READING/STUDYING THE BIBLE

Well this is simple enough isn't it. You open the Bible and you read. If all you want to do is read, then yes this is enough. If you want an understanding then no it is not.

When I was in college I got in a habit of reading what I prefer to call junk news. It was not anything I needed to remember or write a paper on. I would not be tested on it, it was nothing important. It was for me simply a break from studying.

The Bible is not for such reading. Everything in this Book is and can be used in your life's walk with Christ. Yes even those long listings of so and so begat so and so.

I thank God for the men and women that have studied the Bible and left their notes for us to read and study. We are blessed to live in a country were we have the internet and research material at our hands.

First in studying the Bible we need to pray and ask the Lord to open our eyes to a true understanding to what we are reading. As new believer I have a few suggestions. The first four gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These four books written by different people are the telling of Jesus birth and life. Read them all together, and read them four times. Even without aids you will be surprised at what stands out to you as you reread them each time.

The first time simply read through all 4 books. The second time write down questions that come to mind, or scriptures that stand out to you. You will be surprised at the third reading what you did not pick up the first two times, continue to make notes and write down questions. The last time through most of your questions will have been answered, either by an enlightening of your spirit, or by research into the cross-reference scriptures that you have also studied.

As you grow in the Lord you will learn to use the reference scriptures to show a deeper study. Those scriptures will show you were it is listed in the Old Testament, were other scriptures are that support what this scripture says. You will learn to use the Hebrew and Greek dictionary to find were words came from and the true meaning of some words.

You will be amazed as LJG and I were and still are to find that 'it is not in there' when we went to look up a long quoted scripture. You will find the more you study the more you want to know. You will then have a little understanding of why I go to write on one thing and end up somewhere else completely. You can be looking for scriptures on sacrifice and find yourself in a study of places where those sacrifices took place. The wonderful thing is it is all important.

Think of it as a big thousand piece puzzle, when you start putting it together [if you do as most] you first put together the edges. Then you pick out the biggest area of one color and as you start to piece it together you find there are more shades of that color then you imagined. You continue to put the puzzle together and in the end you come up with a beautiful complete picture. It took time but it was worth it.

The Bible is such a puzzle, as you interconnect the pieces and see how it all connects to another part, you realize the Power and Might of God that planned it all before any of it was ever spoken.

God Bless You Indeed

recj/LJG