Have Made a New Committment to Spend More Time in Scripture! Could Use Some Help...

kimanne · Feb 19, 2002

I have never been consistant with my time in the Word. There are always alot of excuses (not enough time, dislike the historical/geographical side which limits some understanding, get lost/bored in some books, etc.) But recently I have really felt "pulled" back to seriously studying God's Word. Not just here or there, or reading my favorite books, but really getting in and getting dirty in places I have somewhat (okay, I admit it...) avoided, like Revelations. And really digging into every Book in both the NT and OT so that I have good understanding of events and people and the correlation to other events/people.

Actually, I feel quite ashamed that I do not have a better understanding of the Bible as a whole because I have not only ignored the geographical and historical side of the Bible, but I have nearly always focused on the NT rather than the OT. And I find when I get into the less interesting books, I tend to start flipping pages...

So I decided to go to the Christian Bookstore in our town today to get a new devotional or something to help me in my endeavor. Don't you know, there were no parking spaces anywhere near, so I momentarily thought about going another time... Then thought, no, that would be too easy, and I'm thinking the devil is not going to win this one... So I drove around the square again, and had to walk a little ways, but I was so successful. I found a Quest Study Bible which includes questions/answers for better understanding, cross references, a dictionary, a concordance, and maps! I began reading today, and of course, began in Matthew. But it felt really good to sit down, prayerfully request guidance and understanding, and dig into the Word.

Any suggestions on daily reading? Do you devote so much time a day, or a number of chapters or books, or do you study certain subjects? Some portions of Scripture I know quite well. But that's no longer good enough. Some of you have great understanding and have really motivated and inspired me to get to a new level of understanding. ~kim

JohnR7 · Feb 19, 2002

>>Any suggestions on daily reading? Do you devote so much time a day, or a number of chapters or books, or do you study certain subjects?

Right now, I study subjects that interest me, and try to learn from it in a way I can apply it to my life. For example, yesterday I was doing a study on Gideon. It was only a chapter or so, but the way I went about it, I had a good two or three hour study.

We are told that our fellowship is with those who gave us our scriptures. When the day comes that I get to meet Gideon in heaven, I will know a little bit about him. Here he was pretty much a ordinary guy, except for all the wives he had. But he served an extraordinary God.

Gideon had heard about the miracles God had performed for his forefathers, but had never seen a miracle. Then one day an angel showed up and all that changed. The miracles power of God began to move in his live. He was no longer a ordinary guy.

So for me, I like to really get to know the people we encounter in the Bible, in a really personal way, like they are a close friend. The time will come, when we will get to meet them in person.

AngelAmidala · Feb 19, 2002

If the Quest Study Bible is still set up the same way as a few years ago when I got my copy...there are a few reading plans in the back listed. There's one plan where you just skim through the major stories of the Bible. Then there's another one where you touch upon each chapter in the Bible. The last is a 3-year plan, where you read one chapter of the Bible a day, for 3 years. You can adapt the last one so that you read a few chapters a day and take less time, which is what I did. And I made sure that as I read each verse that had a note or article, I read the article too and made notes.

rkbo · Feb 19, 2002

Here's what helps me: I have the entire Bible on casset. I listen to the thing on my way to work. When I hear something I want to get deeper in I just plain do. I get home I get my Bible and get deeper. These forums make you study also. My kids have questions that make me dig also. I enjoy having a reason to make me study.

solo66 man · Feb 19, 2002

Read the Bible every day

Deird · Feb 19, 2002

I've had various suggestions. Here are some of the best:
- Write the Bible out in your own words as you read it. So, as you read the sermon on the mount, think about what Jesus was trying to say, and write it down. This really makes you pay attention to what you're reading.
- Read a book from the old testament, then a book from the new, then a book from the old, and so on, until you've worked your way through all of them.
- Act bits of the Bible out! This can be physically setting up a scene from the gospels, or reading out something from, say, the book of James, as if you are actually James, talking to the people he's writing to.
- If it's in the gospels, find the story in as many gospels as you can, and read them together, looking for differences.
- If it's in the psalms, some of them have little comments at the top, telling you when the author (usually David) was writing them. So, you can find the situation that is being talked about, and read it along with the psalm.
- Get a huge amount of verses on one theme. For example, the theme of love: look up 'love' and 'loving' in a concordance, and read ALL the verses it mentions! All of them!
- Try reading the same passage, out loud, in as many different ways as possible.
- Try reading the same passage from a few different translations. One combination that works well is: the KJV, the NIV, the NLT, the Message, and the Good News. See what is the same in each, and what is expressed differently.

Just a few of the better ideas I've heard! Try the ones that sound good to you, and feel free to ignore the rest!

AngelAmidala · Feb 19, 2002

rkbo....

That's cool!!!

I never thought about the Bible on cassette. Talk about something to listen to when you need to relax!

edjones · Feb 19, 2002

The way to read the Bible is from start to finish, then when your done start over and you can quit when you die.

You should also study but thats different than just reading through.

Don't read a book about the Bible, read the Bible.

As little as 3 chapters a day can get you thru in one year, thats now much but its something.

filosofer · Feb 19, 2002

Many people (and I did when I first started 30 years ago) get discouraged by trying to "read through the Bible."

I have recommended the following to allow exposure and a sense of success in reading.

Gospel According to Mark (fast, easy reading on the general life of Jesus)

1 John (five chapters on love)

Philippians (four chapters on joy in suffering)

Ephesians (phrase "in Christ" [or equivalent] appears 37 times; "saved by grace through faith")

Gospel According to John (different perspective on Jesus' life)

Romans (central book of the New Testament)

Genesis (it all starts here - and sets the outline for the rest of the Bible)

Gospel According to Luke (themes of Spirit, poor, "underdog," etc. in Jesus' ministry)

Exodus 1-24 (God rescues his people, the Hebrews from Egypt)

By this time, you will have a sense of the major themes.

Blessings as you read and grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).

kimanne · Feb 20, 2002

Oh, thanks for all the ideas! I know that I will not read cover to cover. I tend to start flipping through verses and chapters... But I do have a renewed longing to dig in deeper, and the the new Bible is really helping. I also like the cassette idea. I'll have to look into those as I think my hubby might also really enjoy the cassettes! Thanks also for the encouragement! ~kim

Optimus_P · Feb 20, 2002

i say good luck as some of the reading can really bog a person down. The NT is prolly the best place. for the most part the first 4? books in the NT acount of Jesus Life.

the first 5 books of the OT are referd to as the Books of Moses and aco**** for the life befor and to the death of Moses.

Not to lie to you but it can be dry and just flat out slow.

everything from Acts - Rev are personl storys from the deciples.

Personaly I end up reading the bible everyday if not to quote it for the site then for myself. ok i think i skip on saturdays.

but on the avg i prolly read from it a good 8 hrs a day (but i am liek the worlds slowest reader too)

JohnR7 · Feb 20, 2002

>>Write the Bible out in your own words as you read it.

I did that recently with the Book of Proverbs. Instead of underlining I copied the scriptures that really spoke to me. I had wrote them in my notebook. I ended up with about three pages. Then I went over them and copied the really powerful scriptures, and I ended up with one really awesome page.

At times when you do things like that, you will see a pattern start to emerge, that helps you to memorize the scriptures. In Proverbs for example, they talk a lot obout the righteous, so you can come up with a list of qualities we are to have if we are truely righteous before God. Also the speach of the righteous, how it is to be life and a blessing to others. Thanks, JohnR7

JohnR7 · Feb 20, 2002

>>Not to lie to you but it can be dry and just flat out slow.

2 Cor. 3:6b the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

The letter of the law can kill you, but the spirit gives us life.

If we are trying to force ourselves to read the word of God, we may not get anything out of it. We have to be sure that we are lead by the Holy Spirit in what we are doing. It is the Spirit that gave us life and gives life and meaning to the word of God.

You would think that we are pleasing God when we read the word of God. But if we are in the flesh, there is no profit. It is the Spirit that gives us life.

John 6:63
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

kimanne · Feb 21, 2002

I, too, have written out my favorite scriptures - three pages of them. I constantly refer to them when they are needed. I am also a quilter and make alot of baby quilts to give away. I pray for the child I'm making the quilt for and then add one of my favorite verses to the back of the quilts as a way to share my faith.

Optimus_P · Feb 21, 2002

no one said anything about force ourselvs JohnR7. but i am many other people found it difficult to get thru.

I dont see where the rest of your post was going but i was just giveing my opinion on the books and another way to read them so you dont get to overwhelmed w/ some parts of it.

kimanne · Feb 21, 2002

I agree, Optimus, that some Books or verses are "dry" and very hard to get through. That's when I begin to flip pages.

I also agree, John, that we cannot "force" ourselves to read the Word and fully receive its meaning. But I think that in order to preserve the honesty of this discussion, I admit that I agree with Optimus' assessment that some parts are just not very interesting to me. My attention span and my interest wavers. I would rather not admit that because almost all "good" Christians probably spend time every day reading their Bibles. That's what I always thought, and I always likened myself below them because I did not open my Bible the way that I should. But I have found that many people do not open their Bible regularly, unless its on Sunday. I try really hard now not to compare myself to others. I will always come out on the bottom. And I have found through discussions at Church, that many Christians have a hard time with reading the Bible, because it not only takes time which many people are not willing to devote, but it requires concentration, and sometimes deep, prayerful requests for guidance and enlightment so that the Word can truly fill our hearts. However, I know that I am being led by the Spirit to satisfy my hunger, and increase my level of spiritual understanding. So rather than "forcing" myself to read, I am trying to discipline myself to spend time in God's Word every day so that I might quench this thirst that I have felt recently.

Blessings, Kim

Optimus_P · Feb 21, 2002

kim, allot like you. i have a short attention span. but i know that if i start skiping pages i really wont understand later on. so i push through them.

the NT is real easy so you could reread one of the many of the letters as a break as you go thru the OT. it could help strengthen you knowledge of the NT and keep your attention span going.

when i was reading the NT i could not read the first 4 books in a row, it was redundant to me. so i read john, then a read a letter or two, then matthew, then another letter or two and so on and wam i finished w/ revelations.

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