Welcome to day 3 of easy steps to read and understand your Bible! You can do it! Studying the Word of God may feel too far out of reach…too difficult, but God has promised that it is very near to you.
Here is his promise in Deuteronomy, the 5th book of the Torah. As we learned in the first 2 days of Quick Tips, we need to always read the Bible in context. So, I will give you a few sentences of background information on this passage. This book is part of the Law of Moses. It was given to Israel, so they would know how to follow the Lord. This section is a prophecy that Israel would turn from obeying the Law of God and that their hearts would stray to foreign gods. God declares a curse over them in this passage. He actually sets before them a blessing and a curse – they get to decide which one they will live under, simply by walking in the ways of the Lord, found in scripture, or walking away from God’s Word and commands.
Deut 30:11-20 “For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it. (emphasis mine)
Choose Life
“See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity; in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the Lord your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it. But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall surely perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”
Now that we know that God wants his Word to be accessible to us, so that he can bless us by it, let’s look at our quick tips for today!
Quick Tips- Let’s dig in!
Quick Tip 1 – God is near to you and wants to reveal himself to you.
- Pray before you read. The Bible is God’s Word. He is speaking through it. The best way to approach it is to ask him for wisdom and revelation to know him through it. Ask the Father to give you spiritual understanding and to open the eyes of your heart as you read.
Quick Tip 2 – Ask Questions…as many as you can!
- Go back and read from the same book you have been studying! This time, since you have spent 2 days reading the entire book in one sitting and writing down the over-arching themes of the book, let’s look exclusively at chapter 1 today.
- As you read, savor each sentence and each word. Start to ask God questions. When you feel curious about what something means, or if it is difficult to understand, write down your questions – as many as you can! (Use a journal or an electronic document. You choose! Just keep all your notes of study in one place. Trust me when I say you will forget the things God shows you. Writing them down is important!) In the days to come, we will learn how to find answers to those questions.
Remember…. it is okay if you don’t have all the answers. They will come. This is a journey of discovery with the Lord. Today, when you have questions, be sure to pray through them and ask God to give you spiritual insight and understanding. It will come by revelation and it will come through studying the Word in context!
Revealed Ministries 