God's Word spoken to us through the pens of men. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." Clearly reading the bible is for our good. I must admit there are and probably will be more times when I read a passage and I can't tell you anything I've just read - I can reread it several times and I'm still as clueless as before. I do really believe there are better times in the day to study God's word - when we are more inclined to hear and receive. For me it is in the morning - I'm a morning person - I wake up and I'm ready to go. When I get ready to study God's word I have gotten into the habit of praying James 1:5-6...Lord grant me wisdom to hear, understand and be changed my your word, you freely give to those who ask and I believe that you will give and that I can learn. In Jesus Name Amen. I also believe the location is important - I definitely get more benefit from my study time when the house is quiet and I'm in the sunshine. Find out what works best for you.
What to study, where to start: There are so many aides out there to help you if you are unsure what to do. Devotion books, bible study books, reading your bible in a year programs, the upper room, etc. I love the books of Psalm & Proverbs so I read 1 of each everyday. I also have some type of devotional that I do and it also has suggested scripture that goes along with the devotion. During the school year I also lead the WBS which has 5 days of homework. I have learned more about God and his character from WBS than any other source. The last thing I do is when I'm struggling with something I usually find 5 to 10 scriptures that apply to that struggle or define God's character that comfort me. I write these out on index cards and have them with me and I will read and read those few scriptures more frequently for as long as it takes. How I find those scriptures: I use Bible Gateway to help me search, and I have several small books that are full of scriptures on different life struggles. Lifeway has a large assortment of these types of books and I have found them very useful.
How are we to know what to do when life hits us hard or when we need to make big decisions? I can search on Bible Gateway for jobs but it isn't going to give me an answer which one I suppose to take. I believe this is why studying the bible is so important. If we know God and His character than making these types of decisions become easier. What does God say about how to raise kids? What does say about how to treat people? What does God say about marriage? What does God say about this world and our place in it? What does God say about who we are? Does God care about school grades? Who is God? Sounds like we need to start reading our bibles to find these types of answers. Our God is love, faithful, true, trustworthy, jealous, holy, omnipresent, sovereign, and so much more.....let's find out.
The more you read - the more you will "know" of God's character which let's you predict those situtations that aren't clearly defined in the Word. I think of it like knowing what you husband will say about something because you know his character. Just my two cents ...
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