Is there any better feeling in the world than what you feel when the God who created the heavens and the universe, the God who holds the sun, moon and stars in place, while rotating the earth on its axis, speaks to you?
He not only wants to talk with us but He wants a real relationship with us. We can do that by praying and reading the Bible. But sometimes when I’m reading I realize I don’t understand what I’m reading. I get excited and have more questions. I wonder what else I’m missing.
I am admittedly a book nerd. I LOVE WORDS and I love to research. It’s like solving a mystery. I have a desire to understand beyond what I see on the surface so I invested in some tools.
These are some of my favorites. But you should go ahead and find what lights up your heart and your thoughts and helps you ultimately connect with and understand scriptures.
My go-to resources include the following (the above photo is my #BibleStack):
- She Reads Truth ESV Bible: My favorite, everyday reading Bible, and it is absolutely gorgeous! Each books starts with an overview and important facts. It has lovely maps and hand-lettered key scriptures.
- Study Bible
- NIV Cultural Background Study Bible
- NASB New Inductive Study Bible – This is comparable to the Bible I have.
- The Jesus Centered Bible (NIV) – The Jesus Centered Bible shows you Jesus in the Old Testament
- Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary
- The Message Bible The Message Bible is a great companion to your regular Bible. It’s an easy read when you get stuck or when you’re reading poetry (Job, Psalms, Song of Solomon, etc.).
- Crossway’s Single Column Journaling Bible I use this Bible to do some Bible Journaling – sometimes that means art, sometimes it’s all hand-written notes. Check out this post about Bible Journaling
- The Bible Exposition Commentary by Warren Wiersbe
- Pens, Highlighters, Post-It notes – Stationery makes my heart sing. 🙂
Not all bible are created equal. The Bibles listed above are protestant Bibles written in different versions or translations. Some have maps and charts in the back, others may give you a reading plan, etc. but don’t get stuck on that.
STUDY TIP: Start simple. I personally prefer the ESV translation because it is a translation that is closest to the original writings but if you are just getting started you might want to go to biblegateway.com and read several translations of the same text. Look up John chapter 1. Read it in the ESV, read it in the New Living Translation (NLT) and so on. Decide which translation makes the most sense for you. This may change over time but for the new Christians I have worked with I have seen them connect with both the New Living Translation (NLT), the Message (MSG) and Amplified (Amp) translations.
Have a dictionary and a notebook or a journal nearby and get comfy. You’ll want to take notes, write down your questions and even look up some new words. Be prepared.
Regarding commentaries: This is a suggestion for those of you that want a resource to dig deeper and confirm that you are understanding correctly. For you, I would strongly recommend investing in a good commentary or find a free online source that works for you. Commentaries are notes written By Bible Scholars to support our study of the Bible. In a commentary you’ll find the writer provides historical insight and cultural context to help us understand what might have been happening in ancient times. It may also include references to other places in the Bible where you might find more about a specific topic, location or family.
My favorite commentary is The Bible Exposition Commentary written by Warren Weirsbe. I’ve used this set of books since 2010. It is my go-to after I have prayed, read and written my observation notes. They’re also pretty easy to read and understand. There are other commentaries that I refer to when I am studying specific themes and need more information but no need to get too complicated today. Let’s keep this simple.
I also read, How to Study the Bible by Robert M. West and that was very helpful in helping me to organize my personal study time. You may want to find a good book to walk you through Bible Study.
I want to end with a reminder about something Jesus himself said. The most important thing you should know when you are reading scriptures…
12“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
Whether you are just starting your journey or you’re just learning to dig deeper, know that I am rooting on and I am happy to answer any questions you may have. May the Holy Spirit continually guide you and teach you all things!
[…] and reading the Bible. I am admittedly a book nerd. I LOVE WORDS! So I’m sharing my favorite Bible Study Tools here. But you can go ahead and find what lights up your […]