The Bible – A Simple Guide to Understanding the Good Book

I believe the Bible is the best gift that God has ever given to man. All the good from the Saviour of the world is communicated to us through this Book. I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. (Abraham Lincoln).

Most people tend to be intimidated by the Bible. Some think that it God's way of depriving us of having a good time. Others say it is too dificult to understand. Others just don't believe in God and the Bible.

But the Bible is really God's instruction Manual for mankind.

All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right (2 Timothy 3:16, New Living Translation).

When you purchase an appliance you usually receive a manual that tells you how it works. I recently purchased a new refrigerator and on the cover it read: "IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION! READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE USING."

Now if you are like me I am sure you don't really read the manual before using your appliance. You read it if something goes wrong or if there is a particular function you are not familiar with. We treat the Bible in the same way. It is usually when something goes wrong in our lives that we tend to turn to the Bible (or some other source) to try to fix the problem, when we should really consult the Bible at all times to ensure that our lives run smoothly.

Let's take a look at a few simple methods of getting to understand God's Word.

• Choose a Good Translation. There are many modern translations of the Bible and choosing the best one might be a bit difficult. But it is good to have more than one version to compare wording. Keep in mind that versions are divided into mainly two types - word for word, eg the King James Version and thought for thought, such as the New Living Translation, my personal favourite. Choose the ones that are best suited to you and your needs.

• Use a Bible Concordance and Dictionary. A concordance is a compilation of all the verses pertaining to a specific word as it is used throughout the Bible. So if you are looking for the word ‘garden' there will be listed all the verses that include the word garden starting where it first appears until where it last appears. A dictionary on the other hand explains a particular subject or what a certain word meant in Biblical times. There are compact ones and exhaustive ones to choose from. Again it is really what your personal preference is.

• Read Inspirational and Spiritual Material. One of the things that has helped me personally to understand the Bible is reading a spiritual book. I try to read one every month. I also read magazines, pamphlets and newsletters from various Christian religions. I may not necessarily agree with everything I read, but it helps me to look up the verses on a particular topic and research it for myself and then decide if their interpretation makes sense or not. If you love to read instead of purchasing a novel, purchase a spiritual book. There are lots of topics to study on and they can be just as or even more interesting than a novel. Dr. Myles Munroe has a lot of books on a variety of subjects and his writing style is very simple and pleasurable to read. Not to mention inspiring and eye-opening.

  Destiny Image is a publishing company that publishes strictly Christian material. They've got a wide variety of authors to choose from and discounts on books.

• Read a Daily Devotional. I am sure most of you are familiar with Daily Word. They've been around for years. Now there are lots of daily devotionals to choose from as well as Bible Reading Plans on how to read the Bible in a Year. Reading a Devotional is good when it is difficult to allocate time everyday to Bible study (even though we should make the effort). But if we can spend at least five minutes a day to reading a devotional it will be a great start and will make a difference on how you spend the rest of the day.

• Obey God and Have Faith. Psalm 111:10 states: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His Commandments. (New King James Version)

  When you read and study the Bible and begin to apply what you have learnt to your life, you will find that understanding the Book becomes easier. Also:

  James 1:22-25: And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don't obey, you are only fooling yourself. For if you just listen and don't obey it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you keep looking steadily into God's perfect law - the law that sets you free - and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. (New Living Translation).

I think that speaks for itself.

At the back of my refrigerator Manual there is a section that states "Troubleshooting Tips, Save Time and Money! Review charts on the following pages first and you may not need to call for service." Then there is a little chart with two headings:

Possible Causes

What to Do

At the back of my Bible - the NLT that is - there is a section that reads "Great Verses of the Bible to Memorize. Then it lists the Book, a topic and page you can find the verse, eg.:

Exodus 14:14

God's Protection

page 57

You get the picture?

If we look at the Bible as it was meant to be - an instruction manual - we can save a lot of time and money for some of the problems we cause in our lives. And God is more than willing to ‘service' us when we malfunction by forgiving us and blessing us when we do right.

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