Studying God’s Word get_app

We could easily spend months or even years on the discipline of studying God’s Word, with the various genres of Scripture, historical context, grammatical context, reading all of Scripture in light of Christ, etc. Proper study is important, and there are many resources that can help you study God’s Word well, but first we need to have a heart to study the Word of God.

As Jerry Bridges puts it, “Reading gives us breadth, but study gives us depth.” We must desire not just the breadth of God’s Word, but also the depths of it. When we do, we discipline ourselves to study God’s Word. When we discipline ourselves to study God’s Word, we grow in our faith.

Read Acts 17:10-12.

What were the Bereans commended for doing in verse 11?
(receiving and examining the Scriptures; in other words, studying the Scriptures)

What was the result of their studying of God’s Word? (many believed)

Read Romans 12:2.

According to this verse, how are we to be transformed? (by the renewal of our minds)

As Christians, we do not shy away from using our minds and studying well. God transforms whole people, including our minds. If we are truly to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind (Matt 22:37), then surely that means we must use our minds to study God’s Word and then we must do it and teach others to do the same (see the example of Ezra in Ezra 7:10). Then, why don’t we? It could be laziness, but it is often insecurity as well.

I want to encourage you; Don’t be afraid of studying God’s Word. Read a passage; write down observations; record questions; look at the cross-references and write observations and questions for those; outline or summarize paragraphs or chapters. Congratulations, you’re studying God’s Word! Soon you’ll discover that you understand the sections of Scripture you have studied far better than you did before. If you start here and want more (and I pray you will), use solid resources to help you deepen your study and understanding of God’s Word.

Read Psalm 19:7-11.

Studying God’s Word is work; it requires discipline, but there is great joy to be found in it as well. Go back to one of the chapters you heard or read, and write observations and questions - that is, study it.

Close your time of family worship in a time of prayer, thanking God for the unfathomable depths of truth that can be found in his Word when we discipline ourselves to studying it.