My Testimony of Salvation

For the past few days, I have had it on my heart to share my testimony of salvation with my readers. I think it's so important for us as Christians to do this with others. You never know what an encouragement you can be to someone else, simply through sharing your journey of faith with them. I pray that this will be a blessing to you and that it will encourage you to share yours.  

Growing up in a Christian home, a Pastor’s kid and the daughter of missionaries, I was blessed to hear the gospel on a very regular basis. I think I can probably count on one hand the number of times that I actually missed a church service. I had heard the gospel message at home and at church and the Godly example of my parents showed me what walking with the Lord was like and what it meant to be a Christian. I will be forever thankful for that legacy.

 

Being taught from a very young age the truths of the Bible, I knew exactly what I had to do to be saved. I understood there was a heaven and a hell and that there was a loving God, the creator of the universe, that had died on the cross, making a way for me to come to him and be saved from eternal damnation and granting me an eternity in his presence.

 

I remember clearly, at the age of 5, playing outside with my sister and one of her school friends. We were sitting under a tree, digging in the dirt, when my sister started to tell her friend of her need to ask Jesus into her heart. I was so afraid of going to hell, that right then and there, with the little understanding I had, I called on the Lord to forgive me and save me from eternal punishment.

 

I was baptised soon after, alongside others, in our backyard pool, and gave public testimony of my newfound faith.

 

Life didn’t really change for me for the next few years. I heard the Bible stories, committed Bible verses to memory, was corrected for wrong behaviour and disciplined accordingly, being reminded of my sin and how it made God feel and the need to repent and confess.

 

Over the years that followed, there were many times that I doubted my salvation. I would feel as though maybe I wasn’t saved, and I’d pray for the Lord to save me again.

 

It was such a great blessing to be brought up in a Christian home, shielded and protected from so much of the pain and sorrow that a child of unsaved parents may face. But because of being saved at such a young age, I often felt I didn't have a ‘share worthy’ testimony of deliverance from sin and wickedness.

 

Growing up in the 70s and 80s, I listened repeatedly to the testimonies of people rescued from a life of sin and destruction, drugs and alcohol abuse and immorality. I heard of the amazing change in their lives that took place at salvation and the workings of the Holy Spirit.

 

I heard them tell of the burdens being lifted, the chains being loosed, and I wondered if I had really understood enough about salvation to have really, truly, have asked Jesus into my life. I hadn’t experienced any of those changes as I hadn’t lived a life of rebellion and wickedness, and so I wasn’t sure that I had been redeemed, justified, freed, accepted, loved.

 

But as the years went by, and as I began to grow in my Christian walk, and gain more light, understanding and knowledge, my doubts began to fade away. When I looked at the fruit in my life and my desire to do what was right, and my baby steps of growth, I realised that God had saved me miraculously from a life of sin and a whole lot of trouble that could have been mine, had I not made that decision to become a child of God at such an early age.

 

I came to understand that even a young child can have enough light to understand the basics of salvation and realise their need for a Saviour, despite not knowing the meaning of words like sanctification and justification.

 

Sadly, as I grew into my teen years, my spiritual growth waxed and waned, depending on current circumstances.

 

When I went through a couple of years with ill health, I grew in the Lord, because my circumstances forced me to cling to him and cry out for help. I read my Bible more, prayed more, learnt more.

 

But, when times were good, I got slack and just coasted along. Yes, I was very busy in the church, playing the piano, teaching Sunday School, and helping with the ministries of the church. But I didn’t have a thriving, deep relationship with the Lord. So, God sent along a few years of ill health once more. This again drove me to my knees in prayer and I spent many hours reading my Bible, and good Godly books, and writing down what I was learning.

 

Fast forward 10 years, and after another trial in the form of depression, anxiety and panic attacks, I sit before you today, a changed woman. God has worked in my heart and life in such a way, that I marvel not only at his goodness, but at his longsuffering. He never gave up on me, even though I drifted along, content in my eternal security, not desiring to go deeper with him.

 

The months of depression I lived through drew me once again to my knees. I realised I needed to deepen my relationship with God, I needed to feed on his Word, and cry out to him. He was the only one that could get me through and meet all my emotional, physical, mental and spiritual needs.

 

And he did. God has taken me down some very dark and fearsome roads and yet, he has never once left my side. He has been with me all the way.

 

I have gone from being a ‘surface’ Christian, content to coast along, not really learning anything new, in the Word, but not IN the Word – to a woman who longs to be close to the Lord. Desiring nothing better than spending time with him, learning from him, digging deeper into the Words of scripture, longing to know more so that I can grow more, love him more, love others more, share more.

 

God has given me a burning passion to dig into the treasures of the Word of God, soaking in every letter, every sentence, every phrase, so that I will know how to live my life and I will be able to share it with those around me.

 

God has also given me a passion for ministry through writing and speaking. I long to share God’s goodness with others and I’m excited to teach others what I am learning. When God shows me some truth in his Word, I want to shout it from the rooftops. Even when it’s something that hits hard and convicts me, I want to make sure others are aware of what the Bible says and how we can learn from it and grow in our relationship with him.

 

I rejoice in the goodness of God. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that I am one of his children, and that nothing, no NOTHING, can ever change that! I will forever be held in his hand. Nothing can separate me from his love.

 

I am not so naïve to think that all my dark days are behind me, but I know that because of my past victories, God is able to bring me through again.

 

I have more weapons in my armoury, I have strength that once was weakness, I have desire where once there was apathy, I have passion where once there was indifference. I have God’s Word hidden in my heart and before my eyes. Ready to battle anything I need to face. And I have the Holy Spirit, working in my life, speaking to me, teaching, comforting, convicting, guiding, leading, and interceding on my behalf.

 

Praise God he defeated death! He rose up from the grave! He set the captive free! He did it for me and he can do it for you!

 

 

Psalm 35:9

And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.

 

 

 

 

Jillian Holmes 29.9.23

 

Practicing Solitude

 

This past week, I have found myself with more free time than usual, which is unusual. Things have slowed down at work, and I have been blessed to have more time at home. This has allowed me to do more study and reading and catching up on neglected tasks.

But something I’ve noticed is how much I have come to love quietness and solitude and silence.

In a world that is constantly noisy, vying for our attention, always moving, never resting, it’s often difficult to find that quiet that the soul craves.

The unceasing chaos of our world leaves our souls feeling unsettled. Our minds and our bodies run at a hundred miles per hour, racing along, tripping over each other, pushing and shoving, striving to be first in importance.

We race along in the raging river of life, struggling to keep our head above water, choking as the waves crash overhead, stubbing our toes on rocks underfoot, scraping our shins on submerged logs, hoping to find rest at the end of the day. But as we lay our heads down on our pillows, desiring to block out the restlessness we feel inside, we find that our anxious thoughts take over and we are only resting in body, but not in mind.

Our emotions take over and threaten to overwhelm us. We find we can’t sleep, we can’t relax, we can’t unwind the tightened spiral that has been slowly winding itself up throughout the day.

And so, we use distractions. We scroll on our phones, we watch a mind-numbing movie, we binge eat things that will only worsen the problem, we drown out the noise with more noise in the form of music that has empty, meaningless lyrics. And none of it works.

And at long last, we turn to the Words of Scripture.

We open to the book of Psalms, knowing that it is a treasure trove of wisdom, comfort, help, strength and guidance.

And as we open to the first Psalm, we read these words:

Psalm 1:1-2 KJV - Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

And we realise that God calls us to rest. He calls us to spend time with him. And he blesses those who choose to be still with him in his Word.

And this is where the holy habit of solitude comes in. Solitude requires temporarily removing ourselves from people in order to be present with God.

I believe that solitude is a spiritual discipline. The reason it is a discipline, is because it’s so hard to do. It takes effort.

Taking time out of our busy lives, getting alone with the Lord is one aspect of our faith that we often ignore. We think that to be a super Christian we need to be busy, busy, busy. Doing the Lord’s work, in ministry, in fellowship, in our jobs as a testimony and a witness. And yes, all of these things are important and shouldn’t be neglected, but what is lacking is solitude. Sacred solitude.

When we read that word ‘meditate’, we may get the idea that we have to cross our legs in an uncomfortable position, close our eyes, and think of nothing. Well, I don’t know about you, but firstly, I can’t sit like that and secondly, I can’t think of nothing!

The general definition of this word means to focus your mind for a period of time and think deeply about something.

But did you know that the Hebrew word for meditate is haga and it means to moan, to utter. It is often translated as to ruminate, to chew on.

So, if we are to meditate on the Word of God, we have to be reading it. We have to chew on it. We have to have it in our minds. We have to speak to the Lord, sometimes we have to moan, or cry out to him. And we have to think deeply about what we’ve read and heard, learning and growing in our walk with him.

We have to have times of solitude. Times of drawing away from others to be with the Lord. We have to find the balance between our work and our rest.

The Lord Jesus modelled this for us throughout Scripture.

Mark 6:31-32 KJV - And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.

The Lord knew the importance of rest and solitude. He understood the need to get away and spend time with the Father.

Luke 6:12-13 KJV - And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;

He also knew that rest brings refreshing and a renewed energy for the tasks at hand. In this passage in Luke, he spent all night in prayer and when daylight came, he was able to do the task at hand, that of choosing his disciples, because he worked out of rest.

In Matthew 26, we read of a time when Jesus was overwhelmed with what lay ahead, and instead of trying to busy himself with distractions, he took time to pray and process his emotions and gain strength.

He took a sacred pause. He slipped away to a quiet place. And in doing so, he set an example for us to follow. He showed us that when life is overwhelming, we need to take a sacred pause and spend time alone with him, wrestling with our emotions, working through our feelings and the things we struggle to understand, crying out to him, laying it all before him, and asking him for help. Only then will we find the renewal and refreshing we need.

There are many verses in the Bible that stress the importance of God’s Word and meditating on it. Read Psalm 119 and you will be blessed with verse after verse that encourages you to be in the Word on a daily basis.

But a verse that stood out to me today is found in the book of Romans.

Romans 15:4 KJV - For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

The very Word I’m spending time in was sent to settle my unsettled soul. The things written in the Word of God were written not only for us to learn from, but they were written for our comfort and to bring us hope.

In those times of stillness, when we sit with the Word of God open on our laps, pouring over its promises and Words of comfort, the Father speaks to us. He ministers to us. He blesses us. He brings rest to our souls. He calms our anxious minds. He brings peace.

We will never know true rest until we practice solitude.

A sacred solitude where we sit and let the Lord speak to us. A time where we tune out the world and its distractions.  A time where we let his peace flood our soul. A time where we let his Word wash over us, sinking into our minds and hearts. We have to make time to be still.

Psalm 46:10 KJV - Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

You may be saying, “But I’m too busy and can’t afford to practice solitude.”

Well, I’m here to tell you, you can’t afford not to!

If you don’t take time to get alone with God on a regular basis, all your busyness, all your striving, all your labour will amount to nothing.

We have to find the balance.

It takes courage to choose solitude. It takes courage to make time for rest.

Sometimes the bravest thing we can do is to pause.

To say no to something good, to make time for something better.

Choosing time with the Lord will always be more important than anything on your agenda. And although you may feel as though you don’t have the time for it, God will increase your productivity and enable you to work from rest in a way you wouldn’t have been able to do, had you not taken a sacred pause in your day or week.

If you don’t believe me, then I dare you to try it!

I’ll leave you with a very well-known verse.

Matthew 11:28 KJV - Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Remember, you have to come to him in order to find rest. You have to stop running and sit at the feet of Jesus.

Practice solitude.

Spend time alone with God.

Take a sacred pause in your day.

And he will bring you rest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It doesn’t have to make sense 

for God to make it work

 

Have you ever stopped to think about all the things in the Bible that just don’t make sense?

Did you know that it’s okay if things don’t make sense? Do you realize that God can make things work even though we have no clue how?

Let me give you a few examples in explanation.

We read in 1 Samuel 17 the story of David and Goliath. It’s a very well-known story, and for good reason. God took a good-looking teenager, a keeper of sheep, from a family of strong men, men of valour, and used him to defeat a giant!

And not just any giant. Look at what the Bible says about him.

1 Samuel 17:4-7 KJV - And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.

Now, we all know the all too familiar story, how that David refused Saul’s ill-fitting armour in favour of 5 small stones and a sling. It didn’t make sense!

1 Samuel 17:45-46 KJV - Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

Not only did his choice of weapon not make sense, but neither did his taunting words to this beast of a man, Goliath.

Here was a teenager, not yet fully muscled out like his older brothers, with no past experience at warfare, and yet he boldly told the Philistine that he would kill him and chop off his head! All with a few small stones, a sling and the use of the giant’s sword to finish off the deed!

None of this story makes sense. But God didn’t need it to make sense, in order to get the glory.

Did you see what David told Goliath? “that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.” He made sure that everyone would know that it was God who was to get the glory from this amazing victory.

Nothing in that story made sense. His age. His ability. His weapon. But God didn’t need it to make sense to make it work!

How about the story of the fall of Jericho? God told the people to walk around the city a bunch of times, blow some trumpets and shout real loud and then CRASH! Down came the walls and the city was defeated.

Can you imagine the thoughts going through Joshua’s head when the Lord told him his instructions? Yeah. It didn’t make any sense at all!

And I’m sure the people of Jericho looking on for those seven days, watching over the walls as the people marched around, just scratched their heads in disbelief and thought to themselves, “this doesn’t make any sense!”.

And yet it did. God had it all figured out. And once again, victory was had, and God got the glory.

And what about the miraculous story of a little boy’s lunch feeding a huge crowd of tired, hungry people? When the five loaves and two fish were brought to Jesus, and he told the disciples to sit the people down in an orderly fashion, it made no sense that so little could feed so many.

It didn’t make sense to them. But it did to God.

Or what about the time when God used an army of 300 men, armed with only a ceramic jar, a flaming torch and a trumpet, to defeat a great army of possibly over 100 000 men?

Talk about not making any sense. There was nothing special or warlike about a piece of baked clay, fire on a stick and the horn of a ram to blow into. But God used something simple to do something great!

All this to say, it doesn’t need to make sense for God to make it work!

What God tells us to do seldom makes sense, and yet he can and will work through it all in order that he will get the glory and people will know his name and know of his power and might and goodness to his people.

Has God ever called you to something that made no sense?

Has God ever given you a dream, a passion, a goal that was so far from human comprehension and so nonsensical that you despaired of it working?

It was once said, “God doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called.”

There is a lot of truth in that statement.

We come to him with empty hands. Fearful. Timid. Lacking talent and ability, and yet, he puts in our hands just what we need to fulfil the task and the ability to accomplish it.

If God has called you to it, he will equip you for it.

It doesn’t need to make sense.

It just needs faith. It needs trust. It needs the right motives. A humble attitude. A heart that wants God’s glory to shine above all else.  

What is it that God has put on your heart that you are hesitant about, because with your human reasoning, you can’t see the sense of it?

Are you standing there with empty hands, a calling on your life and doubt in your heart?

Is what God is asking you to do not making any sense?

Sometimes all it takes is the courage to take that first step, just as the priests had to do in the crossing of the Jordan river.

Joshua 3:15-16 KJV - And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.

They had to have the courage to take that first step. That first faltering step into the swollen, intimidating, rushing river.

It didn’t make sense to simply march into a river. Men, women, children, animals all marching into a river, seemingly a death march, but no! A victory march! God controlled the water, and he made a way where there was no way.

Sometimes we can go for months or even years with things not making sense. We look around and we don’t see the point. We are unable to see the big picture. We can’t see the shoreline for the waves. We can’t see the sun for the clouds. We can’t see the lighthouse for the storm.

But God, in all his wisdom, calls us to trust him. He doesn’t ask us to try and make sense of it. He doesn’t ask us to understand his mysterious ways. He doesn’t need us to work it all out before we step out. He calls us to trust. He calls us to rest in him.

Psalm 37:5 KJV - Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV - Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

2 Corinthians 5:7 KJV - (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

God can do great things with very little.

God can work miracles through impossible situations.

We don’t need to see his hand moving, we only need to sit still and trust his heart.

Isaiah 26:3-4 KJV - Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:

 

 

We climbed the height by the zigzag path

 And wondered why—until

 We understood it was made zigzag

 To break the force of the hill.

A road straight up would prove too steep

 For the traveller’s feet to tread;

 The thought was kind in its wise design

Of a zigzag path instead.

It is often so in our daily life;

 We fail to understand

 That the twisting way our feet must tread

By love alone was planned.

Then murmur not at the winding way,

 It is our Father’s will

To lead us Home by the zigzag path

To break the force of the hill.

ANON.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take Time to Sit

 

Mark 6:39 And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.

In this passage in Mark, we read the story of the Lord Jesus feeding the five thousand. I have always thought of this passage not only as a good example of God’s almighty power, but also as proof that God is a God of order.

The Lord Jesus had the disciples sit the people down in groups before the loaves and fishes were broken up and handed out.

But there is something else in this passage that I found interesting. The people needed to sit down in order to be fed.

There is a parallel here for us. If we are desirous of feeding on the Word of God, we need to take time to sit. God will feed us when we sit still and be quiet before him.

We need to sit still and quiet our hearts and minds in order for God to properly feed us from his Word.  There needs to be a time of sitting, each and every day. A time to sit still before the Lord and listen to Him speak to us.

We read of King David sitting before the Lord.

1 Chronicles 17:16

 And David the king came and sat before the LORD, and said, Who am I, O LORD God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?

We also read of the Israelites sitting before the Lord.

Judges 20:26

Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

Here, the Israelites sat and wept and fasted before the Lord for a whole day!

Mark 6:31

 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

The Lord even told his disciples to take time to sit still and rest.

Sitting is not easy in our all too busy lives. For me, sitting still is sometimes harder than trying to baptize a cat! And often, just finding a few moments in the chaos of the day is easier said then done. But God would have us sit and be still before him.

We need rest in our lives. True rest. God centred rest. We can’t look to the world for rest and relaxation. A change of location doesn’t bring rest. A holiday doesn’t bring true rest. It may bring a short break and a little rest for our weary bodies, but all too soon, the busyness will crowd in, and life’s realities will take over with breakneck speed.

True rest is found when we sit before the Lord and listen to Him. We are often guilty, like those found in the book of Isaiah, who refused to rest.

Isaiah 28:12

To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

They would not hear when God said that he was the rest and the refreshing. God truly is our rest. He is the one we should run to when we are overwhelmed.

Psalm 61:2

 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

So, today, I would like to encourage you to take some time to sit still. Ask the Lord to give you time to rest. Ask him to give you a few moments of quiet.

Stop thinking about your to do lists, just for a moment. Sit before the Lord. Dwell on his holiness. Listen to his whispers to your heart. Ask for a heavenly perspective. Focus on his presence. Set your mind on things above.

Colossians 3:2

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Feed on God’s Word by first sitting down and getting quiet before him. Take a moment of time each day, however long it may be, and quiet your mind and focus on him. Take time to sit still.

Matthew 11:28-30

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

If we want to hear God speak to us, we must sit still before him and read his Word. We need to take time to cry out to him, laying all our cares at his feet and let his peace flood our soul as we soak in his mercy and love and goodness, bringing the much-needed rest we crave.  

 

“It’s much harder to follow God’s call if I’m running too fast to hear him speak”

 

And you'll find rest from your worries
You'll find peace for your soul
You'll find strength in your journey
Wherever you go
You'll find light in the darkness
And hope once again
When you follow the Savior
You'll find rest

 

Bible Study doesn’t have to be complex

 

Have you ever had a desire to study more of the Bible but struggled with the wrong thinking that you needed a theological degree or academic prowess in order to do so?

Can I let you in on a little secret? Studying the Bible doesn’t need to be complex!

In starting out, all you need is a time and place to meet with God, your Bible, a notebook and a pen (and highlighters if that’s your thing). And that’s it!

Notice I didn’t say, commentaries. Concordances. Study books. Bible dictionaries. Theological discussion podcasts, articles and notes?

While these are very helpful, and as you grow in your walk and your desire to learn more of God’s Word, you will find these beneficial, but you don’t need them to begin digging deeper into the Bible.

You just need a teachable spirit, a willing heart, a desire to learn and a humbleness to be taught from the Bible what God has to say to you.

As I’ve said before, the purpose of Bible study is to learn more about God and to grow in our spiritual walk.

God’s word is for Teaching. Reproving. Correcting. Instructing.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 KJV - All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

When we learn more about God through the study of his Word, we will learn more about ourselves. And when we learn more about ourselves, through the lens of the Bible, we can allow it to change us and mold us into Christ’s image. Becoming more like him through his purifying work.

The Bible is a book about God. It’s not all about us. Don’t get me wrong, there is so much that it teaches us about how to live our lives, but we can only learn that if we understand who God is.

When we study the Bible and look at a passage, we need to ask ourselves, “what does this passage teach me about God?” before we ask it to teach us anything about ourselves.

We become what we behold. We are to imitate Christ. We can’t do that if we don’t know him. And we can’t know him unless we learn about him. And we can’t learn about him if we are not in the Word of God, studying it, meditating on it, memorizing it, applying it and letting God reveal himself to us through it.  

So, how do we study God’s Word in simplicity and understanding? I recently did gave a Ladies Bible Study entitled Bible Study 101. In this lesson, I outlined many ideas that have helped me.

And so, I’d like to share with you just a few of the practical tips that have helped me in my time of study. Lord willing, I can share more in a future post.  

The first and most important step is prayer.

Prayer is essential for Bible study. Prayer helps us to approach the Word of God with a humble and teachable spirit. We acknowledge our need for the Holy Spirit’s guidance to help us interpret and apply. We take time to intercede for others and make request for ourselves. I like to pray before I get out of bed each morning. When the alarm goes off, I lay there and pray for a few minutes. I ask God to order and bless my day and I pray for other things on my heart.

Second – Once you’ve decided on a passage or a chapter or a verse, read over the passage, slowly. Take it all in. Look at the context. You may have to read the chapter or verses before the passage to see the big picture.

If you are a more auditory learner, then read the passage aloud or follow along in your Bible while listening with an audio Bible. (Bible apps are great for this)

Third - Once you’ve read, get out your pen and notebook, and take some notes. Note taking has been proven to improve retention.

Answer the questions Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?

The family lineage. The events. The locations. The time of writing. The motivation for the characters.

Look at key words or themes or key verses. Write these down or highlight them.

Maybe write out a verse that stood out to you.

Think about what you can learn from the passage, what you learnt about God’s character and whether there is a personal application in it specifically for you at your season of life.

Fourth - Take time to pray again and ask the Lord to keep his Word in your heart throughout the day, allowing you to meditate on his truth.

And lastly, something I think is super important, is to share it.  

Share what you learn with others. I think this is key. Share what you’re learning to help others and to help you to retain it. It has been proven that when you share something you have learnt, you will retain that information for longer than if you simply kept it to yourself.

When you teach it, or share it, you have to reorganize it in your mind to make it clear to understand, and that helps you remember it and reinforces the thought and applications. Sharing what you’re learning not only benefits others, but it will help you keep it in your heart.

If you’ve ever wondered why my blog is titled Learn. Live. Love. Share. It’s because of my aim. My goal. I want to learn from the Word of God. I want to apply it and live it. I want to love it so much that I can’t keep it quiet, and I want to share it!

And it is my desire, to encourage you to dig into the Word of God and grow in your spiritual walk so that you too will be willing to share with others the truths, the blessings, the precious promises you find in the Bible.

The study of God’s Word needs to be intentional, thoughtful and disciplined.

If I can get practical here, we need to be intentional about our study. We need to choose a place to meet with God and we need to make the choice to do it as often as we can.

Can I just say here that if all you can manage on a particular day is listening to a passage or reading a short passage with no note taking or in-depth study, then that’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up over it. What’s important is your heart, your attitude towards God’s Word and your desire and sincerity.

God’s Word is alive and has power even when we don’t have time to go deep. Just ask God to give you some time during the week to study deeper and then use the opportunity he gives you when it arises. Be on high alert, looking for it.

Be intentional.

But also, be thoughtful. Ask questions as you study. Be curious about what you read. Don’t be content to just read and check a box. Think about what you’re reading. Think about why it was put in Scripture. Think about what application it may have for you. Think about why certain words or phrases were used.

Be thoughtful.

And don’t forget to be disciplined. Don’t wait to read and study until you feel like it. Be disciplined and faithful. Often, we come to the Word of God, wanting to check it off our list of to-dos for the day, only to find that God speaks to us and meets with us, even when we had a wrong motive.

There are many things in life we have to discipline ourselves to do, and unfortunately, we sometimes come to God’s Word out of duty instead of out of love. But God will bless and as you study and read, you will find that your desire grows and you begin to enjoy your quiet time alone with him so much that you can’t go a day without meeting with God, because your love for him and his Word grows.

Be disciplined.

As you study more, you may find that in your desire to go deeper, you need to get your hands on some resources that will help you better understand the Word of God.

We have been blessed to be able to access so many ‘helps’ in our study of God’s Word. Commentaries, Strongs concordance, Bible Dictionaries, Apps, Devotionals. But just be aware that they are written by humans, and they will have theological biases and different perspectives. They will most likely disagree. Be careful and be discerning as to what resources you use. Ask a trusted older brother or sister in the Lord to help you in your choice.

And can I give you a word of encouragement? We are all in different seasons of life and just because your quiet time doesn’t look like someone else’s, it doesn’t mean you are failing. The purpose of Bible study is to know God better. God will continue to show up to meet you, whenever and wherever that is.

Ask yourself, “what is sustainable for me in this season?” then build on it as time goes by. Be flexible and be willing to constantly tweak your time with the Lord to suit where you are in life at this particular season.

Find a way to prioritise time with God in a way that fits into your life. Seasons change and quiet times along with them.

Don’t give up on your study time if it looks different than you expect.

God promises to reward those that diligently seek him.

Hebrews 11:6 KJV - But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Bible study will take time and it will take hard work. It will take thought. It will take focus. Don’t assume that it will be easy and don’t assume that it will come naturally.

But do believe that it will be worth it.

Bible study is essential for your spiritual growth. Bible study requires consistent reading, prayer and understanding. It involves observation, interpretation and application.

You will discover more about God and how you can better serve him and others. Bible study will help you distinguish truth from error, overcome trials, deepen your relationship with God, and become a better witness for him.

Start simple.

Get out your Bible. Grab a pen. Grab a notebook and pray that God will give you a teachable spirit and a heart that desires him and his truth more than anything.

You will find him if you seek him.

Jeremiah 29:13 KJV - And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

You will only be transformed by the Word of God by the amount of time you spend in it. If you never study it, you can’t be transformed by it.

Soak yourself in God’s Word and let him do a purifying work in your heart and soul and mind, cleaning you from the inside out, making you more like Christ.

Read it. Study it. Love it. Live it. Share it.