Grow Your Delight In God’s Word (Part 4) – Read With Others Who Delight

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

Acts 2:42

Read the others posts in this series – Post #1 Series Intro; Post #2 Pray for Delight; Post #3 Plan for Delight; Post #4 Read With Others Who Delight. Post #5 “Know God’s Delight.“  

Much of this series has focused on our Bible reading habits as individuals. But we have to remember that while we may read and study our Bibles alone, the Christian life is never to be lived in isolation. As the body of Christ, we should not only be seeking to grow individually, but also seeking help from others in our own growth and seeking to help others grow where we can. 

Therefore, a third way to grow in our delight for God’s Word is to read with others who delight in God’s Word. 

Read With Those Who Know What to Look For

In Holiness, J.C. Ryle writes, 

“I charge every reader of this paper to ask himself frequently what the Bible is to him. Is it a Bible in which you have found nothing more than good moral precepts and sound advice? Or is it a Bible in which you have found Christ? Is it a Bible in which “Christ is all”? If not, I tell you plainly, you have hitherto used your Bible to very little purpose. You are like a man who studies the solar system and leaves out in his studies the sun, which is the centre of all. It is no wonder if you find your Bible a dull book!” 

Sometimes we miss out on delight as we read Scripture because we don’t know what to look for. We don’t know Christ is the center of all, so we miss him as we read. We look at the solar system and miss the sun.

Last year, my family spent a weekend in Duluth, MN with my mother and father-in-law. Part of our weekend was spent at Gooseberry Falls looking for agates along the Lake Superior shore. I have no idea what to look for when searching for agates. But thankfully my father-in-law Tom is much more knowledgeable and is able to describe what I should look for. It was much more enjoyable when we found something because with his help we actually knew we had found something. 

In the same way, you will find more delight in God’s Word when you read and study alongside others who know what to look for. The delight of mature men and women who find and savor Christ as they read Scripture is contagious.

If you want to grow your delight in reading the Bible, find a mentor, discipleship group, Bible study, or other small group that can help you see wonder in God’s Word that you might otherwise miss.

Who Has Helped You Find Delight in God’s Word?

Who has helped you find delight in God’s Word? Share in the comments who helped you to know what to look for as you read God’s Word and what they did that helped you.