"The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple." — Psalm 119:130
Have you ever felt discouraged while reading the Bible because you didn’t quite get it? I’ve been stumped by certain verses many times. I used to allow my lack of understanding to defeat me. I started off with good intentions, but as soon as things didn’t quite add up in my mind, I closed my Bible and gave up, “saving it for another day.”
Though I’m still no theological expert, I’ve come a long way since then. The change I made to improve my Biblical understanding was simple, but didn’t occur to me until I began to comprehend God’s nature. I needed to realize the intensity of His grace before I could feel comfortable enough to ask Him for help while reading His word.
I used to imagine God as a stoic, grandfather-like being who expected me to read my Bible every day and accept it without any questions asked. But when I opened my heart to Jesus and genuinely asked Him to take over my life, the Holy Spirit helped me discern I could actually ask HIM to help me see His point of view if a scripture seemed confusing or unfair.