I believe God gave us the information that is in the Bible for two main reasons:
- So we can know the truth about who He is – and who we are – by understanding the history of God & man & this world.
- So we can know what it means to walk with Him and follow His ways.
That’s what the Bible is all about. And though we can learn a lot from Bible scholars, God never intended for us to have to go to seminary before we could understand what the Bible is saying to us. It’s written for each of us to read and learn from.
If you want to grow in your understanding of who God is and how He wants you to live… pick up a Bible and read it. Let it speak into your life. Take notes. Underline things. Find practical ways to take the truth you find in God’s Word and translate it into your day-to-day life.
If you’d like some help with that, here is a simple system I learned many years ago from Precept Ministries. I’ve been using it ever since whenever I read and study the Bible. It uses colored pencils to help me focus on specific, practical things from the text I’m reading. Things that God wants me to know.
- When I find things that the Bible is clearly telling me to do, I underline them in GREEN. These are things that God wants His followers to be doing. How He wants us to live.
Therefore, be imitators of God as
beloved children, and walk in love.
Ephesians 5:1-2
- When I find warnings, I underline them in ORANGE. These are things God wants me to watch out for.
Be careful how you walk, not as unwise men,
but as wise, making the most of your time.
Ephesians 5:15-16
- When I find things God’s Word is clearly telling me not to do, I underline them in RED. These are things that God says are wrong. Things that He doesn’t want His followers doing.
Do not get drunk with wine.
Ephesians 5:18
- When I find promises that God has given to us, I underline them in YELLOW.
When Christ, who is our life, is revealed,
then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.
Colossians 3:4
- When I find clear truths, I underline them in BROWN.
In Christ we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness
of our sins, according to the riches of His grace.
Ephesians 1:7
Once you have read through a passage and underlined things, it’s easy to go back and spend some time meditating on what God wants to teach you about what He wants you to do, what He doesn’t want you to do, the truths He wants you to know, and the promises He has given you.
May God’s words to you that are in the Bible help you grow in your understanding of who He is, what He has done for you, and what it means to follow Him.
by Bernice Gudgel