Reading The Bible In The Early Days Of Our Jesus Journey
Reading the Bible
My journey with Jesus and reading the Bible started as a desperate search for hope and change. That search evolved into a necessity and a top priority. My journey with Jesus began twenty-seven years ago. I walked away from Jesus and the church as a teenager and did not return until I was thirty years old. My heart and life bore the scars of life, sin, and shame.
When I returned to Jesus and His Holy Spirit came to take up residence in me, He gave me one specific gift, a deep inner knowing that my hope was in Jesus. I supernaturally understood that if I would ever be free from the bondage of my past, it would come through knowing Jesus. So I went to church every week because they talked about Jesus, and I read my Bible because it told me about Jesus.
In those early days of my Jesus journey with Jesus, my view and understanding of the Bible was, at best, basic. I surely didn’t fathom how the words of the Bible could relate to my life. But, I kept reading because, my hope was in Jesus.
At that point, I viewed the Bible as a true account of something that happened a long time ago. i.e., a History Book. Then my Sunday School teacher, led our class through a study on the book of Revelation for eighty-four weeks using David Jeremiah’s, Escape the Coming Night. Subsequently, I began to understand the Bible as a Prophetic Book. (During this study, I met Jesus and began my journey with Him.) When the Revelation study ended, our teacher took us through the book of James, and I understood the Bible as a Practical Guide on how to live the Christian life.
The Next Step of the Journey
Each of these understandings of the Bible were essential to my spiritual growth because while the Bible isn’t actually classified as a History book, it contains historic accounts of real-life events. According to what scholar you read, the Bible is somewhere between one quarter to one third prophecy. And, the books of the law, the wisdom literature, and much of the New Testament can be used as a practical guide in life. However, what followed this trinity of understanding solidified my need, passion, and delight of God’s word.
Two years into my walk with Jesus, God spoke a personal word to me through His word. That day I read my Bible as I regularly did. Sometimes my reading was based on questions our Sunday School teacher gave us to answer during the week in an attempt to keep us in God’s word between Sundays. She knew if we would persist in seeking God through His word, He would reveal Himself. My Sunday School teacher played a huge role in keeping me reading my Bible. However, at this point, I had begun to recognize the value of God’s word, yet not realized how personal and relevant His word was for me and to my life.
God’s Word Gets Personal
So, on this day, I read just to read, no Sunday School questions to answer. There on my bed with my knees tucked under my Bible, I read a story in the New Testament that I read a number of times, but this time was different. His word became real, relevant, and intensely personal on that day. Jesus spoke to me through His Word and forever rocked my world. I could hardly fathom that the Supreme God of the Universe who is good, holy, right, true, and perfect would speak directly and personally to me through His word. Yet, that is exactly what happened.
From that day forward, I was never the same. A one-time encounter with Jesus would never suffice. I needed the treasure and delight of hearing from Him as much as possible. When Jesus speaks directly and personally to us through His word, we understand what the Psalmist words in Psalm 42:1.
As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God.
Psalm 42:1
God opening His word to us, giving us understanding and revelation has that kind of an effect on us. That kind of an experience, stirs up something inside of our heart that longs to return over and over again to drink in the effective power of His word. The problem, though I really don’t like calling it a problem, is that getting to this point in experiencing God’s word like that doesn’t just magically or instantly happen. Instead it is a process, and often a slow steady process which requires us to exercise a bit of patience and persistence.
The Power of God’s Word
As we talk about the power of God’s word from here, I want to remind you that I started with minimal understanding when reading the Bible. However, God took my willingness to read and keep reading His word and began to transform my life and develop my ability to understand the Bible.
Throughout the past twenty-two years in ministry, I have heard many women say things like:
“I would read the Bible, but I don’t understand it.”
“I tried reading my Bible, but it doesn’t make sense.”
“I read my Bible, but I don’t know what difference it makes because I don’t get it.”
I understand!
But, what I now know that I didn’t know then is that reading the Bible is effective beyond our own understanding. It makes me think of a saying from the long time ago movie, Field of Dreams. If you build it, they will come. If you read the Bible and do not give up, understanding will come. Why? Because of 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
When I read the Bible and didn’t understand it, my lack of understanding did not in any way nullify the power and ability of God’s word to work in my life. What I understand years down the road in my journey with Jesus is 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.
Understanding Will Come
While I read the Bible for over two years before I experienced significant understanding, God changed me from the inside out. So I am here to encourage you to read the Bible, in spite of any lack of knowledge or understanding you feel you have because God’s word works. God’s word will not return to Him void, but it will accomplish the work He sent it to accomplish.
All that said, I also want to encourage you that if you do not give up on reading the Bible, understanding will come. There will be a day, when you start to understand and receive God’s revelation and personal spoken words to you. How do I know? Because God promised us.
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.
Dear Sister in Christ,
Read your Bible and do not give up! God will work in you if you give Him the opportunity. Your persistence will pay off. He will delight you in the pages of Scripture and transform your life, not instantly but steadily and consistently. And at some point, He will rock Your world and set your heart of fire for Him and His word.
Much Love & Blessings!
Listen to my How To Study The Bible series on HER Podcast.