I believe this is a topic that many Christians in general do not do. I do however believe it is a very important aspect to leaning in, and getting closer to God. The first misconception, is that we must be well educated or a Biblical guru to be able to study the Word of God. This just is not true in my estimation. What is true however, is it does take a bit of self discipline. It is hard enough for most people to carve out time in their busy days to just read a chapter or two. Let alone, dive deeper into the context of the meaning of a chapter.
Yes, it is true that God can and will speak to us as long as we are reading his Word. He asks us however to be engaged, meditate, and know His word. I am certainly positive that when we begin to look deeper at a meaning of a particular book in the Bible. We ultimately have a better understanding of what it is meant to mean for our lives. For example: If we understand where a certain set of events takes place, what the historical context is behind it. Maybe knowing how the culture of the world was back then. Considering they did not have internet, or forms of transportation except maybe a donkey. You can put yourself in the shoes of who you’re reading about.
Words are carefully placed, by God. Humans put ink to paper, but in the end we know God influenced each and every word in the Bible. Thus the reasoning for each word is important. Lately I have noticed, it is extremely helpful to look up the original word or phrase and what it means. Once again to have a broader understanding of what I’m learning. The Bible is made up of Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic. There are plenty of great Bible Apps that can help you learn and study the meanings of the original text. It really does not take much other then to type in the verse you’re reading, and search original language and the word and its meaning in English will come up. Make your own distinction on what it means for you in the moment. A few of my personal favorites to use are:
- Bible Hub
- Logos
- Blue Letter Bible
At the end of the day, the first step is to simply engage in God’s word. Start with one chapter at a time, and your love for the Gospel will grow. I believe God will show you that. As men if we want to see the world change and see our communities and families grow. Having a deeper understanding of the Bible will only allows us to teach the next generation at more then just surface level. Not only will our roots be deeper in Christ Jesus, but so will those who we influence. Take some time, and give yourself some grace and dive deeper with The Bible, and God’s word for you today.
