God prompted me to read His Word in late 2004. Even though I attended church and tried my best, I still didn’t know how to start reading the Bible and it wasn’t even a priority in my life. So, the following year, I started reading the Bible thanks to the advice and encouragement of my friend Gaby, who is now my wife.
“Read the Word” is to this day the best advice I have received in my entire life. That’s why I want to share and develop that tip with you.
Read about Christ
You may be wondering, “Which book can I start reading the Bible with?” The first thing Gaby told me was to start with the Gospel according to John, and he also gave me a journal so he could write down what he learned about Christ.
Why start with one of the gospels? Because they are stories about the life of Jesus written by four different people: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. So, you can start with John like I did or with any other gospel. The idea is that you read about Christ and know the person and work of him.
Take the time to underline the characteristics of Jesus, what is said about him, and what he says about himself. Pay attention to how he uses the Old Testament to support his teachings and how he fulfills the Law and God’s promises about the arrival of a king and savior. Also discover and delight in the beautiful work of redemption on the cross of Calvary and the extraordinary resurrection of Jesus Christ.
You won’t really know Christ just by spending a few minutes with your eyes on the pages of the Bible while your mind is in the clouds.
It is important that as you read and learn more about the Lord through His Word, you also develop a dependence on God through the .
meet christ
Reading the Bible leads you to know God. This is not about reading for superficial reading. You won’t really know Christ just by spending a few minutes with your eyes on the pages of the Bible while your mind is in the clouds. Try to read with a spiritual appetite, with need, curiosity, commitment and obedience. You have the joy and privilege of knowing the mind of God revealed in his Word.
I once heard Pastor John Piper say that we should prepare the night before for morning prayer. The same could be said about biblical reading. I encourage you to prepare ahead of time to read the Bible, recognizing that it is a priority for your spiritual life more than anything else in this life.
For example, for some time I cultivated the habit of reading my Bible in the morning. But to achieve that I had to learn to be intentional at night and go to bed early. Most likely, you will not wake up with courage, joy and strength if you go to bed late. Remember that it is your responsibility because you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit, that is, controlled and directed by Him (Eph 5:16-18).
How do you fill yourself with the Holy Spirit? Paul himself responds by saying that it is with “the word of Christ” (Col 3:16). So, he takes the time to meet Christ in the pages of the Bible. Just as we are intentional about meeting and interacting with other people, let us also be intentional about knowing and fellowshipping with Christ.
Reading about Christ to know Christ is intended to glorify Christ by applying what you have understood about Him to your own life.
One of the most important aspects of reading the Bible is comprehension. To check what you have understood, you can ask yourself the following questions at the end of each reading: What did I learn from Jesus? How does this help me learn more about the character of Christ? What did Christ do for me? What does Christ require of me? Reading about Christ and knowing Christ with understanding will lead you to live for Christ.
Live for Christ
This last tip is very important, so take note. Reading about Christ to know Christ is meant to glorify Christ by applying what you have understood about Him to your own life. You must live according to what you read; God will help you by the same power and grace with which he opened your eyes to see his glory.
Beware of thinking that it is enough to read and be able to explain to others what the Word says. Although it is important, it is not everything. How about we follow the example of Ezra? He devoted his heart to “studying the law of the Lord, and practicing it, and teaching his statutes and ordinances in Israel” (Ezr 7:10). Read again the order: Study, practice and teach.
To achieve this it is important that you read the Bible with a commitment to your local church. Reading the Bible can be a private spiritual discipline, but the commitment to submit to the Word must be made alongside other believers who also seek to be edified, encouraged, encouraged, and discipled.
Look for people in your church who encourage you to meditate and apply the preaching of each Sunday. Meet with believers to the Word of God. Jesus’ prayer for all his disciples was: “Sanctify them in the truth, Your word is truth” (Jn 17:17).
Take heart! Starting to read the Bible is starting the best walk of your life with God. Enjoy her Word because it will sustain your whole life.