Cultivating the Right Heart for God’s Word | A Book Review of Before You Open Your Bible by Matt Smethurst
- Amber Thiessen
- 1 hour ago
- 5 min read
Whether Bible reading feels like a brand-new, daunting task, or whether it’s become a familiar habit, Before You Open Your Bible was a needed reminder for me in this season. My own time in the Word had slowly slipped into a droll routine—a checklist to get through rather than an invitation to commune with the living God. These heart postures helped me pause, reset, and recover a sense of awe at what it really means to open Scripture.
Instead of rushing past the pages, I was reminded to come with expectancy, humility, and joy. This little book nudged me out of autopilot and invited me to thoughtfully consider not just that I read the Bible, but how I approach it—heart, mind, and soul prepared to meet with God Himself.
Cultivating the Right Heart for God’s Word | A Book Review of Before You Open Your Bible by Matt Smethurst
Content
Content
Purpose of the Book
The focus of this little book is to guide our posture before God’s Word, helping us reshape how we approach Scripture—moving from routine or overfamiliarity to a posture that is prayerful, humble, desperate, studious, obedient, joyful, expectant, communal, and centered on Christ.
Table of Contents
Introduction: Too Daunting or Too Familiar?
CHAPTER 1: Approach Your Bible Prayerfully
CHAPTER 2: Approach Your Bible Humbly
CHAPTER 3: Approach Your Bible Desperately
CHAPTER 4: Approach Your Bible Studiously
CHAPTER 5: Approach Your Bible Obediently
CHAPTER 6: Approach Your Bible Joyfully
CHAPTER 7: Approach Your Bible Expectantly
CHAPTER 8: Approach Your Bible Communally
CHAPTER 9: Approach Your Bible Christocentrically
Conclusion: Seeing God with Your Ear
Summary
When you glance through the chapter titles, you might be tempted to think, “I’ve heard all this before.” But Matt Smethurst gently urges us to pause and consider—are these truths really shaping the way we open God’s Word each day? His reminders are not simply familiar concepts but invitations to reflect on how we actually approach Scripture.
The introduction asks us to examine the posture of our hearts and minds before the Word of God. For some, Bible reading feels like a wishful habit—something we want to begin but struggle to sustain. For others, it’s familiar, well-worn, and woven into our routine. Either way, whether we come with apprehension or complacency, we all need the reminder to approach the Bible afresh.
Smethurst highlights nine postures for opening God’s Word:
Prayerfully. As the old children’s song reminds us, “Read your Bible, pray every day and you’ll grow, grow, grow.” Smethurst presses this home, writing, “I am convinced that a prayerless approach to God’s Word is a major reason for the low-level dissatisfaction that hums beneath the surface of our lives. We rob ourselves of joy and peace when we fail to pray.” If you’re unsure how to pray, he offers a simple acronym—IOUS—to guide us.
Humbly. We are sinners saved by grace, welcomed into relationship with a holy God who not only redeems us but also speaks to us through His Word. Remembering this shapes our reading with gratitude and reverence. He wants relationship with us and gives us His Word to do that.
Desperately. Just as our bodies need food, our souls need Scripture. Without it, we remain immature, unable to discern right from wrong (Heb. 5). As Jesus declared, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). Do we open God’s Word as though we’re desperate for it?
Studiously. Even if studying was never our favorite activity, following Jesus means being lifelong learners. Our worship deepens as we soak in the truth of who God is and what He has done.
Obediently. As Smethurst explains, “Biblical obedience is not about keeping an arbitrary set of rules; it’s about living in accordance with our design, in harmony with our Maker.” God’s Word is meant to shape our lives, not just fill our heads
Joyfully. Our emotions may rise and fall, but joy is rooted not in circumstances but in Christ. Even when discipline feels hard, delight follows as God’s Word renews and refreshes us.
Expectantly. Too often we open our Bibles without much anticipation. But God is always at work through His Word. When we sit with Scripture, we can trust He will meet us and not leave us unchanged.
Communally. Reading Scripture together—as a church, in small groups, or even with a friend—sharpens us. We grow by hearing the experiences and insights of others, remembering that we belong to a body, not just to ourselves.
Christocentrically. From beginning to end, the Bible points us to Jesus. All of Scripture tells His story—promised, revealed, and fulfilled in Him.
My Take
I recently listened to a podcast for writers where Matt Smethurst was interviewed. The host introduced him as a wordsmith, and after reading this book, I can see why. Though it’s a short read, his language is both creative and intentional—crafted in such a way that it slowed me down. Instead of skimming, I found myself lingering over his words.
These postures invite us to approach God’s Word not just with our minds, but with our whole selves. As we do, our study becomes more than knowledge—it blossoms into worship, obedience, joy, and deeper communion with Christ. Isn’t that what we truly long for?
One of the hardest parts of Bible reading is when we don’t feel changed, when our efforts seem dry or fruitless. In those seasons of doubt, weariness, or discouragement, Smethurst’s words are a reminder that the work begins even before we start reading. Before we open the pages, God is already at work—shaping our hearts, stirring our desires, and teaching us to respond to His truth with joy, obedience, and expectation.
This little book left me refreshed in my own approach to Scripture, and I think it will encourage you too.
My Recommendation
If you’re a bible reader…grab this! :)
A nice short book to pour passion into your bible reading and study.
5 stars.
Quick Stats
# of Pages: 98
Level of Difficulty: Easy
My Rating: 5 stars
More Like This
Scriptures About Delight in God’s Word
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night (Ps. 1:3-4)
If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life (Ps. 119:92-93)
I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart (Ps. 40:8)
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24)
Let your mercy come to me, that I may live; for your law is my delight (Ps. 119:77)
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