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Luke said that the early church devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching (Acts 2:42). I find myself wondering what that must have looked like. I’m fairly diligent when it comes to studying the Bible, but can I really say that I have devoted myself to studying God’s Word?
Luke’s language also leads me back to Peter’s call to long for the Word of God in the same way that a baby longs for its mother’s milk (1 Peter 2:2). Can I really compare my attitude toward Scripture to an infant crying out for the one thing that sustains its life? These types of statements are so simple, but they carry such profound truths. If we took them seriously, they could radically change our lives.
It takes more than discipline to live up to this biblical calling. For one thing, Peter’s illustrations can’t be appropriated simply by trying harder. Longing for the Word of God may require you to change your schedule, but it also involves a change of heart. I’m not advocating a lack of discipline, but at some point we have to move beyond external behavior and address the heart.
One of the best ways to develop a longing for the Word of God is to first allow yourself to be struck by the nature of Scripture. If the Bible is just another book that we’re being pressured to read, then Bible study will seem like a chore. But if we begin to view it as the very words of God—personal communication from almighty God telling us of His love for us and His mission for our lives—then we might actually begin to desire God’s Word.
Start by considering this amazing statement about the nature of Scripture by the author of Hebrews: “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (4:12).
The power of Scripture could hardly be stated more strongly. These realities immediately differentiate the Bible from every other book on our shelves and every other activity we’ve been meaning to get around to.