I Cant Understand What I'm Reading When Read Bible
Even if you know the benefits of regular Bible reading and the difference it can brand in your life, the Bible can exist hard to read. Yous might find that it'south hard to understand or that it's boring. You might even feel guilty thinking that you lot shouldn't feel this fashion about God's Word.
Let'southward look at some of the reasons why the Bible is hard to read. Later on that, I'll share 7 tips that have helped me through many years of reading the Bible and helping others do the same.
Why Is It then Hard to Read the Bible?
Annihilation worthwhile takes effort. It'southward hard to learn a new language, to lose weight, or to change a habit. Some of the reasons that reading the Bible is hard are similar to anything that yous try: life gets busy, you don't see progress, or you lose sight of the motivation that got you started.
There are besides some things that are unique to the Bible that go far hard to read and understand.
The Bible is a large book, a drove of 66 books, written by about twoscore authors over a period of 1600 years. It's originally written in 3 unlike languages and includes several literary genres.
The variety and scope of the Bible make information technology a challenging book to read. One moment, you can exist reading poesy in the psalms, then the next, you might be reading one of the prophetical books with a lot of metaphors and a historical background that might exist strange to y'all.
Here are 7 tips that will assistance y'all to appoint with the Bible when yous're having trouble reading the Bible. They range from motivational to applied tips to aid remove some of the roadblocks that keep you from enjoying and benefiting from God's Word. Try several of them to encounter which ones are the most helpful.
7 Tips That Help When You're Struggling to Read the Bible
1. Check Your Vision and Your Motives
Ask yourself: Why am I reading the Bible? Remind yourself what made you want to read the Bible. Was it considering you had a spiritual hunger? Equally with anything, y'all have to remind yourself of the vision every once in a while.
Here's an article where I wait at some of the benefits of reading and studying the Bible. You can see if one of the reasons resonates with you: 21 Valuable Benefits of Studying God's Word (link opens in a new window) Information technology can help reignite your vision for why you wanted to read the Bible in the first place.
Ask yourself: Do I experience pressure to read the Bible? Do I feel shame and guilt when I don't enjoy reading information technology? It'southward true that God brings confidence to do the right thing. Sometimes, it'southward not God, just your ain guilt or shame that puts the pressure on yourself.
Is it possible that yous're reading the Bible out of legalism? Are you trying to become God to like yous more if yous read the Bible? Read it instead because God already likes you. What Jesus did on the cross proves it (Heb. 12:two).
Read information technology for the right reasons, then yous'll have the vision and strength to go through seasons when it's not so exciting. It tin can be the very matter that gives you strength when you come up to face trials in life. What you read now can be the thing that Holy Spirit brings to your mind at a afterwards time.
God is not running a Bible-reading contest from sky. If you feel like the force per unit area to read and savor the Bible is hindering you, endeavor some of the tips beneath to assistance you remove those roadblocks in your journey of Bible reading.
2. Read Another Part of the Bible
If you're non in a Bible reading competition, there are no rules that force you to read the Bible from embrace-to-cover. There'southward no rule that says you take to read a certain volume of the Bible or in a particular order.
Attempt reading another function of the Bible. If you're reading the Old Testament, try reading somewhere in the New Testament. If you're stuck in a historical volume, effort reading some of the poetic books similar Psalms or Proverbs.
All of the Bible is God-breathed (2 Tim. three:16-17) and is useful for you. Feel gratis to explore and find a book that you lot enjoy.
Through different seasons of your life, you'll detect that certain books of the Bible resonate with you lot more than. Read the parts that y'all savor right at present. It'southward good to exist stretched, grow, and try new things, but information technology's also okay to stay where you are at the moment and take your time to receive the full benefits.
If you lot have a favorite volume of the Bible, it'due south okay to read it again instead of going to a new book. When you're ready, co-operative out from that book. For instance, if you enjoy reading one of the Gospels like Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, try reading the Volume of Acts that picks up the story of Jesus' Disciples and the early church.
three. Read a Different Translation of the Bible
What translation of the Bible are y'all reading? The Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Greek, and a petty flake of Aramaic. The Bible that you're reading is a translation.
Several factors come up into play when the Bible is translated. When was it translated? The King James Version, or KJV for short, was written in the 1600s. That'south why it has English words from that era. You'll probably enjoy reading the Bible a lot more if you use a newer translation.
Some translations are more word-for-word translations like the NASB, ESV, and NKJV. Other translations are thought-for-thought making them sometimes easier to read in English like the NIV and NLT. At that place are also some that are paraphrases (The Message, the Living Bible).
I employ more word-for-word translations for my in-depth Bible study. For my every-day reading, I enjoy the ESV just sometimes appreciate the NLT because it flows a bit more smoothly.
I normally suggest the ESV as a good starting point for a full general reading Bible, but if you lot're struggling to read the Bible, I recommend you give the New Living Translation (NLT) [link to Amazon – bank check out the reviews] a try. It is easier to read and can be just the boost you need to brand Bible reading more enjoyable.
4. Make It Personal: Apply the Bible
Even the Bible becomes boring if it doesn't employ to you. Information technology can feel similar you're reading near random events and ideas if information technology isn't meaningful to you. Things are boring when they don't brand a difference in your life.
The nearly important bespeak of reading the Bible is to meet Jesus, the living Discussion of God, through the Bible, the written Word of God.
You search the Scriptures because you remember that in them you lot take eternal life; and it is they that bear witness virtually me, nevertheless y'all refuse to come to me that you may accept life.
John 5:39-forty (ESV)
Make the betoken of reading the Bible to meet with God. Personalize the Bible and read it as God's Word to you personally. If you read the Bible with the goal of applying information technology to your life, you will approach it with a whole new perspective.
One simple style to apply the Bible is to ask yourself: "What does God want me to do according to this passage?"
| What does God want me to practice according to this passage? |
|---|
| * Is there a Sin to confess? * Is there a Promise to claim as my ain? * Is there an Example to follow? * Is there a Command to obey with a joyful middle? |
The main words in each question are the initials Southward.P.E.C. and can help you remember them.
Likewise, approach the Bible as a mode to experience God. For instance, if y'all're stuck in the book of Exodus, connect the story of how God delivered the people of Israel with how God has delivered you. What lessons can yous apply to your life? In what ways tin you be thankful for His deliverance?
Also, inquire yourself: Who tin I share this with? Share the insights and stories that you're reading in the Bible with someone today. It can be a tremendous blessing to yous and to the person you share it with.
Brand the Bible personal and apply it to your life and it can become a groovy source of God'south Wisdom for your day.
v. Listen to the Bible
If you're stuck in your Bible reading, endeavor listening to the Bible instead.
When y'all listen to the Bible, it can accept on a whole new meaning or give you a fresh perspective on the menstruation of thoughts.
You can listen online with sites like ESV.org. Many Bible apps also offer audio along with the text. My favorite Bible app is Bible.is because it lets me download the audio files ahead of time onto my phone and so I can heed someday. I similar to heed to the ESV dramatized version of the Bible while I'm going about my twenty-four hour period.
6. Memorize Bible Verses
When yous're having a hard fourth dimension reading and understanding the Bible, try memorizing it. Memorize a short or long passage of the Bible and remember about it throughout the day.
Don't feel like y'all have to exist rushed and go to a new verse or chapter every day. Feel complimentary to hang out there for a few days, weeks, or fifty-fifty months. Remember, the point is to encounter God and let Him modify your life, not check off boxes on a Bible reading chart.
Memorizing Bible verses is a great way to hide God'due south Word in your heart (Col. three:16). Yous can remember near it someday. It'south like a pot of stew that's been simmering on the stove for hours. Memorizing the Bible lets you keep the Word close to your mind and center and then you tin can understand and apply it to your life.
Unless information technology's your homework assignment to read the Bible, at that place's no timeline or timelimit. Information technology'southward better to read one verse over and over again and think about what it means and to pray and enquire God for insight than to motility on rapidly.
Memorize it. Think of who you can share it with and do it. Recall of ways that you can apply it to your life.
7. Study the Bible Instead of Reading It in Passing
1 of the reasons the Bible is hard to read is because of the historical, language, and cultural gap between when it was written and your life today. On a side annotation, it's amazing how long ago the Bible was written and it is nonetheless changing people'southward lives all over the globe!
One fashion to bridge the gap is to do a little bit more in-depth study to sympathize the background story of the volume you're reading. When you understand the setting, the people involved, the issues they were facing, you can connect with it better. It begins to thing to you and you begin to connect it to your life.
One resource that I highly recommend is: Unlocking the Bible: A Unique Overview of the Whole Bible (You can bank check out the reviews on this link to Amazon) . It gives an caption of every book of the Bible and helps yous meet how all the books fit together to tell one thou story. Be sure to get the book and not the companion volume that only has diagrams, charts, and images. The covers look very similar.
For instance, if you're reading one of the Epistles, or letters, in the New Attestation, such as the volume of Philippians, information technology can exist helpful to know that Paul is writing this letter of the alphabet of joy from prison. He is writing to the people in a church building that he started on ane of his missionary journeys. What problems were they facing? How does this employ to your life?
I similar to take one or two books of the Bible per yr and study them really slowly. The pace is up to you lot. Experience gratuitous to set a goal, but start somewhere and you can always adapt it as yous go.
If yous desire some ideas on how to go deeper in studying the Bible, here are 11 Ways to Study the Bible: Methods, Techniques & Tips (link opens in a new window) . In that mail, I share a variety of different ways to report the Bible so you can notice the way that works best for y'all.
Run across God Through His Word
In Matt. 13:i-23, Jesus tells his Disciples a parable about a Sower who goes out to sow seeds. The seed is God's Give-and-take. The soil is your eye.
In that location is an enemy that comes to endeavor to snatch the seed abroad. The cares of this life will try to asphyxiate it out. But God'southward invitation to you is to receive and understand His Word so that you can know the joy of having a relationship with Him.
If you're experiencing spiritual dullness, ask God to restore the first-love that you had before. Commit to follow Him and take fourth dimension to cultivate a vibrant life in God. I pray that your time in God's Give-and-take will exist a source of great joy and wisdom for you.
Call to me and I will respond you, and will tell you peachy and hidden things that you take non known.
Jeremiah 33:3 (ESV)
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Source: https://pursuitbible.com/why-is-it-so-hard-to-read-the-bible/
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