“I have been
in church for years, but no one has taught me to study my Bible until now.”
Last week, I
read this quote on the Gospel Coalition, and it really struck me. The author
writes Bible study curriculum for women, and in her article she points out the
number of women who have never been taught how to study their Bibles. It isn’t
that these women don’t want to—some of them have been involved in church for
years—but they’ve never been instructed.
I also
started thinking about Laura’s blog post from yesterday. Training was essential
in moving towards her goal to run the Boston Marathon. “There was not a single day that went past between January and
May where I was not thinking about race day. The purpose of a lot of things I
did in a day was to support my goal.”In a similar way, I
think setting aside time to study God’s Word {personally and in community} is one
of the most crucial ways we can deepen our walk with Jesus and demonstrate that
He is the One in whom we trust. So in light of that, I wanted to share a few
things that really help me as I study God’s Word.
1.Realizing that the Bible is not just
a collection of 66 different books, but there is an overarching story of
redemption through Jesus Christ. This helps me read the Bible in context. Check
out this article http://crupressgreen.com/seeing-christ-in-all-of-scripture/
on seeing Christ, God’s plan, and His purpose in all of Scripture—not just the
New Testament.
2.One easy pitfall I’ve found when studying Scripture
is making it all about me. I read a passage and immediately ask, “Okay what’s
the application for me?” I think there’s a lot that I miss when I approach the
Bible that way. Two questions that have helped me move away from that are:
a.How does this passage expose mankind’s (and my own)
brokenness?
b.How does this passage point to Christ as the
ultimate resolution?
This will not look the same for every section of
Scripture you are studying. Seeing Christ’s resolution in Genesis looks a lot
different than in the Gospel of John. I’d encourage you to read Hearing the Music of the Gospel. It’s
one of my all time favorite resources as I study the Bible. Check it out here,
it’s so worth the read: http://crupressgreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Music_of_the_Gospel.pdf
3.Lastly, I think it’s important to come to the Word
humbly. Spend some time before you read praying for the Holy Spirit to open
your eyes to His Word.
God has given us His Word to know Him
more—let’s treat it like the gift that it is.
Are there ways and/or resources that have helped
you study and fall in the love with the Word more? Share them below!