Often when you’re reading through the Bible, you’ll hit these sections and seasons that are just plain hard work! Some good examples of this are the lists of names and numbers in the Old Testament ( a bit like reading the White Pages), and other sections where it just seems like the same thing is getting repeated over and over again!

So when the going gets tough…

1) Remind yourself that this is actually the Word of God

There aren’t some bits of the Bible that are more ‘God-inspired’ than others – 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that ‘ALL SCRIPTURE is God-breathed’.

So there is something that God wants to communicate to us – even in the hard and difficult bits of Scripture! Thinking like this will help you look at that difficult bit from another angle, and position you to be able to get ‘water out of a rock’!

Sometimes we have to perservere and think upon what the passage is saying.  sometimes we are learning the lesson of what to do or what not to do from a persons life.

remember the Holy Spirit dwells within us to teach us and illuminate God’s word to us and give us understanding.

pray that God will open your eyes to understand!

ALL OF THE BIBLE is God inspired and active and useful and can speak to us – we must trust God to speak and seek Him for wisdom and revelation.

2) Remember the illumination / meditation principle

You’re not reading everything – you’re looking for ‘one thing’. Read through until there is something that stands out – it might be a person’s name for example, or a particular number that is different to another. Or maybe it’s the numbers used themselves – why those numbers? Why not something else?

Let illumination lead you to meditation – you’ll be amazed at what God will speak to you about from what would on the outside appear to be ‘dry’.

3) If you really don’t get anything…

…then don’t despair, dont worry. Thank God for His Word, and for what you’ve read – and know that even just by reading it, you’ve placed Him first for this time, and the words that you’ve read have washed over your mind.   The Word of God is always active and powerful and discerning and transforming, whether we see it or feel it or not.

There are sometimes ‘deserts’ along the way, but as we persist in encountering God through the Word, the ‘oasis’ will surely return!  Continue to be faithful.

This disipline and faithfulness  and attitude of perservance is important!

- also be aware that sometimes we’re not switched in or concentrating.  this may affect how we read and absorb and understand.  if you’re reading the Bible late at night after a full on day you may just be simply too tired.  make it a priority to read the Word and spend time with God, not an afterthought to the day.

- if need be, if you’re in a rut, make some changes.  change what version you’re reading.  buy some new coloured pens.  change the time of day you do it.  begin a journal.  write 15 things about each passage you read – the “jsut what you notice details or thoughts.”  do a word study.  break down a passage and personalize it.

- remember Hebrews 11:6 – God rewards those who diligently seek Him.  reading His Word and praying = diligently seeking Him.

- remember James 4:8 draw near to God and he will draw near to you!