Reading the Bible made Easier

The start of a new year is a great time to start a Bible reading plan.  Often people tell me they can’t read the Bible on their own.  They say things like it is confusing or difficult to understand.  But I think that is a great trick of Satan to keep people from reading God’s Word.

The Bible is a book that God put together for all people to read and understand Him better.  God did not make it tricky, but we often can make things harder than they are because we don’t know how to start, or we just feel overwhelmed by the idea of doing something on our own.

But there is good news.  You don’t have to read the Bible on your own.  The Holy Spirit is ready to help and guide you in understanding the written Word of God.  If you have made Yeshua the Lord of your life then you have the Holy Spirit with you to help you and guide you.  So, you can do it.

But I have a few simple and easy tips to help you as well.  The following tips, I learned over the last few years of reading through the Bible cover to cover each year.  These tips are for helping you read the Bible.  Reading the Bible is different from studying the Bible.  When I get a new book, especially a textbook, I like to quickly read through the whole book, before I actually study it.  I read through a textbook quickly to see if I agree with the writer, to make sure I understand the style and method of the author, and to just get a good foundation of the concepts in the book.

This is sort of what one should do with reading through the Bible.  The Bible is a unique book and it isn’t a textbook, but more a love story.  But we can read it and study it for life, and still learn something new from it every day.

So these tips I am about to share with you are to help you read your Bible from cover to cover as a love story from God your Father.

Tips for understanding the Bible:

1.  When you read the Bible start at the beginning.  Read the pages before the scriptures actually begin.  Read the preface, the forward, the principles of translation, etc.  These pages at the beginning of your Bible will help you better understand what you are reading.
2. When deciding what version of the Bible to read, consider looking into how each translation was put together. Understand that there is a difference between a Bible translation and a Bible interpretation. (I personally like to read in English because that is my first language.  I also prefer an English translation from the original Hebrew and Greek sources, so I like KJV, NKJV, and NASB. )
3. Once you begin reading your Bible in the book of Genesis, read it as a love story to you.  Identify with the character of God and His people, as one with them.
4. Genesis is the foundation of all scripture.  God reveals himself to us as our Creator and Savior.   He also defines who His people are in this book.
5. As you read from cover to cover you will find various names used for God’s people.  Israelites, Hebrews, sons of Abraham, children of God, and Jews.  Try not to get too hung up on these different titles, but rather realize that all these titles refer to the chosen people of God.  Also, realize that you are a child of God, son of Abraham through Yeshua.
6. When reading your Bible train your brain to read God’s name instead of LORD.  Every time you read LORD, in your mind change it to Yehovah.  This will help you truly understand God as more than just a master or lord.

These six tips will make reading through your Bible easier and will help you identify who God is and who you are to Him.

Written by ktmom15

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