To receive God’s Word—whether reading a verse or two or an entire chapter—means to be thoughtful, disciplined, and deliberative about what we read, which requires a level of focus that may at first be difficult to maintain. But a consistent practice of even ten minutes a day can go a long way toward rewiring our brains for reflection and depth, making it easier for us to increase the time as our desire grows.
David Wells notes that there are three components to every communication—the words used, what the speaker hopes to convey, and the outcome the speaker desires in those who hear—all of which come into play in our interaction with God’s Word. What does this passage actually tell me? What is God seeking to reveal about his heart, his character, his ways, or the motivation behind his words? What response from me does this passage call for?
Whatever the methods we use to focus our minds and hearts on Scripture, we can never forget the wonder that the voice speaking these words to us is that of God himself.
Tricia McCary Rhodes is the author of several books including The Wired Soul: Finding Spiritual Balance in a Hyperconnected Age. She is an adjunct professor of practical theology at Fuller Seminary. Taken from The Wired Soul copyright © 2016 by Tricia McCary Rhodes. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
