The Purpose Behind the Discipline

Throughout Scripture, God built rhythms into the life of His people:

• Annual festivals like Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles to remember His deliverance and provision.

• Weekly Sabbath rest to remind them that life comes from Him — not from endless striving.

• Regular giving to acknowledge that He is the true Provider.

• Fasting to remember that life is deeper than physical hunger.

• Daily devotion to stay anchored in relationship with Him.

These practices were never meant to be empty rituals. They were relational reminders.

It’s like a marriage. Having dinner together every night is a good discipline. But if you sit at the table without conversation, without heart, without connection — the relationship suffers. The discipline exists to serve intimacy, not replace it.

In the same way, spiritual disciplines are not about ticking boxes or earning points. They are there to cultivate a living relationship with the Father.

And this brings us to the heart of the message.

The Main Point: Read the Word to Know God’s Heart

We don’t read Scripture to win arguments.
We don’t study it to appear knowledgeable.
We don’t memorise it to prove a theological point.

We read the Word to know God.

When we open Scripture, the question should not only be:
“What does this say?”

But rather:
“God, what is Your heart behind this?”

A Picture from the Book of Ruth

In the days of the judges — a spiritually unstable time in Israel’s history — we find a beautiful story in the book of Book of Ruth.

Naomi loses her husband and both her sons. Her daughter-in-law Ruth chooses loyalty over comfort and follows her back to Bethlehem. They return with nothing — vulnerable and dependent.

Ruth begins gleaning in the fields of a man named Boaz — a relative of Naomi’s late husband.

Now here’s where it becomes powerful.

God’s Law instructed farmers not to harvest the edges of their fields and not to pick up what fell to the ground. This was to provide for the poor.

Boaz obeyed that law.

But he didn’t stop there.

He invited Ruth to eat with his workers.
He ensured her safety.
He instructed his men to drop extra grain for her.
He went beyond minimum obedience.

Why?

Because he understood the heart behind the law — a generous, compassionate God who cares for the vulnerable.

Another relative had the legal right to redeem Naomi’s land first. He was willing — until he realized it would cost him. He knew the law, but he didn’t embrace its heart.

Boaz did.

And because he did, he became part of something far greater than he could have imagined. Boaz and Ruth had a son named Obed, who became the grandfather of King David — and ultimately part of the lineage of Jesus Christ.

Understanding God’s heart positioned Boaz inside God’s redemptive story.

The Same Invitation for Us

Every instruction in Scripture carries the heart of God.

When we wrestle with difficult passages — whether laws, commands, or cultural practices — asking “God, what is Your heart here?” transforms how we read.

Even challenging sections begin to reveal:

• His justice

• His mercy

• His desire to restore

• His commitment to dignity

• His redemptive plan

The Word is not dry information. It is living and transformative.

In Psalm 19 we read:

“The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul…
They are more precious than gold…
Sweeter than honey…”

That is not poetic exaggeration. It is lived experience.

A Gentle Challenge

Reading Scripture is a discipline — which means we won’t always feel something dramatic. But transformation doesn’t depend on feelings. It flows from faithful engagement.

This Word has survived persecution, suppression, translation battles, and attempts to erase it throughout history. We carry an incredible privilege in having access to it so freely.

So here’s the encouragement:

• What are you reading at the moment?

• Are you enjoying it?

• If not, where will you start?

Start wisely. Choose something you can engage with and grow in. Read slowly. Ask questions. Talk about it with someone else. Often, understanding deepens in conversation.

Most importantly, read to know Him.