Are You Spiritually Healthy? (Deeper)
I must admit: I struggle with reading the Bible daily. In his book Deeper, Dane Ortlund dedicates a chapter to this topic, which stirred a new longing in me!
He writes:
“Reading the Bible is inhaling. Praying is exhaling. […] What we experience physically when we inhale is what happens spiritually when we read the Bible. […]
What is the Bible? It is your greatest earthly treasure. You will never be more empowered, grow more in Christ, walk more joyfully, or be a greater blessing to this world than when you make yourself at home in this book.”
The last sentence struck me deeply. Are we— you and I— at home in the Bible?
“Many of us approach the Bible not as something that enriches us with oxygen, but as something that suffocates us.”
We tend to think of reading the Bible as just another duty on our endless to-do list…
“But the Bible is help, not oppression. It was given to carry us through life, not to weigh us down.
If you want to grow in Christ, you must accept the truth that you cannot go deeper with Him than you go into the Bible. Reading means reading about Christ and hearing His voice.”
Ortlund encourages us to:
“Make Bible reading your daily ritual, a habit without which your day does not feel normal.”
Always remember: God’s love for you does not depend on your quiet time!
But consider yourself malnourished if skipping this spiritual meal becomes the norm. Fight to stay spiritually healthy.
Love, Mirjana Joy