How I read the Bible

I was thinking the other day about how I read the Bible. I listen to people talk about how they long to be in the Word and learn so much during their time with God and can find such deep truths in the simplest verses, and it got me thinking...

Why don't I feel like that towards the Bible?

I spend time reading the Bible. I have been good about having my daily quiet time. I would read a chapter from whatever book of the Bible I was in at the time, read a Psalm, and then pray. 

But I never longed to read the Bible.

It's what I do in the morning while I eat my breakfast. 

It's what I do because I know that I should.

It's what I do because I honestly love spending my time in the morning with God and can completely tell a difference in my day if for some reason I missed a morning. 

But I wouldn't say that I love the Bible. 

And I think that I know why. 

I tend to read the Bible the way that I read my books for school, not the way that I read my books for fun. There is a complete difference in the two. 

My school books I read out of obligation. Even when I enjoy them and find them interesting, I don't love reading them, I don't read ahead of the assigned reading because I'm dieing to find out something new about rocks (I'm taking goel 101). 

I read what I have to, but no more. 

With the books that I read because I want to, its completely different. When I was reading Harry Potter for the first time, I would stay up till like 1 in the morning reading, nevermind that I had to get up at 6 for school the next day. I couldn't wait to get home and be done with my school work so that I could sit up in my room and read. I would turn off the TV and instead read. 

Why do I get more excited about reading Harry Potter than I do the Word of God?

I think that I read the Bible the way that I read for school. I might enjoy it and I definitely learn from it, but I don't do it for fun. I don't sit down in my spare time to pick up my Bible and do some pleasure reading in Leviticus.

I think that I put a lot of pressure on myself, I tend to think that if I don't find some life-changing theology in every verse, than I'm not working hard enough.

I turn it into a chore, instead of a joy. 

So, I'm trying something new. I'm just reading. I'm starting in Genesis and I'm just reading. If something jumps out at me, I write it down, but I'm not stressing myself out about how much I read or what I get out of what I read. I just read. 

I hope to get all the way through during this year, but I'm not going to stress out over following a schedule. The other day, I read one chapter, today I read 6. 

And I'm enjoying it!

Maybe this is something that you can relate to. If so, I would love to hear what you think, things that you have been thinking about or praying about.

This is what I'm trying, I'll let you know how it goes.

If you would pray for me, that I would develop a true love and joy in God's Word, I would appreciate it!!