A Book That Has Been Eight Years in the Making

Over the past several years, God has been doing something profound in my life through His Word.

Nearly eight years ago, the Lord challenged me with a simple question:

“What would you think about not starting another day without first spending time in My Word?”

What began as a commitment became a life-changing discovery.

Since that day, I have begun every morning in the Scriptures—and what God has revealed about His character, His voice, and the transforming power of His Word has reshaped the way I think about Him and the way I believe He thinks about me.

Out of that journey, a book was born.

Pick Up the Bible and Let the Bible Pick You Up:
The Bible Reading Secret That Will Transform Your Life

Today I want to share the introduction with you and I would love to hear what you think!

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INTRODUCTION

The Bible Is Not Just a Book of Information. It Is a Book of Transformation

“Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.”
— Romans 12:2 (NLT)

That is the invitation.

It is the invitation of Scripture.

And it is the invitation of this book.

Not transform yourself.

Not fix yourself.

Not try harder.

But pick up the Bible and watch the Bible pick you up! In this book you will discover a Bible that is filled with encouragement, support and strength from God for you.

“The Scriptures give us hope and encouragement.”
— Romans 15:4 (NLT)

And as you do, God will transform you by changing the way you think…

Because the greatest transformation that can happen in your life is not through a dramatic miracle but by allowing God to change the way you think.

And the most transformational thing God will change in your thinking is this:

What you believe about Him—

and what you believe He believes about you.

A.W. Tozer wrote:

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

Because the greatest battle over your life is what you believe about God and what you believe God believes about you.

Because what you believe about God will either draw you closer to Him or push you away from Him.

But when the truth of who God says He really is begins to reshape your thinking, something powerful happens.

You begin to experience the encouragement, nearness, faith, confidence, and hope that Scripture promises.

And one of the discoveries you will make as you read this book is this:

The voice that pushes you away from God is never the voice of God!

As you read this book, you will discover something remarkable about the Bible.

The Bible is the only book in the world that has the power to cause you to become what it says you can become—and to do what it says you can do—simply by reading it.

Why?

Because the Word of God is not passive.

It is alive.

“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”
— Hebrews 4:12 (NLT)

James describes the power of the self-contained power of the implanted word which is able to save your souls…

“…and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.”
— James 1:21 (NLT)

And Paul said:

“You accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.”
— 1 Thessalonians 2:13

The implanted Word of God works in you, grows in you and will transform the way you think about God!

And when the way you think about God changes, everything begins to change.

What the Bible Really Is

As you read this book, you will discover that the divine purpose of the Bible is far greater than most people realize.

It is more than a book of rules.

More than a collection of miracle stories.

More than history.

More than moral instruction.

The Bible is a declaration of who God says He really is and who God says you really are.

It is God’s self-revelation.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
— John 1:1

Jesus told the religious leaders:

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to Me!”
— John 5:39 (NLT)

From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is God unveiling His character.

And perhaps nowhere is this seen more clearly than in the life of King David.

David had what could only be described as a love affair with the Word of God.

Psalm 119—the longest chapter in the Bible—is the documentation of David’s passion for Scripture.

He wrote:

“Your word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You.”
— Psalm 119:11

“Revive me according to Your word.”
— Psalm 119:25

“Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things from Your law.”
— Psalm 119:18

David also described the remarkable benefits of engaging with the Word of God.

“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.”
— Psalm 119:105

“I rejoice in your word like one who discovers a great treasure.”
— Psalm 119:162

“Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble.”
— Psalm 119:165

“I gain understanding from your commandments.”
— Psalm 119:104

“Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.”
— Psalm 119:24

But something even more remarkable happens throughout the Psalms.

David continually declares who God is.

“The Lord is my shepherd.”

“The Lord is my light and my salvation.”

“The Lord is my refuge.”

I have studied over 300 attributes of God that David and the Psalmist ascribe to God in the Book of Psalms alone. More on that in chapter four!

The Bible is not simply information about God.

It is God revealing Himself.

And when you begin to see in Scripture who God says He really is and who God says you really are, you will never be the same!

My Story

I have walked with the Lord for nearly five decades.

God’s Word has always been part of my life.

But on July 15, 2018, the Lord asked me a question that changed everything:

“What would you think about not starting another day without first spending time in My Word?”

It wasn’t that I didn’t read the Bible.

But I had never made it the priority that I did from that day forward.

What followed became one of the most transformative habits of my life.

James Clear calls habits like this atomic habits—small actions repeated daily that produce massive long-term results.

That is exactly what happened.

Day after day meditating in God’s Word.

And as of the writing of this book, nearly eight years later, by the grace of God, there has not been a day that I have not begun in His Word.

The truths in this book were not gathered from the internet or YouTube.

They were discovered in thousands of mornings spent with an open Bible and a listening heart.

And over time something remarkable began to happen.

Fear began to leave.

Peace began to grow.

Clarity began to increase.

I discovered a God who was more for me, more invested in me—and more interested in what He could do for me than in what I could ever do for Him—than I ever could have imagined.

Because the Word of God was doing exactly what it was designed to do.

Transform the way I think.

The Bible contains secrets about itself. Hidden within Scripture are powerful principles that reveal how the Word of God is meant to work in the human heart and mind. When these principles are understood and applied, the Word does exactly what Jesus said it would do—it multiplies, transforms, and produces a harvest far beyond what was planted. This book is about discovering that Bible reading secret and learning how to engage the Word of God so it can truly transform your life.

The Word Is a Seed

Jesus taught a parable that He said was the key to understanding all the others.

It was the parable of the sower and the seed. The seed is the Word of God.

After telling the story, Jesus asked His disciples:

“Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any of the parables?”
— Mark 4:13

In other words, if you understand this parable, you understand something essential about how the Kingdom of God works.

And at the center of the parable is one powerful truth:

The transforming power of the seed that is the Word of God.

Seeds contain life.

Seeds contain power in and of themselves to reproduce after their own kind. Jesus said we don’t understand the power of the seed – and how seeds multiply.

When planted in the right soil, one seed can produce far more than itself.

Jesus said the Word of God works the same way.

When the Word takes root in a receptive heart, it produces atomic multiplication.

“The seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted.”
— Mark 4:20 (NLT)

Thirtyfold.

Sixtyfold.

One hundredfold.

That is the multiplying, transforming power of the Word of God.

Every time you open the Scriptures, the most transformational seed of all is planted in your heart and in your mind.

And that seed is designed to reproduce after its kind and to multiply in your life.

That is why there is no greater investment you can make in your life than spending time in the Word of God – and I am excited to share this journey with you!

Two Voices

There are two voices speaking over your life.

The voice of the accuser.

And the voice of your Advocate.

Jesus told Peter:

“Satan has asked to sift you like wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.”
— Luke 22:31–32

Satan accuses.

Jesus intercedes.

“Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus… is pleading for us.”
— Romans 8:34

One voice condemns.

One voice intercedes.

And one of the greatest discoveries you will make in this book is this:

The voice that pushes you away from God is never the voice of God. That is why the greatest investment you can make in your life is doing what you are doing right now – spending time in the Word of God and establishing the voice of God as the greatest voice in your life!

A Prayer as We Begin

Heavenly Father,

I thank You for the person reading this book.

As we journey together through this message—Pick Up the Bible and Let the Bible Pick You Up: The Bible Reading Secret That Will Transform Your Life—I pray that You would give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You.

Open our eyes to behold wondrous things from Your Word.

Reveal Your goodness.

Reveal Your character.

Reveal Your unfailing love.

Let Your Word lift every reader.

Let it transform the way we think about You and the way we believe You think about us.

Holy Spirit, breathe upon these pages.

Use this message to awaken faith, bring encouragement, and ignite a deeper love for Your Word.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

Let’s Begin!

What you are about to discover in these pages is not merely a concept—it is a set of powerful secrets hidden within Scripture that reveal how the Word of God was designed to work in your life.

My prayer is that this book will change the way you read the Bible—and the way you see God.

And when the way you see God changes, everything changes.

So as you read these pages, open your Bible.

Let the Word of God speak.

Let it plant seeds in your heart.

Let it reshape the way you think.

And watch what begins to happen.

Pick up the Bible.
And let the Bible pick you up.

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Want to Be Notified When the Book Releases?

Let me know what you think and if you’d like to be notified when the book becomes available for pre-order, send me an email at:

gregmauro1159@gmail.com

Or simply leave a comment below.

Love and prayers, Greg