Every Christian knows that engaging with Scripture is an important part of life with God. For some people, reading a few chapters has become a daily habit while, for others, it remains an unmet goal that can leave them feeling guilty.
However much you read, and whether that reading comes easily or through much struggle, the temptation for all of us is moving too quickly over the words of Scripture. (Ironically, those who try to read regularly through the Bible might be the most prone to this temptation.)
I came across a quote that pinpoints how we can make the most of our time in the Scripture, and the answer—perhaps to your surprise—isn’t more volume. It’s pace.
“If there is a secret to getting involved with God through the pages of Scripture, then perhaps it’s this: turn the pages slowly… Many of us have to read for our jobs, and we pride ourselves on how rapidly we can move through vast quantities of print. But the Bible discourages us from making mileage a measure of success. In many cases, its riches are perceptible only to those who move slowly, like mushroom hunters, peering closely where at first there appears to be nothing at all to see.”
Maybe rather than striving for mileage and volume we can slow down and linger long enough in the Word to discover the deep riches of God’s grace.