Imagine inheriting an enormous fortune of five billion dollars and committing to withdraw only $1 a day. Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? Why limit yourself to $1 when you have billions at your disposal?

But that is exactly what many people do with the greatest treasure of all, God's Word. An immeasurable source of joy and power lies at their fingertips, and they settle for a "commitment" to read their "One-Minute Bible."

Is God's Word your treasure? Can you say with the psalmist, "In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches" (Psa. 119:14), or, "The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces" (v. 72), or, "Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold" (v. 127)?

If not, have you settled for dollar-a-day devotions when an infinite wealth of wisdom, delight, strength, and power could be yours?

Treasure for Everyone

I am convinced that most believers rob themselves of much joy by neglecting the treasury of God's Word. Somehow we have gotten the notion that Bible study is important for pastors and preachers, scholars, theologians, and maybe Sunday school teachers; but not for housewives, mechanics, teenagers, widows, carpenters, accountants, or preschoolers. After all, it's just too hard to understand.

But nothing could be further from the truth!

One of my deepest passions is to motivate people to become learners and lovers of God's Word. I believe that every follower of Jesus should make it his or her ambition to understand the entire Bible as well as possible.

Not only is it an infallible source of wisdom; it is also a well-spring of joy. After all, the Word is God's primary means of revealing to us His character, purposes, promises, will, and ways.

It Takes Time

But really understanding Scripture does take time. A. W. Tozer wisely said, "It is well that we accept the hard truth now: The man who would know God must give time to Him. He must count no time wasted which is spent in the cultivation of His acquaintance. He must give himself to meditation and prayer hours on end."

Meditation and prayer hours on end? Is this realistic?

Life in today's world does make "hours on end" sound very idealistic. But the point remains: It takes time to get to know the Lord and His Word.

Immersing Yourself in the Story

Let me share something that might help you. Have you ever "lost yourself" in a story?

Think of some great epic film, like Ben Hur or Lord of the Rings, which captured your imagination as time faded into oblivion. Or perhaps the clock ticked by unbeknownst to you as you traced clues with Sherlock Holmes or Hercules Poirot in a mystery novel.

What captured your attention? The story.

Did you know that God's Word is an unfolding story? It is the story of God's redemptive purpose for a fallen world, but it is full of details, with depth, congruity, and meaning-much like Tolkien's Lord of the Rings with its hobbits and elves, towers and trolls, and rings and kings.

Sometimes we imagine that God's Word is nothing more than a collection of unusual, unrelated stories (Noah and the Flood, David and Goliath), moral aphorisms (Proverbs, James), and apocalyptic mysteries (Ezekiel, Daniel, Revelation), with the story of Jesus tucked away somewhere in between.

But it's not. It's a history in which every part, even the genealogies with all of those funny names, fits into the larger narrative like so many unique pieces in a jigsaw puzzle.

One reason many believers do not greatly delight in Scripture is that they have not immersed themselves in its very true story that has everything to do with their own lives and the destiny of this world.

A Telescope and a Microscope

Someone once said that one should study the Scriptures with both a telescope and a microscope. One needs a telescope to get the big picture, to survey the panorama of God's unfolding plan.

The microscope is needed to explore the many hidden truths in verses, phrases, and words. In other words, read broadly to get the big picture, and meditate deeply to feed your soul.

Making It Personal

Could I urge you to read broadly and meditate deeply in your personal study of the Scriptures this next year?

Immerse yourself in the story by reading through the Old Testament, maybe with the help of a good survey (I recommend Graeme Goldworthy's According to Plan: The Unfolding Revelation of God in the Bible). In addition, deeply study one book-perhaps a gospel or one of Paul's letters.

Don't shortchange yourself with dollar-a-day devotions when there are millions at your disposal.