She sat at our kitchen table, eating half of a grapefruit. I could hear her dentures cutting through the pulp of the tangy fruit as I sat with her, eating my own grapefruit. My mouth puckered as I ate the pink colored triangles drizzled with glistening honey, like evening sunlight gilding a flower. That was my favorite part of the fruit- the sweet, easy-to-eat part.
But then, when all the little triangles were gone, Grandma would dig deeper into her piece, scraping her spoon along the side of the half sphere to get all the little “juice bottles”, as we called them, that hadn’t been cut away by the knife and still clung to the rind. I did my best to scrape the side of my grapefruit, too, although it was harder to do and each bite didn’t have the sweetness of the honey-coated sections.
Grandma kept scraping and digging with diligence, even breaking down the translucent walls that sectioned the pulp and eating some of them, relishing every last drop of juice. I couldn’t get as much out of my grapefruit as Grandma could, nor could I imagine enjoying it as much, but it was still fun to watch her just the same.
Those memories of my early experiences with eating grapefruit came back to me one morning as I sat at the kitchen table, scraping my grapefruit the same way I had seen my mother and grandmother do before me. And as I looked at my Bible lying on the table before me, I realized that grapefruit isn’t the only thing you can acquire a taste for.
Is the Bible really boring, or does the problem lie with us?
When I hear people say the Bible is boring I cringe for two reasons: one, because I know it’s not, and two, because I feel we should show more respect when referring to the living Word of God. I understand the feeling, though. The Bible isn’t the easiest Book to understand, and it certainly takes more work to enjoy it than it does to sit down and read a novel or watch a movie. But we shouldn’t fault the Book for that. It’s a living book, and we can never outgrow its depth, so we shouldn’t be surprised when it challenges us.
But just because it’s challenging doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep trying to love and understand the Word of God. So here are a few suggestions to encourage you to go deeper in your knowledge of the Bible if you’re struggling with it:
Get the big picture. Study both the Old and the New Testaments. When you do, the intricate weaving of the truths and themes that are echoed and intensified in each book becomes more clear, and it’s truly amazing.
Learn about the culture. Knowing about the background information of something you’re studying can really make it come alive. The more you understand about the contemporary events surrounding the teachings of the Bible, the better you are able to grasp the significance of what the writer of the book was saying. Wings of Refuge and the Chronicles of the Kings series are novels written by my favorite author that do a fantastic job of bringing Biblical history alive. I’m not usually a fan of Biblical fiction (it seemed dull and sometimes the authors took a little too much liberty with the accounts) but this author builds her story about the Biblical accounts, not the other way around. (Disclaimer: I have only read the first two Chronicles of the Kings books, and there was some content in them that might be a bit mature for young readers.)
Keep reading it-the parts you like and the ones you don’t. Just like I wouldn’t have learned to like grapefruit as much as I do now if I had just quit eating it, you won’t learn to love the Bible if you stop reading it.
Learn from other people. If you have more mature Christians in your life, ask them how they study the Bible- when, what books they use, how much time they spend doing it each day. Or if you would like, feel free to contact me. I would love to go through a Bible study with you or answer any questions you might have!
Use books to help you. When I try to pick up the Bible and read just anywhere I get easily distracted. I need a guide to keep me focused and help me ask the right questions to get the most meaning out of the text. (Inductive Bible Studies by Kay Arthur are my favorite!)
Ask God to teach you. This is where the Bible differs from all books; it doesn’t matter if you’re really good at understanding things or not, it is possible for you to understand the Bible. If you know Jesus as your Savior, you have the Holy Spirit in you, and 1 John 2:27 says that “…His anointing teaches you about all things and is true and is not a lie…” That’s a promise from God- claim it boldly. He will always reveal Himself to anyone who wants to know Him better.
Apply it to your life. When you finish studying, take a minute to think about (or better yet, pray about) how you can begin living out any principles you’ve unearthed. Applying Biblical truth to your life isn’t always comfortable, but it is always freeing. {tweet that} And it’s in reading this book that you can discover just how your story ties in with God’s.
And finally…
Ask God to help you love His Word. ‘Nuff said.
Don’t make the mistake of assuming the Bible is just an old, dry Book and leaving it on the shelf. It’s the living, effective Letter of the God of the universe to you. It contains everything you need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3&4, 2 Tim. 3:15-17) It is your only offensive weapon against the tactics of the devil (and be forewarned, he doesn’t like it when you study it. But don’t let that stop you!).
It takes time and effort to understand the Bible, but it’s the most rewarding investment you will ever make!
If you’re up for it, try this exercise to learn more about the Bible and how valuable it is: Read Psalm 119 and make a list of everything you learn about God’s Word (watch for the different names used for it, such as precepts, instruction, etc. This is an exercise from the inductive Bible study book of Psalms.)
Tell us: What are your suggestions for gaining a better understanding of and love for God’s Word?
Diana,
I enjoyed your post and your analogy of eating grapefruit. Note: you should try Pomelo sometime. It looks like a grapefruit but is much sweeter.
I love the tone of your writing. Very warm and nurturing.
One thing I realize about reading God’s Word is that you never increase your appetite by NOT reading. But instead, the more you read it, the more you want to read it. No wonder the enemy of our souls discourages us from picking it up.
You are so right! Thank you for your kind words, Anne. It really means a lot coming from a writer whose work I respect so much. I will definitely try Pomelo now! It sounds yummy.