Published by How many times have we promised ourselves that we are going to read the Bible from front to back… from Genesis to Revelations? Only to find that we make our way through Genesis and maybe even through Exodus, but by the time we reach Leviticus our interest has dwindled, our perception has faded and we are mindlessly going through the motions of reading the Word because we know that we must, but we do not understand or interpret the Word. It is a daunting task. Think about it!!! God has breathed life and His words onto paper for us. The Bible is a set of rules, life styles, stories, and prophecies for us to learn by and live with. These are God’s words. Why then can I not stay interested enough to read my way through it? What is wrong with me? Am I still a good Christian?
Of course we are. Just be the fact that we are seeking the Lord’s words and workings in our lives make us “Good Christians”. How then can we be successful at reading the Good Word?
In my opinion the most efficient and successful (or even an alternative way) to read the bible is to read a bible study booklet and read the appropriate scripture to go along with it. Bible studies are set up in different ways, either to study a particular area of interest or to study a book in the bible. I find myself more attracted to studying an area that I am struggling with or an area of particular interest for me. For example, I am now reading a study titled, “Forgiveness, Making Peace with the Past”, it is part of the LifeGuide Bible Studies and it really delves into scripture to help you find answers. This particular study looks at 6 books of the bible and helps you to reflect on pertinent versus. It is a great way to apply scripture to your every day life.
The other type of bible study is set up to read through a whole book in the bible and learn what that particular book is concentrating on and what is being said. That is really a great way to get to know not only what is being said in that book, but it also gives you some background information about the author, environment, and history of the book. It gives you a great overview of a particular book. The first book of the Bible that I studied this way was the Book of John. I loved it!
Another good way to get some scripture under your belt is to read a good christian based book and look up the scriptures as they are mentioned in the book. I love Max Lucado for his excellent focus on subject matters and relating scripture to those matters.
Will God be mad if you haven’t read every word in the Bible, but instead have learned how to apply His Words to your daily life? I guess that’s a question that we each have to answer for ourselves. As for me… I know that God smiles down on me whenever I am contemplating a verse or am even enjoying a praiseful cd! He just loves to be in our hearts and in our lives!
Blessings!
