Reading the Bible Is For You (+ How to Do It)
Can you believe we're at the end of our Summer of Wellness Series? These nine weeks have flown by. But, before we wrap up this series, we have one final wellness practice to share!
Read your Bible.
Well, perhaps I don’t mean for you to *just* read your Bible…
Study your Bible.
Live in the words God has breathed.
Delve into this magnificent book about God.
In 2 Timothy 3:16–17, Paul writes,
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the [woman] of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
Our recommendation to read the Bible isn’t just something we came up with; it’s written down in Scripture and affirmed by God.
Paul instructs Timothy (and now us) that the Bible is good for:
teaching
reproof
correction
training in righteousness
equipping us for every good work
The Bible doesn’t answer our specific questions, like:
“What grad school should I go to?”
“Should I take that other job?”
“Is it better to send our kids to public, private or homeschool?”
As frustrating as it might be to hear, the Bible wasn’t written to be the Magic 8-Ball that we shake and get a “Most definitely” or a “Try again.”
In an article for The Gospel Coalition, Genna Marshall writes, “We often want a direct word from the Lord, but in the Bible, we’ve received everything he wanted us to know. He knows we need specific instructions and encouragement to live as his people who have been changed by his gospel. He has given us the Bible to instruct, train, and correct us so we’re equipped for every season of the Christian life.”
We’re often taught that the Bible is a book about us, or for us, or it’s a guidebook for how we should live our lives. It’s not that those statements aren’t true in part, but—first and foremost—the Bible is about God. It is His Word.
Pastor Tim Keller explained to his congregation, “The Word of God is the primary way we come to understand the truth about God.”
I’ve never seen this statement come more alive than over the past two years. The women’s Bible study group at my church has been reading through the entire Bible, and we’re finishing up this goal at the end of August.
As we’ve read several chapters of the Bible each week on our own and then discussed them together on Monday nights, it has become clear that the Bible is all about God. I’ve seen connections between different books of the Bible and between the Old Testament and New Testament that never occurred to me.
I’d always depended on pastors, Bible study leaders, and other teachers to tell me about how the Bible read and worked. (Maybe that’s been you, too, First name / friend.)
Studying it for myself over the past two years has shown me how the Bible reads and works.
And, it’s shown me the value of continued reading and studying.
Because, maybe you’re like me and have thought, “How am I supposed to read and study the Bible every day for the rest of my life? It’s just one big book… what more could there possibly be to learn?”
Two years of consistently reading through the entire Bible has brought me more questions and curiosity than ever before.
And, being part of a Bible study group where most of the women are at least 15+ years older than me has shown me how the different seasons of our lives highlight different parts of God’s Word, as well as the value of studying with others (helloooo, power of community!).
Most of them have been Christians for as long as I’ve been alive, if not longer. They’ve lived through so many different things—younger years when they didn’t know God, sustaining marriages, raising children, moving across the country.
They sometimes pick up on things in the Bible that I’ve missed, and that gives me excitement to continue studying God’s Word. God and his Word remain the same, even though we and our lives change, and that allows us to see more of who he is.
It also reminds me that studying the Bible isn’t something to be rushed.
The relationship of the Church (that’s you and me and all believers!) to Jesus is often illustrated as a marriage. It’s an ongoing commitment.
We don’t come to salvation—or marriage to Christ—and then never spend time with him again. To grow in our relationship with Jesus, we need to know him. Our primary way to know him is through his Word.
The more you pursue Christ, and the longer your relationship with him, the more you love him, the better you understand him, and the more you trust him. And the more you become like him.
I know what you might be thinking: “That’s great, Katelyn, but I have no idea where to start with studying the Bible. My schedule is packed, and I don’t want another one of those video studies…”
I hear you, and you know I can’t leave you without some practical recommendations and tips. 😉
If you’re longing to read the Bible for yourself, I’d love to invite you to join us for our next series that starts on August 2!
In our free, 7-day Strength & Wisdom Series, Abbey will lead you through one strength-focused workout each day, and you’ll also be equipped to begin a study of Proverbs. You'll finish the series prepared to read the entire book of Proverbs on your own throughout August!
Ready to join us for this sweet new series? RSVP here to let us know you’ll be there!
We can’t wait to start this new series with you! Since we don’t start until next Sunday, I want to leave you with some Bible study tips in the meantime:
Start with prayer. Before you even open your Bible, talk to God. Thank him for who he is, and ask him to help you study his Word.
Don’t sweat it! Reading and studying your Bible don’t have to feel like doing homework. This is an ongoing practice that you can take at your own pace. (Phylicia Masonheimer has some great recommendations on how to prioritize Bible study, even when your schedule is packed.)
Think about how you learn best. Some people learn best by reading, others by hearing, and some of us prefer to write or draw out what we’re learning. Think about what works best for you, and lean into that.
This practice will change your life. We're praying for you as you begin to study the Bible more deeply and know God more intimately!
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Each Sunday now through July, we'll drop into your inbox with:
a simple (and fun!) wellness practice,
the research behind why it's good for you,
how to implement it throughout your week,
and additional resources to help you get the most out of your Summer of Wellness practices, including new FREE movement videos hitting the SU Collective each week!
By August 1, your proverbial beach bag will be full of nine wellness practices that you can take with you wherever you go this summer. Join the fun with us: