I woke up late this morning. That rarely happens. I guess my body was dictating that I needed it. But unless I am leaving in the early morning on a trip, my early routine is always the same. My goal each day after getting “presentable” is to get a hot tea or coffee and head to my “chair” to be alone. Well, not alone–the Lord is there already in the closet, waiting for me to come.

I hold my Bible. The Bible. The Word of God. We can routinely grow used to having it and this can hinder how much we profit from our daily reading. What I mean is that when I pick up my Bible any morning, I often don’t remind myself often enough what I am getting ready to engage in–hearing the voice of God Himself from the Bible. I must engage my mind, my heart and soul to conscious treasuring the Bible daily. We must consciously cultivate a high and treasuring view of the Bible when we read every morning. If we don’t have that every morning, we won’t have that attitude on Sundays or anytime we hear the Bible preached. Our goal ultimately should be, as Anne Steele puts it, to find “sweet freshment” from the Bible.

Whenever I open my Bible daily to read—

– Do I have a reverent heart?
– Do I engage my heart to be teachable?
– Do I pray in faith for God to speak to me?
– Do I view my reading time as communion with my Father rather than a time to gain Bible knowledge or information?
– Do I remind myself when I read that I am reading God’s words and hearing His voice when I am reading?

Anne Steele’s heart, expressed in her hymn, Father of Mercies, In Thy Word, expresses the attitude and heart which we should cultivate daily in our daily reading of Scripture—

Father of mercies, in Thy Word
What endless glory shines!
Forever be Thy Name adored
For these celestial lines.

Here [in the Bible] may the wretched sons of need
Exhaustless riches find;
Riches above what earth can grant,
And lasting as the mind.

Amidst these gloomy wilds below,
When dark and sad we stray,
Here beams of heaven relieve our woe,
And guide to endless day.

Here springs of consolation rise
To cheer the fainting mind,
And thirsty souls receive supplies,
And sweet refreshments find.

Here the Redeemer’s welcome voice
Spreads heavenly peace around;
And life and everlasting joys
Attend the blissful sound.

Oh, may these hallowed pages be
Our joy by day and night,
And still new beauties may we see,
And still increasing light.

Divine Instructor, gracious Lord,
O grant our fervent prayer,
Teach us to love Thy sacred Word,
And view the Savior there.

– Mack Tomlinson