S E PT E M B E R 7, 20 1 6

Treat Yourself to the Voice of God

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 Article by David Mathis
Executive Editor, desiringGod.org

One of the biggest scams Satan has running is the lie that reading the Bible is a chore.

The world, the flesh, and the devil himself muster their collective energies to deceive
us into orienting on God’s word as some mere duty, rather than receiving it as the
delight it is. We’re prone to take one of the single greatest gifts available to us and
treat it as a life-sucking obligation rather than a life-giving opportunity.

We live in a day in which the very voice of God himself in the

Scriptures is more readily available than ever before — in
“Don’t fool yourself
printed copies, in a rich plethora of translations and study
Bibles, and in countless applications on computers we carry and into thinking there’s
smartphones we can tuck into our pockets. Yet we’re so prone
any virtue in making
to ignore and neglect his voice, and treat ourselves to just about
anything else in its place. Bible time as
One of the most important actions we can take on any given day
unpleasant as
is to fight through the fog, against Satan’s great deception, and possible.”
get our souls within earshot of God’s word. Cultivating the daily
habit of enjoying “time alone with God” in the Scriptures feeds
our souls and gives us our bearings for the rough and tumble of

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 everyday life, whatever your vocation and state of family, church, and community
responsibilities.

How to Grow a Habit

But what goes into developing a solid, reliable habit? What steps can we take, apart
from raw willpower, to foster the instinct and enflame the desire to hear from God
daily in his inspired Book? Don’t fool yourself that there’s any virtue in making Bible
time as unpleasant as possible. Mere duty will not suffice for long-term motivation or
biblical obedience.

In seeking to set aside time to open the Bible and hear God speak, we cannot be
content with just checking boxes and crossing the first item off the day’s to-do list.
Rather, we can take little steps, that go a long way, to make our time in God’s word be
among the most anticipated and delight-filled moments of each day.

Treat Yourself
I’ve found it revolutionary over the years to recognize and own daily “time alone with
God” as an opportunity to treat myself. God’s offer to us to hear his voice is not a call
to austerity, but the invitation of Isaiah 55:1, “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to
the waters.”

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 Consider what small supplemental steps you can take to cultivate eagerness and
receptiveness to God’s word — to develop the mentality that a regular season of Bible
intake and prayer is a joy to anticipate, a genuine chance to treat yourself in the best
of senses.

EARLY BEDTIME

First, treat yourself to an earlier bedtime. The night before affects the next morning
more than we often recognize. Even just half an hour earlier can make a big difference.
Earlier to bed enables you to rise earlier in the morning, without being tired, to treat
yourself to a more unhurried time of Bible intake and prayer. And the earlier you rise,
the fewer distractions you will encounter. More people are still asleep. You’ll find less
pressure to move into other activities.

If you’ve never been a morning person, and have tried wedging

in devotional time later in the day, I’d challenge you to give
“God’s offer to receive
mornings a genuine try with a “treat yourself” mentality.
Perhaps these ideas below will make a difference. God does not his word is not a call
mandate that we have morning devotions — he doesn’t even
to austerity, but an
command a daily “quiet time” — but he does offer his own self
to us in his word, and the overwhelming testimony of God’s invitation to feast.”
people throughout history has been that the first moments of
the day are both fitting and practically beneficial for prioritizing
the voice of first importance.

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 INVITING SPACE

Treat yourself to a setting you enjoy, and can easily access. Maybe it’s a comfy chair
or the kitchen table or nearby coffee shop. For me, it can be any big, clear surface —
all the better when facing a window with a nice view. Through the winter, it’s my desk
in the basement, with natural light streaming in from the egress window above. It
gets cold down there, so I treat myself to warm slippers and a small space heater
under the desk. Whatever your setting, it can help to don comfortable clothes.

After a long Minnesota winter, my favorite spot in the summer becomes our front
porch, which faces east, with the golden solstice sun cresting the tree line. I know
people who prefer to walk, rather than sit, as they hold a Bible, or listen to an audio
version. Find your contexts that inspire your soul to focus on God and gladly receive
his word.

GOOD SMELLS

Treat yourself to good smells. This may seem silly and superfluous to some, but for
others, good smells can go a long way. The expense of lighting candles or diffusing
fragrant oils can add up over time, but Jesus himself applauded lavishness when
expended toward appreciating him. Not only did Jesus commend Mary for choosing
“the good portion” by sitting at his feet (Luke 10:38–42), but he also defended her
lavishness when his disciples accused her of wasting money to anoint those same feet
(John 12:3–8).

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 Instead of treating yourself to nice restaurants, expensive
entertainment, and new clothes, consider reallocating some of
“Money invested in
those resources to treat yourself to something of far greater
importance: time alone with God. Perhaps that includes candles hearing from God is
or furniture or something warm to drink. The principle is that,
money well spent.”
within reason, money invested in hearing from God is money
well spent.

CONDUCIVE SOUNDS

Treat yourself to background music — or none. Some prefer silence; others, gospel
choruses or hymns. Perhaps, like me, you find it’s not the same sound every day —
sometimes silence, other times an epic Lord of the Rings soundtrack.

Monitor how music affects your Bible intake. Music is powerful — and can be a help or
hindrance. Background music for Bible reading is one thing. Songs with words might
distract your reading. But consider using hymns and choruses, after reading, to sing to
God in a spirit of worship.

AMAZING OPPORTUNITY

Finally, treat yourself to prayer, which connects us to one of the most mind-boggling
realities in the universe: the open ear of God. God not only speaks to us in his word,
but he also gives us access to himself through his Son. He wants to hear from us.

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 Instead of jumping into prayer lists, or parroting the same old requests, treat yourself
to a more relational engagement with God. Don’t ignore what he’s just said to you in
the Bible and awkwardly change the subject, but respond in prayer with his word in
view. Pray his word, and that he would do in your heart and life what his word
commands and inspires. And pray it for your family and friends and coworkers and
neighbors.

Habits of Grace
Enjoying Jesus Through the Spiritual
Disciplines
David Mathis

Though seemingly routine, the everyday “habits of grace” we

cultivate give access to the God-designed channels through
which his love and power flow.

David Mathis (@davidcmathis) is executive editor for desiringGod.org and pastor at Cities Church.
He is a husband, father of four, and author of Rich Wounds: The Countless Treasures of the Life,
Death, and Triumph of Jesus (2022).

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after Jesus and his Bride; not vice versa. This is
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