How to Eat Your Bible
September 2nd, 2008
God has set a feast before us. Deuteronomy 8:3 tells us: “man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.” God’s Word is a feast which will sustain and enrich us, but many do not seem to get any benefit from its study. The problem: they don’t know how to eat their Bibles. Let’s consider a few suggestions for following a good Bible diet.
First, realize you can eat your Bible. Many people don’t believe they can understand the Bible. Some have been told they can’t by someone they trust; others think they need some expert to understand; some are confused and think the Bible is full of contradictions–ALL LIES! The Bible commands us to understand the will of the Lord (Ephesians 5:17). God would not ask us to do anything we were not capable of achieving. In 1 Timothy 2:4, we are told God wants all men to come to the knowledge of the truth. God has not set us up to fail, He has set us up for success by giving us His Word. Accept that you can understand the Bible, pray for understanding, and dive in.
Second, we need to have a consistent diet. Normal people don’t eat just one meal a week, they eat three plus meals a day (some people eat way too much). Yet, we expect to study our Bibles once a week (or less) and expect it to enrich our lives. God’s Word is absorbed into our lives and understood when we meditate on it day and night (Psalm 1:2). Paul wrote to Timothy to show him how he could be constantly nourished on the words of faith (1 Timothy 4:6). We need to be like the noble-minded Bereans and study God’s Word daily with great eagerness (Acts 17:11).
Third, be willing to give adequate time and effort to Bible study. Slow down, chew your food, and enjoy what you are eating. Too often people satisfy themselves with a quick read of God’s Word or a shallow devotional book. Some of what the Bible says is hard (not impossible) to understand (2 Peter 3:15-16), we need to dig in and examine the Bible. 2 Timothy 2:15 tells us to engage in diligent study to be a good workman who handles God’s Word accurately.
Finally, prepare yourself to “stomach” the Bible. Not everyone can accept what the Bible says because they haven’t prepared themselves to accept it. If you are used to eating meat and potatoes and you feast on spicy Indian food you are setting yourself up for queasy day. In the same way, if you come to the Bible with an attitude of “I already know what I need to know, and I am not going to change anything” your Bible study will not be fruitful. Accepting the following Biblical principles will help you stomach God’s Word:
- Don’t add to or take away, Deut. 4:2, Prov. 30:6, Rev. 22:18-19; 1 Cor. 4:6
- Don’t trust your feelings, Jer. 17:9, Prov. 28:26
- Don’t trust your opinions, 2 Pet. 1:20-21
- Allow the Word to correct you, 2 Tim. 3:15-17
These principles will help us to a have a good diet of God’s Word. This diet will enrich our lives and provide a steady source of knowledge, encouragement, and strength from God.
Posts in this Series:
How to Eat Your Bible
Bible Eating Nutrition Guide
The Whole Grains of the Bible
