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Bible Study: Meeting the Need for the Spiritually Hungry

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
Matthew 5:6 (ESV)

There is a devastating famine today in our land.  It is not a famine caused by any recent natural disaster, or by any type of infestation of exotic insects destroying our food as it grows in the fields.  It is a famine rooted in a lack of hearing and understanding of the word of God. Like Israel of old, the famine has come (Amos 8:11) and it is has brought devastating consequences in its wake.
 
One of the greatest evidences of this famine is how we tend to channel our use of God’s word and bible study into our hectic lives.  The frenetic pace, at which we too often live, causes us to schedule our lives in terms of events instead of relationships.  This can have devastating results upon family relationships as well as our relationship with God.  Our time-crunched schedules may cause us to relegate bible study to a few moments with God’s word through a pre-packaged mini devotional.  Slipping God’s word into the midst of the busyness, can allow us to check off one more daily duty, but in such a way that it barely makes a ripple in the time stream of our day.  When we begin to subsist on pre-packaged, spiritually nutrient deficient mini-encounters with God we cheat ourselves out of the rich relationship God has for us.

What is the answer to this subsistence level spirituality?  The only answer is found in the feast of studying God’s word.  Let’s face it though; too often when we think of bible study we focus on meeting with more people. Who needs another meeting to prepare for, another group to spend time with away from family, another item for the overflowing daily planner?  For one moment though let us redefine bible study in terms of a personal encounter with a personal God through His word with you.

You, the bible and God – that can be a thought that brings forth a bit of panic.  Questions begin to arise, how can I understand God’s word well enough?  How can I keep from false assumptions and traveling down spiritual wastelands?  How can I . . .?  While initial anxiety is normal for the start of any new activity, you cannot allow for such anxiety to derail what can be one of the richest relationships you will experience.

Taking the first taste of real bible study means putting away the daily planner for a bit (or maybe blocking out time for a relationship with God).  Allow God to encounter you through His word.  Here are some practical ideas to help build this into your life.  (1) Decide how you want to read God’s word.  If you want to experience the challenges Jesus gives – read through the gospels.  If you would like to encounter God in the pages of the history of redemption -- read portions of the Old Testament.  If you would like to see how faith is applied – read the Epistles of the New Testament.  When it comes to setting up a reading schedule in these areas you can either do-it-yourself or rely upon a bible program (like Logos) to set up a schedule for such reading.

Having decided what you will read for personal bible study only sets the table for the banquet.  How you approach this table can make all the difference.  If you choose to come in a perfunctory manner, you will cheat yourself out of the sight and aroma of what God has prepared for you.  So, prepare to sit down for a while and enjoy the experience.  A word of prayer, opening yourself up to meeting God, is a good place to start. 

Approach God’s word as a banquet to be savored – look at God’s word as having application in your life.  You might want to ask yourself – Does this passage teach a direct lesson on how I am to act or respond in life?  Does this passage teach me some important principles of how to live my life as a faithful individual?  When you ask such questions in personal bible study you will find that God nourishes you for not only the moment, but throughout the day.  Amazingly, such an approach will find you hungering and thirsting for more of God and what God has for your life.  And this, my friend, leads you more and further in the pursuit of God and his righteousness and becomes the fulfillment of Jesus encouraging words, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”  Matthew 6:33 (ESV)

Just as unfortunate as it would be to go hungry in a land of plenty, even more so it would be unfortunate to ignore the “streams of living water” and the “land flowing with milk and honey” that God provides in His word.  None need be spiritually deficient in life because God abundantly provides in His word.  You taking the time to develop your relationship with God in personal bible study may be all that is holding you back.