Medicine to the Soul

My dad was an avid student of God's Word. He would read and study the Bible more than anyone I knew. It was his passion. I was more of a casual Bible reader. In my early years as a Christian, I would read it haphazardly, often letting days or weeks pass without picking up the Bible. It wasn't until later in life that I began to realize the importance of spending time daily in God's Word.

If you want to see your life change, learn to study the Bible. The Bible is no ordinary book. It is like medicine to your soul, and it has the power to change your life.

If you are like me, you may wonder where to begin when studying the Bible. There’s really no wrong place to start. You can study anything that’s going to help you. If you’re facing fear or worry, look in the concordance in the back of your Bible and find the scripture verses that talk about those things. Begin looking at all scriptures referenced with this word and read them.

I have found four steps you can take to help you begin your study into God’s Word:

• Purposely set aside time. I like to read my Bible in the mornings, but if that doesn’t work for you, find a time that does. Whatever you can do, that’s where you should begin. Just start somewhere and you’ll see the difference that this time can make in your life.
• Make preparation for your Bible study. Have a place that you enjoy being — a room where you can be alone. Somewhere you are comfortable and like to be.
• Have all your materials available. You’ll want of course your Bible, but also get a Bible dictionary, concordance, a pen and paper.
• Prepare your heart. Pray and talk to God about things you may need to confess, and enter your study time peacefully and without anything that may hinder you during your study.

Make the time in your life to study the Bible because there is power in it to change your life and become the person God wants you to be.