Getting the most out of your Bible (1)

When you think about it, studying the Bible is like prospecting for gold or silver. It involves two things: (1) You must look for it. Solomon wrote, “If you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand…and find the knowledge of God” (vv. 4-5 NIV). Simply stepping into a mine and glancing around won’t cut it. If you want to get the gold or the silver, you must be searching for it. Any miner will inform you that gold doesn’t strike you – you strike gold. The purpose of this devotional isn’t to replace regular Bible reading but to whet your spiritual appetite for it. According to the Barna Research Group, only 9 percent of Christians read the Bible every day. The question is, are you one of them? (2) You must dig for it. The Spirit of God within you speaks to you as you read His Word. The story is told about a guy who loved to study the Bible. Every time he came to something he didn’t understand, his friend Charlie would pop into his mind. Charlie was a great Bible student; he just seemed to ooze biblical wisdom. So whenever the first guy encountered a Bible question, he would go to Charlie and say, “What does this verse mean? What is God trying to say here?” One day as he was reading, the Holy Spirit spoke to him and said, “Why don’t you just ask Me? I’m the one who teaches Charlie.” So expect God to speak to you today as you read His Word, and He will.