Understanding the Word
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
Understanding the Bible requires that we learn to focus, to think about what we are reading. The more time we take to focus on a scripture the more likely we are to remember it so that we can meditate on it later.
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). From this scripture we know it is the Holy Spirit that gives us true understanding of the Word. Now if the Spirit enables us to understand scripture, then where does the Spirit get the thoughts that we need to hear? 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 Spirit will speak only what he hears, implying that Christ speaks to us through him, placing thoughts in our minds to understand what we need to hear from the scripture. This means that reading the Word can be a conversation with our Lord, making it very much alive.
Conversation with the Lord while reading the Word requires concentrating on each verse, seeking full understanding, and formulating questions about the verse. For example take the verse from Ephesians 3:20, Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. Some questions from the verse might be: “How do I exercise His power, and what is His power that works within me? What might the Lord do that is more than I ask? These are typical questions that we might ask ourselves while reading the Word, and these questions should be taken to the Lord. We ask the Lord these questions because we seek a better and deeper understanding of the Word for ministering and teaching scripture to others.
A study Bible that contains comments for most every verse can be very helpful, but remember that these comments are not scripture, but a Godly scholar’s interpretation of scripture. You can take the scripture to someone who has a good understanding of the Word and discuss the meaning of a particular scripture.
When you are searching the Word for a scripture that is applicable for teaching someone, depend on the Lord for help in choosing the scripture and to give you a deep understanding of the scripture. The more you seek to use scripture to teach to others, the more understanding of scripture the Lord will give you. Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth (Psalm 46:10).
If you read the Word and consider it to be a conversation with the Lord, it will become a relaxing and fulfilling experience every time you pick up the Bible and read it, because the Spirit will give you a deep meaning of scripture. Reading the Word and talking to the Lord is a great time to be still and know God, and to escape the turmoil of the world as your soul moves into the Kingdom.
Today when you read the Bible, make it a conversation with the Lord. The more you do this the more you will have an understanding of his Word. Make your Bible reading a time of relaxation and escape from the world.
Let’s Pray: Lord open my mind and my heart to your Word, and give me a deep understanding of scripture so that I might teach it to others. Thank you for your Word, because without it I would never know you or understand your divine plan for eternal life. Thank you Lord for your perfect love and the peace that comes from knowing that you are sovereign over all creation. In Jesus name, Amen