How do I actually study the Bible?
So we know we should study the Bible on a personal level… but how do we really do that? We could be following God sincerely for years and feel very stuck on this one thing. And sometimes being stuck on that one thing makes us feel away from God. And it’s a hard cycle to break.
But it can be broken! Finding how do actually study the Bible may come in all sorts of different ways (and we’ll look at several later on!). There isn’t one right way, but there are a few key things that are very helpful to get started in studying the Bible.
One thing that can shut down our study of the Bible even before we’ve started is to make it random. Yes, there are times where we just open our Bible and see what Scripture is in front of us for the day-- and there’s nothing wrong with that. But if we want to truly know the Bible, that’s not going to sustain us. It’s like being cotton-mouth parched and dying of thirst and trying to satisfy ourselves with a drip from the faucet once a day-- and then trying to quench our thirst with anything but water. Long-term, it won’t work! Instead, we choose what we’re going to look at and we stick with it. It doesn’t matter where you read and to some degree, it doesn’t even matter how much you read! Just find a book or a section of the Bible that you are going to look at intentionally and intently, and then build on it little by little.
For example, I may want to start with Romans 8 or I may choose to tackle the book of Luke or read a chapter of Proverbs a day. The choices are endless! But choose.
Once you’ve chosen what you’re going to study, then comes the true meat. This is what will fulfill us and keep us going in life. So, when you start reading, find what stands out and is unforgettable. It may take a few verses or it may just take a few words! But pause and let it catch your eye. Think on it, ask why God said that, and why it stands out to you. And then keep it on your heart. Then if that’s all your mind can handle to think back on, that’s fine! We’re not trying to overwhelm ourselves with information or enough words to check a box on our to-do list. We’re really trying to understand what we’re reading and to let it change our lives! So if we can truly say we have found a piece of treasure in what we studied that will rest on our hearts for the remainder of the day, then in a way, mission accomplished!
For example, if I start with Romans 8 and read, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death,” I find that that’s as far as I can go if I want to take it piece by piece. I start with the words or phrases that stood out: “no condemnation,” “in Christ Jesus,” (x2!) “Spirit of life,” “set me free.” Twice it mentions “in Christ Jesus,” so that seems important. Nothing can be done without him. Then, the phrases “no condemnation” and “set you free” both give me a sigh of relief. With all that I have done, God is still able to let me know that there’s a way I won’t be condemned (that one way being through Christ). More than that, it’s not just the words “set free”-- it’s very specific-- it’s “set you free.” Me! I get to be free from everything weighing me down. And the way I am set free is by the Spirit, the “Sprit of life,” which is refreshing in every way. It’s not the stench of death over me. It’s life! And all this, again, is in Christ Jesus. So in my heart for the day, I have the sense of freedom and life in Christ and through the Spirit. You may have seen something else in there, too! We find the riches that God’s Word gives us. And then we remember.
One of my favorite verses in the Bible (and yes, there are several!) was one I stumbled upon as a teen. I remember exactly where I was (traveling) and why it made such an impression on me. I hadn't yet become a Christian, and I was trying to understand the Bible and what God wanted from me. And then I read, "Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches." (Galatians 6:6) In that moment, it was so clear. I was being taught the word by God himself. And as the one who was being taught, what I could and should do was share all good things with him. When reading and studying the Bible, it’s not something that’s stale. It’s very much alive! God is with us as we are reading his words. It’s only natural that we would want to talk to him about it! Otherwise, it’s like a one-sided conversation (like if you’ve ever poured your heart out to someone and they didn’t really say anything). God wants to hear what we have to say.
For example, after reading that part of Romans 8, this is something we might say to God, “How did you do that? Well, I know how you did it-- you sent Jesus. So I guess, why did you do that? You gave me a chance to not be condemned before you. Thank you for giving up everything so I could actually have a life, now and forever. Thank you for giving me everything I didn’t know I needed. Please help me to remember during my day that I get to live a life of freedom. I love you.”
When we’re not sure where to start, finding how to actually study the Bible can be daunting. But it doesn’t have to be. God simply wants to tell us what we are longing to hear. And when we break it down enough to understand and live what God is telling us, it makes all the difference in the world. My prayer is that whether you have been studying the Bible for years or whether you are just trying to get started, that you will truly find the peace we as humankind are all longing for in studying the Bible-- and that little by little, you will listen and talk to God as your dearest friend and awesome Creator. Because that’s what Bible study is all about.
