This is a statement I hear regularly from those who are wrestling with Christianity. And I often hear it from those who are trying to follow the Jesus lifestyle. I’m a preacher and I often have this feeling. If you have been afraid to start reading the Bible because you have trouble understanding it, or you are afraid you will not understand it, let me share some ideas that have been helpful to me.
Praise
It is impossible to understand the Word of God outside the presence of God. Praise escorts us into the very presence of God.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Gives thanks to him; bless his name! –Psalm 100:4
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving… –Psalm 95:2
In the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) we praise God with “hallowed be your name…” before we ask Him to “give us this day our daily bread.” Take time to give God thanks and praise before expecting Him to speak to you through His Word.
Pray
Ask God to meet you in Scripture. Pray that God would give you eyes to see and ears to hear what He is revealing to you.
…that God…may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation… having the eyes of your heart enlightened… –Ephesians 1:17-19
Pray for wisdom (that comes from your mind) and revelation (that comes to your mind). Sit and listen for God to enlighten the eyes of your heart.
Surrender
We must learn to read the Bible for what is there not what we want to be there. It is true that some parts of the Bible are difficult. But remember that the Bible was written for one main purpose: to help you know Jesus. And in knowing Jesus we can’t help but want to live like Jesus.
For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. –Hebrews 4:12
Meditate
The goal is not to just get through the Word but to get the Word through us. Meditating on God’s Word is not that hard. If you can worry, you can meditate! Imagine lying awake in bed at night with thoughts that keep racing through your mind. That’s meditating. Now take and do that with the wisdom and revelation God is giving. It’s just like reading a love note over and over and over. Write it down in your journal or on some note cards and reference it often.
This Book…shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. –Joshua 1:8
Ryan Smallwood
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