One of my favorite prayers in all of Scripture comes from (Psalm 119:18), where we read: “Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law.” This should be a priority prayer from the lips of all students of the Bible because it expresses our inadequacy and God’s sufficiency. This simple prayer also shows how much we need the illumination of the Holy Spirit to reveal the wonderful treasures contained in each of the 66 books of Scripture.
I believe that there is a direct correlation between the attitude we bring to our Bible reading and the joy and blessings we will receive from our time in the Word. If we view studying the Scriptures as a duty rather than a delight don’t expect to receive the deeper blessings that God wants to shower us with. But if we follow the advice in (Psalm 119:11) and (Matthew 5:6) we are well on our way to having God reveal wondrous things from the Scriptures. These two verses read: “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You,” and “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”
Reading the Word is like going on a great treasure hunt and mining for nuggets of true gold and incomparable wisdom. Not only that but consider this – the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Trinity, is your own personal guide and great illuminator of the sacred truths of the Bible.
Imagine as I read my Bible I get to eavesdrop on the conversations of Jesus; the Creator of the universe. I get to learn what God’s will is for my life and how I can play a part in advancing His wonderful kingdom on earth. I get to learn how to experience peace and joy even in the trials of life. I learn that because I have a personal relationship with Jesus I get to spend eternity with Him when I pass from this brief time here on planet earth. And as amazing and wonderful, as these things are, I get to meditate on the holy Scriptures throughout the day – and this is my greatest delight.
I pray that from now on, whenever you open your Bible, you will ask the Lord to not only open your eyes but your heart too. I guarantee if you approach God’s Word with reverence and awe, with anticipation and delight, and with a hunger and thirst to know and do His will, you will be blessed with the reading experience of a lifetime and the incredible opportunity to bond with Jesus!