How to Begin When You Don’t Know Where to Start

How do you read the Bible – if at all? One of the common questions asked by people who’ve never seriously read the Scriptures is, “Where do I start?” There are many approaches and many possible suggestions, some better than others. 

 

One is to start at the beginning and attempt to read to the end. That’s certainly one way, and I’ve done that. In fact, it was how I read through the Bible when I was a senior in high school. I’d heard about people reading the Scriptures in their entirety, and out of curiosity decided to give it a try. I succeeded but didn’t understand much of what I read. When I finished Revelation, the last of the 66 books in the Bible, I put it on my bookshelf and thought, ‘Well, I’ve read the Bible. Now what should I read?’ How little I knew.

 

If someone were to ask me how to read the Bible, I wouldn’t recommend the front-to-back approach, at least initially. Genesis and Exodus are primarily narratives and relatively straight-forward, but it’s easy to get lost in the “weeds” of Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy and become discouraged.

 

Many folks would suggest reading one of the four gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Especially John, since it’s the most theological and clearly communicates how to experience a genuine, growing relationship with God.

 

Over the years, one of my most rewarding practices in reading the Bible has been to read the entire book of Proverbs over the course of a month, one chapter a day that matches the date of the month. There are 31 chapters, so the one-a-day strategy works perfectly for January, March, May, July, August, October and December. The other months require reading more than one chapter on a day or two.

 

I’ve even read one chapter of Proverbs every day for an entire year, going through it 12 times over that span. “Isn’t that kind of repetitive?” someone might ask. But as I’ve said before, reading the Bible is similar to peeling an onion. You remove one layer and find another just beneath it. Each time I’ve a portion of the Scriptures, whether Proverbs or another book, I’ve discovered things that didn’t register the previous time. Here are just a few examples:

 

When we’re younger, life is filled with unending potential and limitless promise. Our strength and energy feel boundless. As we grow older, however, our capacities start to diminish. There are days when it seems our “get up and go” simply got up and went. But there’s a plus side to aging. We gain experience and wisdom; we learn some things that seemed so important really aren’t, and that things that didn’t seem important really are.

 

So, a verse like Proverbs 20:29 helps to put things into perspective: “The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old.” Gray hair and wrinkles don’t necessarily mean the person possessing them is wise. Young fools sometimes grow up to be old fools. But most of the time we find we’ve learned much from our successes and failures – especially our failures.

 

Going back just a few verses we find another insight that resonates strongly, especially for those of us who have gone through the highs and lows of everyday living. Proverbs 20:24 states, “A man’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?”

 

Proverbs 3:5-6, which I’ve adopted as my ‘life verse,’ expresses the same idea a bit differently: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”

 

Recently I was talking with a younger man I’ve been mentoring, and he was explaining how his work situation had suddenly taken a dramatic and unexpected turn. The upshot of it has been accepting a totally different job.

 

I tried to encourage him, recalling how my own career path has taken some decidedly surprising turns. Ultimately, I could see how perfectly God was guiding me, confirming as Ephesians 3:20 says, He is “…able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think….” His plans for me and my family were far greater and more rewarding than anything I could have imagined.

 

One more example from Proverbs speaks to a way of bringing calm to a tense situation: “For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases. As charcoal is to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife” (Proverbs 26:20-21). Can you think of any contemporary applications for this?

 

TV commentators, social media, public gatherings and casual conversations can all serve to stir up hostilities if we let them. Our impulse might even be to add fuel to the fire. The choice is ours. As Proverbs 15:1 states, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

 

These all were compiled thousands of years ago, and yet are so practical and relevant they could have been written yesterday.

Getting back to where we started, there are many ways to start reading the Bible. The important thing is, if you’re not doing it already, simply start and see where the Lord leads you. And if you’re still undecided, just look at today’s date and read the corresponding chapter of Proverbs. You’ll find an unlimited fountain of wisdom. 

How to Get a Grip on the Scriptures

“Get a grip!” Many people use this phrase, meaning to get control of oneself or to not get so worked up about something. Can’t stop complaining about things happening in your life? ‘Get a grip!’ If watching the news makes you depressed, ‘Get a grip!’ Consumed with envy over what other people have? ‘Get a grip!’

But there are other, broader senses of that phrase. The most obvious would apply to people who work with their hands, like carpenters, plumbers, or artists. If using a hammer, wrench, or paintbrush, you better ‘get a grip’ if you’re going to accomplish whatever you’re trying to do. When I was taking drum lessons, I discovered ‘getting a grip’ was easier said than done – trying to move quickly around the drum kit, occasionally a drumstick would slip out of my hands.

 

Of even greater importance is getting a grip on a particular pursuit, achieving a measure of mastery in a chosen skill or discipline. I admire people demonstrating great expertise at whatever they do, whether it’s interior design, accounting, teaching, genealogy, mechanics, culinary arts, or other such vocational or avocational interests. But they didn’t achieve their excellence overnight; it took countless hours to ‘get a grip’ – to master what they desired to do.

 

The same holds true in a spiritual sense. For instance, gaining a deep understanding of the Scriptures isn’t something that can be achieved by spending a few minutes now and then. The typical Bible has more than 1,500 pages – the truths they contain are deep enough to fill the lifetime of even the most determined theologian.

 

That doesn’t mean biblical teachings are unfathomable for the ‘layman,’ someone who has never darkened the halls of a seminary, much less preached from a pulpit. To get a grip on the Scriptures, all we need to do is look at our hands. 

 

As I’ve mentioned before, my journey as a disciple of Jesus Christ began years ago when I joined a small group that used study materials developed by The Navigators. Originally focused on ministering to people in the armed forces, the Navs eventually expanded to college campuses and churches. One strategy for teaching how to get a grip on the Bible was what they called “the hand illustration.”

Why the hand? Pick up a Bible with one hand. Then transfer it to your other hand but try holding it only with your little finger. It’ll fall, right? Attempt this again, using only your little finger and thumb. Your grip on the book is tenuous; it can easily be pulled from your grasp. Add a third finger, then a fourth, and finally all five. Now you’ll have a strong grip on the Bible – someone would have a hard time wresting it out of your hand.

 

In a similar sense, it requires five ‘fingers’ to gain a strong grip on God’s Word. Each finger on the hand represents an action step for internalizing the Scriptures and learning how to put the truths and principles into use. The five are to: hear, read, study, memorize, and meditate.

 

Hear. It starts with hearing, whether a sermon at church, a message at a conference, a program on the radio, or even a conversation with a follower of Jesus. As Romans 10:17 explains, “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”

 

Read. Next comes reading the Scriptures for yourself, seeking to learn who God is and the truths He reveals through His Word. “Blessed is the one who read the words of the prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it…” (Revelation 1:3).

 

Study. The third ‘finger’ in this process is studying – when the hard work really begins. It’s more than just reading what the Bible says. It’s digging, seeking to understand its meaning and discover treasures it contains for today and for eternity. In Acts 17:11 we see an example: “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” We’re to be like the diligent, studious Bereans.

 

Memorize. When we encounter especially meaningful verses or passages in the Bible, one of the best ways for internalizing them is to commit them to memory. Then, like building a spiritual filing cabinet, they’re accessible for use without having to open a Bible. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 says they’re to become such a part of us they work themselves into everyday conversations: “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” 

 

Another passage that affirms Scripture memorization is Psalm 119:9,11 in which King David says, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word…. I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.”

 

Meditate. Finally, we have meditation. This isn’t mindless repetition of some mystical mantra, or emptying one’s mind. It’s deeply pondering a specific passage, striving to draw as much insight and understanding from it as you can. Kind of like a cow chewing its cud over and over, seeking to get as much nutrition out of it as possible. This is addressed in Psalm 1:2, which describes a “blessed” man whose “delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.”

 

Do you desire to get a grip on the Word of God, to become a ‘person of the Book’? Then make every effort to hear, read, study, memorize, and meditate. Over time you’ll find the truths of the Scriptures becoming part of you more and more.

Cherishing A Treasure Unlike Any Other

As I picked up my Bible to start my daily reading, I reflected on how this practice isn’t some religious ritual, but rather my means for building upon the relationship God began with me decades ago. And I choose the words, God began with me, very intentionally. There’s no question in my mind that the Lord was the one who pursued me – what poet Francis Thompson called “the Hound of Heaven” – when I had little interest in pursuing Him.

I don’t treasure my Bible because of its pages and print, ink and paper, but because through this book I encounter the God of all eternity and creation – His love, His wisdom, His grace, His guidance, and His truth.

 

Unlike days long ago when I casually attended church – it was a ritual of sorts then – finding God in the Scriptures has become my lifeline. At one time I vaguely sensed there had to be a divine deity; now I know this without doubt because of all He’s done in my life; the truths and principles He has taught me through His Word, and the wonderful people I’ve been privileged to meet over the years who count it their honor and privilege to be “Christ’s ambassadors” (2 Corinthians 5:20).

 

Similar to the blind man who received sight from Jesus (John 9:13-39), I once was blind spiritually but now I see. I can identify with the apostle Paul’s bold declaration in Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believe: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” There’s absolutely nothing like it.

 

As someone whose financial picture was once totally upside-down, in the Bible I’ve found simple yet profound principles for managing money, starting with the truism, “The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7).

 

For a person who used to have little idea about where my life was headed, I’ve often pondered and applied the promise of Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.” That assurance and its out-workings haven’t failed me yet.

 

In a world in which a lack of sense – or nonsense – seems so prevalent, the Scriptures clearly tell us where to go for wisdom and how to forgo foolishness: “The proverbs of Solomon…for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and fair…. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline” (Proverbs 1:1-2,7).

 

Years ago, I met a business leader who had spent much of his life reading self-help and motivational books, listening to taped messages on how to become a success, and using other resources for personal growth. Then he discovered the Bible and started reading it. In short order he disposed of all his other “motivators” and relied exclusively upon the Scriptures not only for guidance as a corporate executive but also for every area of his life.

 

Rather than self-help, the Bible affirms how desperately we need God’s help – His empowerment – to live as He intended and according to the way He designed us. In John 15:7 Jesus declared to His disciples, “apart from Me you can do nothing” (of eternal value). Piggybacking on that, the apostle Paul affirmed, “I can do everything through [Christ] who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). Many times, I’ve been faced with a challenge and thought, ‘I can’t do this!’ Through His Word the Lord has reminded me, ‘I know. But I can do it through you!’

 

As you’ve noticed if you’re a regular reader, I like to include a lot of Scripture in my writings. That’s because my opinions alone aren’t worth a dime – which isn’t worth much anyway. But in the Bible, we find God’s opinions, which are priceless – they’re the only ones that matter.

This current calendar year is winding to a close. I would hope – and encourage – that if you’re not already doing so, in the next year you’d determine to make meaningful time in the Word of God a regular part of your day. To my way of thinking, there’s no downside to it. 

Willing To Take on the Challenge?

The Christian life, if we’re honest about it, isn’t easy. We’re called to live by faith, which Hebrews 11:1 defines as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Living in a visible, tangible world, trusting in the invisible and intangible can be difficult. 

But God hasn’t left us bereft of things of substance on which to cling. He’s provided the world with its sights and sounds and smells, tastes and feels, to reveal Himself to us. Romans 1:19-20 declares, “since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”

 

Perhaps most tangible of all God has provided for us is His Word, the Bible that we can hold in our hands, read with our eyes, even sniff if you’re a fan of the smell of paper and ink. In a sense, it’s like a letter from a spouse or other loved one. Even though they’re not physically present, their words on a page make it seem as if they’re with us.

And yet the Bible is often described as the best-selling, least-read book in the world. In many homes, it seems, the Bible’s sole purpose is to collect dust. That’s unfortunate, because the Scriptures are a spiritual treasure trove God has given to teach us what need to know about Him. Even if you were to read from it every day of your life, you’d barely scratched its surface.

 

One of the most daunting challenges a follower of Christ can undertake is to read the entire Bible. It’s literally a book of books, consisting of 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books. Depending on which version of the Bible you have – and whether it contains footnotes and other teaching tools – its length can range from 1,500 to more than 2,000 pages.

 

However, it’s a challenge I’ve accepted on many occasions. The first time I read through the Bible was in 1965-66, during my senior year of high school. Being an avid reader, I didn’t do it because of spiritual zeal. It was simply a goal, and admittedly what I gained from it then was minimal. I read it front to back, Genesis to Revelation, five chapters a night. Upon finishing the last page, I put it on my bookshelf and thought, ‘Well, I’ve read the Bible. Now what should I read?’

 

Thankfully, it’s been a different story since then. Over the past four decades I’ve read through the Bible more than 20 times. This isn’t to brag. I’ve just learned the Scriptures are inexhaustible, like peeling an onion and discovering that whenever you remove one layer, there’s another layer under it. It’s become my guidebook, “a lamp for my feet, a light for my path,” as Psalm 119:105 terms it, with new understanding and insights unfolding every time I read it.

 

John Quincy Adams, the sixth President of the United States, was a strong advocate of reading the Scriptures. Writing to his son, Adams said, “I have myself for many years made it a practice to read the Bible once every year…with the intention and desire that it may contribute to my advance is wisdom and virtue.”

 

Later the father explained to the younger Adams his strong belief “that when duly read and meditated on it is of all books in the world that which contributes most to make men good, wise, and happy….” Apparently, Adams saw no necessity for separating faith and government.

 

Have you ever read the Bible in its entirety? If not, you have lots of company. As I said, it’s a daunting undertaking. For most of us, it’s easier to attend a church service and have our pastors impart to us what they’ve digested from diligent study. That’s not bad, but it’s no substitute for spending time alone with God in His Word and letting the Holy Spirit be our teacher.

 

You might be thinking, “That sounds good, but I wouldn’t know how to get started.” Or “I tried it once and did okay for a while, but then I got to Leviticus and Numbers and felt like I was in the wilderness with the Israelites!” Yep, I know the feeling.

 

Articles, booklets and even books have been written about how to read the Bible, but let me offer a couple of suggestions:

 

First, I’d advise not trying to read the Bible cover to cover, front to back as we do most books. The Old Testament, with all its richness, can seem overwhelming. More than once while reading it I’ve wondered, “What’s this got to do with me?” I’ve found it helpful to read from both the Old and New Testaments concurrently. Frankly, when a section of the Old Testament seems a bit deep, switching to a New Testament passage can feel like coming up for air.

 

Second, I’d recommend using a guide for reading the Bible. “One-year Bibles” conveniently present portions from both the Old and New Testament for daily reading, and often include brief passages from the Psalms and Proverbs. I’ve used several of these editions.

 

Years ago, I came across a “Through the Bible in a Year” day-by-day reading schedule in a study Bible. It’s served as my biblical “road map” numerous times. It’s not mandatory to follow such a schedule “religiously.” If you miss a day or two, you can catch up later. And it’s not make-or-break; if you don’t finish the Bible in one calendar year you can progress at your own pace, even if it takes 14 or 15 months, or longer.

 

What a blessing it is to read all of God’s Word at least once. You’ll discover stories – lots of them – as well as history, poetry, prophecy, doctrine, rules for living, and countless reasons for hope and encouragement in a discouraging world. As 2 Timothy 3:16 states, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”

 

Most of all, you’ll find Jesus Christ in every one of the Bible’s 66 books. He doesn’t wait to appear until the first chapter of the gospel of Matthew. John 1:1-2 declares, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning” – which means Jesus was actively involved even in Genesis’ creation story.

Knowing the Bible vs. Knowing the God of the Bible

Recently I read a commentary about a prominent, nationally known individual who, according to a very close friend, “knows the Bible.” An interesting observation about anyone, especially for someone in the public eye.

However, I’ve encountered people over the years who also claimed to know the Bible, yet there was little if any evidence of the presence and power of God in their lives. It’s not my job to judge, of course, but I think a better question is, “Does this person know the God of the Bible?”

Let me offer an analogy: Years ago, I was an avid reader of horror novels. One of my favorite authors was Stephen King. I had read a number of his books, including The Stand, Carrie, The Shining, and The Dark Tower series, which was recently made into a theatrical film. I knew these books very well – in fact, I had twice read the voluminous epic, The Stand, spanning more than 1,000 pages in both its first and second versions.

During my days as a newspaper editor in suburban Houston, Texas, I had an opportunity to meet and interview Mr. King when he was speaking in our area. I leaped at the chance. So, I had read some of his books, met him face to face, and interviewed him for an article in our newspaper. But even after the personal interview, I didn’t really know Stephen King, not as an author and especially not as a person. I gained certain impressions about him, but didn’t know him. He was just one of many famous people with whom I crossed paths during my career.

The same applied for me concerning the Bible and God for many years. As a senior in high school, for whatever reason I set out to read the Bible cover to cover. And that’s what I did, “religiously” reading five chapters a night, starting with Genesis and ending with Revelation. It took about nine months, but I reached my goal.

At the end of that time I “knew” the Bible. I’d read it in its entirety, and had garnered quite a bit of information from it. However, I didn’t know the God of the Bible. I’d grown familiar with the book, but had no personal relationship with its Author.

That changed years later through a series of circumstances. Looking back, I still marvel at the difference it makes knowing the God who inspired the Bible, discovering it’s not a random collection of ancient writings. Instead, I’ve learned it’s the Word of God that clearly and profoundly reveals the heart and character of the One who through His Spirit inspired and directed the human writers who penned its 66 Old and New Testament books.

As 2 Peter 1:20-21 tells us, “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

I’ve read about teachers in theological seminaries, as well as professors of religious studies in large universities, who have diligently read the Bible and claim to “know” it. Yet their conclusions about it demonstrate a pronounced skepticism about its veracity, validity and value.

They would cast doubt on 2 Timothy 3:16-17, which asserts, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Over the past 40 years or so, I’ve had the privilege of learning about God, Jesus Christ, the Scriptures and their truth from many of the leading Bible teachers and preachers in the U.S.A. and the world, as well as devoted “lay people.” But more than that, I’ve had the joy and humble privilege of getting to know – more and more each day – the God of the Bible.

I’ve concluded the Bible is far more than just a compendium of spiritual knowledge and information. It’s the revealed, eternal, unchanging truth of the living God. Through it, and many experiences in my journey with Him through the years, I’ve also come to know Him. And I’m still striving to know Him even better.

The apostle Paul wrote, as presented in the Amplified Translation of the Bible, “[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him – that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding [the wonder of His Person] more strongly and more clearly…” (Philippians 3:10).

This has become my personal mission statement, desiring that as a writer, editor, mentor, husband, father, grandfather and friend, I’ll be used as an instrument for helping others in their own quest to do the same.

Next time you hear someone comment about another person “knowing the Bible,” I hope they mean that individual also knows the God of the Bible. There’s a difference – a profound one.

Misinformation, Information, or Transformation?

It’s often said the Bible is the best-selling, least-read book ever written. That seems to be true, based on comments and perspectives we hear about the Bible on TV, radio, newspapers and magazines, the Internet, social media, casual conversation – and even some of our churches.

World sales of the Bible exceed 100 million copies each year, with revenue from sales in the United States alone ranging between $425 million and $650 million annually. Yet the average person knows surprisingly little about what’s between the front and back covers. For instance, “God helps those that help themselves” and “cleanliness is next to godliness” aren't found in any Bible.

There are those who seem to have learned much of what they know about the Scriptures from the books of 2 Opinions or 3 Speculations. They preface comments about God and the Bible with, “Well, I think….” It’s fine to know what people think, and everyone’s entitled to their own points of view. But have they ever truly looked to see what the Bible actually says? Without seriously doing so, all we have to work with is misinformation.

Others are quick to cite specific passages that serve to reinforce a point they want to make. For instance, they point out Jesus commanded us to “love your neighbor as yourself,” but forget (or ignore) that He first said we’re to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:36-39, Mark 12:30-31, Luke 10:27). Because we can’t really do our best at loving our neighbors without first loving God as we should.

Pulling passages selectively from the Bible provides us with useful information, but without studying them in proper context and considering what some would term, “the whole counsel of God,” that’s all it is – information.

Over my years of reading, studying and meditating on the Scriptures, I’ve learned their intent is definitely not for misinformation. Nor did God provide them merely for information. His goal for us is simple: Transformation.

This time of year we celebrate the renewal of life – flowers growing, bees buzzing, and before too long, butterflies flitting about. But the thing about butterflies is there’s an important step required for them to become such delicate, colorful, graceful creatures. They must first exist in life as caterpillars.

The cartoon I’ve posted cleverly makes this point. How a fuzzy, slow-moving caterpillar builds and then resides in its cocoon until the time is right for it to work its way out, emerging as a lovely butterfly is one of nature’s (God’s) wonders. But what’s the link between the Bible and butterflies? They both involve transformation.

When Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:3, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again,” He wasn’t talking about attitude adjustment, but transformation. For emphasis Jesus repeated a few verses later, "You must be born again" (John 3:7) Another passage elaborates: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Out with the old; in with the new.

Picture a butterfly emerging from the cocoon. It bears little resemblance to its former self. This serves as a physical metaphor for spiritual transformation. As we mature in our faith in Jesus Christ, the persons we once were should seem less and less like the people we’re becoming. Our former selves should be more and more like an old photo, bearing little likeness to what God is reshaping us to be.

So in reading the Bible, I’m wary of misinformation. I appreciate the information I receive, but don’t want to stop there. What I’m after is transformation. That’s what God is after for all of us.