Last Tuesday we launched our 8 week study on spiritual disciplines.  Week 1 is the topic of bible study.   Donald Whitney says of bible study “No other Spiritual Discipline rivals the importance of the intake of God’s Word. No other Spiritual Discipline can compensate for the lack of it. Without feasting on the food of Scripture, no one will enjoy a growing, healthy Christlike life.”

In her book Women of the Word, author Jen Wilkin says “the heart cannot love what the mind does not know”.  How can we love God without knowing Him through His word?  Jen Wilkin goes on to show us some of the counterproductive ways we approach bible study.  For most of us, we know we’re “supposed to” enjoy bible study, find it meaningful, and applicational.  Yet, many of us view it as one more thing to do in our day and often times it’s very dry and confusing.  Have you found this to be true of your time in God’s word?  Is it difficult to find the desire to read?  Are you struggling to connect?  Perhaps some of these approaches are causing the difficulty.

God’s word was never meant to be read a verse here and verse there, ripped out of context to make us feel better in the moment.  In fact it’s that kind of bible reading that has made us feel empty.  We know the verse is supposed to bring comfort but a few minutes later, and we’re anxious and overwhelmed again.

To make sense of life, we must know God.  To better understand God, we must read His word.  To find greater delight in reading, we must take the posture of learning about Him rather than trying to fix us.  I know it’s tempting to click that article that says “12 Verses to Help in Suffering” but for the most part, the way we endure suffering is by anchoring deeply into the character of God, not grabbing the devotional for a quick fix.  Understanding how to read the bible helps us understand God in a deeper way.

So what do you do to get the most out of your bible reading?

Here are some tips to help:  How to Read Your Bible

Also, jump in the women’s mid-size group that meets on Tuesdays and learn in a community of how to deepen your relationship with God.  Click here to sign up.

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How have you approached bible study?

What have been some of your experiences with the approaches above?

What are some things you’ve found to be helpful in regards to bible study?