By F.B. Meyer, from Light on Life’s Duties All sermons and addresses, all classes, all religious magazines and books can ever take the place of our own quiet study of God’s Word. We may measure our growth in grace by the growth of our love for private Bible study; and we may be sure that there is something seriously wrong when we lose our appetite for the Bread of Life.
Here are a few simple rules which may help to acquire this holy art.
Make time for Bible study. The Divine Teacher must have fixed and uninterrupted hours for meeting His scholars. We must give Him our best and the firstfruits of our days. Hence, there is not time for Bible study like the early morning. WE cannot give such undivided attention to the holy thoughts that glisten like diamonds on its pages after we have opened our letters, glanced through the paper, and joined in the prattle of the breakfast table.
Look for the teaching of the Holy Spirit. No one can so well explain the meaning of his words as he who wrote them … if, then, you want to read the Bible as you should, make much of the Holy Spirit, who inspired it through holy men.
Read the Bible methodically. On the whole there is probably no better way than to read the Bible through once every year. It is sometimes well to read a book of the Bible at a sitting, devoting two or three hours to the sacred task. At other times, it is more profitable to take an epoch, or an episode, or a life, and compare all that is written of it in various parts of the Scripture.
Read your Bible with your pen in hand. None, in my judgment, have learned the secret of enjoying the Bible until they have commenced to mark it neatly: underlining and dating special verses which have cast a light upon their path on special days. Our Bible then becomes the precious memento of bygone hours, and records the history of our inner life.
Seek eagerly your personal profit. Do not read the Bible for others, for class or congregations, but for yourself. Ask, “What does the Holy Spirit mean me to learn by this? What bear should this have on my life?”
Above all, turn from the printed page to prayer. If a promise lies upon the page as a blank check, cash it. If a prayer is recorded, appropriate it and launch it as a feathered arrow from the bow of your desire. If an example of holiness gleams before you, ask God to do as much for you.
Practice what you learn. It is useless to dream of making headway in the knowledge of Scripture unless we are prepared to practice each new and clearly defined duty which looms out before our view.
We are taught, not for our pleasure only, but that we may do. If we will turn each holy precept or command into instant obedience, through the dear grace of Jesus Christ our Lord, God will keep nothing back from us. He will open to us His deepest and sweetest thoughts.
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