Study With Me

For they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

- Acts 17:11

Happy Saturday, friends!

Today we are going to be doing a walk through of how I study my Bible! Over the last few years studying my Bible has become a daily habit and one that is always changing. In this post I'm going to do a little bit of a rewind and start at the beginning of my studying journey and bring you with me through the years until now. Reading the Bible is such a crucial part of the Christian walk and I feel super passionate about finding a way to study and read that works best for you! I hope that these thoughts and ideas may be helpful if you're searching for somewhere to begin.

The Bible in a Year

In March of 2017 I began my first Bible in a year read through. I was struggling personally at the time and probably only read a chapter here and there in my Bible, if I even remembered to. When I first began that book I remember feeling like my brain was going to explode, it was such a shock to my system to try and process so much each day when I was used to so little. At the time I followed an Instagram account called @biblesandcoffee and I read something she wrote that changed how I studied my Bible forever. (that sounds so dramatic but it's TRUE) She said "You chew your food to digest it and that's why I mark up my bible." Writing all over it and highlighting it like crazy is how she digested God's word. I decided that I was going to try to do that to. It made a really big difference for me, I started picking out things that were important and held weight. It made things stand out to me more and made me think about what I was reading. Some days I had more to say and the pages are full, other days there's hardly anything written on the page.

Marking up your bible is a way to make things stick.

That first year I remember feeling so proud on December 31st. I had read through the whole Bible in one year. It was an incredible feeling, but I still felt like I didn't know my Bible as a whole very well. I still didn't know where certain stories were found, or where to tell people to look if they wanted to know more about Christ. I knew generic things like "read the Gospels" but how helpful is that, really?

I discovered in 2017 that having each day laid out for me in physical form made a HUGE difference. When I traveled in 2017 I wrote down the chapters I was supposed to read, but without the accountability and ease of having it already laid out for me I would forget, or sigh at the thought of merely flipping the pages myself. (yikes) As I headed into 2018 I wanted a plan that was more intentional, easy to travel with, and would teach me something.

Crossway's ESV New Testament Daily Devotional

Now we're in 2018, and I have a new, hard copy, reading plan ready to start. The New Testament Daily Devotional from Crossway will forever be one of my favorite devotionals. It is a daily walk through the New Testament with a Psalm at the end of each reading that correlates to the theme of that day's reading. I can't say enough good things about this reading plan and the devotional part of it; some of the most valued things I learned about the Bible were from this devotional. *Unfortunately, I don't think they print this bible anymore, but you can buy it used!*

When it came to marking up my Bible in 2018, I approached it a little differently. I bought some cute stickers and fun colored markers and tried for awhile to make it look cute. It brought a creative aspect to reading my Bible and I enjoyed that. That year I also highlighted everything Jesus said in (can you guess?) red and found that it made his words jump out at me in a new way. I learned this year that the quantity of scripture I read per day didn't matter. This Bible often only had me reading a few verses at a time but it was followed by a powerful devotion that made those few verses pop. I took this bible with me to a lot of different places, it traveled to Hawaii and Ireland, and Vancouver, a lot, and I loved that it was so small and easy to travel with.

On My Own

2019 came around and this was just in general a hard year for me. I decided to try following my own plan, without a hard copy made up for me, and see how I did. Not that great, if I'm being honest. I had days where I would skip because I didn't know where to read next, or because I didn't feel like reading. Having the hard copy accountability makes a difference if you're trying to make reading on a daily basis your habit. I read a lot of different books this year and spent a lot more time in each spot; I spent two months in Proverbs, and two and a half in Jeremiah for example. Although I didn't feel like I was reading a lot, I moved through each book methodically, sometimes reading the same portion time and time again, just trying to get it in my head. 2019 is a bit of blur when it comes to my reading habits, but I did my best, which is all God asks of us!

New Testament Intentional Study

OKAY, I know this post is long, but bare with me, I LOVE my Bible and reading it so I hope that reading my journey and seeing the ups and downs can maybe encourage some of you to keep at it! Keep reading, keep studying, keep searching for what works for you!

2020, the year of rest, as I am calling it. This year has been rough, we all know it, but honestly, I have learned so much in this time. Quarantine was good for my heart and soul and I am so thankful for how God used that time in my life.

*Side note for pocket Bibles. Buy one, throw it in your work bag, read it on the bus or at lunch or whenever you have a moment and just make reading a habit*

The beginning of 2020 I spent a lot of time in the Psalms, looking for a balm for my broken heart and weary soul. In a time of heart break and sorrow I found reading to be hard, because I was spending a lot of time dwelling on myself. God brought me back using his word, reminding me that my focus needs to always be on Him, and not on me.

Now, let's get to what I do on a daily basis currently. March of this year I started Luke, determined to learn from it, determined to study it instead of just read it. I bought a new notebook and started reading a commentary each day for the chapter I was on. I began writing down questions and thoughts I had on the chapter and I found that when I write things down, they stick with me. I started pouring through articles online and searching out context and cultural facts about the books I was reading. I began looking up the Greek for the words I thought held importance which is HUGE in terms of understanding what the Bible really says. David Guzik is an awesome commentator, easily one of my favorites! He lays things out in an easy-to-read way, with practical applications and awesome quotes from other theologians from all different time periods. His commentary has changed the Bible study game for me.

On a daily basis I read his commentary for the chapter I'm on. I've been systematically working through the NT and sprinkling OT books on in between days. I still mark my bible up a lot, I recently grabbed a NT from the dollar store of all places, and just have been going to town in it. I highlight important parts, circle words I'm intrigued by, and write in quotes, the Greek meaning, and other chapter references. I use a small notebook for longer thoughts that I tape into my Bible so that when I look back, I know exactly what I was thinking and what my questions were.

Resources

Blue Letter Bible is stellar. It has SO many good resources all in one, easy to use, place. Check it out.

David Guzik - already praised him, seriously, READ his stuff!

H.A.IronsideHis commentaries read like a book and are chalk full of applicable thoughts.

I encourage you to (surprisingly) google things. Ask questions. Talk to other people about their habits and what they do. Ask the leaders in your church what they think about something you found online, or what commentaries they like. Ask for help, ask for answers to the question that's been plaguing for an eternity. I've found that the best way to learn from my Bible is to ask for help in how to read it.

I know this post is so much longer than my normal post but OH WELL

So what are my practical tips for diving into your Bible, you may ask?

Try a reading plan - electronic or hard copy!
Get a pen and paper and write down your thoughts
MARK IT UP. Seriously, just try it. It's not about aesthetic, it's about learning.
Read a commentary.
Quantity is not important. If you read one verse and it impacts you, awesome. If you read 10 chapters and feel like you learned something, amazing!
Try reading at different times of the day.

There's no formula to reading and studying your Bible, I 100% back that. I know it can be daunting to try and know where to even start. Start at the beginning and go from there! I encourage you to try different things, different versions, and to have fun with it! The Bible is God's word to us, His holy word that was given to us so that we might know Him and learn about what He wants for us.

If you read this whole post, I LOVE YOU!

xo,

Ais