How To Study The Bible
By
Max Lucado
This is a peculiar book you are holding. Words
crafted in another language. Deeds done in a distant era. Events
recorded in a far-off land. Counsel offered to a foreign people. This is
a peculiar book.
It’s surprising that anyone reads it. It’s too
old. Some of its writings date back five thousand years. It’s too
bizarre. The book speaks of incredible floods, fires, earthquakes, and
people with supernatural abilities. It’s too radical. The Bible calls
for undying devotion to a carpenter who called himself God’s Son.
Logic says this book shouldn’t survive. Too
old, too bizarre, too radical.
The Bible has been banned, burned, scoffed,
and ridiculed. Scholars have mocked it as foolish. Kings have branded it
as illegal. A thousand times over it the grave has been dug and the
dirge has begun, but somehow the Bible never stays in the grave. Not
only has it survived, it has thrived. It is the single most popular book
in all of history. It has been the best-selling book in the world for
years!
There is no way on earth to explain it. Which
perhaps is the only explanation. The answer? The Bible’s durability is
not found on earth; it is found in heaven. For the millions who have
tested its claims and claimed its promises, there is but one answer—the
Bible is God’s book and God’s voice.
As you read it, you would be wise to give some
thought to two questions. What is the purpose of the Bible? and How do I
study the Bible? Time spent reflecting on these two issues will greatly
enhance your Bible study.
What is the purpose of the Bible?
Let the Bible itself answer that question.
Since you were a child you have known the Holy
Scriptures which are able to make you wise. And that wisdom leads to
salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
(2
Tim 3:15)
The purpose of the Bible? Salvation. God’s
highest passion is to get his children home. His book, the Bible,
describes his plan of salvation. The purpose of the Bible is to proclaim
God’s plan and passion to save his children.
That is the reason this book has endured
through the centuries. It dares to tackle the toughest questions about
life: Where do I go after I die? Is there a God? What do I do with my
fears? The Bible offers answers to these crucial questions. It is the
treasure map that leads us to God’s highest treasure, eternal life.
But how do we use the Bible? Countless copies
of Scripture sit unread on bookshelves and nightstands simply because
people don’t know how to read it. What can we do to make the Bible real
in our lives?
The clearest answer is found in the words of
Jesus.
"Ask," he promised, "and God will give
it to you. Search and you will find. Knock, and the door will open for
you."
(Matt
7:7)
The first step in understanding the Bible is
asking God to help us. We should read prayerfully. If anyone understands
God’s Word, it is because of God and not the reader.
But the Helper will teach you everything and
will cause you to remember all that I told you. The Helper is the Holy
Spirit whom the Father will send in my name.
(John
14:24)
Before reading the Bible, pray. Invite God to
speak to you. Don’t go to Scripture looking for your idea, go searching
for his.
Not only should we read the Bible prayerfully,
we should read it carefully. Search and you will find is the
pledge. The Bible is not a newspaper to be skimmed but rather a mine to
be quarried. Search for it like silver, and hunt for it like
hidden treasure. Then you will understand respect for the Lord,
and you will find that you know God (Prov
2:4).
Any worthy find requires effort. The Bible is
no exception. To understand the Bible you don’t have to be brilliant,
but you must be willing to roll up your sleeves and search.
Be a worker who is not ashamed and who uses
the true teaching in the right way.
(2
Tim 2:15)
Here’s a practical point. Study the Bible a
bit at a time. Hunger is not satisfied by eating twenty-one meals in one
sitting once a week. The body needs a steady diet to remain strong. So
does the soul. When God sent food to his people in the wilderness, he
didn’t provide loaves already made. Instead, he sent them manna in the
shape of thin flakes, like frost … on the desert ground (Exod
16:14).
God gave manna in limited portions.
God sends spiritual food the same way. He
opens the heavens with just enough nutrients for today’s hunger. He
provides, a command here, a command there. A rule here, a rule there.
A little lesson here, a little lesson there (Isa
28:10).
Don’t be discouraged if your reading reaps a
small harvest. Some days a lesser portion is all that is needed. What is
important is to search every day for that day’s message. A steady diet
of God’s Word over a lifetime builds a healthy soul and mind.
A little girl returned from her first day at
school. Her mom asked, "Did you learn anything?" "Apparently not
enough," the girl responded, "I have to go back tomorrow and the next
day and the next.… "
Such is the case with learning. And such is
the case with Bible study. Understanding comes little by little over a
lifetime.
There is a third step in understanding the
Bible. After the asking and seeking comes the knocking. After you ask
and search, then knock.
Knock, and the door will open for you.
(Matt
7:7)
To knock is to stand at God’s door. To make
yourself available. To climb the steps, cross the porch, stand at the
doorway, and volunteer. Knocking goes beyond the realm of thinking and
into the realm of acting.
To knock is to ask, What can I do? How can I
obey? Where can I go?
It’s one thing to know what to do. It’s
another to do it. But for those who do it, those who choose to obey, a
special reward awaits them.
The truly happy are those who carefully study
God’s perfect law that makes people free, and they continue to study it.
They do not forget what they heard, but they obey what God’s teaching
says. Those who do this will be made happy.
(James
1:25)
What a promise. Happiness comes to those who
do what they read! It’s the same with medicine. If you only read the
label but ignore the pills, it won’t help. It’s the same with food. If
you only read the recipe but never cook, you won’t be fed. And it’s the
same with the Bible. If you only read the words but never obey, you’ll
never know the joy God has promised.
Ask. Search. Knock. Simple, isn’t it? Why
don’t you give it a try? If you do, you’ll see why you are holding the
most remarkable book in history.
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