The advances of technology have built a nearly instantaneous life for many people in the world. From two-hour delivery of toilet paper to the dopamine hit of likes on a social media post, our desires are being trained to expect immediate attention. Yet these quick fixes leave an underlying hunger—while our material desires are momentarily satiated, our souls remain spiritually malnourished.

All over nature, we see that fruitfulness requires time, careful cultivation, and the work of a sovereign God. On the pages of Scripture, it’s evident that God is not quick to alleviate people’s painful circumstances. Instead, God uses suffering to transform us, cultivating holiness through his careful and kind tending. After Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden, God could have immediately sent Jesus Christ, but he didn’t. God took his time, drawing a people near to him, teaching them his faithfulness through suffering and rescuing and redeeming them over and over until, at the exact right time, Jesus came into the world. He lived, suffered, died, and rose again to defeat sin and death for all who would call upon his name and follow him.

In Psalm 119, the psalmist likens the treasure of God’s Word to the delectable taste of honey: “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (v. 103). Honey delights our taste buds, but God’s Word delights our souls. The more you taste the goodness of God in his life-giving Word, the more you’ll crave it over the temporary pleasures of this world. So when we open our Bibles, we shouldn’t expect the instant encouragement of an Instagram post or the quick fix of googled answers for all our problems. The Bible isn’t an instruction manual or a self-help encyclopedia. It’s the very Word of God written to his people that they may know him intimately, trust in his faithfulness, and experience his redemption.

In Sweeter than Honey—a new Bible study resource from the Well-Watered Women Ministry and authors Maggie Combs and Gretchen Saffles—discover what it means to simplify and demystify studying God’s Word. Each session of Sweeter than Honey begins with instruction on Bible study principles and methods, then includes Bible study practice using three principles: gather knowledge, digest the big ideas, and grow in godliness.

Let your desire be to open the Scriptures, not to check reading it off your list, to achieve good Christian status, or even to fix your problems with a scan of the page and a quickly chosen verse. Come to the Word to know God deeply and experience the slow process of becoming more like the Savior.