You will find several options to the left, including various reading plans and a few recommended resources.

There is only one solution when a person lacks biblical knowledge, and that is to get into the habit of prayerful and disciplined study. I offer the following suggestions, which I hope will help you move forward in your study of the scriptures.
- Make scripture study a habit. As with any other field of knowledge, a haphazard study of the Bible will yield less than ideal results. A good habit takes 21 days to establish and far fewer to break. Decide on a plan, and stick with it.
- Set a specific time and a specific place for study. This could be in bed each night before bedtime, in your recliner at 6:30am with a cup of hot coffee in hand, or as you eat a bagged lunch at work each day. You will soon find yourself looking forward to your time of study each day.
- Be realistic. If you've never read the Bible regularly before, don't bite off more than you can chew. It's probably not realistic that you will read the whole Bible in three months if you've never completed Genesis before. Choose a plan that's on your level. When you've finished that, move on to another plan.
- Collect appropriate resources. There's a different world within the pages of the scriptures, a world with strange (at least to us) customs, laws, and practices. You will need help understanding much of what you read. I have suggested several resources for getting started in study. At the very least, it is useful to have (1) a good study Bible with maps and (2) a Bible dictionary on hand.
- Keep your eyes on Jesus. Remember that Jesus Christ is the ultimate expression of God's character and God's will. Some of the harsher statements in the Old Testament must be read with Jesus' teachings in view. For example, compare the treatment of one caught in adultery in Leviticus 20.10 to Jesus' acts in John 8.1-11. Remember that in everything, we are followers of Jesus.
- Pray. Pray for understanding, and pray that the scriptures will challenge you to follow Christ more closely.
|