Bible Study is Hard Work (And That is OK).

My two youngest kids have decided they want to be able to teach the Bible to others. In their efforts to create a “Bible Club” they have begun to study. It is fun to watch them try to figure this out all on their own. They gather several Bible books along with their Bibles and try to piece things together. My son, in particular, wants to do it all on his own, so I let him. It is hard work for him.

My two older kids are trying, along with many of their friends from church, to read through the Bible this year. They sit down and every day and read through the Scriptures and try to understand them and connect the dots. They have lots of questions, “Why did God harden Pharaoh’s heart?” “If God said he was going to make Israel a great nation, why was their position of influence so small and so short, historically?” It is hard work for them to dig into the Scriptures.

I preach and teach every single week. Every week I dig into the Word of God and try to parse out God’s truths for application in my own life and to may application in the lives of others. I wrestle with ancient languages and thick Bible commentaries. I search for sermon illustrations and ponder the deep truths of God’s word. It is hard work for me to understand and apply the Bible.

It turns out, Bible study is hard work for anyone who endeavors to do it well. Recently I had lunch with a guy who told me that he wanted to really study the Bible this year for the first time–to do more than just read it, but to become a student of the Bible. I pray that he is successful in his endeavor. But, I know that if he is successful, he will sweat. Bible study is challenging.

Studying the Bible is hard work, but that is OK. God never promised that it would be easy. He is, after all, eternal, all-powerful, and always present. God is outside of our complete understanding. Attempting to wrap our brains completely around eternity or the Trinity will leave us with a headache.

Studying the Bible is hard work, but lots of things are hard. It is hard to run a marathon or write a book or raise a family or maintain a healthy marriage. Bible study is hard, but it results in a deeper and more rich understanding of who God is, and who we are. The deeper I fall into God’s word, the more aware I become of my own sin and of God’s overwhelming grace to allow me to know him.

So, are you struggling in your reading of God’s Word? That’s OK. You’re supposed to. The Bible is deep, rich, and ancient. There are words in the Bible that are unfamiliar to modern ears. There are truths in the Bible that seem too good to be true. There are challenges in the Bible that we can’t live up to. There is conviction within the pages of the Bible as it reveals our sin.

Becoming a serious student of God’s word is hard. But, don’t allow that struggle to discourage you. There is victory in the struggle, for on the other side of that struggle is a deeper relationship with an unchanging God who has loved you for all of eternity.

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