STEP 1: BIBLE

BE WITH JESUS

The first goal of the Christian life is to be with Jesus. In reality, Jesus is always with us. The problem is we often become distracted and are unaware of his presence. So this goal is really all about growing in, practicing, and enjoying an awareness of Jesus’ presence. An important step in pursuing this goal is reading the Bible.

Why do you read the Bible?

WHY READ THE BIBLE?

Before you became a Christian, you likely read the Bible primarily to learn what it taught. This is a good reason to read the Bible! However, learning is neither the only nor the primary goal of reading the Bible. The primary goal of reading the Bible is to pursue fellowship with God.

How does reading an ancient book help us practice an awareness of God’s presence? As we’ll see, the Bible is not merely a human book but the very Word of God. Let’s take a look at what Jesus had to say about God’s Word in the Gospel of Matthew.

MATTHEW 4:1-4

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

 
 

Jesus was led by the Spirit of God into the wilderness. He was fasting and praying, and as it says, “he was hungry.” Satan took advantage of this situation and tempted Jesus. 1 Jesus answered Satan by quoting from Deuteronomy, a book of the Bible in the Old Testament. Jesus testified that he needed God, specifically God’s Word, and that he could not live without it. In fact, no one can truly live without God’s Word.

Think about this for a minute. You need food every day. You need oxygen every second. Jesus is saying that in the same way you need food and oxygen, you need the Word of God.

Here is another analogy: In a healthy relationship, you enjoy one another’s company through conversation. They speak to you. You speak to them. Conversation is the foundation and the culmination of a relationship. Relationships begin through conversation, are built and sustained by conversations, and connecting deeply and intimately—being known and knowing one another through conversation—is the ultimate reward of a relationship. In a similar way, conversation is foundational to our relationship with God. We hear God speak in his Word and speak back to him through prayer. One day, the ultimate consummation of our relationship with God will be conversing with him face to face—fully knowing him as we have been known by him.

Let’s get practical. How do we enjoy the presence of God through the Bible? We will consider three levels of practicing an awareness of God’s presence through reading the Bible. Each level builds on one another, so it's important to practice them in succession. If that feels overwhelming right now, that’s okay! For now, simply focus on level 1. Be encouraged that each of the levels helps us toward the ultimate goal of practicing an awareness of God’s presence.

 
 

LEVEL 1

READ THE BIBLE

 
 

LEVEL 2

STUDY THE BIBLE

 
 

LEVEL 3

MEDITATE ON THE BIBLE

LEVEL 1: READ THE BIBLE

Christian disciples read the Bible, so it’s important to know what the Bible is. Look at what the Apostle Paul said about the Bible to a Christian disciple named Timothy.

2 TIMOTHY 3:14-17

14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

 
 

We can make several important observations about the Bible:

THE SCOPE OF SCRIPTURE

Paul used the terms “sacred writings” and “Scripture” to refer to the Bible. The “sacred writings” that Timothy had been acquainted with from his childhood were the thirty-nine books of the Old Testament, Genesis through Malachi. The term “all Scripture” also includes (at least by implication) the New Testament writings, which by the time Paul wrote this letter were already being considered to be Scripture. 2 “All Scripture”, therefore, refers to the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments and excludes all other writings, religious or otherwise.

THE NATURE OF SCRIPTURE

Paul wrote that Scripture is breathed out by God and consists of sacred writings. This means that Scripture, though written by humans, was inspired by God. The Bible is a blend of God leading the biblical authors what to write and each author writing with their own personalities to real people in a specific time, place, and culture. Let’s consider how each of these characteristics of Scripture impacts how we read and study it.

"Breathed out by God"

This phrase (which is a single unique word in the original language) stresses the divine origin of the Bible and points to the text itself as words spoken (breathed out) by God. The Bible is God’s Word to us, by which he speaks to us and into our lives today. Let’s consider some characteristics of the Bible as God’s inspired word.

The Bible is inerrant.

In each human author’s personal voice, they wrote down exactly what God wanted them to write. These authors made no mistakes when they wrote the Scriptures. 3

The Bible is authoritative.

It is not the teachings of humans but of God. 4

The Bible is effective.

It is able to accomplish the will and work of God in our life. 5

The Bible is sufficient.

God’s revelation is complete. No more Scripture will be given, nor is it needed. Through Scripture, God has given us everything we need for a godly life. 6

HOW CAN WE READ THE BIBLE?

Read the Bible regularly

In our busy society, we won’t have time to read the Bible unless we intentionally schedule time to do so. Whether you’re reading one sentence, one page, or one book of the Bible, start reading the Bible every day.

Make a Plan

It’s helpful to make a plan for daily Bible reading. What will you read in the Bible each day? When and where will you read the Bible each day?

Here’s an example plan:

What to read

One Old Testament chapter & one New Testament chapter

When

6:30 AM before leaving for work

Where

At the dining table

Use variety

It is also helpful to engage the Bible in different ways in different seasons. For example, try memorizing a passage of Scripture. Read longer sections (such as an entire New Testament letter) in one sitting. Read shorter sections slowly. Read out loud. Listen to an audio Bible. Read a commentary or study Bible notes along with the text. Journal your thoughts, reflections, and questions as you read.

Ultimately, reading the Bible doesn’t need to be complicated. Open the Bible and start reading it. As you do, remember that God is with you, speaking through his Word.

LEVEL 2: STUDY THE BIBLE

God wants to speak to us through the Bible. We therefore want to make sure we’re correctly hearing what God is saying. To this end, we seek to study the Bible and correctly interpret God’s Word. Let’s return to Paul’s description of the Bible in 2 Timothy 3. He called the Bible “sacred writings.”

Sacred Writings

God didn’t give us the Bible as a finished book, published and printed in heaven, handed to us by angelic delivery men. Rather, God spoke through people. At the same time, Scripture wasn’t conceived by human interpretation or will. The Biblical authors prophetically “spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”7 The Bible was revealed within certain historical, cultural, and linguistic contexts, all of which must be considered when studying God’s Word. Therefore, each of the following should be taken into careful consideration when interpreting Scripture’s meaning and application:

  • The author’s intended meaning

  • The literary context of each verse in its passage, each passage in its book, each book in its genre

  • The cultural context of the original author and audience, the setting of time and place

  • The linguistic context of the original languages the Scriptures were written in (primarily Hebrew for the Old Testament and Greek for the New Testament)

  • We should seek to pull the meaning from the text rather than import meaning into the text

  • The unity of the Bible, written by many human authors yet all inspired by one Divine Author; the Bible will not contradict itself

    Studying and understanding the meaning of the Bible might be intimidating. That’s okay! God is able to speak to us through his Word even when we don’t fully understand its meaning. Nevertheless, it’s good to be aware that the Bible can be easily misunderstood and misinterpreted. We should, therefore, take care when studying the Bible and applying its meaning to our lives.

  • The best way to learn how to interpret the Bible is by regularly hearing it explained and taught by trustworthy teachers. Throughout the Bible and church history, the primary way people engaged God’s Word was in the communal gathering of God’s people. 8 As Christians gather together as a church and hear God’s Word, we remember that Jesus is with us.

    Most importantly, because the Bible is God’s Word, we can ask God himself to give us understanding of what it means. 9 Before you study the Bible, say a short prayer, asking God to speak to you through his Word. Psalm 119:18 is a helpful prayer for this occasion: “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.”

LEVEL 3: MEDITATE ON THE BIBLE

What do you think of when you hear the word “meditation”?

Christian meditation is different from meditation in other religions. In other religions, meditation is emptying one’s mind. However, Christian meditation is the practice of filling our minds and hearts with God’s Word.

PSALM 1:1-2

1 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; 2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

 
 

When we meditate on God’s Word, we listen closely to him speaking. We meditate on God's word so that we can hear him speaking to us individually and personally through his living and active Word.

Think of meditation like this: the deeper the Word of God applies to your heart and life, the more you experience the presence of God. If you leave the Bible in the culture and times of the ancient past, then God will also seem ancient and distant from you. If, through meditation, you let the Word of God soak into your soul, then you will become increasingly aware of God’s presence and how the Bible applies to your life.

A SIMPLE STRATEGY FOR MEDITATING ON GOD’S WORD:

Get into the Word.

First, choose a passage of the Bible to meditate on. Try a short section—a paragraph, a few sentences, or even just a few words. Read the passage through several times. Then, read it slowly, pausing between each word, carefully considering the meaning of each word. If you don’t understand the general meaning of the passage, you may need to return to “Level 2: Study” before going on. Think deeply and ask questions about the passage. Are there any key words? What words are repeated? What words or related words form themes in this passage? What would be missing from the larger context if this passage was absent? What does this passage teach about God, humans, Jesus, or salvation? Is there a principle or truth found in this passage?

Let the Word get into you.

Second, allow the truth of the passage to come into your heart and life. What is God saying to you right now through this passage? Does it reveal something about God to praise him for? Does it convict you of a sin in your life to repent of? Does it correct a wrong belief you had? Does it rebuke a wrong behavior or attitude? What commands is it encouraging you to obey? What wrong thoughts, actions, or feelings result if the truth of this passage is forgotten? Why is God showing this truth to you today in particular?

Respond.

Third, before you finish your meditation and go about your day, or even before you move on to obey what the passage says, pause. Even though the Bible was written down two millennia ago, God is speaking to you personally through it right now. Pause and enjoy the wonder of his loving, caring, and attentive presence with you. Sometimes (more often than we wish) we won’t experience an awareness of God’s presence through meditation. This doesn’t mean that God isn’t present or speaking to us through his Word. We’re often unable to recognize his presence because of our frail humanity or sinfulness. Perhaps we’re simply tired or distracted. Maybe we’re even desiring sin. None of this hinders God’s desire to draw near to us. In fact, God delights in loving us even in our broken sinfulness, and his love is what compelled him to save us through Jesus in the first place. That love is unchanging, and he wants to continue to heal our brokenness. Honestly confess your condition to God and rest in his grace.

Whichever level you’re at is okay. God is present with you where you are. Make a commitment to practice an awareness of God’s presence through his Word each day this week. Share your experience with someone else.

Which of the three levels (Read, Study, and Meditate) do you need to focus on in the coming week?

1 Simply put, Satan is a spiritual being that opposes God and is also the enemy of those who follow him.

2 1 Timothy 5:18, 2 Peter 3:15-16

3 Matthew 5:18, John 10:35

4 1 Thessalonians 1:13, 4:8

5 Isaiah 55:10-11, Hebrews 4:12-13

6 Deuteronomy 29:29, Hebrews 1:1-2, 2 Peter 1:3

7 2 Peter 1:20-21

8 Step 5: Teaching (Page 50)

9 Luke 24:45