I spoke last time about the Bible study I’ve joined this year. It’s only three of us but wow, have I learned so much more about Scripture than if I was reading it by myself. Around the second month of us reading together I started to notice something really interesting.
I’m a relational person I read the Bible and God highlights the different emotions, relationships or interactions between people. I have always enjoyed true stories over history books and reading a fictional account of a historical event versus reading the facts behind the event.
One of my Bible study partners is more factual. She can remember meanings behind themes, truths, and other important elements of the Bible that I don’t retain (or sometimes even remember learning).
Our other partner brings a whole different element to our group. Her faith and complete trust in God amazes me. She brings elements out of the reading that I have never even thought about … and asks questions that get us all thinking about the deeper meaning behind the words.
At first I felt badly that I wasn’t as factual and “learned” as one of my friends, and that my faith wasn’t as strong as my other friend … until God reminded me that we are all different parts of the same body (all daughters of the King) and each of the elements that we individually bring to the reading makes us all better as a whole.
I know I have learned so much more from reading the Bible together with my tribe than I would have gotten out of reading it by myself. I love their insight, their added knowledge, and the questions they raise that make me think. Not to mention, they will hear something in their sermon or read something else in a devotional and it will tie into what we’re studying and that adds a whole ‘nother layer to our understanding.
I have been so blessed by my sisters and our Bible study. I encourage you if you want to start one yourself, keep it semi-small so that everyone’s voices can be heard, but more importantly, let it be Holy Spirit led. He will tell you how many people to invite, and how to set it up. He truly was the One who started it this summer.
It began with a simple conversation from one friend to another and now we are studying the Bible together five days a week. Who knew on July 1st that by October we would have read through 5 books of the Bible? I didn’t know that … but God did!
Are you ready to ask God the question of what His plan is for you?
© Cheri Swalwell 2021