5 WAYS TO GO DEEPER IN THE WORD

By Timothy Veal, Jr.

Every Christian, I believe, reeeaaally wants to understand the Bible.  Here’s the issue … some of us seldomly open God’s Word outside of Sunday morning.  Here’s a question to consider – If someone came to see you only once a week for 30 minutes, would you consider them really knowing you in and out?  Would you trust them?  Might I suggest that we can’t really get to know someone deeply without spending extensive, intentional time with them; God is no exception.  Therefore, here are 5 things to do that I believe will help you to develop in both frequency of reading and a deeper understanding.

1. Make Time:  Set alarms on your phone, block time in your calendar, or make it a default part of your daily rhythms.  We make sure to make time for the things that are most important to us and to be intentional about “locking in” the time to accomplish it.  If we’re honest, what we often fail to do is also lock in the time needed to study God’s Word.  Think of these times as intentional relationship building opportunities with the Father.  He wants that relationship with you and wants you to make time to hear His voice.
2. Write Bible Verses on Sticky Notes:  As you read, write scriptures that speak to you on sticky notes and index cards to post in areas you see most often.  Having these scriptures constantly visible will remind you of God’s promises and the truth of His Word.  Being reminded of those promises as you go through your  day-to-day  activities will increase your faith and focus on the mission God has called us to.  You will notice that the scriptures you have seen over and over again will start to pop into your mind at the times when you need it most.
3. Find a reading plan:  It’s a lot easier to go deeper when you have a plan!  Commit to a reading plan to help you set a rhythm and regimen for getting your intentional time in.  Besides physical books with calendars and guided readings, there are quite a few Bible apps that you can download that offer reading plans as well!  The different Bible apps are beneficial because a lot of them have daily reminders and even allow for you to add friends to go through the plans with you. 
4. Participate in a Bible study:  One Community Church has Women’s and Men’s Bible studies every other Wednesday, respectively.  Bible studies are so important to one’s spiritual growth and biblical understanding.  Because the Bible is the only source for how a Christian learns and understands how to love Jesus wholeheartedly, it’s imperative to also participate in discussions and teachings around the subject matter to secure the knowledge being obtained from reading.  Bible studies are the best places to ask questions that will deepen your understanding of God’s Word.
5. Be Patient with Yourself:  Finally, Family, please be patient.  As the cliché goes, “This is not a sprint, it’s a marathon!”  Growing as a Christian and understanding God’s Word is a process.  You aren’t going to understand everything in one day or one session.  If you’re like me, there will definitely be days where you finish your study time really confused and maybe even frustrated.  Be ok with not getting it right away.  Embrace the process of understanding, knowing that God’s will is for you to understand, but ultimately to understand in His time.  Very often, we remember things that took time to register in our memory more than things we got quickly.  Because it’s His Word, we submit to His  unfolding of it.