John Wesley asks a simple question, “Did I give it [the Bible] time to speak to me today?”
Mastering the contents of any book takes time. I love to read, and I try to read a book a week. That’s tough, especially with time obligations to the ministry and my family. I have little time to set aside for reading. And honestly, when I finally get a free moment to read my brain is so overworked and worn out that I either don’t feel like reading, or I have a hard time comprehending what I’m reading. I’ve found myself finishing up a book and then asking myself, “What did I just read?” If I fly through a book without intentionally thinking through it, I miss the point and reading becomes an exercise in futility. In fact, I just finished up a book this morning, and as soon as I finished reading it, I spent about 20 minutes simply going back through each chapter to remind myself again the main points of each chapter. All that to say, reading can be a difficult task.
The Bible can be a difficult read. While the Bible is God’s Word to us, it was originally written in a different time in a different culture to a different people. The language is hard to understand. The customs and traditions are sometimes weird. Reading the Bible is not easy. We can casually spend time in God’s Word each day and then a few hours later completely forget what we read just a few hours before. If you want to hear God speak to you through His Word, you’ve got to be intentional. I’ve found a couple of things to be helpful to me in my reading. First, a good study Bible is an invaluable tool. If I run across a passage that is difficult to read, I can glance down at the study notes and get an idea of what the original author intended when he penned his words. I highly recommend the ESV Study Bible. Second, a note taker’s Bible has been a helpful tool for me. Here’s the one I use. The wide, lined margins allow me plenty of space to jot down thoughts and questions that come to mind as I read. I also have several different Bibles. I have my note taker’s Bible and my ESV Study Bible that I use for my daily Bible reading. I also have a Bible that I use when I am in Bible study or sitting under someone’s preaching that I can write down insights as I hear them. I’ve tried taking notes in a notepad or journal, but I always end up loosing my notepad. For me, it’s easier to take notes in my Bible. That’s just me. You do what works for you.
Obviously, you can study the Bible in many ways, but the point is to be intentional in your study. Do not casually read the Bible like you do the Sunday morning paper. Rather, spend time getting to know the text. Spend time meditating on it, praying through it, asking God to speak to you through His Word. Take time to listen, and you will be amazed at what you discover as you study God’s Word.
