Last week we got our toes wet with the intro of Ecclesiastes. We talked raw about how we often Google the hard answers before we go to the Throne, and I shared a few (unedited) thoughts on YouTube to guide you along. 

You may wonder why we're not hopping into the deep end of Ecclesiastes chapter 1 this week (after all, you did sign-up for a Bible study!), and that's because we all need a flotation device before we head out too far.

One of the most common questions I receive from readers is, "How do I study my Bible?" I adore this question because it reveals someone's desire for God's Word (the Holy Spirit is always at work!). That question is (typically) followed by why they aren't currently studying God's Word. It's not necessarily because they don't have time or space, it’s usually because they don't have the discipline, the willingness to change their behavior, or there is unrest in other parts of their life. I can recognize this only because I was that person once.

I implore you to take inventory of your reasons for not studying the Word consistently and then ask God to help you. In the beginning seasons of my walk with the Lord, I would pray, "Father, I want to want You." I wanted to, but then again, not enough to change my priorities. I knew I needed a heart change, and that's why I would pray in honesty about how I wanted to want God. And, my friends, God is in the heart-changing business—I am living proof of that.  

"...Stressed out is not a neutral behavior; it is a sinful manifestation of an unquiet heart. And it often brings a host of other sins with it."

—Nancy Wilson, Learning Contentment

This week, I'm going to give you a framework to help you navigate the Bible. A framework is simply a basic structure that underpins a system, concept, or text. There isn't a "formula." However, it's wise to share godly ideas and approaches that others might learn from. As we're told in Proverbs 27:17, "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." 

While Jesus taught the disciples how to pray in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4, it wasn't meant to be the prayer you pray all the time. In the same way, this isn't meant to be the only framework to study your Bible. 

I'm merely going to share a few meaningful approaches that I've discovered in my walk because, like you, I once was unsure of how to study God's Word. Before we head in, I want to share a thought from A. W. Tozer with you because we need to recognize what's ahead isn't meant to be easy; but, it is promised to be worth it. 

I have often wished that there were some way to bring modern Christians into a deeper spiritual life painlessly by short easy lessons; but such wishes are vain. No shortcuts exist!...May not the inadequacy of much of our spiritual experience be traced back to our habit of skipping through the corridors of the kingdom like little children through the marketplace, chattering about everything but pausing to learn the true value of nothing? 

A Framework to Study Your Bible 

• The role of the Holy Spirit. In John 14:26, Jesus told his disciples, "the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you" (John 14:26, ESV). The Holy Spirit—among other characteristics—is a teacher. He helps us recall Scripture and gives us wisdom as we read the living Word of God. I'm thankful for this because I have a disastrous memory! However, as a believer, I can count on the Holy Spirit (who dwells in me, fills me, and seals me) to come alongside me as I open God's Word. I would encourage you to ask God for wisdom (as James 1:5 instructs us) as you study the Bible each day. Don't be legalistic about it (i.e., "I must pray before I read the Bible to please God."), but do verbalize your dependence upon God! He gave you the Holy Spirit to teach you, so don't be afraid to ask for help and for a willing and responsive spirit. Take courage in this verse knowing that God's given you everything you already need to live a godly life:

"His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire." 2 Peter 1:3-4

• A reputable study Bible. I don't get caught up in versioning too much, except for one guideline: use a literal translation as your primary go-to. A literal translation is a "word-for-word rendering of the Greek and Hebrew, conveying the literal meaning of the text" (Olive Tree). Yes, I read other non-literal translations if I'm looking for more of an editorial style, but overall, I stick to my ESV or NIV study bible because I can understand them clearly. I would also emphasize finding a Bible with study notes. Study bibles tend to be thicker and larger in size (might not be the one you want to carry to church--because we should ALL be taking our Bibles to church), but they help with exploring Scripture. Coffee helps, too. Or, maybe that’s just me. 🤷‍♀️

• Discover your style. We all have ways in which we learn best. For me, I love paper and pen. I keep a journal where I can jot down notes or write them directly in my Bible. It helps me focus (I get distracted easily) and process how I might apply what I'm reading. I have a colleague who sits on his brown leather couch in the mornings and uses his iPad to scribble out thoughts. That works, too—you do you. Experiment with different methods to help you focus and be still. 

• A few tools. Specific commentaries and the Blue Letter Bible app are my favorite go-to's when I want to expand on Bible verses. I keep my hard copy commentaries close to my study chair, and I use the Blue Letter Bible app on my phone (and avoid responding to text messages!). In terms of particular commentaries, I like Warren Wiersbe, David Guzik, and Matthew Henry. 

• Time and Reflection. As I mentioned in the beginning, I'm encouraged when people want to learn to study the Bible. But allow me to be real with you: it requires you to sit still. I have a sign that hangs above my dining room bay windows that reads, "The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." (Exodus 14:14). No one can create a space for you to study but yourself. I remember when my children were more toddler age, I would get up at 4:30 a.m. sometimes, just to spend time with the Lord alone...and I'd still hear the pitter-patter of little feet across the hardwood floor in those wee hours of the mornings. It's like they smell when I get up or something! Satan will do his best to distract you, discourage you, and disarm you. When you neglect personally studying God's Word in a consistent manner, it makes that sanctification process longer because God's Word transforms us each time we engage. So, if Satan can come between you and your study time, you're much less of a threat. 

Or are you a Christian? Are you really saved, and are you negligent in the Lord's work? Then, indeed, whatever you may be, I cannot help saying you have too little understanding; for surely, when a man is saved himself, and understands the danger of other men's souls, he must be in earnest in trying to pluck the firebrands from the flame. A Christian sluggard! Is there such a being? A Christian man on half time? A Christian man working not at all for his Lord; how shall I speak of him? Time does not tarry, DEATH does not tarry, HELL does not tarry; Satan is not lazy, all the powers of darkness are busy: how is it that you and I can be sluggish, if the Master has put us into his vineyard? Surely we must be void of understanding if, after being saved by the infinite love of God, we do not spend and be spent in his service. The eternal fitness of things demands that a saved man should be an earnest man.

—Charles Spurgeon, The Sluggard's Farm

I'm praying over you. Prayer is a grace-filled privilege and your free-flowing communication line to the Kingdom. Feel free to leave your own ideas, frameworks, and tips in the Comments below to sharpen other believers as they study God's Word.