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
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