Although I spent most of my life attending church, as I became a young adult I struggled with exactly how to study God's Word daily. I wanted to seek God in a way that caused me to look more like Him every day, and I wasn't entirely sure how to make that happen. I had to dig in and ask God to help me figure it out. I also had some friends that didn't grow up in church and they seemed to have the same struggle.....in fact, you might be reading this and thinking that you too have always wondered what trick other people have up their sleeve that helps them study and retain the Word of God.
I can tell you, it is not a trick at all!! There also is no quick fix or magic beans that will help you in your quest to study and understand the Word of God. It takes what I call
THE FOUR D's!
Diligence: Realize that you can't do anything in your own strength. Ask God to help you to gain knowledge and understanding through your study. And don't fall into a trap of thinking that your knowledge will increase overnight. Be diligent!
Galatians 6:3 "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."
Philippians 3:14 "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Dedication: Make sure that you begin by dedicating the time to God. If you have to set up appointments in your calendar for time with God and then keep that appointment!! I am a fur mom of some pretty adorable doggies. It seems that as soon I sit down to spend time with God, they dial up their cuteness level and do their best to lure me away.....LOL! Can anyone relate!? God wants us to want to spend time with him. Be dedicated to making it happen!
Romans 12:1 "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship."
Proverbs 16:3 "Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established"
Discipline: Okay....okay....don't stop reading just because I said the word discipline!!! I want this to be an encouragement to keep going!! KEEP AT IT, MY FRIEND!!!
Don't give up! It may get hard to keep your appointment....but don't give up. The situation you are in may want to demand all your time, but don't give up. You may have put your Bible on a shelf for a day.....a week.....a month.....more......but don't give up!! God desires a relationship with you and the daily discipline of spending time with him can begin fresh and new right now!!
2 Timothy 1:7 "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline."
Proverbs 12:1 "Whoever loves discipline love knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid." (yikes!)
Decisiveness: Okay.....if you are like me, sometimes decisions don't come easily. I'm not talking about the decisiveness that you need to pick an item for lunch at a brand new restaurant when there are 300 items on the menu. LOL! I am talking about taking the time to plan out exactly how you are going to dig into the Word of God. There are great tools at your disposal these days, like
"1 Thessalonians 5:21 "But test everything; hold fast to what is good."
2 Timothy 1:13 "Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus."
This study help is so neat and unique. It is a cross between a devotional and a workbook. In just fifteen minutes a day, you'll learn the Bible's key people, events, and doctrines to get more out of God's Word. I found this wonderful book easy-to-use, and very informational.
Features: *from the back cover
The Arc of Bible History to help you visualize the Bible's overarching themes.
The Story of the Bible, summarizing Genesis through Revelation in just a few pages.
The core beliefs of the Christian faith, focusing on the teachings that have united Christians for the last 2,000 years.
A 13-week plan that provides teachers with creative and effective tools for teaching the Bible in 30 days.
Fan-favorite bonus content, previously removed, now restored from the original edition.
My friends, we are all in this thing we call life together. There are ups and downs that bring us joy and elation, as well as, grief and pain. The one thing that is always constant is the love of God, which He lays out for us in His Word. Don't neglect it. Pick up your copy of this fantastic book, and dig in!! You'll be glad you did!!!
Thanks for reading!
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