Three Questions to Ask the Text

Aug 25, 2010 by desiringvirtue

Do you ever get done with your Bible reading and wonder what it is you just read? It is easy to let your mind wonder as your eyes move swiftly from word to word. Sometimes I am simultaneously reading, planning my day, worrying about the bills, and hurriedly scarfing down breakfast. But reading the Bible isn’t like reading the morning paper (who does that anymore?), it is the very Word of God profitable for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness. Every sentence is important and worthy of my attention, but if I am not careful, reading it can become a task to get done rather than something I expect to transform my life. When I was younger my dearest friend and mentor, Chelle, taught me to ask these three questions every time I read my Bible:

 

1. What does this passage say about God? Every part of the Bible is a revelation of God to us, even those long genealogies! It is so important to not miss God as we read, because we need to know him in order to love him. I don’t know about you, but I want to love him more and therefore I need to know him more.
2. What does this passage say about me? Scripture searches our hearts bringing conviction, encouragement, and salvation. While the Bible is the story about a king, Jesus Christ, it is also a story about his people and the way he desires for them to live. It is our job to search this miraculous story for direction in our own lives.
3. What am I going to do with this passage? In other words, what changes do I need to make in order to live out this portion of Scripture? It is important that we apply everything we learn from God so that we are “doers” of the word, not simply “hearers.” This is where we must translate the powerful truths of scripture into every day life. What needs to change in our speech, home life, work ethic, etc…?

 

These three questions taught me how to study my Bible for the purpose of growing closer to the Lord. They are not as far as you can go with a text, but they are a great starting point as  you learn to study and apply the Word of God to everyday life.

 

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