Scriptural References: Deuteronomy 11:18,Psalms 119:11,Psalm 5:3,Psalm 119:27,1 Chronicles 2:11-15,2: Tim 3:16,Matthew 13:8-9,Matthew 13:19,Matthew 13:20-23,Joshua 1:8 and John 16:13.

Introduction 

When Jesus was tempted by the devil after fasting for 40 days and 40 nights, he replied to every single one of satan’s temptations with a scripture reference. Jesus is our ultimate example for how we are supposed to handle the circumstances and trials that come our way in day to day life - we are supposed to use the word of God. In this devotional series, we will be discussing how to study the word of God so that we too can use God’s word to manage daily situations and fight our battles. Enjoy and be blessed!

“Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.” - Deuteronomy 11:18

 When I first gave my life to Christ in 2009, I joined an amazing church where I learned a lot, but also struggled with how to learn more about God’s word. I remembered that as a child in choir, we were asked to memorize a memory verse and recite it before rehearsing, but that alone didn’t quite do it for me. I didn’t feel empowered or transformed by that. So, I heard a lot about people reading the Bible in a year, and I tried that. I stuck with that goal, reading chapters and chapters a day, and when I was done…..I still didn’t quite feel like I got it. At this point I realized that I had to determine a new goal for studying God’s word - not just memorizing so that I could quote scriptures to others. I also realized that being able to tell others that I made it through the Bible in a year was a pretty vain goal. So, what should our goal be when reading the Bible?

King David in the Bible is referred to as “a man after God’s own heart” which of course is ironic considering that he had a complex life with a mixture of great and grave decisions. But King David’s heart was always ready to revere God and turn back to Him. He even wrote in Psalms 119:11 “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” 

 God told us very clearly in Deuteronomy that having his ten commandments on stone was not enough for Him, He wanted us to know and understand His word for ourselves. The next few points in this devotional will share how to do this, and why this is so important for us all as Christians

“O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.”  Psalm 5:3

It’s clear when you study the book of Psalms that David spent time with God in the mornings. There are many references to time with Him at that time. Now, there isn’t anything wrong with spending time in the afternoon or evening, but it is important to set time aside for study or prayer. You have to create that time, or other things will fill it. I recommend selecting a time where you can focus with minimal distractions, and when you have energy. (Don’t fall into the trap of falling asleep whenever you open the Bible!) For many people, this is in the morning before other responsibilities for the day set in, and for others it's at night after everything else. 

Action Point: Take some time today to honestly evaluate when you are able to set aside 10-15 minutes to focus on God and pencil that into your schedule today. And once you start, try to keep up with it. Even if you miss your study time a few times, don’t stress about it - just step back into your routine and continue. Remember, the Bible is a pretty thick book. Keeping your routine is key to understanding God’s word for yourself. 

Make me understand the way of Your precepts, So I will meditate on Your wonders. Psalm 119:27

The difference between reading the bible vs studying the bible is how much you understand when you’re done. It’s so important to be sure that you understand what you are reading, and because of that, the bible has been translated into 698 languages. There are also over 450 translations of the bible in the English language for many different reasons. The King James version of the bible was translated in 1611 for the king of England. It was revised in the 1980s since English has understandably so, changed a lot since then. While some people still understand and enjoy reading the King James version of the bible because it was translated directly from Hebrew, there are other versions such as the New International Version, New Living Translation, and the Message which are translated to be closer to today’s English for your understanding. 

 In addition to understanding the words and the English in the Bible, it’s equally important to understand the historical and situational context for many scriptures. I’ve found that a study bible is a great way to get that context because under every chapter, there is additional information about the history and culture of the time, and easy references to links to other bible stories as well. For example, there are many books in the New Testament that are letters from Paul to specific churches, and address specific cultural practices and beliefs of the time and location. It’s important to understand this in order to understand many current Christian practices. 

Action Point: If you haven’t already done so, research which bible version is easiest for you to understand, then purchase a study bible in that version to help you along as you study.

Nehemiah 8:10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.

 Joy is known as a feeling of great pleasure and happiness, Joy is an emotion that’s acquired by the anticipation, acquisition or even the expectation of something great or wonderful. It can result from a great success or a wonderful experience like a wedding or graduation, winning a game, getting a new job, or accomplishing a task. Jesus then redefines Joy not as an emotion but as one of the fruits of the spirit and then offers it to us as a gift. The Bible also tells us that joy is a strength. 

 Jesus showed us that the kind of joy He promised was not emotionally based, that is determined by what happens around us. He showed us that His joy enables us to go through dark times and sets us up to attain greater heights.

Hebrews 12: 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.

 Jesus endured the cross for the Joy set before him.

 We live in a world filled with so many unexpected events that alters the way we feel emotionally. Like we established earlier, some of the events are out of our control. Joy as the world knows it would not have been good enough for us. We need a more stable joy so that when life happens the joy of the lord can be our strength.

 Prayer point: Lord help me receive Joy not as an emotion but as a gift so that whatever happens, my strength will not fail but that your joy would be my strength.

“Nahshon was the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed and Obed the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of Eliab his firstborn; the second son was Abinadab, the third Shimea, the fourth Nethanel, the fifth Raddai, the sixth Ozem and the seventh David.” - 1 Chronicles 2:11-15

There are many bible characters whose stories, family trees and more span multiple chapters or even books in the bible, so it’s hard to get a full picture and understanding of these stories by hopping around the bible and not reading in order. The scripture of the day calls out two prominent men of the bible - Boaz and David but to understand the significance of each of these men, you have to read their stories which span multiple books. Boaz was first mentioned in the book of Ruth, and David’s story spans almost 6 books (1 Samuel 16 through 2 Chronicles.) 

The bible teaches us a lot about God, but it also teaches us a lot about human nature through the many stories of people’s lives. The men and women of the bible were real people with complex lives, and to get a full understanding of each, it really helps to read each story from the beginning to the end. There may be a tendency to bounce around the bible to find scriptures to match your mood or situation of the day, but to get the full context, the order matters. 

Yesterday we discussed that all scripture is inspired by God, so today I want to touch on the old testament. Many Christians believe that there is no value in the old testament since all stories about Jesus are in the New Testament, but this belief is far from the truth. The New Testament tells us that Jesus fulfilled the law, and is the reason we no longer have to follow old practices - but to truly appreciate this, it’s important to first know what those old practices were. The old testament shows us the detail in every sacrifice, celebration and the complexities in many other laws of the time which helps us to truly appreciate the freedom that we now have in Christ. 

In addition, I always like to say that the old testament reveals a lot about human nature. Every great man in the bible - from Samson, to David, and even to the prophets like Eli and Samuel also had visible flaws, fears and made big mistakes. Reading the stories of the men and women in the old testament helps us to see imperfect examples in the bible in addition to the perfect example in the life of Jesus Christ. Their stories help us to understand consequences for bad actions, but also to see how God’s purpose always prevails through it all, and gives us hope as we continue to live imperfect lives.  

Have you ever wondered how historical facts were investigated and considered true? It was by collecting and comparing accounts from multiple people. If many people witnessed the same thing and recounted it the same way, then it was considered real. Now that I think of it, the same also holds up many times in the court of law. 

This is why there are multiple accounts of the same story in the old testament. The books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John take you through four different perspectives, with varying levels of detail, of the life and death of Jesus Christ. Mark is the shortest and most to the point while others give more detail and context. As mentioned earlier, I do still think there is value in reading the entire bible and hence all 4 gospels, but that is an important aspect to keep in mind so you aren’t confused.

After this, we hop into the book of Acts, which essentially shows the apostles being filled with the Holy Spirit, then preaching the gospel to others who then are also filled with the Holy Spirit and become deacons who minister to others. It's also where we begin to witness the persecution of Christians. This is followed by many letters written by Paul to the churches he started, and then finally Revelations, which is John’s account of what God told him is to come in the last days. The New Testament is interesting in many ways because it walks you through the beginning of our faith and the start of the church. 

“Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.” - Matthew 13:8-9 

As you can see so far, there is a lot to take in from the bible. And in order to digest it all and to be transformed by it, we need to make sure our hearts are fertile ground so that the seed (word of God) can be planted, and bloom into beautiful fruit. The parable perfectly explains what happens to many of us when we read the word. There are four scenarios. 

Scenario 1: “When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.” - Matthew 13:19. This underscores the importance of getting a bible that you understand.

Scenario 2: “The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.  But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.” - Matthew 13:20-21 It’s so important to be rooted in your convictions about Christianity, and not just preference or convenience as we discussed on Day 5.

Scenario 3: “The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.” - Matthew 13:22 . This scripture tells us the importance of truly casting our cares on God. We should trust God through tough times, not abandon His word during them.

Scenario 4: “But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” - Matthew 13:23

This scripture surely made day 8 easy! As you can see, Matthew 13 was very self explanatory. That’s the beauty of going to the source and reading the bible! 

 Prayer: Today, say a brief prayer and ask God to help you to hear, understand and apply his word to your life as you begin this journey to understanding His word more deeply. Amen.

“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” - Joshua 1:8

One thing that I started doing when I committed to studying the bible, was to read just one chapter a day, and when I was done, close the book and ask myself what the takeaway was. If I couldn’t come up with anything, I would read it again. I chose one chapter a day so that I could be sure I took it in fully before moving on to the next. It’s so important to make sure that we slow down and reflect on if we understood what we read, and to see what the takeaway was. In many cases it’s a small takeaway, and sometimes it was a major takeaway that was 4-5 chapters in the making. But stopping to ask myself what I took from each scripture has truly helped me to stay engaged in being sure that I’m getting whatever it is that I’m supposed to get that day and to be sure that I’m following the storyline. 

 Action point: After your personal bible study today, pause and jot down what you learned in your reading. You may surprise yourself with the answer.

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” - John 16:13

 Though we all have a part to play in our study and understanding of God’s word, it is still important for us to open our hearts to what the Holy Spirit is telling us as well. The Holy Spirit lives in every one of us, and if we let him, the Spirit will guide us to the right decisions, and to a full understanding of what the word of God is saying to us in every season. It’s a great practice to pray, and to welcome the Holy Spirit into your heart before starting your bible study of the day. It’s amazing how much better you can understand the word of God and find ways to apply it to your life when you yield to what the Spirit is saying. 

 I sincerely hope that this devotional series has equipped you with tools to approach studying the bible in a new way, and that it’s gotten you excited about reading God’s word! 

Prayer: Today, say a short prayer: God help me to hunger for your word. Help me to understand your word, and hide it in my heart. Finally, please cause your word to produce fruit that fills my life and that draws more souls to you. Amen.