..."But The Bible Is So Big"

Okay, let's be real friends; the Bible is quite an overwhelming book when you think about it. Two different testaments and a multitude of books to choose from in each one. Not to mention the chapters within each book as well as the verses within each chapter. That just overwhelmed me a little bit to type that all out. It can be a lot! There are many people who don't even know where to start when it comes to getting into His word and striving to know Jesus more. It can be a huge factor that hinders one from adventuring farther into their faith. We've all been there. We've all sat with our bibles in our hands with no clue where to start or what page to turn to.

Today, I wanted to share with you some tips that have helped me over the years when it comes to this sort of thing. Whether you're a new Christian (yay!) or have been committed to Christ since you were five like I have, I hope this can help you out!

I've met many lovely individuals who are just recently new to their faith, but have literally no idea where to start when it comes to the Bible. First of all, if you're new to your faith and you're reading this, I'm sending you the biggest virtual hug I can muster up! My heart is so happy for you because your life is forever changed from that moment that you decided to fully give yourself to Jesus! I pray that you dance with joy knowing that you're deeply loved and that you bear trial and tribulation with grace and beauty. For all things are possible through Him.

❀ Starting Out

If you're too overwhelmed by the idea of digging deep into a lengthy devotional or reading the Bible cover to cover like a regular novel, know that it's okay to stray from that! You don't have to read things in order or follow any sort of strict rules. You can read whatever you feel the Lord is leading you to read that day or do what I used to do when I first started really diving deep into His word.

A good friend of mine once told me that an easy way to start out is to choose a book that has a lot of chapters in it like Psalms or Proverbs and to read the chapter from that book that correlates with the date of that day. For example, today is September 25th, so I would read, reflect and pray over Psalm 25. I would focus just on that chapter that day and then the pattern would continue. Psalm 26 on the 26th, or Proverbs 27 on the 27th. You can alternate back and forth between books or spend an entire month reading through Psalms, it doesn't matter at all. This is your precious time with Jesus and just getting into His word at all makes Him happy beyond explanation. It was through this process that I was able to discover some of my very favorite passages and I pray that for you as well!

I found that with this process, I was less overwhelmed with how big the Bible is. As I learned more, I realized it more as a symbol of how very big and how very deep His love is for us! It's so encouraging to me and I hope it's the same for you, as well. I still do this to this day if I ever find myself stuck or puzzled on what to read.

Some Bibles even have a little index in the back where it lists topics such as jealousy, anger, self-worth, love, etc.. and then it provides you with some verses you can turn to as a source of comfort and solace if you're struggling with the hardships aforementioned. If your Bible doesn't have one of these fancy indexes, try going on Pinterest or Googling "Bible verses about *insert emotion or hardship here*" and you would be amazed with what you find. I don't know about you, but I constantly yearn to discover more and learn something new with each passing day. And with reading the Bible, I can guarantee that is what will happen.

❀ Digging Deeper

So you might now be at a standstill of where to go next. You've followed the above plan for a little while, but you want to learn more. Don't worry, friend! I've got you! Next, I would suggest digging deep into the gospels which are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It is here where you will learn more of the person Jesus was here on earth and what immense sacrifice He went through to wash us clean of our sin. You can follow the above plan for each gospel if you like, reading a chapter that correlates with the date. Or there are a number of studies that you can do personally or with a group of people that dig deep into the gospels.

She Reads Truth is my very favorite website and app when it comes to daily devotionals or specific Bible studies. If you like reading stories of powerful women, check out their Women in the Word studies from both the old and new testament. There are a plethora of plans to choose from and what's wonderful is you can pick one that peaks your interests! Remember, there are no rules when it comes to getting into His word.

A lot of people believe that Christianity is all about rules, rules, rules. Wrong. False. Incorrect. Christianity is not about religion. It is first and foremost a relationship with the One who fearfully and wonderfully knit you in your mother's womb. It is an inseparable bond with the Maker of the heavens and the earth, the One who put the stars so beautifully in the sky and who knows exactly how many hairs are atop your head simply because He made you, knows you, and wants to continue to do so. Nothing can and will ever be able to separate you from His great love. It's such a wonderful gift and we should be forever grateful.

Another favorite daily devotional that I love is Jesus Calling and you can buy the physical devotional books in the Christianity section of your local Barnes & Noble, LifeWay Christian Bookstore or you can subscribe to receive daily emails here.

People make it so easy to dive into the Bible nowadays and that fact alone brings the biggest smile across my face. You can download Bible apps, have verses saved as lock screens for your phone, as well as having a multitude of translations and versions of His word to choose from. It truly is remarkable!

Written by the beautiful Kate Ashbrook! ☕