, it’s a great resource for anyone who wants to learn how to study the Bible.
Meditating– Scripture itself frequently references the idea of meditating on God’s Word. Psalm 119 alone includes eight references to meditation. This can, of course, look like spending focused time simply thinking about a passage, but it can also include journaling, sketching, or other creative methods of engaging with the text (BINO’s own Creative Quiet Time Journal is a wonderful resource). The point is to spend time focusing intently on a passage of scripture, but this is different from studying it. We should study a passage first to discern what it means, and then meditate on it to let the Holy Spirit write it on our hearts.
Memorizing– Psalm 119:11 says, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” When my mentor, Aubry, and I studied Psalm 119, I was so deeply struck by the intensity of the Psalmist’s admiration for God’s Word, and I so deeply wanted to find that same admiration, that I decided to memorize the whole chapter.
While I definitely don’t encourage choosing such a long chapter to start with, memorizing scripture is one of the best habits you can build. As another one of my college mentors often said, “Memorizing God’s Word gives the Holy Spirit a vocabulary in your life.” Time and time again, this has proven true for me, as the Spirit has reminded me of a passage I have memorized at exactly the right moment, whether convicting me, calming me, or giving me the words to encourage a fellow believer. Sometimes, when I am plagued by particularly bad bouts of anxiety, reciting the passages I have memorized has been a key way to settle my mind and my nervous system.
Make it Work for You
Discipline in studying the Word comes before we can find the deepest joy in it, but it doesn’t hurt to infuse your study with some more surface-level joy to help you build that discipline. Figure out what motivates you to make your time in the Word a priority, and build it into your routine. Here are some ideas that have worked for me or people I know:
Choose a Beautiful Bible– Hosanna Revival’s stated purpose is to “Excite people about engaging in Scripture by creative beautiful and intentional tools for their lives,” They make Bibles in several translations with the most beautiful covers.
Similarly, you can purchase pretty protective covers for your Bible. Or, if you’re the artistic type, you can decorate the cover of your Bible yourself!
Incorporate Color– I don’t know what it is, but any time I can use my overfull pen case to color-code something, I am a happy camper. I personally love to underline and highlight directly in my Bible, but if that horrifies you, you can also print out the passage you’re studying and mark up the printed copy, or you can color code your notes as you write.
Create a Special Space– This can be a space in your house, on your college campus, or even a favorite coffee shop, but finding a place you love to spend time in and making a point of spending time in the Word there will help make it something you look forward to.
Add Music– If music helps you focus, you can put on a playlist in the background (just make sure to set your phone down far away from you…). I love this playlist on Spotify, but of course, you can build your own. Whatever you choose, I do recommend keeping it instrumental. You want your focus to be on God’s Word, and music with lyrics has a way of demanding your attention for itself.
Whatever makes your daily time in The Word something you can look forward to, even on the days when you’re struggling to find the motivation, is worth building into your routine.
Don’t Do it Alone
We are made to live and worship in community, so it’s only natural that we should also study the Word in community.
“STUDYING THE WORD WITH OTHER BELIEVERS IS A KEY ELEMENT OF A JOYFUL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD’S WORD, AND OF A HEALTHY AND GROWING FAITH.”
— CAROL R.
If your church has small groups that specifically spend time studying the Bible corporately, you can join one of those, but if they don’t, you can start your own! During summer and winter break, when I missed the fellowship of my college Bible studies, I would meet up with some childhood friends for a Bible study, and those were some of the sweetest and most valuable times in building my love for God’s Word. Throughout the years, we used Jen Wilkin’s Studies, Navigators Design for Discipleship, and the Navigators Life Change series, and I would recommend any of those options if you’re looking to start your own study.
My little Break-time Bible Study started with pre-written study guides, but as we matured in our knowledge of the Word, we found that we preferred to pick a book, break it up into chapters, and discuss a chapter or set of chapters each week, without the predetermined structure of a study book. We would each commit to putting in the time to really dive into the chapters ahead of time, using our study tools and methods, and then we would take turns facilitating the discussion. Ultimately, we found that this yielded deeper study and more meaningful discussion than the books we used early on, but it does depend on everyone (or at least several strong leaders) having a good working knowledge of the Bible and how to study it wisely.
Having the accountability of a set meeting date encouraged consistency in our study of the Word, and discussing the text with others helped us to sharpen our understanding and catch our potential blind spots and misinterpretations. And of course, we got to spend time with dear friends as we got to know God better through his Word.
Whether you join an existing Bible study or form your own, studying the Word with other believers is a key element of a joyful relationship with God’s Word, and of a healthy and growing faith.
I hope that if you’re struggling to find Joy in your study of the Word, something in this post is useful to you. Ultimately, though, the most important truth is this: The Bible is God’s Word revealed to us: If we love God, we should want to know Him, so building a deep understanding of that truth should lead us to hunger for his Word. If you’re struggling to find that hunger, show up anyway. Our God is faithful, and he answers those who seek Him (Psalm 34).
If you have more questions, need guidance, or want to chat about studying the Word, feel free to email me at carol.dianna.ryberg@gmail.com!