In a bid to improve their spiritual lives, I’ve had some people ask me questions like these:
‘…how do I grow in my Bible study…’?
‘...do you cram Bible verses…’?
‘…how come you teach quoting so many verses accurately offhand…’?
Many people wonder at times; how do some people just know the Bible so much? If you are in this category, then this post is for you. Kindly pay close attention as I believe Jesus will enhance your thirst for the word via this post.
First, I’ll like to correct an error many believers make while trying to maintain a deep Bible study lifestyle. I call this: the error of ‘being CONDEMNED for not measuring up’! This error actually emanates from listening to ‘teachers/preachers’ who kind of talk a lot on how long they study the Bible in a day or how much they fast in a month, or how much they go out on personal evangelism, etc. For example, as a growing believer, you happened to stumble into a teaching where the preacher kept saying things like:
‘…I study the Bible for 4 hours in a day…’
‘…I always speak in tongues for 3 hours in a day…’
‘…I cannot let a day pass by without going on a one-on-one evangelism…’
‘…I fast 2 times every week…6am to 6pm…’
After listening to this teaching, you looked at your life and remembered that the last time you tried opening the Bible to study, you could hardly read 2 verses before you realized you have dropped it and doing something else, or you have dozed off, etc. Now, the preacher continued by saying: ‘…if you are a Christian and by now you can’t maintain at least 3 hours daily in the word and prayer…then you have not started…’ You are still struggling with maintaining 3 minutes in word and prayers …and here is someone telling you that 3hours is a ‘normal’ yardstick for spiritual growth!
Now listen carefully: NO BELIEVER SHOULD EVER FEEL CONDEMNED FOR NOT MEASURING UP IN WORD STUDY AND PRAYER! Never! Christianity is not a lifestyle of RULES and REGULATIONS! Rather, Christianity is a RELATIONSHIP! The Bible is NOT a RULE-book! The Bible is a BREAD-book! Jesus never said: I am the RULE of Life! What Jesus said is: I am the BREAD of Life! (John 6:48)
While ‘Rules’ breeds condemnation, ‘Bread’ breeds HUNGER! Believers are never to feel CONDEMNED for not studying! Rather, believers are to FEEL HUNGRY for not studying!!! The very way you don’t feel ‘condemned’ for not eating…but you feel hungry.that’s the way you ought to feel ‘hungry’ when you have not studied or prayed! I hope you got that clear?
Having said this, let me briefly summarize in 3 stages how to improve your word study. I call it applying the RUTH’s (3-stages) method. Follow carefully:
1) After Ruth returned to Bethlehem with Naomi her mother-in-law, she desired to work in a field as a ‘GLEANER’. I call this the ‘working as a GLEANER’ stage
2) In the process of time, she mingled with the ‘REAPERS’ of the field where she gleaned. I call this the ‘collaborating with the REAPERS’ stage.
3) And finally, she met the ‘MASTER’ of the field named Boaz. I call this the ‘meeting the MASTER’ stage.
By now I believe your study life is already receiving the life of Christ. Read the Part 2 of this post as we will be examining closely the RUTH’s (3-stages) method and unveiling how to improve your word study lifestyle in which you will ALWAYS want to open the Bible every day and eventually become a man or woman filled with the Truth of the Gospel.
Never forget: Christianity is not a lifestyle of RULES and REGULATIONS! Rather, Christianity is a RELATIONSHIP!
The Bible is NOT a RULE-book! The Bible is a BREAD-book!
The very way you don’t feel ‘condemned’ for not eating…but you feel hungry….that’s the way you ought to feel ‘hungry’ when you have not studied or prayed!
Therefore, welcome to a world of enjoying your word study life! Remain addictively under Grace. Amen.
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