Understanding the Bible

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Understanding the Bible
by PJ Salas

ʺMy child, if you receive My words, and treasure My commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understandingʺ  Proverbs2:1-6.

Two Principles

There are two vital principles in understanding God’s Word. They are key in unlocking the treasures of the Bible. First and foremost, we are to seek God for wisdom and understanding (James1:5). Secondly, we must incline to wisdom and apply our heart to understanding.

We must cry out for discernment and lift up our voice to God for understanding. Moreover, we need to search as for a hidden treasure. If someone buried a million dollars in your backyard, you would be digging day and night until you found it. So it is with God’s Word. We must dig and search with an open heart, written upon by God's Spirit, (2Peter1:.20,21); avoiding preconceived notions.

God’s Word Active

Understanding the Bible necessitates seeking God and His wisdom, asking God for His understanding, crying out for it, and inclining and applying, indicating there is something we need to do.

Obeying God, spending daily time in reading and re-reading, in studying, and digging in God's Word is necessary for understanding the Bible. We need to put God’s Word to work in our lives for it to take hold of us; and in obeying the Word our understanding is opened to the Holy Spirit.

In reading, re-reading, studying, and digging to learn, we find the treasures of God’s Word, and our understanding broadens.

Dig and Grow

Through obedience and deep study, we learn and grow in the wisdom and understanding of God. It is a beautiful friendship, a passionate and committed love relationship. The more time we spend with God, and His Word, the more we know and understand, and the more we grow.

When we begin to get to know someone, we know nothing of them. However, as we spend more time with the person, the more we learn and know about them, the more we remember and understand. So it is with God, and understanding the Bible.

The Bible Our Treasure

The Word of God is a deep, multifaceted treasure, vast and unlimited. Each time we open God’s Word our storehouse becomes fuller and richer, and our capacity for understanding the Bible increases.

As we look to God for His wisdom and understanding, as we cry out for it, the Lord expands our minds and opens our hearts to His infinite knowledge and comprehension. This does not come overnight. It is a daily process of reading, studying, digging, seeking God, and opening our hearts to the things of God.

Spending Time With God

When we spend time with the Bible, we are spending time with God, getting to know Him and understand Him by what He reveals in His Word.

As we spend diligent, prayerful time with God through the study of His Word, we find that there is great joy and true pleasure as we bask in His presence. (Psalms16:11)Through God’s Word we come to love Him deeply, we take hope in His promises, we understand Him better, and realize how much He really does love us.

In the Bible we find sound counsel and good instruction. We are strengthened and encouraged as we daily read and study, applying God's principles, laws, and instruction; and we are uplifted and helped by God’s wisdom and His presence.

Faith and Diligent Study

In believing God and His Word, in spending diligent study time with Him in prayer and the Bible, in obeying God and His Word through Jesus, we understand the Bible, we understand God, and we find the secret of life, the mystery of the ages, Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians1:26,7).

ʺMy child, if you receive My words, and treasure My commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understandingʺ Proverbs 21:6.