Bible Food for Thought

The video program we are using at church identifies three dynamics we need to be aware of in our reading plans.

Listen
You won’t be able to understand if you aren’t able to hear the Word—to take it in. Don’t be in a hurry. Plan enough time, or don’t decide ahead of time how much you have to get through in each session. Sit down with time to read, study, and listen for what God can teach you through His Word.

Understand
I very much enjoy the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible. For the most part, it is the version I use for memorization. But I do have other translations that put the Scripture in more modern language. I like the New American Standard Bible because its translation uses the same words that I often hear pastors use to explain a word in the KJV. I also enjoy The Living Bible, for its easy reading.

When you look for a Bible, you just need to know that it is a good translation that is accurate and communicates well. Our pastor mentioned the Holman Study Bible, which you can find at Christian Books, Amazon, Family Christian Stores, and other places.

Respond
This means you take a point you have learned and apply it to your own life. Find a way to live out that point that you just came to understand.


“Apply yourself wholly to the Scriptures, and apply the Scriptures wholly to yourself.”

—Johann A. Bengel, German theologian and scholar

What do the words mean?

Do you need to look them up?

Do you have study Bible?

Do you have a Bible commentary?

Do you have a Bible dictionary?

What do the word pictures mean?

Do you take time to ponder the Scriptures? Meditate?

Have you allowed time for Bible study?

Do you see that a quick reading of a few verses will not have the same impact?

What should you change to make this happen?

Do you need to slow down?

Do you need to change the time of day?

What if you got up earlier?

Are you asking God to help you understand what He is saying?

Do you know that you might come back to this same scripture later and gain new understanding?

Have you made room for God in your emotions?

What kind of evidence would you see in someone who delights in the Word?

I will set a specific goal for Bible reading that will help me to see spiritual growth in my life.