Study Your Bible
2 Tim. 2:15
Study your Bible, easy for me to say. This time of year, I usually try to encourage folks to start off the new year with the commitment to just read their Bible. Today I find myself with the task of encouraging you to study the Bible. Reading your bible provides you with your daily bread, just enough nutrition to make it through the day. Studying the Bible is a life long process that takes desire and commitment. But, our verse says it will make you “approved unto God”. Let us look at the three places in your Bible that the word “study” appears and see what it has to show us.
[Ecc. 12:12] “much study is the weariness of the flesh”
- [Matt.26:40-41] Your flesh doesn’t like it! You are going to have to ease your way into making it a habit.
- [Gal.5:17] You are doing spiritual work and you must consider that your flesh will fight against it. Just be sure, there will be a fight. Are you willing to fight?
- [Prov.18:1] You must want to, or desire to study. Separation from the flesh and the world is needed, [2 Cor.6:17-18]
- [Jn.3:30] [1 Cor.8:1], Knowledge puffeth up. Your desire must be to glorify God and not yourself!
[1 Thes.4:11] “and that ye study to”:
“Be quiet”, [Ecc.9:17] Distractions will hamper your ability to study
“Do your own business”, [Ps.119:18] Get with God, not a commentary, let him open your eyes
“work with your own hands” [Matt.7:7-8] Study is work.
Ask = prayer, Seek = study, Knock = plead with God, don’t quit
[2 Tim.2:15] “Study to”:
“shew thyself approved unto God”, [2 Cor.10:18] Approval comes from God
“a workman that needeth not be ashamed”, [2 Cor.9:1-4] Being unprepared is shameful
“rightly dividing the word of truth”, [2 Tim.2:16-18] you don’t want to err. Satan is very subtle, [2Cor.11:3-4] Even you can err!