Bible

[plugger]

HOW DO YOU READ YOUR BIBLE? It is amazing how at different times a thought enters my mind that has never been there.. I have been reading & studying my Scriptures seriously since 1990 and honestly today I know very little, and maybe understand less--- the Scriptures are always a learning process.....This morning I woke up and while laying there in the bed talking with God this thought entered my mind, that thought may have been there previously but reckon I paid little attention....My 1st question was "How do you read your Bible?"-----Many times I just read and try to understand, then many times I read, research word meanings, cross reference , let us say I really study....Thinking on my morning thought while I was talking with the Lord.....I need to read my Bible like it is a letter or book sent "personally" to me. When Jesus is talking, teaching, I need to picture Him there on the Mountain side, in the synagogue, there at the well, or in a room with His disciples----really try to picture it as it was, not just reading words. Today I thought of what I have been taught as Jesus's teaching to be maybe Jesus pleading. Jesus came in human form so why should we not expect Jesus speech pattern to be different. Allow me to share this: John 14

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

How many times have I heard and read this, now how many times did I seriously think Jesus was speaking to me? Did I ever make it personal? Now, some will say Jesus was talking with His disciples so this technically does not apply to me.....OK, I understand, yet when cross referencing to other Scripture I learn that what He was teaching His disciples, it was not only meant for them but for me....keeping it personal. John 3:16 Jesus was speaking with Nicodemus, yet, when searching the Scripture I learn that this message was not only for Nicodemus, but Jesus was saying this for me.

Paul's Epistles can be very hard to understand. I remember back in my early days in reading Scripture I told my dad that much of Scripture I could sort of understand , but Paul's writings were really strange, like a foreign language to me, I just could not grasp anything from Paul.....Dad smiled and only said, "yes, Paul can be difficult at times." Then one day Paul's writings came in more clearly....Then one day I started to read Paul's letters as if he were writing to "ME"....I made it a personal letter---In Paul's writings I learn that all Jesus taught to others --Paul confirms these teachings were for "ME". Once again personal.

I suppose many of you have passed this time in your spiritual life years ago, but maybe, just maybe, we have one or 2 here on the board who try to get a handle on Scripture, but like I was, it appears to be a foreign language. Back when I taught S.S. class I encouraged folks when reading from their Bible, "THE VERY 1ST THING BEFORE READING A WORD" place your hands on your Bible and take a moment and speak with God and ask for an understanding of what you are about to read.-----If I may, this not only gets you to reading Scripture like it is personal, but it also helps to establish a personal relation with God.

God Bless and have a Blest week