If you're anything like me (and I'm sure you are, whether you admit it or not), you might have started off with your Bible reading in a selective manner. Starting off as a Christian, I recall that there were parts of the Bible that I loved and other parts that I didn't enjoy too much.
Like most people, I liked reading books like Psalms and the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) but found many books in the Old Testament plus the last book of Revelation to be some pretty much untouched scriptures. The only time I'd go through the book of Numbers was when I was having trouble sleeping. Reading Isaiah, Ezekiel or Revelations was like reading a horror novel.
To say the least, many parts of the Bible may seem boring, scary, confusing, and unenjoyable at first. But as we progress in our walk with God, we will find that all parts can be enjoyed—even those we don't like at first.
Psalm 1:1-2 tells us, "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night."
We think of delight most of the time from an entertainment or leisure standpoint. We think something is likeable because it's fun, relevant, and compelling. But not everything that's fun is good for you.
At the same time, not everything that's not "entertaining" is bad for you. God's Word may not be in full motion (although there are surely plenty of resources that make God's Word come alive through various media like video, podcast and the like), but it is something we can delight in.
Why? In John 6:68, Peter once said this to Jesus: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."
We come to Jesus and hear His Word primarily through prayer and Bible reading. When we do so, we become recipients to eternal life. When God speaks of eternal life, He isn't just talking about going to heaven. He refers to a more abundant life both in this age and the next.
We delight in God's law because it brings us life. Every single scripture—though seemingly boring, irrelevant and misleading—contains life-giving truth. And when we allow God's Spirit to guide us through the Word, which He promises to in Ephesians 1:17, we can gain so much life from reading God's Word and so much delight as well.
There is enjoyment in reading all of God's scriptures—not just the parts that are flowery, short, and simple, but the whole of God's scriptures from Genesis to Revelations. They all speak of God's love, power and glory. They show us the grand scheme of God's good, pleasing, and perfect will for all mankind. They show us the holiness and majesty of a God who leaves us in awe. The Bible is about God, and God can and will always be a compelling delight.
