It’s easy enough to read the Word, but how can we practice it?
This is a very good and challenging question. In itself, the Bible is not hard to read. It has 66 books; 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament. Many of these books are reasonably small and can be read in one sitting. There are many helps today to aid us in understanding difficult words and phrases. Many of these are available online, making them even easier to use!
With all that said, there is a difference between reading the Bible, and understanding it to the point that it has an impact on our lives, causing us to want to practice its truths. 1 Corinthians 2:14 tells us, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” The ‘natural’ man is the ‘unsaved’ man. There is no ability in the unsaved person to be able to understand the concepts of the Word of God. Without a doubt, anyone can read the account of Noah’s ark, or Jonah and the whale, or the Lord Jesus turning the water to wine and understand what is going on. But, to be able to read these portions and be spiritually fed by the spiritual lessons found in each one is something that only the believer on the Lord can do.
It is the indwelling Holy Spirit in every believer that allows them to truly understand the Word of God. The Lord Jesus said in John 16:13-14, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.” The Apostle Paul expressed this truth in 1 Corinthians 2:10-12, “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.”
To the believer, the Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 3:4, “Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand…” Reading the Word of God is so vital to the health of the Christian. This is where we listen to the voice of God. This is where we get daily instruction. This is where we learn more and more about our blessed savior, His love for us, His death for us, and His continuing work as our great High Priest. Colossians 3:16-17 tells us to, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”
We are to allow the scriptures to dwell in us, motivate us, and fill our hearts with thanksgiving and praise to our savior. Here is where we find the desire and strength to practice the truth of the Word of God. We read in Psalm 86:11, “Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth…” The true believer is willing to walk in God’s truth as he is taught. We find the words of the Lord in 3 John 4, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” (187.6)