A Helpful Tip When Reading the Bible

I have been in ministry for some time. I have taught at least a hundreds Sunday School lessons, and Wednesday Night Youth Meetings. I have  found a common point I usually emphasize, and that is “you need to be reading your Bible”. However, I realized that I am not always instructive in what that could look like. I thought I would give something that helps me when I am spending time with the Lord in Scripture.  

Before I Get To Helpful Hints 

I want to say something on Quite Times, or spending time in the word in general. I think a lot of people want your time in the Word to look like their time in the Word. The problem is that we are all different, there are some that waking up early every morning to read is not going to happen. There are also some that if they don’t make time in the morning than the reading won’t happen that day. My advice here is find out what works best for you. If you are able to spend time in the Word in the morning, than do that. However, if another time works better I believe that, that time is the best time. As Christians are desire should be to know more about the God we serve, and this comes from reading the Word.

Think on These Things 

Here is my helpful hint, it is nothing ground breaking or earth shattering. However, I do believe that it is helpful. Whenever you are reading your Bible find one or two verses, or even just a phrase and think on it throughout the day . I realized that I would set down and read my Bible either in the morning or at night, and then I would go on about my day.  The problem is that I would allow myself to get bogged down with the  thoughts of my life throughout my day. The Bible is clear that we grow in our relationship with the Lord as we think on things of righteousness. Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”. As the verse states we are to think on the things of God. I found that I was able to get more out of my daily Bible reading when it was more than just checking off a task. When I read I truly started to look for something (maybe a verse or just a line in a verse) that I could think throughout my day and I could think on the things of the Lord instead of always putting in the things of this world. 

Meditate On It Day And Night.  

We are called to think on the ways of the Lord. In the book of Joshua we see this in verse 1:8, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success”. Rather day or night we are to think on the thing of the Lord. I am not saying we have to sit down and read the Bible for 8 hours in order for us to grow close to God.  believe that we have thoughts running through our mind all day, and I believe that as Christians a majority of these things should be focused on the things of the Lord. Something I tell teenagers when struggling with sin. Instead of trying to just stop sinning we are to put the focus on living a righteous life for God. If you spend all your time thinking about the things of the Lord, you will send less time thinking about sin. You will not be perfect, but if we try harder to think about scripture today than we will look more like Christ than we did the day before, and as Christians that is the goal. 

I Will Leave You With This

Once again none of this is ground breaking. However neither is that we should be flossing, but every time we go to the dentist they tell us we should be doing that. I will close with this, whatever we think about the most will influence us the most, and the Bible is clear that as Christians the Lord, and his Word should be are biggest influence.