How to Make the Bible Part of Your Life

Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, and I shall observe it to the end.
–Psalm 119:33

God speaks to us primarily through Scripture. So how can we make sure we’re listening to His voice? Let me mention three practical ways to make God’s Word part of your life.

First of all, come to Scripture with a submissive mind. God gave us the Bible not to increase our level of knowledge but to increase our level of obedience. In Psalm 119:33, the psalmist said, “Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, and I shall observe it to the end.” He was saying, “If You teach me what I need to know, I pledge to obey what You reveal to me.” If we want to hear from God through His Word, we have to approach the Bible with an attitude of obedience.

Second, learn to distinguish between precepts and principles in Scripture. Precepts are specific commands we are to follow, such as “Flee immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18), “Do not grumble” (John 6:43), and “Love one another” (John 13:34). Those are commands we find in the New Testament, so we know they apply to us today. On the other hand, principles are general truths we have to apply to our specific situation. For example, we don’t live under the law in Leviticus 19:19 that forbids clothing made of blended materials. But the principle we can apply is that as God’s people, we’re to live holy lives. In order to apply God’s Word, we have to understand the difference between precepts and principles.

Third, develop a plan. Think about building your dream house. What’s the likelihood of that happening if all you have is a dream? You need to choose a site, hire an architect, make a budget, set a timeline, and so on to make that dream a reality. It’s the same way with God’s Word. Wishing to hear from God is not enough; you need a set time and place for reading the Bible. Christian writer Steve Farrar confessed there was a period in his life when he was a “spiritual anorexic.” He had no appetite for God’s Word, and he was starving to death spiritually. So desperate was his condition that he made a commitment to begin each day by reading the Bible. Are you so desperate to hear from God that you’re willing to set aside time to read His Word?

Oswald Chambers wrote, “The mere reading of the Word of God has power to communicate the life of God to us mentally, morally and spiritually. God makes the words of the Bible a sacrament, i.e., the means whereby we partake of His life, it is one of His secret doors for the communication of His life to us.” God speaks to us through His Word. Are you ready to listen?

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Today’s devotion is adapted from “The Bible Tells Me So?” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2008.

Steve Farrar, Point Man, rev. ed. (Colorado Springs: Multnomah, 2022), 98; Oswald Chambers, Approved unto God, in The Complete Works of Oswald Chambers (Grand Rapids: Discovery House, 2000), 5.

Scripture quotations are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.