For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” Hebrews 4:12
Linda wrote, “I remember when I first started reading the Bible and crying out to the Lord asking Him where He was . . I’d always believed in God, but didn’t really know much about Him. Someone led me to the Book of John (the fourth book in the New Testament), and I just devoured it. . . I saw Jesus as that Someone who loves me, cares for me and could give me real purpose for living. I began spending a lot of time reading His Word and writing in my journal . . . .about everything that was happening around me, to me, and in me. After I said a prayer to accept the Lord as Savior, I began to experience more peace in my heart and the darkness that was around me began to brighten up. I actually became joyful.”
Linda’s experience may be like yours. When you first pick up a Bible, you realize that it is a big book. There are 66 books in the Bible and 40 authors. I encourage you to buy an easy to understand version of the Bible. I recommend the Living Bible Translation. You can also find Bibles to read on the Internet.
The Bible is divided into two sections – The Old Testament (the first part), and the New Testament (the second part). The Old Testament was written before Jesus came to earth and the New Testament was written after Jesus was born. The first four books in the New Testament are called ‘The Gospels’ and the four authors of these books wrote about Jesus’ life on earth and his words.
To start reading the Bible, I would begin with the Book called ‘John’ – the fourth book in the New Testament. After reading ‘John’, read the book called ‘Mark’ and follow with these books: I John; II John; III John; Genesis (Old Testament); Ephesians; Galatians; the book of Luke; the book of Matthew.
The Bible will never become boring no matter how many times you read it.
Some sections are harder to understand, but ask God to give you insight. Buying a ‘Study Bible’ is often helpful — it provides explanations to questions you may have.
Before you start reading, ask God to help you understand.
- Use a pencil to underline the verses that have been most meaningful to you and write them down in a journal.
Try to read the Bible every day. It is the spiritual food for your soul.
“God, thank you for your Word to guide us, to learn about You, encourage us, teach us and convict us of sin. Fill us with a deep desire to know you more. Amen