I love God's Word. I really do.

But sometimes, I'm just not feelin' it.

When you break it down, reading the Bible is not hard. Set a time, you set a place, brew your coffee or pour your tea, and start right in. Or maybe it's even simpler: you just start.

More often than not, however, I often find my mind wandering, and wandering for a host of reasons. I'm tired. My mug is empty. It's dark. This doesn't make sense. This does make sense and I don't like it.

And all of a sudden, I am aware that my mind is hungry, but for anything but what lies before me on the kitchen table.

The God of the universe is talking to me, and I'm bored.

It seems to come in seasons. Sometimes, I'll be learning a ton, feeling completely absorbing in God's Word, so blown away by what He's done, amazed by His character and gracious disposition towards people who generally don't give a flying fig about Him.

And yet other times, reading the phone book seems more interesting.

 

We Don't Need A Trick List. We Need Jesus.

When we're frustrated and bummed out and struggle to pray and read, our greatest need is not a list of tips and tricks to "fix ourselves." Because we can't. Our greatest need is described in the pages in front of us.

We need grace, and God gives it at the cost of His Son, who succeeded in perfect communion with His Father. Because of Jesus, we have a perfect Bible reading and prayer record, and it's as if we'd done it for all the right reasons. Because of Jesus and the new life we have in Him, we actually can enjoy reading God's Word.

However, Bible reading and devotional time is still a struggle at times, and it will continue to be this side of the Second Coming.

Here are some things that seem to at least help me when I'm discouraged with my lack of devotion.

 

1. Pray

Yeah, I know. Total Sunday School answer. But it really is true.

Prayer is talking to God. It's reflecting on His holiness and telling Him so, wanting Him to be worshiped above all things. It's asking for His way in heaven to be the way things are here, His glory revealed in this broken world of ours. It's acknowledging our brokenness and our need for His grace and mercy in Jesus, and asking for things so that He would be glorified.

God wants to be glorified. He's the best there is. He loves you, wants you to delight in Him, and wants you to grow and become more like Jesus.

Honestly, praying towards that end may or may not lead to better Bible time, at least in terms of experience. But prayer reminds us that we're needy, and acknowledging that we don't have the focus or strength or determination in ourselves is often what we need most when we're struggling to read the Bible.

 

2. It's Better to Feel Frustrated Than Not to Feel at All

Humans need sustenance. It's hardwired into us. Without food or water, we die. And so, we hunger and thirst. It's part of being human.

When it comes to scripture and prayer, being frustrated that you're not hungry or thirsty for what you know you need is a good thing. That means you're alive.

As we said before, pray that Jesus would become sweeter to you and that your love for Him would grow. But take comfort in the fact that you actually care.

 

3. You May Not Be Doing Anything Wrong

In a world where so much of what we get is based on what we sacrifice, it can be easy to take boring Bible time as an indication or sign of sin in our lives. And while we all sin, that may not be the best assumption.

God is smarter than us. He knows what we need, what we feel, what we think before we think it. It may be that, in His wisdom, He causes us to feel a bit disconnected so that we learn something that we wouldn't otherwise.

God can be displeased with us. God disciplines us, another extension of His wisdom. In times where we feel disconnected with God, we need to remember that we are connected to Him in Christ. That lets us, without fear of condemnation, ask Him and others if there's sin in our lives that we can't see, and then joyfully turn to Jesus for forgiveness.

But boring Bible time could just be a season of life, too, where we need to learn to trust God to give us what we need, even if it doesn't feel awesome to receive.

4. Just Keep Trying

Often when I'm sick, I lose my appetite completely, and the very last thing I want is to eat. But even if I can't keep anything down, it's generally better to eat even nibbles and crumbs of crackers and sips of Sprite than to have nothing at all.

Keep pressing into what you know you need. Know that God is good, that He loves you, that He wants what's best for you.

Know that there's grace to fail and strength to continue.

Even when we're just not feelin' it.

"Dad Look!" When Your Kids Invite You Into There World: I don’t want to be the dad of a passing glance. I want to enter the world of my children, just like God entered ours. I want to be a father who delights in the imaginary innovations of my children, just like God enjoys watching His children make something of this world He has given us.

Selma: One of the reasons that the events of Selma are worthy of special attention is that they give insight into how local events became a national crisis, involving the President of the United States and the emergence of the Federal Voting Rights Act, signed into law by Lyndon Johnson on August 6, 1965. Why does this story matter today? Here are six answers.

2 Big Reasons Evangelism Isn't Working: We need to see evangelism as a long-term endeavor. Stop checking the list and defeating others. Be incarnate not excarnate in your evangelism. Slow down and practice listening and love. Most conversions are not the result of a single, point-in-time conversation, but the culmination of a personal process that includes doubt, reflection, gospel witness, love, and the work of the Holy Spirit.

I've Sinned; Now What?: More can be said. The nature of blog lists is that they are fabulously limited. The point here is this: we are not perfect, we do sin, and we have a savior who saves to the uttermost. Lean into him.

Is It Possible For Christians To Idolize The Bible?: So friend, let’s heed the important challenge that comes with this question, “Is it possible to make the Bible an idol?”  Let’s be Christians who grow in love and faith through the Scriptures.  But let’s not be confused: God has spoken to us through the Scriptures, so if we would truly know him and love him, we must make listening to him a passionate priority in our lives.

Women's Discipleship And The Mommy Blogosphere: The influence of this niche demographic presents an interesting challenge for those involved with women’s discipleship. Statistically, women make up over 60% of church attendees, but given the fact that (especially in conservative denominations) church leadership is overwhelmingly male, there’s the real probability that church leaders might underestimate its influence on their congregations. Books, church services, and organized women’s ministry are probably not the primary forces shaping the young mothers in your church. Because of this, there are some things that leaders need to understand about the mommy blogosphere.

Husband's, Pray For Your Wives: In a rare change from the norm at Practical Theology for Women, I'd like to give a small word of practical advice to husbands.

The Boy Who Didn't Come Back From Heaven: Inside A Best-Sellers Description: When he wrote a blogpost in 2012, complaining about the explosively popular genre of books about near-death experiences, the evangelical writer and editor Phil Johnson did not know what he was getting into. He was voicing a concern common in the evangelical community about what he called the “Burpo-Malarkey doctrine”. Johnson believed that Colton Burpo, whose story was told in the hugely popular Heaven is for Real, and Alex Malarkey, who had co-written The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven, drew false pictures of heaven in their books...“You’re right, this whole story is fabricated,” Johnson recalled Beth Malarkey telling him.

Ammunition For The Fight Against Porn: Pornography is a multi-billion dollar industry, the largest online. Some statistics suggest that nearly 70% of all men ages 18–24 view porn at least once a week, which is not to mention the struggle among Gen Xers, and increasingly among women. This is not a light matter. Porn is an outrageous sin against God and his image-bearers, including your own body. But we are not without guidance. Through God’s word, specifically 1 Corinthians 5–7, he shows us how to deal with porn and other sexual sins.

You Do Who You Are: Our people seemed to be doing well at loving one another, but were having a hard time regularly engaging in the lives of the people in our city. It started to feel as if we had to keep reminding them of what to do on a weekly basis. And unfortunately it seemed as if we had just adopted a new kind of legalism—a “missional to-do list”—that had started to feel like a new form of spiritual slavery that left the leaders feeling like taskmasters. This was clearly not the free and abundant life the gospel promised to deliver. 

Unintended Pharisees: Revealing and Redeeming the Hypocrite Within: No pastor or church leader likes to see the spirit of judgmentalism in others. In fact, Pharisees seem to be the only ones who like themselves. But this is a blind spot in our own lives, too. Pharisaical attitudes are often revealed through difficult situations.

Self-Control And The Power of Christ: It’s not a flashy concept or an especially attractive idea. It doesn’t turn heads or grab headlines. It can be as seemingly small as saying no to another Oreo, French fry, or milkshake — or another half hour on Netflix or Facebook — or it can feel as significant as living out a resounding yes to sobriety and sexual purity. It is at the height of Christian virtue in a fallen world, and its exercise is quite simply one of the most difficult things you can ever learn to do.

Do You Have Confidence In Christ That Can Handle Ebola?: So I’m thinking about a man in Dallas who took his last breath today. But I am also thinking about a man in Louisville today whose final breath may come sooner than he expects. And I am praying for the Lord to have mercy on him and his family and to make him ready to exalt Him either by life or by death.

Pastor Saeed's Letter To His Daughter Rebekka: Saeed Abedini, the American pastor imprisoned in Iran, writes an encouraging and beautiful letter to his daughter on her eighth birthday. Pastor Saeed Abedini wrote this letter to his daughter for her 8th birthday, which was on September 12. This is the third birthday of Rebekka’s that Pastor Saeed has missed while he languishes in an Iranian prison for his faith.

Is It Wrong To Earn A Profit?: The ability to earn a profit thus results in multiplying our resources while helping other people. It is a wonderful ability that God gave us, and it is not evil or morally neutral, but is fundamentally good. Through it we can reflect many of God’s attributes, such as love for others, wisdom, sovereignty, and planning for the future.

6 Great Reasons To Study Doctrine: I love doctrine. Doctrine is simply the teaching of God or the teaching about God—the body of knowledge that he reveals to us through the Bible. I guess I’m one of those geekly people who loves to learn a new word and the big idea behind it. But I hope I do not love doctrine for doctrine’s sake. Rather, I strive to be a person who loves doctrine for God’s sake. Today I want to give you 6 great reasons to study doctrine.

5 Tips For Business Leaders On Mission: I’ve owned three businesses in the last few years. I’ve also held a high level executive positions that have had me on the road on a very regular basis. I know from experience that it can be harder to live on mission in everyday life when you are in a different city or country every week on business. Or when you have to run to Costco in the middle of your missional community gathering to grab milk for your coffee shop because they ran out. I’d like to share a few things with you that were helpful to me when I was on the road and/or very busy at work. Remember, these only apply if you are not working too much or neglecting your relationship with Jesus and your family.

photo credit: Jason Carpenter via photopin cc

The Assumption We Can't Afford: I've been in church for years, but no one has taught me to study my Bible until now.

Is God Allowed To Do Stuff We Can't?: These reflections are far from exhaustive or adequate to the subject matter. Much more could be and has been said on the subjects of forgiveness, substitution, justice, and the cross. In this piece I simply wanted to make one small point: sometimes it’s okay for God to tell us not to do something that he himself does. Executing judgment is one of those things.

David Platt on Why You Shouldn't believe "Heaven Is For Real": God’s beef with necromancy is that it belittles the sufficiency of his communication. Why would you inquire of the dead to find out what you want to know instead of inquiring of me? And if they say: Well, I have inquired of you and you didn’t tell me what I want to know. He would say: Well, that is your problem. I have told you what you need to know. You don’t need to know about such and such if I haven’t told you. And, in fact, if you go trying to inquire about such and such that I haven’t told you, you are dishonoring me. So that is the nature of the argument. And, therefore, I think the prohibition of séances and necromancy applies to this kind of thing and people ought to stop writing those books.

Raising Arrow Children: Don’t reduce your children to being “adorable,” writes Doug Wilson, and miss out on the promise of formidable children, arrows in the hand of a warrior.

How Can A Mature Christian Be Fed In A Missional Community?: The scriptures end with knowing God relationally and being like Him. Maturity in Christianity is being “conformed to the image of Christ” not merely knowing a lot about Him. This involves the mind, heart, hands, and actions of Christ. Missional Communities invite mature Christians to learn to enjoy the food that Christ did, to do the will of their Father.

4 Reasons To Doubt the Resurrection: To the modern mind, the resurrection is utterly implausible.

You Can't Do Everything: here are 4 simple ways you can start empowering and enabling others to do the great work of ministry

The Resurrection Of Jesus: A Jewish Perspective: Historically, Jesus’ resurrection (along with his claims to be the Son of God and the Son of Man) has always been the point of contention that separates Christians and Jews. However, the Orthodox Jewish theologian Pinchas Lapide (1922–1997), in his book The Resurrection of Jesus: A Jewish Perspective, turns that expectation on its head. Though he does not believe Jesus is the Messiah, Lapide does believe that the resurrection of Jesus was a historical event. Recognizing that Jesus and his disciples were faithful Jews, he seeks to understand it from a Jewish perspective.

Missional Moms Who Never Make Sacrifices: So when we consider the calling, the work, and the sacrifices of motherhood in this light, with a thrill in our heart we can say that we have never made a sacrifice.

Help! My Kids Are Looking At Porn!: For today, here are some suggestions for how to respond when you learn that your children have been looking at or looking for pornography.

Please Don't Make My Funeral About Me: You can cry at my funeral if you want to. But don't think for a minute that my death is tragic. No matter how it happens, no matter when; it simply can't be a tragedy. Leaving this world with all of its sin-sickness to enter into the beauty and perfection and peace of the presence of Christ is something to anticipate, not avoid. Death, for me, will not be the second-best option to a longer life here. To be with Christ will not be a minor improvement on this life, but "far better" (Phil. 1:23). You can cry, but I hope your tears are, at least in part, tears of joy that I have entered into the joy of my Master.

photo credit: Sprengben [why not get a friend] via photopin cc

We love the local church, and within the family you will see many people from all walks of life, gathered together by Jesus Christ. In this family of people you will see people with amazing gifts, and some of the people know how to use those gifts they have to serve the church body. Below is a great example of a couple from Redeemer Church (Jeffrey & Laura Kranz). They have put together some great resources for people to get to know God's Word better, so take some time and look through these wonderful info graphics. 

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Infographic: How Long Is The Bible? 

• How long is the Bible compared to other major works?
• What’s the longest book of the Bible?
• What’s the shortest book of the Bible?
• Which biblical authors wrote the most?
• How long should it take to read the Bible?

And I’ve been itching to make an infographic for some time, so I put all these answers (and more) here!

If you like the Bible and you’re a numbers geek, you’ll want to read and share this infographic.

Infographic: All The "One Another" Commands In The NT

I’ve heard a couple people reference the “one another” passages in the Bible. You’ve heard a few of them:

• Bear one another’s burdens.
• Encourage one another.
• Everybody get together; try to love one another right now. (Wait . . . that might be something else.)

But I figured it’d be good for us to have all those “one another” commands in one place, ergo, this infographic!

(I have the whole list in text form below, too.)

Infographic: David's Mighty Men (And The Stories Behind Them)

You’ve probably heard about David’s mighty men (if not, you’ll be ahead of the curve in a minute). David was a skilled soldier and leader, but he wasn’t alone. He had a band of very loyal, very powerful heroes who stood by him.

They accomplished incredible things in combat. Stuff modern soldiers couldn’t do. Stuff fictitious soldiers couldn’t do.

Seriously: ever hear of Legolas from The Lord of the Rings? He killed 42 orcs in one battle, and I think everyone agrees that he’s pretty hardcore.Well, you’re about to meet someone who took out 800 bad guys at once.

Here we go . . .

Infographic: Every Dream In The Bible (And What They Mean)

Sometimes in the Bible, God communicates to people in dreams. Some of them are symbolic (like the dreams inDaniel), and some involve explicit instructions from God.

Dreams fascinate me, and I figure they’re interesting to you, too. Since God has revealed some of His word through dreams, I thought it might be cool to find all the dreams in the Bible.

So, I Bible-geeked out and made this for you.

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