Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.
Proverbs 6:6-8
We’re continuing… Daily Bible Reading.
I want to address one of the challenges we face with reading our Bibles at this time of year: discipline. By now, many are settling into a reading rhythm, while others are losing some motivation. What began with vigor and vitality can become duty and responsibility. It’s here where we begin to see our Bible reading as a discipline. It is not that we’re struggling necessarily with the idea of Bible reading, but we’re often uncomfortable with the need for discipline to continue.
However, discipline is not only part and parcel of reading our Bibles every day, but is also necessary. And the necessity of discipline is not bad.
Let me explain this with an illustration. When a ship sets out from land, into the sea, it has sails that it opens up, and the wind blows the ship in a direction guided by the helmsman, the skipper. There are times, however, when the wind stops blowing, and the leader must decide: sit and wait or engage.
To reach its intended destination, the crew must put out oars and begin to row the ship in the direction that the helmsman has appointed.
Let’s make the illustration practical. The goal of Bible reading is to know our Creator-God. The wind is the motivation that fluctuates with the whims of emotion, distraction, life, and more. The oars are habits, discipline. Rowing is pulling out the oars and keeping the ship headed in the right direction. It’s not bad; just as opening sales to catch the wind isn’t bad; however, we can’t depend solely on motivation to move forward toward godliness and holiness. We all know motivation is up and down.
When we tie that illustration to reading our Bibles, we see that often, the wind is not blowing, and the oars have to come out.
It is here that discipline aids us toward the Celestial City and closer intimacy with our God. It is also here that we have to be willing to have our oars out and apply ourselves to the daily discipline of reading. Which, in effect, is availing ourselves to God, and pointing us in the direction of holiness and His fellowship.
So let me sum up the illustration. The direction of the ship is godliness, Christ-likeness, holiness, ultimately in the desire to know and fellowship with God. The sails are our opening up to motivation, the wind that blows is motivation that comes and goes, and the oars that we put into the sea, the ocean, to move us toward that destination of Christ-likeness, are the habits and disciplines that we maintain every day.
Despite the wind blowing or not blowing. When the wind blows, and we get motivated, rowing is a lot easier. However, the rowing must continue–not to gain God, but because I press on to know Him more.
Press on!
I’m with you!
— February 19, 2026