How to Read the Bible as a Love Letter

​I have long said (and written) that the Bible is God’s Love Letter to us. But what does that really mean, and how can we approach Scripture with this mindset?

Imagine receiving a love letter from someone you cherish deeply. Would you skim through it quickly just to get it over with? Or would you savor every word, reading it over and over again, pondering its meaning, and holding onto it for reassurance?

Howard Hendricks, in Living by the Book, shares a compelling analogy about reading the Bible as a love letter. He recounts a story of a man who fell in love through a correspondence courtship. Every letter he received was read and reread multiple times, tucked under his pillow, and treasured. Why? Because he was in love with the person who wrote them. 

Think about that for a minute. Are we in love with the One who wrote the Bible?

​This is the very attitude we should have when approaching the Bible. It is not just an ancient text, a set of rules, or a historical record—it is God’s personal love letter to you, friend. Every word carries the Father's heart, His love, and His desire to be in a relationship with you—His child.

“Have you ever fallen in love? I hope so. I fell in love with the woman who became my wife, Jeanne, through a correspondence courtship. Five years I chased that woman until she finally caught me.

So guess what I did when one of her letters would arrive? Did I mumble, ‘Oh, no, another letter from Jeanne (sigh). I guess I better read it’? Did I sit down, read the first paragraph, and then say, ‘Well, that's enough for today. I can check that item off my list’?

No way! I used to read every single letter four or five times. I'd stand in line, waiting to get into the dining room at college, reading her letters there. At night I'd read them before I went to bed. I'd tuck them under the pillow so that if I woke up in the middle of the night, I could pull them out and read them all over again. Why? Because I was in love with the person who wrote them.

That's the way to come to the Word of God. Read it as though it were His love letter to you.

When Mortimer Adler's book first came out, it was advertised in The New York Times under the slogan, "How to Read a Love Letter." A picture showed a puzzled adolescent perusing a letter, with the following copy underneath:

This young man has just received his first love letter. He may have read it three or four times, but he is just beginning. To read it as accurately as he would like, would require several dictionaries and a good deal of close work with a few experts of etymology and philology.

However, he will do all right without them.

He will ponder over the exact shade of meaning of every word, every comma. She has headed the letter, ‘Dear John?’ What, he asks himself, is the exact significance of those words? Did she refrain from saying ‘Dearest’ because she was bashful? Would ‘My Dear’ have sounded too formal?

Jeepers, maybe she would have said ‘Dear So-and-So’ to anybody!

A worried frown will now appear on his face. But it disappears as soon as he really gets to thinking about the first sentence. She certainly wouldn't have written that to anybody!

And so he works his way through the letter, one moment perched blissfully on a cloud, the next moment huddled miserably behind an eight-ball. It has started a hundred questions in his mind. He could quote it by heart. In fact, he will—to himself-for weeks to come.

Then the advertisement concluded,

If people read books with anything like the same concentration, we'd be a race of mental giants.

Likewise, if people read Scripture with anything like the same concentration, we would be a race of spiritual giants.

If you want to understand the Bible, you've got to learn to read—better and faster, a for the first time, and as if you were reading a love letter. Just think of it: God wanted to communicate with you in the twenty-first century—and He wrote His message in a Book.” —Howard Hendricks, Living by the Book

So, how do we read the Bible as a love letter?

• Read with Expectation – When you open the Bible, expect to hear from God. Just as you would eagerly anticipate the words of a beloved, approach Scripture with the excitement of hearing directly from the Lord.
• Meditate on Every Word – In a love letter, every phrase matters. The same is true for God’s Word. Linger on each sentence, reflecting on its deeper meaning and how it reveals God’s love.
• Read It Repeatedly – Just as lovers cherish every note, reading them over and over, make Scripture a constant companion. Return to it throughout the day, letting it soak into your heart.
• Personalize the Message – When reading Scripture, insert your name into the promises of God. For example, read Jeremiah 31:3 as, “I have loved [your name] with an everlasting love.”
• Respond in Prayer – Love is a two-way communication. As you read, respond to God in prayer, thanking Him for His love and asking Him to help you live in response to His Word.
• Treasure It in Your Heart – A love letter is never forgotten; it’s cherished and kept close. Memorize Scripture, write verses down, and remind yourself daily of God’s love for you.

How can you transform your Bible reading experience?
Mortimer Adler once wrote about how people read love letters with intense focus, analyzing every word, every comma, wondering about the exact significance of each phrase. What if we read the Bible with that same intensity? If we approached Scripture as the most intimate and loving words ever written to us, how would it change our faith? Would we find greater joy, deeper trust, and a more profound relationship with God? The Bible is not just a book; it’s a personal message from the Creator of the universe to you. Read it as though God Himself is whispering His love into your heart—because He is.

​How would your relationship with God deepen if you read the Bible with the same eagerness and devotion as a cherished love letter?

Are you looking for a Bible reading plan? Checkout Sweeter Than Honey! I believe the key to successful Bible study is having a plan! Sweeter Than Honey is a 365-day devotional and Bible reading itinerary designed to help busy women like you read through the Bible in a year. Rooted in Psalm 119:103, it offers daily encouragement, peace, and strength for your walk with God.