Third: A Greater Hunger for God’s Word
As a new believer, you may feel a hunger for God’s word, like a hunger for daily food. You may feel drawn to read your Bible often. This is a normal desire that many new believers experience. Reading your Bible is very important at this stage of your development because it is needed for you to grow and mature spiritually.
“Like newborn babies, you should long for the pure milk of God’s word. It will help you grow up as believers.”—1 Peter 2:2 (NIRV)
“I love the words from his mouth more than I love my food.”—Job 23:12 (ERV)
“When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies.”—Jeremiah 15:16 (NLT)
You can start anywhere you like. If you want to go from start to finish, you can read straight though the Bible, starting with the book of Genesis and reading straight through to the last book of Revelation.
Many people prefer to start in the New Testament, to begin with the story and the teachings of Jesus.
Another great idea is to read one chapter in the book of Proverbs every day. There are 31 chapters in Proverbs, so you can read one each day and start over again next month. Proverbs is designed to teach us wisdom. It can be amazing to see how precisely the words of Proverbs apply to our everyday situations.
Another great plan is detailed in Bill Gothard’s Rhema Journal. Following this plan you would read five Psalms each day. In that way, you can read through the entire book of Psalms in a month. One way to do this is to start on the 1st day of the month reading Psalm 1, and then read every thirtieth chapter after that. So on the first day of the month, you would read Psalm 1, 31, 61, 91, and 121. On the 2nd day of the month, you would read Psalm 2, 32, 62, 92, and 122, and so on. On the 31st day of the month, you would only read Psalm 119. It is the longest Psalm.
However you choose to read the Bible, it is important to make it an enjoyable daily habit. It is not important how much you read. It is important that your reading is meaningful to you.
As you read, ask God to speak to you through His Word. Expect to receive insight from God that will help to guide you each day. Expect to see certain passages “come alive” to you with new meaning that you have never experienced before. When this happens, write down these new insights that you receive. Keep a journal. Meditate on the insights that God reveals to you. In this way your relationship with God will grow stronger and deeper. You will grow in wisdom and maturity. Soon, you will be able to share your insights with others and help them on their journeys through life!
