How to Gain Wisdom from the Bible
Did you know that over 15,000 self-help books are printed each year? That is a lot of sources touting they have the answer to all your problems. There is a whole industry that thrives off people searching for wisdom in all the wrong places!
In reality, we have all the help we need in our Bibles. From the Book of Proverbs to the teachings of Jesus and more, the Bible is full of wisdom on how to best live our lives. The Bible provides a blueprint for marriage, parenting, friendship, prayer, business management, leadership, and more! Maybe that is why it has been referred to as Basic Information Before Leaving Earth!
The problem is, we often are confused or overwhelmed when we turn to the Bible for answers. Here are three ways to gain wisdom from the Bible.
Start Small, Start Daily
You can’t gain wisdom from the Bible if you don’t read it regularly! Just like an instruction manual can’t help you if you don’t open it, the Bible will be of no help to you gathering dust on a shelf. If you have not made a practice of regularly reading your Bible, I encourage you to take the 5x5x5 challenge.
The challenge is this: Read your Bible for 5 minutes a day, 5 days a week, for 5 weeks. I believe once you have made this a habit you will find yourself longing to be filled with God’s Word and you will begin lengthening your time alone with the Lord each day. A great place to start is with the Gospel of John. I promise the time you spend in the Word will be the most valuable time of your day!
Use your Index
At the back of most Bibles is a topical index that will point you to passages where the Bible addresses particular issues. Whether you are struggling with fear or need parenting wisdom, this resource can help point you to Scriptures that will speak to your unique circumstances. In this modern world, you can also Google for Scripture passages that are relevant to you, or seek answers to your Biblical questions at www.gotquestions.org. There is value in reading all Scripture and you will find passages that speak to you no matter where you read, but when you are desperate for God to speak in a particular area, these tools can be helpful to get you to a relevant passage quickly.
Soak in His Word
Sometimes we approach the Word of God seeking confirmation of our opinion rather than truly seeking wisdom. When we do this, we may miss what God is trying to teach us. For example, if your marriage is in trouble and you are trying to find an excuse to divorce, you likely aren’t going to allow God to convict you of your own shortcomings in the relationship. Instead of approaching God’s Word that way, ask Him to help you have an open heart. Pray that the Holy Spirit will put on your heart what you need to hear before you even begin to read, and ask the Holy Spirit to give you the will and the way to apply what He is teaching you. When you read something that pricks your heart a bit, take time to abide in Him. Just sit and let His Word soak into your heart. Don’t just rush to the next passage. If something is convicting you, return to that passage the next day and the next, until you and God work out the issue in your heart.
There are a lot of Christian books out there that contain helpful information, but nothing can compare to the Bible. If you are seeking wisdom in your life, there is no better place to start. If you’re committing to the 5x5x5 challenge, send me an email at larry@larryodonnell.com. I’d love to pray for you and encourage you on your journey!
And if you grow in your desire to study God’s Word more deeply, you can always open up your Bible and read along with one of my podcast recordings available at www.larryodonnell.com where I have recorded lessons chapter by chapter and verse by verse on almost all the books of the New Testament. I encourage you to give it a try!