Reading the Bible
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.
Joshua 1:8
When you read the Bible are you getting the divine understanding that the Lord wants to reveal to you? Are you able to find the scripture you need that fits your present day circumstance? Do you find it difficult to remember scriptures when you need God’s Word for comfort or for the ministry of others? Everyone has probably experienced each of these situations in their Christian lives. I certainly have. This Daily Message is aimed at helping us get the maximum understanding from scripture, both for our edification and for ministering to the world.
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12) What makes the scripture alive and active? 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) The Holy Spirit speaks the words of our Lord as we read the Word. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:14) It is the Spirit that takes the words of the Bible and explains them to us through the words of Christ. Therefore the reading of the Word can be a conversation with the Lord.
When we read the Word, we should pray for the Lord’s presence, and for him to convey to us what he wants us to understand from the scripture. Read the scriptures and continue communing with the Lord, to understand the scripture, and the message that he has for you. This will open the Word specifically to you as the Lord speaks to you knowing exactly your needs. As you read the Word and commune with the Lord, the Holy Spirit will reveal your heart to God. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. (Jeremiah 29:11) Invite the Lord into your Bible study.
Joshua 1:8 tells us to meditate on the Word. Meditation on God’s Word means we focus our mind and think deeply about the scripture we are reading. Take time and reread the scripture, pray for understanding, and even write down your understanding, or what you don’t understand. This is important because the more time we spend thinking about a scripture the better we will remember what the scripture tells us. It is necessary to get our understanding of the scripture into long-term memory in order to retain it. This is why the Word tells us to meditate night and day on scripture, so we can retain the information.
I have found the best way to understand and retain scripture is to read it and then seek to understand the scripture in a way that you might teach it to others. The Lord will open up the Word like we have never before experienced. We use scripture to minister to others and we develop an ever increasing library of memorized scriptures in our minds. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16) This verse gives the purpose of scripture. When we study scripture to teach scripture, it reveals more understanding of the Word, more understanding of God. It increases our faith, fills us with the Spirit, and changes our hearts.
Today read scripture with the objective of teaching it to others, either directly, or by living the scripture before others. Be still inside and be deliberate with your thoughts and words so they reflect Christ. Listen intently to others and respond with an attitude of love and with Godly wisdom.
Lord, help me to understand scripture so I can teach and reflect it to others. Open my mind and heart to your divine understanding of scripture, as the Spirit guides me to bring your truth to the world. Help me to step aside as the Spirit brings your divine words and love to others. In Jesus name, Amen.