Foundational Knowledge for Better Bible Reading and Study

Studying, Memorizing, and Meditating

Welcome to Part 4 of The Bible at a Glance!

In Part 1, we looked at all the things we need to know before we even open the Bible including its purpose, outcomes, and a framework for reading.

In Part 2, we took a 30,000 foot view of the Bible, and looked at its structure, authors, key people, and geography.

In Part 3, we zoomed in to look at the story of the Bible, its eras, and a few key themes.

Now, we’ll look at studying, memorizing, and meditating on Scripture. This is where most people begin–but think how much we would have missed if we had skipped straight to this step!

1. Studying 

There is no shortage of people and methods out there trying to teach you how to study the Bible. I have a couple of Bible degrees and have spent the last decade teaching the Bible in the Church, and I’m here to tell you: there’s no secret sauce to Bible study. Anyone can do it well because it doesn’t require a specific talent or IQ–it just takes a simple, consistent effort. Like getting better at a sport or learning a musical instrument, it only requires two things:

1. Showing up 
2. Nailing the basics (shout out to Brad Stulberg for helping me see this sports analogy).

That’s it. Really. Don’t be overwhelmed by all the “methods” and resources and options. 

And remember that because it is God’s Word, God’s Spirit will help you along the way! You never read or study alone.

Here are the 3 steps to studying the Bible:

1. Observe: Read slowly and notice the details of the text.
   
2. Interpret: Understand what the text means by asking, “why has the author included this information?” You might need other sources like a dictionary, map, or historical information to help you comprehend the nuances of the text, but a study Bible provides a lot of that information. 
   
3. Apply: Commit to changing because of what you know.

You will not identify all the details and information the first (or fifth!) time you read the Bible. The uniqueness of the Bible is that every time you read and study the Lord will show you new and deeper things. So, we are never “done” studying. It is our lifelong privilege to mine the treasure of Scripture and allow it to do its work in our lives.

Most Christians are happy to outsource Bible knowledge to their pastor, favorite podcaster, or author and they never bother to get really good at Bible study for themselves. Don’t collect random bits of the Bible your whole Christian life or solely rely on others to tell you what it says. Assemble a thorough and robust knowledge of God’s Word for yourself. If you want to see significant progress in your spiritual life, spend deliberate time studying the Word. You’ll get better at it over time and you’ll reap immeasurable blessings because of it.

I know I talk about it a lot, but the best little book about Bible study is called Reading the Bible Better by George H. Guthrie. Read it, follow it, and watch what happens.

2. Memorizing

Memorizing God’s Word is almost as daunting to some as studying the Bible. Let me just say that memorizing is a challenge for me. It comes easy for some and is difficult for others. For me, it’s about time. I don’t have a lot of quiet moments and I choose to use my few quiet moments for studying rather than memorizing. However, I am trying to prioritize it more. In my season of life I don’t think I’ll ever memorize large quantities of Scripture, but I do like memorizing specific key verses to recall. Here are 3 ideas of how I like to memorize and maybe it will inspire you:

Memorize these 5 verses to remember the story of the Bible:

1. Genesis 1:1–God creates everything
2. Genesis 3:15–God promises a Savior
3. Genesis 12:2-3–God sets the course of human history
4. John 1:29–God fulfills the promise
5. Revelation 21:3-4–God brings his people home

Memorize the “Romans Road” to help you share the Gospel:

1. Romans 3:23
2. Romans 6:23
3. Romans 5:8
4. Romans 10:9
5. Romans 10:13

Memorize a short Psalm of praise to pray at the beginning of your prayers:

Psalm 117:1-2

“Praise the Lord, all nations!
Extol him, all peoples!
For great is his steadfast love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord!”

If memorizing is a challenge for you, this article might encourage you! 

3. Meditating

The secular world has given meditation a weird vibe, but Christian meditation is not about emptying our minds or any other worldly ideas. It is about filling our minds with God’s Word and spending a significant amount of time thinking about what God says. And we do this so that our knowledge of God and His Word does not lead to pride, hypocrisy, or apathy. 

Have you ever made bread? Or seen bread being made? The key ingredient in bread is the yeast. First, the yeast has to be activated, and then it is mixed in with the other ingredients and given time to work. The bread “blooms” or rises over a period of time as the yeast works. This is a perfect visual for meditating on God’s Word. We need to sit with God’s Word for a while, letting it mix into our hearts and minds. It needs time to work in order for us to “bloom.” Reading a few Bible verses quickly and then running off to get on with our lives won’t really change us very much. But meditating–ruminating, thinking, letting the words soak in– is how God’s Word changes me. When I think about it over a period of days or weeks, I learn how deep its truths go and see its varied applications to my life. It provides opportunities for the Lord to show me the areas in my life where that truth needs to go, and it gives me time to pray and ask the Lord to really help me be more like Him because of what I know. We have to fight against our instant, fast world to slow down and give God’s Word time to soak into our lives. Reading slowly and intentionally and allowing ourselves time to really think about it and pray about it, will be a game changer!

I hope you look at studying, memorizing, and mediating differently now, and that you make time in your spiritual life for each one!

Next Monday we wrap up this series by looking at the 10 key doctrines of Scripture (this is an intro to Systematic Theology). I’ll give you a brief introduction to each doctrine and of course recommend some great resources to keep learning about them! So, don’t miss next week’s newsletter!

For further study:

Reading the Bible Better

A Visual Theology Guide to the Bible

30 Days to Understanding the Bible