I've been where you are...reading the Word from time to time but not seeing it really make a difference in my life or heart, not really feeling a hunger for the Word. So I wanted to give you an idea that might help you...like it helped me.

First...this is the part I hesitate to write, because I really don't want you to take it for more than what it is...when you come to the Word, erase all the teachings of man in your past. Often, the teachings of man is so superficially tasty that we reject the meaty truth of the Word. By approaching the Word after setting aside all teachings of man, you are coming to the Word as tho it is brand new, as opposed to something you've heard over and over to the point that your eyes glaze over when someone starts quoting scripture.

The teachings of man should give us a hunger for the flavor of God. Very often, instead of driving us to the Word, we listen to the talk or read the words of man, and skim the scripture (or scripture references) because we've developed a hunger for the flavor of the words of man.

So set those aside. As you read, you are going to find scripture that will support some teachings. And don't be surprised when you find that you have swallowed whole some teachings that are taken from a tiny portion of scripture and blown up to be something it is not...or something that was taught as scripture and isn't. It happens. No man is God. That's why we need to always be checking the teaching against the scripture. The WHOLE scripture.

Enter your time in the Word every time with a prayer that the Holy Spirit will be with you.

Determine that if you have any questions you bring them first to your husband, secondly to either an older woman or an older man your husband says you can approach. The latter is a very narrow choice. My husband feels good about my brothers or my pastor and a couple elderly men in our church answering my questions. But that's only if Tim is not available and only assuming I will bring the answer to Tim later when he is available and check it out with him. Stay safe in this area. It's better not to ask at all than to ask the wrong person. (This is based on scripture, which I won’t go into here, but ask if you’d like to know.)

OK...Try this.

1. Get a pen and a highlighter.

2. Choose a set of books to read thru. Some suggestions:

*The epistles minus Romans

*The Gospels, the major prophets

*The minor prophets.

*For just one book choices, choose either Romans or Job. 

• Don't choose the Psalms or any of the poetry books just yet.  Those are "heart" books. Until you desire the heart of the Father, you will miss so much that is lovely in there. Save them till later.
  
  3. Start at the beginning of your set of books and read them thru in order. Keep a Strong's Concordance or e-Sword nearby in case you need them.
  
  4. Read one verse at a time, being sure you understand the verse before going on to the next one. But read. Just read. If you find yourself just glancing at scripture, then go back like you do in a normal book when you are reading and not taking in what you are reading and just really read each one.
  
  5. Use your highlighter to highlight any verse that you don't understand, doesn't make sense to you, doesn't fit.  Your Bible will be filled with highlighted verses.   But that's ok. You have lots of years to understand those. Once they are highlighted, you've admitted you don't understand them and can come back some other time and look at them, and for now, just move on. Maybe on Sunday, the pastor will teach on one of those highlighted verses or something will happen or you will read elsewhere in the Word, and all of a sudden you will understand that verse. When that happens...
  
  6. Underline every verse with the pen that you come across that you have memorized, that has been a comfort, encouragement, strength, whatever in the past, or that means something special to you right now as you read it. Later, when you come to an understanding of a previously highlighted verse, underline it! It is now YOURS!
  
  7. When you finish your set of books, come back and talk to me! I want to hear!

Two more things:

a. When you are ready for it...maybe even do it while reading thru one of the above set of books, get the "So That's Why Bible" (on sale at CBD right now for $5), and read the Old Testament in chronological order. You are going to be surprised at all the things about God that you never knew. Very surprised!

b. What was b? Don't you hate it when your brain does that?! Oh yes! Maybe not right now, but you might want to look online for wide margin Bibles with thicker pages. Don't wait to start this till you find one you like. Use the Bible you own right now. You need to have as many Bibles as you have children marked up with your notes and highlighter and pen before you die (that way, each child has one of your marked up, well-loved Bibles). So there is plenty of time to start on a new Bible in a year or two.

Even if you don't have much room, squeeze in notes, songs that come to mind when you read a verse, dates when a verse stood you in great strength or comfort, names of someone you are or want to pray a verse for or a verse that you want to think on regarding someone. Write in your Bible. It's a way of interacting with God's Word...and that means a way of interacting with God.

I love being in God's Word. Sometimes I'm frustrated that there are other things I have to do that keep me from being in His Word for hours. Other days, I just carry the memory of what I read in His Word or ponder questions because I just don't have the time I want to read. But I still feel like I'm in His Word...because His Word is in me.

But it wasn't always this way. It's been up and down, trying to find a place that is actually desire instead of "have to" or "should do".

Reading the WHOLE Word instead of a piece here and there has been the thing that has developed my hunger. That and setting aside the teachings of man, comparing them to the Word instead of using the Word to bolster the teachings.