Reading The Bible At First

In my early days with Jesus, the one specific gift the Holy Spirit gave me was a knowledge and understanding that if I would ever experience freedom from my past, my hope was in Jesus. 

Therefore, since my hope was in Jesus, I knew I needed to know all about Him. So, I went to church and read my Bible because both taught me about Jesus. However, I struggled with understanding, yet still I realized I was learning about Jesus whom the Holy Spirit continually reminded me, was my hope. Hence, I kept reading. Sometimes, I wondered what difference reading the Bible could make in my life, but the Holy Spirit living in me would not let me give up on seeking to know Jesus more.

After twenty-seven years of not giving up on seeking God, I have found the reward of Jesus daily presence and guidance in my life, as well as, the reward of personal spiritual growth and continual transformation. Truly, God has filled my life with rewards, I could never have foreseen in those early days when I struggled so much to grasp His word. But I have learned, if God said it, it is true. 

What God Says About Our Seeking Him:

• Deuteronomy 4:29 - You will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. 

• 1 Chronicles 28:9b - If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever. 

• Jeremiah 29:13-14 - You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord,

• Matthew 7:7 - Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and It will be opened to you. 

That’s my story and it can be yours too. I want to encourage you to read the Bible and not give up even when you feel like you don’t understand. God will work in you and speak to you if you give Him the opportunity which means you need to stay in His word. 

God’s Personal Word

Maybe you have heard stories of God speaking to people or giving them dreams or visions, revealing Himself to people in remote places. I absolutely believe God does speak to people in various ways for various reasons, but He has ordained a way for those of us who have access to His word to hear for Him. Psalm 119:105 paints a perfect picture of how God’s word benefits the one who looks to His word. 

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Psalm 119:105

Psalm 119:105 reminds me that God’s word is personal, practical, and powerful. His word shines light onto our personal path to show our feet attached to our personal body the way to go. That is so powerful when God gives us a word that practically directs us in our personal lives. There is nothing like that, but we can’t experience that without reading the Bible. 

We can’t think of God’s word as a magic wand that we pull out in times of difficulty and desperation when we need a miracle or a big dose of His mercy. God’s word is personal because He is personal. He desires personal relationship with His people. If we only go to God’s word in crisis, we will never discover the benefit, nor the delight of knowing God in a personal and intimate way. 

God’s Practical Word

Maybe you haven’t found life as difficult as I. But for me, the choices available and daily decisions of life can be hard to navigate. Life seems to require more than I have to make the best of my life. On my own, I struggle to figure out all the details of the when’s, where’s, how’s, and what’s of life. I need God’s guidance in my life practically. 

In Psalm 119:105 the Hebrew word for path means navigable pass or trail. In other words, God’s word makes our paths navigable. Let me share an illustration from my husband. He was raised in south Louisiana where fishing was normal life. He explained navigable to me from his perspective. He said:

“You have to think in Nautical terms – a ship in a river navigating through the river. There are red and green signs marked with triangle signs as indicators of a channel that act like lines on a highway. Someone has already charted the course and proved it to be navigable. He went on to say that “At dark, at night, the boat is not like a car with head lights but with a spot light. The beam shifts from one sign to the other - without light at night they aren’t going to know where to go. Without markers, they must have an experienced pilot to navigate through the unmarked channel.”

The point: Jesus, the Word made flesh already charted our course. As Hebrews 4:15 says, He is a High Priest who is sympathetic to our weakness because He was tempted in all points. Jesus proved our course to be navigable. 

God’s Powerful Word 

The truth is God’s word is powerful. Hebrews 4:12 says, the word of God is living and powerful. Need a few extra the verses? Here is a list of 100 Bible verses that speak of the power of God’s word. Also, let me point you to my most treasured Bible verse regarding the power of God’s word.  

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void,

But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:11

You see, I started out today with my personal struggle to read and understand Scripture in my early days of walking with Jesus. I often read the Bible and did not understand what I read.  However, I read it anyway because the Holy Spirit kept pointing to Jesus, i.e. the Word made flesh, as my hope. 

Isaiah 55:11 tells so much about my Jesus journey in those early days. Even when I did not understand the Bible, when it didn’t make sense, and I didn’t get it, His word still worked. I read my Bible almost 3 years without real and significant understanding, but God changed me from the inside out even when I did not understand His word.

In twenty-seven years, I have learned that the work and power of God’s word is not dependent upon our understanding. The work and power of God’s word is dependent upon the work and power of God’s word. So dear Sister, I say to you with love and encouragement, if you struggle with understanding the Bible when you read it, READ IT ANYWAY! Because God’s word works! His word brings about transformation in us no matter what based on the power of His word. 

My Personal Encouragement to Keep Reading The Bible

I shared this struggle in my journey to those who also struggle to read and understand God’s word, not only that we can look forward to the transformation, but also understanding. Through my own personal experience, I know if you continue to read your Bible, understanding will come. 

Remember, God’s word isn’t a magic wand, but it is a way that we have relationship with God. He will speak and teach as we continue to seek Him to do so. And when you experience God speaking to your personally, practically, and powerfully, He will rock your world and set you on fire for Him and His word as never before. 

Finally, if you feel like you are on an unmarked path right now, with no signs to direct you, let me direct you back to my husband’s illustration regarding the navigable path. Remember that Jesus, our experienced pilot helps us navigate through places we’ve never been and through seasons that make us feel clueless and desperate. 

Wherever you are, whatever your story, however you feel, keep reading the Bible and experience God personally, practically, and powerfully! 

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