Happy New Year! This time of year, many are making resolutions for the new year. Hopefully, after reading through the first post, and some self-reflection, you have decided that you (and your family) want to spend more time in God’s Word this year. Next question… How exactly do you do that? How should we study the Bible?
I think the simple answer is…there’s no wrong way to study the Bible! Of course, there may be some techniques or approaches that work best for you and your family. But thankfully, as long as you are spending time in God’s Word, you will reap the benefits. If there was only one approved way to study, then I think it would be commanded in the Bible somewhere, but I haven’t found that. There are only a couple of Scriptures that mention the word study, like we discussed previously. There are a lot more Scriptures that speak of meditation–and I think therein lies the key to how we should study the Bible.
Reading vs. Meditation
Many folks will start a Bible reading plan in January. There are so many to choose from! You can even find websites (like www.Biblereadingplangenerator.com) that let you set the parameters for your plan. There is nothing wrong with this – at all. If it helps you spend time daily in the Word, then that is definitely a step in the right direction! May we all be like the Bereans that are spoken of in Acts 17:11:
These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
Acts 17:11, NKJV
Just beware… reading the Bible is really not enough. Searching the Scriptures, meditating on God’s Word takes things to a different, deeper level. If you are only reading enough verses to check off the required reading for the day, then you may be missing out on a real relationship with God’s Word. Truly dig in, read and then meditate on the passage. Bring those words to life! The Bible is not just an old book of words, it is God’s living Word (Hebrews 4:12).
True Meditation Takes Time
When I say “meditate,” that doesn’t involve a yoga pose and a low humming sound. It literally means “to think deeply or focus one’s mind for a period of time, to think deeply or carefully about something.” (from Oxford Languages on Google) This is definitely a skill that we need to work on diligently. True meditation doesn’t usually come naturally to many folks in this fast-paced world in which we live.
Do today’s Bible reading? Check. Move on.
Not so fast, my friend.
What good does it do for you to speed read through a passage and never even consider what it meant to the original audience or what it means for us today? This is where meditation comes in. And, this takes time.
Instead of just making a resolution to read the whole Bible or some part of the Bible this year, make a resolution to dig in deeper. Resolve to meditate on God’s Word. Set aside some amount of uninterrupted study time. If you need some quiet Mama time, then this period probably means that you need to be up before the kiddos or prepare to stay awake after they’ve gone to bed. But, why not start including your kids in this study? Teach them how to dig in to God’s Word and quietly focus on what it means for us. Of course, not many toddlers I know are going to really be able to do this… but they will learn from seeing Mama do it. Whatever time you decide, do it daily. Search the Scriptures. Meditate on all of the blessings that God provides.
OK…but how??
Back to the original question: how should we study the Bible? There are sooo many choices here. Revel in the liberty that we have. Change it up if what you are doing now does not make you (or your family) excited to sit down for Bible study. You can use a workbook of some sort if you like, you can use a devotional if you want, but I will caution you to let the Bible do the talking. Don’t let anyone (including me!) tell you what the Bible is or should be saying to you–read it for yourself! There are very few passages that are too difficult to figure out if you will put in the time. You may need to get out a dictionary or concordance, but it’s always best to let the Bible be its own commentary.
I have gathered many ideas into one Pinterest board for you to look at. There is absolutely nothing wrong with just using your Bible and a notebook (or notes app). If you need more ideas, feel free to peruse the ideas collected on Pinterest or elsewhere. You will find various iterations of the inductive method, Bible marking or coding, verse mapping, and a myriad of cute acrostic methods (like the IDEA method or SOAP method or REST or SALT, etc.). Maybe you want to do Bible journaling or outlining for you or your kids. If they are old enough, let them choose what they think will help them learn the best. Whatever you decide, just do it. Set aside the time daily, and dig in. You won’t regret it, that’s for sure.
Extras:
Memory Verse: “With my whole heart I have sought you; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! (Psalm 119:10, NKJV)
Jots and Tittles for Mamas – some meditation/ journaling ideas for this week
Jots and Tittles for Littles – reinforcement activities for the littles in your life