When the Word Becomes Work
Reflections for those who teach, study, and love the Word.
There are mornings when the Scriptures feel heavy in the hand. You sit before an open Bible, sermon notes spread, coffee cooling — and yet the spark that once leapt from the text seems to have dimmed. The joy of discovery is replaced by a sense of duty. The Word, once alive with promise, now feels like another item on a list.
If that sounds familiar, you are not alone. Every pastor, teacher, and serious student of Scripture meets this quiet fatigue. We love the Word, but sometimes that love grows tired beneath the weight of constant use. What was meant to feed our souls begins to feel like labour — and we wonder why the task that once thrilled us now feels like toil.
Revived by the Word
“Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” — 2 Timothy 2:7
The psalmist does not turn from study, but presses deeper into it, praying for life to return. The Word itself becomes the means of renewal. In Paul’s charge to Timothy, reflection and revelation meet: think — but trust the Lord to give. The expositor’s work is both human discipline and divine partnership. We think, pray, study, and labour — and the Lord gives light.
When Study Feels Heavy
There are seasons when the text seems unyielding. We may prepare faithfully, yet find no immediate insight. The temptation is to believe that something is wrong — with us, or with the process. But perhaps God is simply teaching us patience. He is forming character, not merely content.
When the Word feels like work, remember that such weariness often precedes renewal. In those quiet, difficult hours, the Lord humbles us — and humility is the soil in which illumination grows. A preacher who depends on grace will always preach more faithfully than one who depends on gifting.
Recovering the Wonder
Sometimes what we need is not a new method, but a new heart. Step away from the desk, walk, pray, sing. Remember that the Word you study is not an object of analysis but the voice of the living God. Let the text speak devotionally before it speaks exegetically.
Ask the Lord to restore the wonder — that moment when Scripture burns again within you, not because of your cleverness, but because the Spirit has once more warmed your heart. The God who called you to teach His Word will not leave you to study it alone.
Keep Going
The labour is holy, even when it feels hard. Every note you write, every cross-reference you trace, every late-night wrestle with the meaning of a phrase — these are acts of love, even when they do not feel like it.
Take heart: the same Spirit who inspired the Word renews the weary expositor who studies it. Keep opening the text. Keep seeking His face. The joy will return, perhaps quietly, but certainly — for God always honours those who labour in His truth.