If Your Bible Study Feels Boring, This is for You. |
We all know we ought to read the Bible. Actually, we ought to love reading the Bible! But it can be hard to manufacture interest and excitement to open our Bibles when we are overwhelmed with the current events on the news, screaming baby on our hip, and latest mega pastor failure. We might feel ashamed to say it, but so many of us don't actually feel like the Word is always "alive and active" like Hebrews 4:12 talks about. It's safe to say we all want to love the Word and feast on it, but sometimes the hardest part is actually just reading it! Now, let me get one thing clear: I am not here to shame you if you're someone with a dusty Bible on your nightstand. Actually, if you are in Christ, shame doesn't belong to you (Romans 8:1). Rather, I think this is a really telling problem from our current historical moment in the Church. For centuries we have focused on getting the Bible translated in every language and 'perfecting' the most faithful translations possible, but that has meant that the Church is so focused on Bible distribution and translation, that it hasn't focused enough on educating Christians how to read the Bible. The problem now is that we all have Bibles, many even multiple Bibles, but don't know how to read them. When we open our Bibles, it can feel confusing or boring because we don't know what's going on and we don't know where to start understanding it! I believe we are bored and overwhelmed with the Bible because we don't understand it. We won't understand it until we understand the basics of hermeneutics. Hermeneutics is a fancy word that simply means the study of how we read, interpret and eventually apply scripture to our lives. It's the study of why we read the Psalms as flowery poetic songs and Genesis as literal narrative.
Our hermeneutic is built off an understanding of how we view the text- is it true or a fable? Is it a metaphorically rich poem or a literal historical retelling? We all, whether we realize it or not, enter into reading the Biblical text with presumptions of what we will get from the text. Let's take the introduction to the book of Ruth as an example. But before we read the Biblical text, what just came to mind when you read those words "book of Ruth"? Maybe you thought, "Meh, a woman's story. This article isn't for me, it's for women" though hopefully not. Maybe you thought, "I love that story! Ruth is a good, faithful, daughter in law and I should be too!". Or maybe you thought, "Been there. Studied that. I already know all about that book of the Bible!". Whatever comes to mind when you think of a book of the Bible is an example of the presumptions you enter into the text with. You will then read the text with that lens only looking for what you know to look for and very likely miss something that's in the text! |
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There is so much richness in scripture. |
There is so much richness in scripture. |
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Okay, now for our reading from Ruth 1:1 (ESV): In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. I chose this weird verse because oftentimes the introduction of a book of the Bible is some of the most important text from the book as a whole! It's not usually what we memorize or print on shirts, cups, and bracelets, but it's more important because it frames the way we understand the rest of the book. If we look closely, the book starts with a timestamp; "In the days when the judges ruled". This means we are about to read a narrative from a historical moment, when judges ruled. This means this story is before the kings and probably anticipates the kings in a way (spoiler: it definitely does!). Knowing that this book is from a specific time period, talking about specific historic people and locations (not vague at all) means we are probably reading a historical narrative, not a fable. We can start to clue in that what we are about to read is literal narrative, not metaphorical or symbolic. Next up, often when we think of the book of Ruth, we think about women. But note this book doesn't start with women, but a man. Another spoiler: the book also ends with a man. Even more interesting, is that the man is not initially named. The most important thing about this man, which is listed first, is that he is a man of Bethlehem in Judah who left God's land for Moab (pagan land). |
So, before we even know his name, we are wondering, "why is this man leaving God's holy land for pagan lands? Does he not trust God anymore?" We also are reading this knowing that it anticipates a king and should notice that this unnamed man is from the same place as the great king David, Bethlehem in Judah. As Christians reading this after the cross, we also know this is where Christ was born! David and Christ both came from this same land, but both were faithful to God, unlike this man! Though we aren't even past verse 1, the book of Ruth comes alive when we slow down and read a little more carefully. These aren't boring words to skim past but theologically rich, setting the scene for something much larger and more convicting than maybe just "be a faithful daughter in law" though that is convicting. Most of us know that this book of the Bible turns to look at two women and highlight their faithfulness to God, which then becomes the bloodline of Christ, but we miss so much theological depth when we jump to just looking for that. Verse 1 probably even feels boring, if we don't slow down and try to understand what the text is saying. There is so much more going on in Ruth and the rest of scripture when we come to it fresh with new eyes. Friend, be encouraged, there is so much richness in scripture. Jesus came as the better man, as the better King! Just as the book of Ruth has its eyes expectantly looking to Jesus, come also to scripture the same way. Come to it with fresh new eyes, like a child (Matt.18:3-4). Talk to God about ways where you struggle to love His Word but want to. He's not surprised or frustrated with you, rather He delights in His child who wants to know His Word and love it. He is ready and willing to pour out His love on us. But first, come to Jesus. Come to the Word, with new fresh eyes, ready to feast! |
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If Bible study has gotten dry, or your Bible has gotten dusty, or you have yet to start studying the Bible, this is for you. No shame. No guilt. Just a fresh start. Are you in? ~ Devotionals Daily |
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Why Taking Scripture Seriously Is Easier and More Exciting Than You Think |
No More Boring Bible Study |
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The Bible can feel overwhelming, but studying it is easier and more exciting than you think. Christians are supposed to love the Bible, right? They're supposed to tell Bible stories, explain their beliefs, and recite favorite verses from memory. But Scripture is sometimes hard to read! It can be complex, boring (yes, you can say that), and difficult to apply. Many of us carry secret shame about how little we read the Bible. We want to grow as Christians, but we don't know how. Faith Womack understands those feelings. Growing up in a home where Bible verses were used to control her, she yearned to grow close to God but found the Bible confusing and boring. After a spiritual wakeup in college, she discovered the life-changing power of real Bible study. Free of the spiritual abuses of her past, she has devoted her life to helping readers like you get excited about Bible reading. |
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In No More Boring Bible Study, you will: - Learn quick, easy study methods
- Get energized by the story of Scripture
- Grasp new concepts that bring the Bible to life
- Have fun (yes!) doing close study
- Grow closer to God
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Explore more Bible study guides: | |
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| The Bible, Simplified Study Guide plus Streaming Video |
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The Bible, Simplified Video Study DVD |
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🎁 Bonus Gift! Order today and get a fun seasonal Prayer Habit Tracker—Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter— free with your FaithGateway purchase. Track your prayers day by day! |
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The GREAT Morning Revolution Online Bible Study |
The GREAT Morning Revolution Online Bible Study |
Change your entire day by how you start your morning. In The Great Morning Revolution with Tara Beth Leach, you'll go from scattered to spiritually centered—before the day begins. Using the GREAT framework—Gratitude, Reflect, Exalt, Ask, Trust—you'll build a gentle, flexible morning practice to deepen your relationship with God Join The Great Morning Revolution Online Bible Study and get access to six teaching videos and other helpful tools—all FREE when you sign up! |
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this devotion with someone who needs it today |
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