Studying God’s Word – Part III
2Tim. 2:15, James 1:25, Prov. 4:20
Enjoying God’s Word, Part I
Ezek. 3:3
Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. (Ezek. 3:3, NIV)
Studying God’s Word can be a fun and rewarding experience. Yet it can be lackluster and a boring experience. It all depends on how we approach it. In this piece, I intend to share with you some tips I consider important in studying God’s Word and getting the best out of your study time.
- Consider the Bible as God’s personal letter to you because that is what it is – it is God’s Word written for you and to you.
- Take it as a spiritual substance. It is not what you are to read literally, prepare your heart or human spirit prayerfully when you read and study the Bible.
- Don’t be in a hurry when you read or study the scriptures; otherwise you won’t make anything tangible out of it. Create time for God’s Word and shut every door to distractions.
- Empty your mind of other matters, agenda, appointments, to do list, meetings to attend; it is not always productive to study God’s Word with a crowded and busy mind. You will only waste your precious time.
- Avoid every temptation to scan through God’s Word or do surface reading. To get the juice in the Word squeezed out takes more than scanning through; you’ve got to go in between the lines carefully, even if you are only going to study a few verses.
- Don’t take more than you can bite. This is one reason the study life of many is not effective. They want to take at a time more than they can handle. Learn to concentrate on a few verses per time – it is a life journey. Reading through the Bible in a year is good; but studying the Bible requires a different approach. Take it bit by bit.
- Avoid studying when you are sleepy or tired. This is what many people do. They take up the Bible to study when they are exhausted, tired or want to sleep. Bible is not a sleeping tablet; it is a food for your spirit and soul. It is a precious book to study at your most alert and active time.
- Be ready and get prepared to do whatever the Bible says to do. That is a very important secret that is vital to unlocking the heart of God when you study. Study God’s Word with humility and readiness to obey.
- Meditate and converse with God when you study. It is good to see the Bible as God talking to you and to speak out “Whoa! So God is aware I am going through this!”, “But dear Lord, how can I get to the realm you are talking about here?” Communicate with God when you study; you will hear Him answer back, sometimes in your heart, sometimes as you read further, or later when you compare scriptures with scriptures.
