How I Study the Bible

 Devotions 4 Divas: How I Study My Bible

I've read the Bible for years and can quote scripture and talk the talk with the best of them. I felt like I understood most of what I read, but something was missing. About a year ago, I asked God to give me a real hunger for His Word and a deeper understanding. 

You see, it's not enough for me to have a superficial knowledge of the Word. I want to know how and why the Word came about, the customs of the day when Scripture was written, and a deeper knowledge and understanding of not only Jesus but also the characters we read about in the Bible. 

The Old Testament is particularly fascinating to me. I've always loved history, and knowing the history of Bible times excites me. I researched the different Bible study methods and also the different Bibles on the market. I have read many versions and knew that I wanted the ESV version with columns wide enough for me to take notes. 

I purchased the ESV New Inductive Study Bible. It's a thick Bible and heavy to tote around. I quickly found that I needed to break it down into smaller sections for portability. I purchased a used Franklin Classic Storage 3-ring binder from eBay. I carefully removed the Bible's pages and punched holes before adding them to the binder, making it possible to remove the pages I'm studying and carry them with me.

Although I enjoy this study Bible—it's my favorite—but it's not enough to satisfy my thirst for the Word. Enter Enduring Word, which is a website with over 11,000 pages of Bible commentary from greats such as Spurgeon. There are also video and audio teachings on the website, but I use the commentaries only.

My Bible study method is to read one chapter of the Bible and loosely highlight and mark following the Inductive Bible Study way (I use some of their symbols but not all of them). A quick internet search will yield info on how to do it. You'll find that highlighting and marking as you go slows down the brain and allows you to process and remember what you're reading. After I've done this, I go to Enduring Word and read the commentary based on what I just read and take notes. Here is a photo of what my marked-up Bible looks like.

I'd love to hear what you have to say after giving this method of Bible study a try. I've learned so much, and I thank God for giving me a thirst for His Word.