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Countless people pick up their Bible because they know they are supposed to read it, but they just don’t get much out of it. You may be one of them. Are there large portions of the Bible that you just don’t seem to understand, or just aren’t interesting to you? Do you try to read the Bible but get stuck or bored? Are you in an endless cycle of trying to begin reading the Bible consistently, but failing over and over? Don’t worry. In this article I am going to provide you with a few simple tips that will allow you to read the Bible with understanding instead of frustration.

To begin, remember that the different sections of the Bible have different rules for reading it based on what type of literature it is. As an example, you wouldn’t read the New York Times the same way you would read a love poem would you? It’s the same with the Bible. For instance, the Psalms are songs of praise sung by the ancient Israelites. You shouldn’t read them like you would read I Samuel, which is a historical account of the kingdom of the Israelites. So, for starters, if it is history, read it like an historical account. If it is poetry, read it like poetry, with emotion. Everything in the Bible is true, but the writing style can differ greatly.

Now, make sure that you read everything in the right context. Don’t just pick a verse here or there. If you read consistently, the Bible answers most of the questions it asks or prompts in the reader. This is true especially of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. If you get confused, just keep reading. A solution or clue is usually right around the corner in the next chapter or section.

It is also important to make sure that you have a very readable vesion of the Bible. You can’t be constantly working to understand the terms and language. That will only slow you down. The NIV, New International Version, or the NLT, New Living Translation, are both very reliable, modern translations of the scriptures.

Ok, now, go ahead and pick a Gospel, it doesn’t matter which one you choose. Begin to read it while asking yourself these few questions.

1) What is God saying or communicating to the people?

2) How are the people in the story responding to God?

3) How does God treat the people based on their reaction to him?

4) Now apply it to yourself. Ask yourself, “Am I like or dislike the people in the story and is that a good or a bad thing?”

As you ask yourself these questions, be ready with paper and something to write with to journal your thoughts, questions and comments about the passage. You will find yourself looking deeper into the text as you discover what God is saying and how the passage portrays the reaction people give to God. Then, you can chart your own thoughts about your current life situation and how your relationship with God is doing.

After you are done with this, to give you some variety, turn to the middle of your Bible and open to the book of Proverbs. Read one Proverb a day, corresponding to the day of the month. For instance, if the date is the 15th of the month, read Proverbs chapter 15. The Proverbs provide countless gems of wisdom for modern believers. However, always remember that the Proverbs were not written to be specific promises that we can rely on 100 percent of the time, but rather general life statements that usually turn out to be true, all things being equal. If you see the general wisdom of each Proverb, you will grow in your understanding of that type of wisdom literature in the Bible.

As you begin to impliment these steps, you will quickly begin to understand much larger portions of the Bible. Try this for thirty days and see what happens.

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