Studying the Word of God

I am often asked questions that relate to personal Bible reading and study as people want to get the most benefit out of their time in God’s Word. Let me share with you a few thoughts about your personal time in the Bible that may be helpful.
First, use a translation that you are comfortable with. Different translations serve different purposes and you need to find one that is easy for you to understand, yet also maintains the accuracy of the Scriptures. With the abundance of English translations available today this task is not at all difficult.
Second, read for breadth. Expose yourself to the entire Bible so that you are able to see how all of God’s Word fits together and is a unity. I highly recommend a Bible reading plan that allows you to read through the entire Bible in a year. This allows you to see the big picture of God’s story of redemption as well as exposing you to books of the Bible that you may otherwise be tempted to neglect. There are many great Bible reading plans that do this (we put a reading plan in the bulletin each month) and there are even “One Year” Bibles that contain each day’s reading. With as little time as fifteen minutes a day a person can easily read through the entire Bible in a year. When one reads for breadth they are getting the “lay of the land” and are not reading for great detail, but just to see the overall picture.
Third, read for depth. I know you are thinking, “Wait a minute, I thought you just said read for breadth!” True, but it is both/and, not either/or. Reading for depth in not just reading; it is study. There are several practices that will help us do this. One that has been very helpful to me over the years is to read the same book of the Bible every day for a month. A short book like Colossians or 2 Peter can easily be read in one sitting, while longer books like one of the Gospels or Romans can be divided into smaller units. Reading the same book every day for a month allows you to become intimately familiar with the book. After reading it several times you will begin to see certain themes that emerge or certain key words and ideas that are repeated that you may want to study further. Writing key verses on index cards and taking them with you to work or sticking them in your pocket to reflect upon during the day is another good way to cement God’s Word in your heart and mind.
Fourth, ask questions from the text that you are studying. As part of your reading for depth you want to encounter the text and think deeply through it. Asking questions helps us in this process.
The following are some questions to consider as you study a passage:
What does this text tell me about God and what God is like?
What does this text tell me about what God has done in history?
What does this text tell me about what God has done for me?
What does this text tell me about myself and what I am like?
Does this text contain a promise from God? If so, what is it? Is the promise conditional or unconditional?
Does this text reveal something I should praise or thank God for? If so, what is it?
Does this text reveal something that I should pray about for myself or for others? If so, what is it?
Does this text reveal something that I should have a new attitude about? If so, what is it?
Does this text reveal something I should do for the sake of Christ, others, or myself? If so, what is it?
Does this text reveal a sin in my life that I need to repent of? If so, what is it?
What am I going to do in response to this text from God’s Word?
These questions, and others like them, will help us not only to understand the text, but more importantly to apply it.
Above all else, just make time for the Word of God. Identify the things that steal time from your life and prevent you from spending more time with God in His Word and eradicate them. While these thoughts by no means exhaust the many ways you can read and study the Bible, some of them may be of genuine use to you. Grab your Bible, find a quiet place, and taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8)!