"Study to shew thyself approved unto God,
a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth."
II Timothy 2:15
Bible Study
1 Personal Bible Study
I have received several emails from readers requesting help with personal Bible study. Some wanted guidelines or help on how to study the Bible, while others requested that I send them consecutive Bible lessons. Bible Study lessons may be something I can do in the future, but for now, let's talk about the importance of Bible study and look at some different ways to study the Bible. I grew up using the King James version of the Bible and I believe this translation is the closest in meaning to the Hebrew and Greek of the original manuscripts. I enjoy the flow of the Old English wording and enjoy reading it. Please join me each day as we try to learn more about God's Holy Word.
2 The Bible Is God's Word
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" (II Timothy 3:16)
Before we begin to look at ways to study the Bible I believe it is important to answer the question "Why study the Bible?" We can only answer that question by first asking "What is the Bible?" As we see in II Timothy 3:16 above, the Bible is the inspired Word of God. The word "inspiration" tells us that God not only spoke, but "breathed" His Word to men and women through the ages. "The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it." (Psalm 68:11) God's Word is from the beginning and lasts forever. "Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever." (Psalm 119:160) The writings of John explain that the Lord Jesus Christ is also known as "The Word of God". "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." (John 1:1-5, 14) "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." (I John 5:7) "And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God." (Revelation 19:13) The Bible is the written Word of God.
3 The Word Brings Salvation
"And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." II Timothy 3:15
The Word of God brings salvation to all who believe in faith. Let's look at a portion of the Romans Road... "But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation... For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:8-10,13-17) God has given us His Word so that we can be saved. Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." (John 5:24) God's Word tells us that Jesus left heaven and came to earth to give His life to pay for our sin. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;... For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 3:23 & 6:23) Salvation cost Jesus His life, but it is free to everyone who believes. It's as simple as A, B, C... Admit that you are a sinner, Believe that Jesus gave His life for you and that He is the only way to heaven, and Confess your sin and give your life to Christ.
4 Understanding The Bible
"Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures," Luke 24:45
The Bible is different from any other book because it is God's Word. Once you trust in the Lord Jesus to save you, the Holy Spirit lives in you and you can begin to understand the scriptures. We can read the Bible like any other book, but we will not fully understand the scriptures until our eyes are opened by faith and we see the Word of God. Look at Hebrews 4:2, "For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it." Over the next week or so I hope to look at some of the ways to study the Bible, and try to help those who have asked for Bible lessons. We can learn Bible knowledge, but true wisdom will come only after we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. I like the verse found in James 5:5 "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." We are laying the foundation for our Bible Study. We hear the Word. We accept God's gift of salvation. We pray for wisdom to understand the Word. Now, let me add the obvious... read the Word. If we want to understand the Bible, then we need to read the Bible. The excuse that we don't have time is a very poor excuse. We read newspapers, stories online, magazines, and food labels to gain knowledge. To gain spiritual knowledge and wisdom we need to take time to read the Bible. My pastor told me about a church youth group that began on a Friday night and took turns reading from Matthew to Revelation and read the entire New Testament in one night, finishing sometime the next Saturday morning. I don't know how much the individuals "took in" from this extended reading, but it does show that with a little time, you can read the Bible through. If you gave up one 30-minute sitcom on television each day and spent that time reading your Bible you should be able to read through the Bible in a year's time.
5 The Word Is A Light To Guide Us
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Psalm 119:105
I chose this verse, Psalm 119:105, as the foundation for this devotional web site when I first started writing the daily devotions. If I walk outside at night with a flashlight I can shine it at my feet to see where to step. I can also shine the light forward to see dangers that might be in the path ahead. The Word of God is a lamp that we can use to make each step, day by day. When we read the Bible and pray for God's guidance, it can also be a light for our path, leading us in the right direction for our future. As we continue our thoughts on Bible Study, I want to give a brief description of the devotional themes on this web site. You may see one that will help you in your own personal Bible study. God's Holy Word is a devotional series on The Word of God. Here are a few of the verses included in those devotional thoughts.
"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Psalm 119:11
"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." James 1:22
"But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4
"The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever." Isaiah 40:8
Another devotional series is Bible Text Messages which takes a look at some of the messages found in God's Word, including The Hand Writing On The Wall and The Seven Letters To The Seven Churches In Revelations.
6 Why Study The Bible?
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." II Timothy 2:15
Is it important for us to study the Bible? I think so. Early in Jesus' ministry He told His followers, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." (John 5:39) God's Word is truth and speaks to our heart and soul in truth. In Paul's opening remarks of this letter to Timothy he mentions the faith of Timothy and of his mother and grandmother. He also says, "And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." (II Timothy 3:15) This tells us that Timothy knew the scriptures. So, even with Timothy's background in faith and knowledge of the scriptures, Paul still exhorts young Timothy, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (II Timothy 2:15) We also read in Acts 17:11, during the time of the early church that "...they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." There are many types of preachers and teachers. We can learn from lessons we are taught, but we should also read and study the Bible to know the truth. Coupled with prayer, our Bible study will help us grow spiritually.
7 The Beginning
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Genesis 1:1
I have three reasons for choosing this verse for our devotions today. The first, is in the first three words, "In the beginning..." When reading books you customarily begin at the beginning. If you are reading a manual or magazine you may pick and choose which parts you want to read. You can read the Bible from beginning to end, Genesis to Revelation, with some dedication. I have also seen a list made especially for Bible reading which lists the books, chapter, and texts in chronological order. For devotions taken from the book of Genesis go to Gems From Genesis. For fun sheets to print and answer you may want to try, Fantastic Firsts, Creation, and Bible Firsts. There are several puzzles on the Questions page which you may use for personal Bible study or with groups.
The next reason I chose this verse is in the fourth word, "God". Do you know God? One of the main reasons for Bible study is to know God. We find the love of God in the most familiar verse of the Bible, John 3:16. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The Bible can lead us to the knowledge of salvation through the mercy and grace of God. For devotions on more attributes of God, such as His holiness, His goodness, and steadfastness go to Our Heavenly Father. To understand more about God's Love try God Is Love. To see how God works in all situations go to But God...
Complete the verse for the last reason I chose this verse, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." I have no problem believing "God created the heaven and the earth." I have read the writings of some who say they believe portions of the Bible but they don't believe in the creation. Who would think themselves wise enough to say which of the scriptures are true and which are not? I believe the Bible is true, from beginning to end. I believe God is the Creator. I believe Jonah was swallowed by a whale and lived to tell about it. I believe God delivered the three Hebrew children out of the burning fiery furnace, and Daniel out of the den of lions. I believe through faith. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen...Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." (Hebrews 11:1 & 3)
8 To Know The Shepherd
"I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep." John 10:14-15
If someone left you a great fortune you would probably want to find out everything you could about that person. Well, Jesus gave His life for you and me. When I accepted His free gift of salvation, I became one of His sheep and He is the Good Shepherd. I can say with David, "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever." (Psalm 23) For devotions to learn more about the Lord Jesus you may want to turn to Names of Jesus, Words of Jesus, Miracles of Jesus, or That I May Know Him. For an activity for small children you may turn to The 23rd Psalm. There is also a 23rd Psalm Crossword.
9 To Know The Way
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6
My son and his family travelled 1,400 miles last summer to vacation with us, and as they neared the end of the journey I was talking with my granddaughter on the phone to ease some of the monotony of the long drive. I asked her if they had a map to drive that far and she said her Daddy had a GPS. Then she asked, "Why do you call it a GPS, that's just letters?" How do you explain a GPS to a four year old? When we travel, we need a map, or GPS, or a guide to show us the way. Well, the Lord is The Way to heaven. The Bible is our map and the Holy Spirit is our guide. When I wake up each morning I pray that God will help me through the day. When I come to a cross-road in life, I like being able to turn to God for direction. When the storms of life throw me off-course, I know I can find help from the Lord. We can study the Bible to find direction for our lives. There are several devotional themes which may help you as you face each new day. Biblical Choices is about making the right choices in life. Ponder Your Path has Bible stories of different people in the Bible and the path they took. Some chose the right path while others, like Jonah, chose the wrong path. This Is The Day were devotions written for my children as they started a new school year. God can help you make the most of each new day. Go With God is another devotional series that can help you with the decisions you face each day. Personal Bible study will help us make the right decisions to Go With God!
10 Bible Study Helps Us Grow Spiritually
"As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:" I Peter 2:2
We do not have to have great Bible knowledge to get saved. If we believe John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" and ask the Lord to save us, He will. After we are saved we should read our Bible to learn more about the Lord and grow in Christian maturity. It is wonderful to hear Bible preaching and teaching to learn Bible doctrine. Our churches can be a place of Christian fellowship where we can encourage one another. But, just as we would not think that eating meals on Sunday and Wednesday evening would sustain us physically, we should not solely rely on our church meetings to completely feed us spiritually. We read in our verse above how the word is like milk to help us grow. Psalms 119:103 also compares the word to sweet honey. "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" We can feed on the word and grow. Shortly after I began writing devotions for this site I started thinking about all the things the Bible tells us to be. Be holy. Be ready. Be kind. Be thankful and be content. Be strong in the Lord and be not weary in well doing. Turn to Be Followers Of God to read devotionals on these and many more examples of what God's Word instructs us to "be" as Christians. Another devotional series that may help you in spiritual growth is Prayer Changes Lives. Bible study and prayer can help us grow and give us the wisdom and strength we need for life's journey. My personal Bible study through the book of I Samuel looks at some great Bible leaders, as Samuel and David, with verses which can also help us as we find ourselves Growing In The Lord -- Book Of I Samuel. Another series of Devotions which may help us in Spiritual growth is Who Is Worthy?
11 How To Begin A Personal Bible Study
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." Psalm 1:1-3
When my son, Daniel, went away to college I started sending devotions to him each day to encourage him. I was reading through the book of Psalms at the time and God seemed to show me verses from my daily Bible reading. As I read my Bible each morning I would pray that God would show me a verse that would give Daniel the message he needed for the day. I would meditate on the reading as I drove to work and send him the emails in the evening. In this way, I was learning how to "meditate day and night" in God's Word. I continued these short little devotionals through the book of Psalms and then into Proverbs. When David moved away to college I started this devotional web site using those short devotionals from Psalms and Proverbs. This is a wonderful way to begin your own personal Bible study. You can start reading one book at the beginning, like Psalms or Proverbs. As you open your Bible each day pray that God will show you something special from His Word. The Holy Spirit can open your eyes to understand God's Word. You may have read the same chapter time and time again, but it is such a blessing when God shows you something "new" that you didn't see before. Here are some of the devotionals on this site that are taken from specific Bible books:
Psalms -- Rivers Of Waters, Wisdom From Proverbs, Gems From Genesis, The Book Of Isaiah, Looking Ahead -- Studies In Exodus, Joshua -- Ye Have Not Passed This Way Before, A Time To Build (Studies In Ezra & Nehemiah) and the one mentioned yesterday, Growing In The Lord -- Book of I Samuel.
12 Verse By Verse
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;" Eccelesiastes 3:1-4
We talked about choosing one book of the Bible and reading all the way through for your personal Bible study. You may prefer to study one chapter or a portion of a chapter in a verse by verse study. When my children were very young, we studied the 23rd Psalm. We took each verse, one by one and talked about what it meant. I drew picture puzzles to represent each verse. We began with Psalm 23:1, "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." We talked about shepherds and sheep and how Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10). We made pictures with cotton ball sheep. (Psalm 23) I explained that the Lord supplies all our needs (Philippians 4:19). We continued with the next verse, or phrase, each day until we had finished the complete Psalm. Then we bound the pages together and made each child a "23rd Psalm" booklet. On this devotional site, we went verse by verse, phrase by phrase in the third chapter of Eccelesiastes. (Timely Devotionals) We began with the first verse, "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." Each day we talked about a different "time" in our lives. "A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted." I invited friends and readers to send me stories of a special time in their lives. (You may read those on the Readers' Page.) It is good to read the whole Bible through, Genesis to Revelation, but God may show you more in prayer and meditation in a few verses than speed-reading through several chapters. Slow down and try to comprehend what you are reading. Look at the verses and let the Lord speak to your heart.
13 Word By Word
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16
We talked about Bible study of a book in the Bible, and then we talked about a verse by verse study. Today we break it down even more and look at a word by word study. We can study a verse as familiar as John 3:16 and God can shed new light for us when we look at it word by word.
"For God" -- Do you know God? The one and only true and living God? God, the Creator, Alpha and Omega, the great I AM...God, so awesome in His holiness and majesty and unmatched in strength and power... I can ask with the Psalmist, "When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?" (Psalm 8:3-4)
"so loved" -- There are no words in our language to describe the love of God.
"the world" -- Not just God's universe, twirling and spinning, held on course by the power of God Almighty, but the people... people who reject Him everyday. He loved us even when we didn't love Him.
"that he gave" -- Salvation is free to us, but it cost God His Son. Sin has to be paid for, and God gave His Son to pay the price for our sin.
"his only begotten Son," -- God's precious Son, Jesus Christ who said, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)
"that whosoever" -- That includes anyone and everyone.
"believeth in him" -- Notice that I put these three words together, because regardless of what others may say, it does matter what you believe. There is a wide spread misconception that it doesn't matter what god you believe in as long as you have faith, but that is wrong. Jesus is the only Way to heaven. The God of this Holy Bible is the only God. We must believe in Him to have eternal life.
"should not perish" -- We don't have to live forever in hell.
"but have everlasting life." -- We can live forever in heaven with our blessed Lord and Savior.
For John 3:16 Valentines go to Valentine. For more examples of word by word devotions you can turn to "Be Still And Know That I Am God." (Psalm 46:10)
14 Manuscript Study
"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord." II Timothy 1:1-2
Today we are going to talk about a manuscript study. We did this with our youth group when I was young. Each person was given a copy of Paul's second letter to Timothy, double spaced with no chapter or verse divisions, and a pack of colored pencils. The pages were read just like you would read a letter from a dear friend. The pencils were used to mark common thoughts or ideas in the letter. For example, you could use a blue pencil to circle all references to family. A red pencil could be used to circle the names of Jesus mentioned in the letter. After a short time the group discussed points of interests in the letter. A church group could have a manuscript study using the seven letters to the seven churches in the opening of the book of Revelations. You could mark all the positive attributes in one color and the negative in another. Many of the letters of Paul would be good for a manuscript study, with a group, or for your own personal Bible study.
15 Men And Women Of The Bible
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." Genesis 1:27
We read in II Timothy 3:16 & 17, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." This verse tells us several reasons for the Word of God. We are to learn from God's Word. I Corinthians 10:11 also tells us that we can learn from the examples of the men and women of the Bible. "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." We can study the men and women in the Bible and learn from their faith, as well as their faults and failures. We can study the Disciples Of Jesus and try to imagine what it must have been like to walk and talk with Jesus day by day. Laborers For Christ is another devotional theme which looks at various men and women in the Bible and their work here on earth those many years ago. For encouragement to fathers and mothers there are devotions titled Honor Thy Father And Mother and A Mother's Heart. We teach our children of Bible heroes such as David standing up against the giant and Daniel in the den of lions. We never get too old to learn from the men and women found in the pages of this great old book. A new devotional which might fit under this category is Taters, where we look at different personalities in the church such as Hesi-Tater, Agi-Tater, and Irri-Tater. This is a fun Bible Study with various presentation possibilities.
16 The Love Of God
"Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." I John 4:7-11
We have been looking at various types of Bible Study. Today I wanted to mention that you can choose seasonal topics for Bible Study. As a youth leader in our church, I like to plan Activities that fit the season. In the fall it is great to plan a fall festival with devotionals on the Changes that autumn bring or devotions on Thanksgiving. You can find Christmas Devotions and Looking For Christmas on this site. There are also devotions for Spring. With Valentine's Day quickly approaching it is a wonderful time to study Bible verses on a phrase found in the verses above, God Is Love or My Heart's Desire. You can plan activities that accentuate the amazing Love of God or plan a Heart to Heart Banquet. You might want to make Valentines using the familiar verse, John 3:16. Planning group activities can be a fun way to celebrate the holidays and have Christian fellowship. You can find many different seasons and celebrations on the Activitiespage.
17 A To Z
"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." Revelation 1:8
"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." Revelation 22:13
In the first and last chapters of Revelations we read that Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end, and the first and the last. You can plan an A to Z Bible study beginning with words as (A) Accept The Gift (B) Believe (C) Confess Your Sin (D) Do The Right Thing (E) Edify One Another (F) Forgive (G) Go And Tell. You can find an alphabetical list of devotionals like these at ABC's For A New Year. If you are working with children you may like to look at the ABC Memory Verses. These begin...
A “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.” Proverbs 15:1
B "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;" Ephesians 5:1
C “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.” Ephesians 6:1
D “Do all things without murmurings and disputings:" Philippians 2:14
There are also devotionals to go with these verses at Light For A New Year. Going through the alphabet is a great way to cover a variety of Bible truths, in an easy to remember format.
18 Encouragement From The Word Of God
"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." I Thessalonians 4:16-18
We attended the funeral of a dear man in our church over the weekend. Because of his Christian testimony the preachers were able to give comforting words to his family and friends from the Word of God. When a saved person dies, God can give us peace that the world can't understand. When trouble comes into our lives, and it often does, it is comforting to know that we can turn to the blessed Savior and find help from the Holy Spirit. When I looked at verses of encouragement for this web site, I asked some of my friends and family to write a short message about a verse that encouraged them. When we share what God has done in our lives, I believe it can be a blessing to others. You can read some of those favorite verses of encouragement at Encourage One Another. Other encouraging themes are She Hath Done What She Could, In The Time Of Trouble, and Good Tidings Of Great Joy. Only God can give sweet peace to your soul on those darkest days.
19 Asking Questions
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." James 1:5
My little grandson, Micah, just turned two years old, and he amazes me with the things he says and remembers. I noticed even at an early age that Allison, his mom, is always asking him questions. She asks things like, "Micah, where did you go this morning?" to which he may reply, "...Donalds". "Who did you go with?" "What did you eat?" "What did you see in the car?" Each time she asks him a question you can see him thinking about the answer. When he is here I ask him which color plate he wants to use, or who is in the pictures on the refrigerator. At this point he is learning because he is asked questions which make him think. It won't be long until he will be asking questions which will also help him learn. We can learn more about the Bible by asking questions. God's Word instructs us to ask for wisdom. Once I read through the Bible and wrote down all the questions that were asked in the scriptures. Many of them can be found at Bible Questions. Another way to study the Bible is to ask a question and look for the answer in the scriptures. That is shown at What Shall We Have Therefore? and What Are We Doing Here? Questions can also be a fun way to learn when we make them into games. There are Bible Jeopardy games for Easter, Christmas, October, and one with a Western theme. There is a Questions page on this site which has Bible games and word puzzles. There are also some questions that readers have asked. Have fun learning, and keep asking those questions.
20 Word Study
"And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee. And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod... " Exodus 4:1-2
Once when I was reading through the book of Exodus I came to these verses and started thinking about God's question to Moses, "What is that in thine hand?" Moses was giving excuses as to why he could not lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. He did not have an army to go up against Pharaoh. All he had was a rod. As I continued reading through Exodus I noticed time and time again how God (through Moses) used the rod. God showed me that when he calls us to do a work for Him, He will place in our hands the tools we need. He does not require us to use things we don't have. He only requires that we be faithful in what He places in our hands. I started looking up other verses on "Hands" and used that as a devotional theme. Looking first at the hands of God, then the hands of our Lord, followed by hands of men and women in the Bible, the devotions ended with how we can use our hands for God's glory. This is an example of a Word Study, where you take one word and study the Bible by finding verses with that word in the scriptures. Another example on this web site is One Way with devotions on One Way To Heaven, One Lost Sheep, and One That Gave Thanks. A Bible commentary is very helpful in this type of Bible study. You can look up your word, such as "prayer", "faith" or "love" and find verses that contain that word. Two new Devotional series that fit in this catagory are "One of Them" and "All Things New".
21 Topical Study
"There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer; The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks; The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands; The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in king's palaces." Proverbs 30:24-28
If you read the verses above you will notice that the four things mentioned, ants, conies, locusts, and spiders are all little. When I read these verses I started thinking about the many "little" things in the Bible. That was the focus of the devotionals, Little Things. One summer, while we were thinking about going on vacation, I started thinking about all the places found in the Bible and that led to the devotionals on Bible Places. Animal Bible Stories can be fun to study. You might find help looking at Bible Gifts. You can have a personal Bible study by choosing stories or verses that have a common theme. Yesterday we talked about a common word that you can look up in a concordance and find examples. You may be able to find help with this type Bible study in a Topical Concordance. I enjoy these types of Bible studies and learn from God's Word as I pull stories and verses to study them together.
22 Teaching A Bible Study
"And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." Deuteromony 11:19
We are ending our devotions on Bible Study and hopefully you have learned something that will help you in your own personal Bible Study. You may want to have a group Bible Study or teach others. God's Word instructs us to talk to our children about God and His Word all the time. Two devotionals on this site about teaching children are Things To Learn And Teach, and Remember Now Thy Creator. I have enjoyed these three weeks on Bible Study and hope you will study to learn more about our great God and wonderful Savior, Jesus Christ.
