Reading the Bible

There is something about reading and getting parts-in-relation-to-the-whole understanding of the Bible that is difficult to capture; and difficult to do.

I.e. difficult to put into a formula.

Here's a problem as I see it (even though I'm actually just throwing down rambling thoughts): zeal is a key to getting understanding of the Bible. A zealous approach. The zeal, or super-effort, is the part of your effort you dedicate to God, like a part of your crop, and God rewards you more for it. But the problem can be this: the Bible is so big that it's difficult to see how you can apply zeal to it. If you start to approach all 1,189 chapters in some unique way you immediately get shut down by the scale of the effort. It's not practical. It's not practical to keep up a zealous effort that will take that long. (Or, maybe it isn't? Just do it?)

Also, the Bible seems to defeat approaches that involve 'outlining', or reading outlines maybe. Maybe it doesn't defeat ME doing the outlining work. It certainly does defeat when you try to take shortcuts by relying on other people's outlines and notes though. Maybe that is it. The Holy Spirit wants you to do your own work. In this sense there is no waste of time involved regarding 'reinventing the wheel.' With the Bible it is good and needed to reinvent the wheel. For each individual.

Of course the work the Bible does in regeneration (the Spirit works through the Word usually) gets done pretty much initially, in first readings and so on. And of course basic, completed complete readings get it all into, in ways you don't know even as you are doing it.

But when one looks to consciously devise a project or effort to really get full understanding, or, become 'mighty in the Word', it is difficult.

Maybe prayer really IS the key. Asking God (the Triune God, but maybe the Holy Spirit as Illuminator specifically) for understanding of His Word. Deep, complete understanding.

Then approaching the text in a meditative state. A third state of consciousness. Having higher energy in you when you engage the Word of God enabling there to be more communicated and understood.

That still leave the sheer scale problem. The massive number of pages and chapters and books. Which means there is no getting around the virtue and necessity of the complete reading effort. Maybe not always done in the same way, but complete nevertheless.

What have I concluded?

1. An approach with zeal is needed.

2. Doing your own work regarding outlining and notes and so forth.

3. Prayer for understanding is key.

4. Being in the third state of consciousness, and having previously accumulated higher energy in you to use while engaging the text.

5. Complete readings, maybe not always having to be done in the same way, is the foundation.

I'll add two more after reading this:

6. Memorizing, and keeping a commonplace book on the Bible.

7. Doing what the Bible guides one to do. This develops understanding in terms of Knowledge + Being = Understanding.