You go and see a movie. You enjoy it. You find the characters interesting.
Your friend sees the movie too, but because they read the book before they got so much more out of it. They understand the history that the characters had together. They know why there is tension between the families. They know that the customs of the land have a lot to do with why the characters reacted the way they did....
When you read the Bible, you may enjoy it. You can find it interesting. You may feel good.
When you study the Bible however, the words come alive! When you study, God shows you so much and not only do you get a deeper understanding to the text, but it becomes personal. It becomes relavant to your life. There's such a big 3D kick these days - studying makes the Bible 3D.
All of the gals at church have heard me say more times than they can remember - "There's a big difference between reading the Bible and studying it."
This past week at women's Bible study I had a woman share with me that she has been attending church for over 15 years but that this is the first time she has ever really studies the Bible. She can't believe what she's been missing. As she was talking she was sort of shaking her hands in excitement. She was so excited about God's word and how it was all opening up before her. She could hear and feel the Lord speak to her as never before.
I wish that excitement for all of you. Take the time to study God's word. Peel off each layer like an onion. Ask the Lord's blessing on your study that you would receive a personal application. Do it because, there's a big difference between reading and studying the Bible.
