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How to study and enjoy the Bible?

Reading and studying the Bible should be fun. If it is not, you are doing something wrong. But don’t worry we have all fallen into the trap of not enjoying our Bible reading. It happens to all kinds of athletes that love their sport but because of pressure and other issues forget why they enjoyed playing in the first place. But the love of reading the Bible can be developed and can be recovered.

The Bible makes fascinating reading. As a literary work alone it plays a major role in the literature and language of many languages.

By reading the Bible you and I can get to know about our creator Jehovah. We can also learn a great deal of practical wisdom. The quality of putting into practice useful knowledge. As a Bible proverb says: “Wisdom is the prime thing. Acquire wisdom; and with all that you acquire, acquire understanding.” This proverb gives us a hint of how to enjoy our Bible reading and study. We must see practical results from doing so. We must understand the benefits of what we are reading for us to really enjoy it. How can we benefit from our Bible reading?

1) Get yourself a good schedule. This does not mean you need to read much. Great Bible students just read a chapter or two a day. The key is to understand what you read. Find a time of the day you are alert and in the right frame of mind to read. Don’t just read for reading sake. Take time to understand every word and make sure you savor every thought. You are sharing in your Creator’s thoughts, it is not something to be rushed.

2) Choose where to start and make a goal for yourself. Starting from the beginning, Genesis, is always a good idea. Some find it easier to start with well known passages like the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Poetic books like Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are also favorites and might just be what kick starts your enjoyment of Bible reading.

Whatever route you choose, make sure you read the whole Bible. Some have the mistaken view that they only need to read the New Testament. The Bible clearly says of itself in 2 Timothy 3:16: “all Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial”. Both the Hebrew and Greek scriptures are important and you will enjoy them both greatly.

3) Study it by topic. Reading the Bible from cover to cover is a great goal, we should all fulfill. However the best way to study the Bible is by topic. This way we can get real understanding of important subjects. For example in just a few days, by reading a few chapters a day we could learn the key points of such subjects as:
The origin of life and man’s fall into sin.  Genesis
The founding of ancient Israel.  Exodus to Deuteronomy
Action-packed accounts of the days of the judges in Israel. Joshua to Esther
Moving poetry and song.  Job, Psalms, Song of Solomon
Wisdom for living.  Proverbs, Ecclesiastes.

Why not start with one topic today!

How to read the Bible and enjoy it.

Reading the Bible is for many of a chore we do because we know it is good for us, what we should do. Much like when people eat their spinach, iron tablets or go for a morning jog, not for the sheer job of it, but because they understand the benefits that come with doing it. This in itself is not a bad thing. There are many good things we don’t necessarily enjoy but from with we obtain benefits that certainly outweigh the pains and inconvenience of doing something you don’t find especially fun.

With many activities there is not much you can do but bite the bullet and get done what has to done. For instance no matter how hard we try most of us won’t ever find hidden sources of joy in cleaning toilets, but alas, we can’t stop cleaning them just because of that. The Bible is different though. You can enjoy reading the Bible and reap the benefits of doing so. It can’t be like eating vitamins flavored like candy, fun and healthy.

This is not likely to happen if you simply start ranting out words from a random portion of the Bible. If you are an avid student of the Bible you can get joy out of all sections of the Bible, whether it is a list of kings, laws or the life of Jesus. However most of us aren’t natural students and need a more subtle approach in order to enjoy reading the Bible.

1) To start with, make it easy on yourself. Find a passage you enjoy or think you will enjoy. I personally started my Bible reading routine with Acts. It is an action packed book that gives great insight in the early century Christians before the apostasy that followed the death of the apostles.

2) Take it easy, enjoy your reading. You cannot enjoy your Bible reading if it is simply a process of turning pages to earn bragging rights or simply for the sense of purpose of reading the entire Bible. Savour it like you would savor a 184 year old bottle of Champagne. This occurred last month when an elite group of wine tasters uncorked a 184 year old bottle of Perrier-Jouet that was bottled just 10 years after the battle at Waterloo. Those in attendance talk about a reverential silence, and you can bet your last dollar nobody just wolfed the whole glass down, they tasted, savored it, enjoyed it. The Bible is better than a 184 year old type of Wine, it is better than a 3,500 year old wine, it deserves our time and appreciation.

3) Don’t only read it, study it. When you read, ask yourself what it means to you individually, what you can learn from it. Check any words you don’t understand, read it with an understanding of the historical and social context of the time in mind. Check references, Bible Studies and commentaries. Become a Bible student that enjoys not endures what he / she studies.