Quick Backdrop:
OK, let’s admit it. Sometimes reading is not the most exciting thing in the world to do. As fate or divine providence would have it, God’s Word is, well, words, that require reading. So, sometimes when we’re reading, our minds might wander or our eyes might droop a bit, even when we’re reading something important such as words from God. Maybe this is why God embedded key alarm-bell words in the Bible to wake us up and grab our attention.

Obviously, every word in the Bible is important, but these alarm-bell words always should alert us to something special that’s happening in Scripture. One of the most important alarm-bell words is therefore.

Therefore doesn’t sound exciting, but here is a useful, simple phrase that’s good to keep handy in your mind while reading Scripture: “Every time you see the word therefore, you need to go back and see what it’s there for.” Get it?

When we see the word therefore, it means some information (usually a great truth) was just shared, and the information coming next (usually an action based on that great truth) is connected to the information that was just shared. If we don’t know what information came before the word therefore, we won’t completely understand the information that comes after. So, we need to see what a therefore is there for.

The Word:
Let’s try it. Read the passages noted below from your Bible or print the verses from a Bible website. As you read, do these things:
1. Look for the word therefore and draw something around it: a burst, a circle, etc.
2. Then go back and see what it’s there for. Look at the info that comes before the word therefore and underline any great truths that are being described.
3. Then, look at the info after the word therefore and circle any actions that are connected to the great truths.

Romans 11:33-12:2
The great truth(s):
The action(s):

1 Corinthians 6:18-20
The great truth(s):
The action(s):

2 Corinthians 3:9-13
The great truth(s):
The action(s):

Hebrews 2:17-3:1
The great truth(s):
The action(s):

Hebrews 4:12-14
The great truth(s):
The action(s):

The So What:
In just these past few minutes, you have touched on one of the biggest propositions of the Christian faith. It goes something like this:

Because of this great truth, here is how I will respond: ___________.

This is a fundamental theme throughout all of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation.

Now take a minute to personalize the passages you just looked at. Look again at the great truths of each passage. Meditate on them and ask God to drill these deep into your heart. Then look at the actions and think about how or why these particular actions are connected to their respective truths. Finally, personalize the actions by writing out how you can do each one throughout your day.

Seal the Deal:
Here’s another little secret about reading words from God. God actually never said to read them. He said to ingest them, to ruminate on them, to heed them, to own them. Knowing what to do every time you see the word therefore will keep you on the lookout for great truths and their accompanying actions. This is a guaranteed method to keep the drowsies away while reading your Bible; in fact, you may never read your Bible again. Rather, you constantly will experience Scripture in a heightened state of alertness, and you will finish your quiet times fully awake and wanting more.