My first attempt to read the Bible started at Genesis 1. I gave up mid-Leviticus. Over my B.C. years, I made other attempts. All those genealogies and strange names, all those wars were confusing. I gave up. When I was finally hungry and thirsty for truth and answers, a friend gave me the One Year Bible. I didn’t understand it all, of course, but what I “heard” was the Voice of God through every book. And I could see connections everywhere. Scripture opened my mind and heart to God. I gobbled Bible studies, attended Bible Study Fellowship for nine years, practiced inductive study.
For a long time, I read to gain knowledge about God, to draw closer to Him, to find out how He wanted me to live a life pleasing to Him. (I still do.) Scripture “changed” every time I read it. Why? Because it is Living Word and meets me where I am in my relationship with the Lord. It pointed out wrong thinking, misconceptions, sins that needed confession and repentance. It also encouraged, reassured, and was saturated with love, both tough and tender.
I listen to people, and many have been my teachers. I love Jesus, and oh, how I would like to be more like Him. Here are some tips I’ve collected over the years on how to get more out of reading the Bible.
Start with prayer! Then look for answers to these questions:
What does this passage teach me about God?
Why is God doing this here?
Who is He in this text in Scripture?
Is there a warning to heed?
Is there a promise to hold onto?
Is there a sin to forsake?
Is there a lesson to learn?
Is there a principle to apply?
Is there an example to follow?
What praises can I offer from this passage?
The Bible is not light reading. It is life altering.