From Cobwebs to Cables

Read: Psalm 19:7-11

“My Sunday school teacher said we should read the Bible on our own every day,” Macey said on the way home from church. “I’m going to start doing that today.”

“That’s great,” said Mom. “It’s good to spend time with Jesus in His Word each day. He uses it to refresh us spiritually and remind us who we are in Him.”

That afternoon—and for the next couple of days—Macey read a whole chapter in her Bible. As time went by, however, she read less and less often.

“I’m so mad at myself, Mom,” Macey said with a sigh as they were taking a walk a few weeks later. “When I decided to read the Bible every day, I really intended to do it. But I forget most of the time, or I’m too busy or too tired.”

“I used to neglect reading my Bible too,” Mom told her. “But then I made it a habit to read at a certain time every day. For me, mornings are best, and I try not to let anything interfere with my time with Jesus. By doing this, I developed a habit, and I seldom miss it now.”

“Maybe I—oh, look!” Macey stopped to look at something at the side of the road. “There’s a huge spiderweb between that post and the telephone cable.”

Mom came over to look at the web. “This reminds me of something my grandmother used to say about habits and spiderwebs. Grandma called them cobwebs, and she said, ‘Habits are first like cobwebs, then like cables.’ What do you think that means?”

Macey studied the spider’s web. “I think it means that when you first start doing something, it’s easy to forget or just not do it. You’re trying to make it a habit, but it’s easy to break—like spiderwebs are. But if you keep on doing something over and over, the habit you’re working on will become strong and hard to break—like that cable.”

“Right!” said Mom. “That’s why it’s good to make reading your Bible a habit.”

Macey thought about that as they began walking again. “Hey, Mom? Can you wake me up fifteen minutes earlier tomorrow morning? That might be a good time for me to read my Bible too.”

–Mary Rose Pearson

How about you? Do you take time to read the Bible each day? Maybe you’ve tried to before but got busy or forgot to keep it up. Starting a new habit can be hard, but reading the Bible regularly can help you get to know Jesus better and grow in your relationship with Him. Think about how you can spend time in His Word each day. Then trust Him to help you make it a habit strong enough to last a lifetime.

Today's Key Verse: I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word. Psalm 119:16 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Read the Bible every day