So that you might grow
“I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. ”
Let’s face it: sometimes reading the Bible can be daunting. In the past, when I had gone a long stretch without reading my Bible, I sat down to read and just stared at my Bible, unopened, not knowing exactly how to start. What should I read? Do I just flip open to a random page? Should I start a reading plan?...that seems like a commitment. Even now, after I’ve finished a Bible study, or a devotional, I am unsure of what to read next. I get caught up thinking that choosing what to read has to be this big spiritual moment, and that if I pick the wrong passage to read, I’ll miss out on what God wants to tell me.
Once I decide what to read, it doesn’t necessarily get any easier. I love when I get to read verses I’m familiar with and readily understand, but I’ve had times where I’ve sat down and read passages, like those in Leviticus, and thought “huh?” I have no idea what any of this means, let alone how it is applicable to my life. Has anyone else just eyed their Bible wondering how do you really read this thing?
I have had the opportunities to do many Bible studies and I’ve learned so much from them. But you don’t need a Bible study to read Scripture. Having a devotional is great if you don’t know where to start, but truly, you can pick anywhere in the Scripture, and hear God’s word for your life.
How to read your Bible in 3 easy steps.
1. Pray that the Holy Spirit will guide you.
The Bible is full of truth. It is life giving and it brings light to the darkness. All of which we would not be able to see on our own. God’s Spirit, who dwells within us, illuminates His word for us. That is a promise given to us by Jesus: “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.” (John 16:13 NLT). We are not left to wonder what God’s will is for us. The Holy Spirit will guide and instruct us. 2 Corinthians 2:11-13 says “For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.” Without the Holy Spirit, they are just words on a page that we might just quickly skim over. But when we engage with the Holy Spirit, he illuminates our eyes to the truth so that “we might grow in the knowledge of God.”
Now, I believe that with all my heart. And yet, I’ve had times where I was really needing answers and I felt a little let down, because I went to His word and seemed to come up short. The right passage didn’t leap off the page. I didn’t feel any the wiser, or that God had spoken to me. Does this mean that this isn’t true. Of course not! Sometimes our hearts are not yet tender enough to receive the truth and He is working on our hearts. We have to trust that God is always working even when we don’t “feel it.” So that is why it is so important to...
2. Be consistent.
The Bible says we ‘grow’ in the knowledge of God. Growth requires consistent nourishment. We don’t see growth overnight. It is a daily intake that causes growth and we measure that over a period of time. When we first become Christians we start with spiritual truths that are like milk. But as we mature in our faith, we move on to spiritual truths that are “solids” (Hebrews 5:11-14/1 Corinthians 3:1-3). Solid foods take longer to digest and we have to build up to eating them. Likewise, there are some spiritual truths that a new believer will not be able to digest. As you mature in your faith, you will understand these spiritual truths. When you are consistently feeding on His word, He is able to bring you to this maturity. However, He will meet you where you are at now and teach you.
I think another reasons we might not feel like we instantly hear from the Holy Spirit is that it takes time to discern the Holy Spirit’s voice. We have to learn to be still, to listen, and to discern. This takes time and discipline. This is why He tells us to...
3. Meditate on His word.
We need to be careful that we don’t just read our Bible to check that off our to do list for the day. When we sit down to read His word, whether it be for 5 minutes or 50, if our hearts and spirits are not engaged, then it doesn’t matter. For me, I know that I need to slow my mind down. If I am not careful, I am looking to grab what I need fast. If I’m reading a verse I’m familiar with I have to be careful that I don’t skim it with the mentality “I’ve read this before; I understand it.” God can speak to us anew, with a fresh revelation with verses we are familiar with if we pause to read it.
So, when we do pause to read His word, whether it’s for 5 minutes or 50, we need devote our whole attention to it in that time. Over the years, I have found a way of reading His word that works for me.
I start with a verse and write it down in a journal. I usually read the passage the verse is found in to have some context. I look up a few different translations (on the Bible app on my phone) to get a sense of the verse.
In a different color pen, I begin writing all over it:
Synonyms for words I see (found in other translations)
Thoughts about the verse (these are not always complete thoughts, sometimes just words that come to mind)
Connections within the passage (I’ll draw arrows)
Other verses that come to mind
Connections to my own life
Questions I have
Ponderings
Maybe you are not a pen and paper kind of person like me, but you can muse all of those things in your mind. Maybe if you are artistic, taking the time to ponder scripture while you draw, paint, make music, is how you will meditate on Scripture. There is no right or wrong way, but I think it is important to slow down and engage with the Word when we read it.
When I take the time to to do this, I always learn something about God. I might not always understand everything I read, but over time, as I read more of His word, I begin to see connections I didn’t see before. Additionally, I might not always have a direct answer or take away to something going on in my life right now. But once again, as I’m in His word consistently, I have learned wisdom to help guide me. When we meditate on Scripture, we memorize it and write it on ours heart and in moments of need, He will bring His truths to mind to help guide you.
So do not lose heart. Keep reading, keep seeking God. Treasure His word and store it in your heart.
