Have you ever attempted to read the Bible and found it difficult to understand? Or do you have hard time concentrating when reading the Bible?
You are not alone. Not everyone understands the Bible very well. Some people understand very little and some understand a whole lot, but no one understands everything about the Bible.
Why is this so? Because the Bible reveals a God who is infinite in nature. The Bible is God’s word. It reveals His wisdom and knowledge. Such knowledge is “past finding out” (Rom. 11:33). “Can thou by searching, find out God?” is a rhetorical question that is used to help prove the infinite nature of God’s word (Job 11:7).
God wants us to Know Him
Does this mean that God doesn’t want us to know Him? Or that He is trying to make the process as confusing to us as possible? Of course not! It is because God wants us to know Him why He has revealed Himself to us through His word. He allowed human language to express divine and heavenly truths, so that we could believe in Him.
The Bible is a spiritual Book
If the Bible was written in human language, why then don’t I understand it with as much ease as I understand other literature? The fact is that though it is written in human language and with human expressions, the Bible is divine or Spirit inspired (2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible says [speaking of the spiritual nature of scripture] “no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter. 1:20, 21). Therefore, those who seek to understand the Bible must have the help of the Holy Spirit who inspired the Bible in the first place.
Here are a few guidelines that you can follow to help improve your understanding of the Bible:
Bible Study Tips:
- Always pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, each time you take up the Bible to read.
- Start reading those parts of the Bible which are much easier to understand. For example, the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) in the New Testament, or Genesis, Exodus and Numbers from the Old Testament.
- Keep in mind the law of progression. You will not understand everything about a passage of scripture in one day. Sometimes, it is only as you get to study other portions of scripture and grow in your relationship with God, that some scriptures will have any meaning to you personally.
- Set time aside to study your Bible everyday. Meaningful progress can only come when you spend meaningful time studying. If you make it a priority (by having a specific time to do it), you won’t easily forget to study.
- Be willing to obey or put into practice what you have already understood about God’s word (John 7:17). Greater light will only come to those who are willing to live up to the light that they have received (John 12:35, 36).
- Make or follow a planned programme to indicate how you are going to read the entire Bible. For example, you could follow a Bible year, or you could make one for yourself. Three (3) chapters per day, and Five (5) on Sabbaths (or Sunday) is a good way to read the Bible off in one year.
- Use Bible Study help tools, such as Bible Commentaries, Concordance and Bible Dictionaries, to help you understand difficult words and passages.