As you may have realized by now, I tend to stress having a daily devotions time and reading your Bible in general. I believe it is important to read the Bible daily because it provides our spiritual nourishment and it is our guide for living righteous lives before God. Paul tells us to desire the sincere milk of the Word and Jesus said that the ones who keep His commandments are His friends.
How can we desire what we have never tasted? How can we keep what we do not know?
Some people, especially new believers, genuinely struggle getting into Bible reading. This is common, and I believe that it is because of a few false ideas that many people have when they read the Word.
First, they think it is boring. There is nothing that can bog you down more than trying to read a book that is, or you are convinced is boring. This is far from the truth for the Word of God, which is living and active and sharper than any double-edged blade! The Bible is full of exciting stories and events and revealing truths.
Second, they think the Bible is not able to be understood. Think logically about this thought for a moment. Why would God give us His Word at all if He didn't want us to understand it? Granted, some passages are a bit more difficult to deal with and the Word is complete nonsense to unbelievers who do not have the Spirit. But to view the whole Bible as unable to be understood is a grave mistake for the believer.
Third, They think that it doesn't apply to them. True, some passages were directed to a very specific people for a very specific purpose that cannot be directly applied to us. However, there are principles within those passages that we can apply and there are even more that are specifically applied to us.
There are many other reasons and excuses that people have that discourages them from getting into the Word. Whatever is your personal excuse, please don't allow it to hinder you from studying and applying God's Word personally in your own life.
But what are some mindsets that you can have when you've already had these false ideas? Well, I have a few things that I have discovered that have helped me in my own reading that you may find beneficial.
1. Pray before you read
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to pay attention to and understand what you are reading.
2. Just read it
I don't know how much more simple to make this. If you want to read the Bible, just read it. Read it like you would read any other book, but of course read it with the understanding that it is inspired by God, full of truthful teachings, and can be applied to your own life.
3. Use a good translation
Use a translation that you can understand, but make sure that it is sound. The four most generally used translations that are very reliable and that I recommend are the King James Version, The New King James Version, the English Standard Version, and the New American Standard Bible. If you are just beginning to read for yourself, I highly suggest that you try to steer clear of paraphrases like the New International Version or the Message.
4. Don't try to find hidden meanings
This is a good rule of thumb to remember when you read: The Bible says what it means and means what is says. Take it for what it is, don't try to "spiritualize" the text or "read between the lines." This can encourage bad habits in interpretation and can lead to some pretty skewed doctrine. Be careful.
5. Understand the context
Never take a verse out of context. If you are reading something directed especially for the Jews, it was to the Jews and not the church. This is a big mistake that many Bible scholars make and should not be done. If you need help understanding to whom the passage applies or for what reason it was, look at the verses around it. You may also consider using some outside helps like commentaries, but be careful. Not all commentators follow this rule and are not doctrinally sound.
6. Understand that ALL Scripture is inspired
Books like Leviticus and Revelation are still important! Don't pick and choose what books are good for you and what are not. To appreciate and understand the Bible to its fullest extent, read all the books and don't belittle any of them. (Note: I do not consider the Apocrypha to be part of the Bible, so I am excluding those books.)
7. The more you read, the more you will want to
Once you get into it, although it may be difficult at first, you will begin to find that you will desire to read it and look forward to the time that you do (if you don't eventually, you may want to examine your heart and find the reason why you don't look forward to reading your Bible). I suggest that you just start and dive right into reading. There is no right or wrong method to reading the Bible. You can read the books in whatever order you want, although it may be beneficial to reading them chronologically. I suggest that you start with the New Testament and read it all the way through, then read the Old Testament. You can't really fully comprehend one without the other, they explain one another. It might take you over a year to read the whole Bible, but that is okay. Read it at your pace, but try to devote time every day to reading it. I believe that your life will change because of it.
These are just a few things that I have learned and I hope that it has helped you out a little bit. If you have any questions that you like like to be answered or clarified, please contact me through the comment section or shoot me an email and I would love to help you out more.
I hope that you find the precious Word of God to be delightful!
In Christ,
Megan
How can we desire what we have never tasted? How can we keep what we do not know?
Some people, especially new believers, genuinely struggle getting into Bible reading. This is common, and I believe that it is because of a few false ideas that many people have when they read the Word.
First, they think it is boring. There is nothing that can bog you down more than trying to read a book that is, or you are convinced is boring. This is far from the truth for the Word of God, which is living and active and sharper than any double-edged blade! The Bible is full of exciting stories and events and revealing truths.
Second, they think the Bible is not able to be understood. Think logically about this thought for a moment. Why would God give us His Word at all if He didn't want us to understand it? Granted, some passages are a bit more difficult to deal with and the Word is complete nonsense to unbelievers who do not have the Spirit. But to view the whole Bible as unable to be understood is a grave mistake for the believer.
Third, They think that it doesn't apply to them. True, some passages were directed to a very specific people for a very specific purpose that cannot be directly applied to us. However, there are principles within those passages that we can apply and there are even more that are specifically applied to us.
There are many other reasons and excuses that people have that discourages them from getting into the Word. Whatever is your personal excuse, please don't allow it to hinder you from studying and applying God's Word personally in your own life.
But what are some mindsets that you can have when you've already had these false ideas? Well, I have a few things that I have discovered that have helped me in my own reading that you may find beneficial.
1. Pray before you read
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to pay attention to and understand what you are reading.
2. Just read it
I don't know how much more simple to make this. If you want to read the Bible, just read it. Read it like you would read any other book, but of course read it with the understanding that it is inspired by God, full of truthful teachings, and can be applied to your own life.
3. Use a good translation
Use a translation that you can understand, but make sure that it is sound. The four most generally used translations that are very reliable and that I recommend are the King James Version, The New King James Version, the English Standard Version, and the New American Standard Bible. If you are just beginning to read for yourself, I highly suggest that you try to steer clear of paraphrases like the New International Version or the Message.
4. Don't try to find hidden meanings
This is a good rule of thumb to remember when you read: The Bible says what it means and means what is says. Take it for what it is, don't try to "spiritualize" the text or "read between the lines." This can encourage bad habits in interpretation and can lead to some pretty skewed doctrine. Be careful.
5. Understand the context
Never take a verse out of context. If you are reading something directed especially for the Jews, it was to the Jews and not the church. This is a big mistake that many Bible scholars make and should not be done. If you need help understanding to whom the passage applies or for what reason it was, look at the verses around it. You may also consider using some outside helps like commentaries, but be careful. Not all commentators follow this rule and are not doctrinally sound.
6. Understand that ALL Scripture is inspired
Books like Leviticus and Revelation are still important! Don't pick and choose what books are good for you and what are not. To appreciate and understand the Bible to its fullest extent, read all the books and don't belittle any of them. (Note: I do not consider the Apocrypha to be part of the Bible, so I am excluding those books.)
7. The more you read, the more you will want to
Once you get into it, although it may be difficult at first, you will begin to find that you will desire to read it and look forward to the time that you do (if you don't eventually, you may want to examine your heart and find the reason why you don't look forward to reading your Bible). I suggest that you just start and dive right into reading. There is no right or wrong method to reading the Bible. You can read the books in whatever order you want, although it may be beneficial to reading them chronologically. I suggest that you start with the New Testament and read it all the way through, then read the Old Testament. You can't really fully comprehend one without the other, they explain one another. It might take you over a year to read the whole Bible, but that is okay. Read it at your pace, but try to devote time every day to reading it. I believe that your life will change because of it.
These are just a few things that I have learned and I hope that it has helped you out a little bit. If you have any questions that you like like to be answered or clarified, please contact me through the comment section or shoot me an email and I would love to help you out more.
I hope that you find the precious Word of God to be delightful!
In Christ,
Megan
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