What is the correct response to the study of God’s word?
Read it, study it, pray to understand it, desire to know the truth, and then learn to hear His voice as He explains the word to you.
Read it!
Don’t read a chapter just to check a box off the list of what you read today. Begin reading with the goal to understand what the writer said and why he said it.
Revelation 1:3 (KJV) Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
Your study of the Bible should never end. There is always more to know and learn. The only way to rightly divide the word and understand truth is to study the deep concepts. If you read something you don’t understand don’t skip over it. Study it.
Look for supporting scriptures using the Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge in Bible software like Olive Tree. Olive Tree is free, an example is shown below.
2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV) Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Learn His Voice!
I have heard of people who are shocked and amazed that God will talk to a person today. God talks to us all the time but we have to learn to hear Him. The only way to learn is to practice. Read the word and ask Him questions. Pray and talk with Him. Ask Him questions instead of reading off your wish list to Him. God will talk to you.
2 Peter 1:20-21 (KJV) Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Understand it!
If you don’t understand the Word ask God to explain what you don’t understand. He will. God wants us to understand His word.
Proverbs 2:1-5 (KJV) My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; 2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; 3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; 4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; 5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.
Study it!
Desire Truth!
Truth is priceless. If you don’t desire truth or you are looking for a way out or a way to get by in your sin, God will send you a delusion. If you want to believe a lie, God will let you.
1 Peter 2:1-3 (KJV) Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
This is one of the scariest verses in the Bible to me. No one can know the truth if God doesn’t reveal it to them but if God, Himself has damned you to believe a lie there is no hope for you.
2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 (KJV) 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Desire Him!
ALL of the above.
