The Prophet Isaiah reminds us in Isaiah 40:8, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” I remember from my days in elementary school, many long years ago – we used to sing a little chorus that goes like this:
The B-I-B-L-E,
Yes that’s the book for me,
I stand alone on the Word of God,
The B-I-B-L-E.
The B-I-B-L-E,
Yes that’s the book for me,
I read and pray, trust and obey,
The B-I-B-L-E.
I cannot stress enough the importance of not only reading, but studying and memorizing God’s Word. The Bible is a critical part of our lives as a Christian. In it, we learn about God, we learn how to live, and we find our hope for tomorrow. However, the Bible is not something we are to just quickly read through and then forget…it will change our lives, but we have to learn to read it and obey it.
There are five key steps to our proper understanding of the Bible: 1. Hear it. 2. Read it. 3. Study it. 4. Memorize it. and 5. Meditate on it. Through these important steps, we can grow in our faith, find strength and wisdom to fight against temptation and sin, understand and properly know God, and find light to guide us through our journey in this world of darkness.
1. Hear it
“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17) We hear the Word of God when we attend church, when we go to Bible studies, and when we listen to others who know God.
2. Read it
“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.” (Revelation 1:3) We should all have a time each day that we spend time reading God’s Word. We can use a Bible-reading plan, or we can just read what God lead us to read each day. The important thing is, that we don’t just hurry through our reading time…but that we read slowly and seek to understand what we are reading.
3. Study it
“My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.” (Proverbs 2:1-5) By carefully studying God’s Word, we learn more about Him and how we are supposed to live. We study it, by finding out what certain passages mean, who were they written to, and how do they apply to us today.
4. Memorize it
“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11) We are daily faced with temptation and opportunities to do wrong, and only when we know God’s Word, can we truly learn to fight against those temptations. The more we know God’s Word – the more we know Him!
5. Meditate on it
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” (Psalm 1:1-2) To meditate on something simply means to thing about it over and over. When we read God’s Word every day, study it, and memorize it – we should then think about what we have been reading, studying, and memorizing. God’s Word should become such a delight to us, that different parts of it occupy our mind many times through out the day. It should become part of our daily life!
As a Christian – there is nothing more important to us than knowing God and His Word. The more we know Him, the more we will find Him guiding and directing our lives each day. Make God’s Word a vital part of each day in your life.