Start With The Word of God

“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10 & 11.

Do you struggle with reading God’s Word? Take some time right now to examine why that might be. Does it have to do with time? Does it have to do with not knowing where to begin? Does the prospect of opening the Bible give you the feeling that you are starting something that is too big to finish?

As pastor Chuck Swindoll often tells his congregation: Relax. These are all normal feelings that are shared by practically every person who has endeavored to study God’s Word. The fact is that it is a huge undertaking, with cosmic importance to you and those around you. But it doesn’t have to be a huge problem for you, and it doesn’t have to equal the weight of the world on your shoulders.

Start by reading a book of the Bible that interests you. Scared of Revelation? You don’t have to start there, nor do you have to start with prophets or the Psalms. If you are a student of history try the book of Acts. It reads like an informal history of the early church, with incredible detail as researched by the author, Luke. Or are you searching for guidance and foresight on a specific topic? Look at Proverbs which gives the reader the straight dope on hundreds of specific practical issues directly from the wisest man there ever was, King Solomon.

Are you partial to the workings of war and politics? Like a good Tom Clancy novel? Check out First and Second Samuel and First and Second Kings to know the history and politics behind King David’s reign and his successors.

The point is, don’t let the prospect of learning God’s Word scare you. Any little fragment of His Word will act like water to your soul, and you will find yourself growing in spite of yourself. God loves you and He wants you to know Him. He has provided the most important, most powerful tool in the universe in His Word. Take the time to become acquainted with it.