You cheat your soul any time you read the Bible and close it without making a personal connection to God. I do it regularly, yet my soul knows what is missing. Some souls have never felt the real power of the Word of God. John 1:1-5 describes the effect the Word is meant to have on a soul:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

The Word of God is given to be that powerful to our souls. When your soul connects to the Word, your soul connects to God. The Word is so powerful it made all things. The Word has life and light that darkness cannot overcome. When your soul reads the Word, it stays with you. It transforms you in miraculous ways that you don’t recognize at first.
I’m not saying it is easy to have this experience every time you read the Bible.

I’m saying it is possible. It’s not easy because you have to have an open heart, mind and spirit. Opening your heart, mind and spirit threatens your flesh. The more comfortable you are in your flesh, the more likely you will be to cheat your soul when you read the Bible.

When you first start reading the Word, it might seem dull and hard to understand. Your flesh will let you do it out of duty. If you open up the Word asking God to speak personally into your soul, you need to think deeply about what you read to get what God is saying to you. It might help to identify what your soul is hungry for from the Word. Perhaps you are on the brink of hopelessness about ever being loved the way you long to be loved. Let your soul sense what you need. Then open the Word and expect God to speak to your need.

I enjoy the practice of Lectio Divina. Daily, I listen for a word or phrase and keep that word with me for the day. It helps me feel connected to God and know that He has a purpose for my life. Sometimes that purpose is to share the word or phrase God gave me that morning with whom I am in contact.

Just this week a heavy winter rain turned to a beautiful snow in Dallas. My word for that day came from Psalm 51:2a, “Wash away my iniquities; All day long I enjoyed the transition as the rain washed dirt way and the snow made it beautifully white and cleaner than clean.”

Souls are nourished through the living word of God. Let your soul lead you to have the experience I am talking about. Many years ago I started reading a short portion of Scripture every day and calling it devotion time. When I first started, it was somewhat of a duty. Now, I wouldn’t leave the house without my word for the day!