Read Your Bible (2nd of 3 parts)

Continue in... the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise.
2 Timothy 3:14-15

Why don't we read God's Word more?
Three reasons: (1) We don't know how! We hear the pastor preach a great sermon and think, "Why didn't I see that?" Because the pastor spends hours praying over it and studying the Scriptures; we don't! (2) We're not motivated! That's because we haven't experienced the joy that comes from personally discovering great truths from God's Word. We've become satisfied with getting what we need from somebody else rather than finding it out for ourselves. Understand this: If you ever get serious about studying the Bible on your own, you'll never fully be satisfied with a second-hand knowledge of the Scriptures. Dr. Paul Lyttle once compared personal Bible study to eating peanuts: "Once you start doing it, you're hooked! When you discover how good Bible study 'tastes' you'll find yourself going back for more and more. Yes, personal Bible study can be habit-forming!" (3) We are lazy! Bible study is hard work. There are no shortcuts to it. It takes time, effort, concentration and persistence. Most of its great truths don't lie on the surface; we have to dig for them.

Dr. Howard Hendricks describes the three stages of Bible study: (a) The 'castor oil' stage - we study the Bible because we know it's good for us, but it's not too enjoyable. (b) The 'cereal' stage - our Bible study is dry and uninteresting, but we know it's nourishing. (c) The 'peaches and cream' stage - we are really feasting on the Word of God. Bottom line? "Continue in… the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise."