How to Read Your Bible
You say you love Jesus. But your Bible is closed. That dog won't hunt.
We live in a time of biblical illiteracy so deep and wide it makes the Mississippi look like a creek. Men scroll for hours. Argue theology in Facebook comment sections. Preach politics at the dinner table. But ask them to open the Word of God, and suddenly they don't know where to start. Or worse, they don't even try.
Let me make this plain: You can't lead your family, fight sin, or stand against the tide of this godless age with a sheathed sword. You want to be a man of God? Open the Book. Read it. Let it cut you, feed you, and shape you.
Stop Making Excuses
"I don't have time." Yes, you do. You watched three hours of football and spent an hour pretending to be a theologian on X. You have time. What you don't have is priority.
"I don't understand it." It was written in the common tongue. God didn't give us a mystic riddle. He gave us a book. Written in real language. For real people. Scripture is not for the elite. It's for the man working in the field, the boy at the breakfast table, the soldier on the front lines.
"I just don’t feel like it." Of course you don’t. Your flesh hates it. Sin fights it. Satan fears it. But that’s precisely why you must.
Start With the Right Attitude
Come hungry. Come humble. Come needy.
God says He looks on the one who is "humble and contrite in spirit and who trembles at My Word." (Isaiah 66:2)
You want to be a man of God? Then tremble. Stop approaching the Bible like a bored student cramming for a test. Open it like a starving man tearing into bread.
Understand What It Is
The Bible is not magical. It's not some talisman to keep in the truck dash. But it is divine. It is the very breath of God. It is a weapon, a feast, a mirror, a map. It wounds and it heals. And it does not miss.
"This word is your life," Moses told the people of Israel (Deut. 32:47). Not your hobby. Not your opinion. Your life.
Learn the Terrain
Scripture is one book, but many kinds of writing. Don’t read a Psalm like you’d read Romans. Don’t treat Revelation like a weather forecast. There’s poetry. Law. History. Parables. Letters. Prophecy. Each with its own rhythm and rules.
Take time to learn the terrain. Know what you’re reading. But don’t overcomplicate it. You already know not to read a love letter like a tax bill. Same principle.
Read with Your Eyes Open
Look for the author’s meaning. What did the writer intend to say? Not what you want it to say. Not how it makes you feel. The Bible isn’t a choose-your-own-adventure book. There is one meaning. Your job is to find it.
God used real men to write Scripture. Men with personalities. Men with grammar. That’s not a problem. That’s the plan. As one wise man once said, "The Bible was written in normal human language."
Don’t Just Read. Use It.
This is not literature for literature’s sake. This is combat training. Use it. Apply it. Obey it.
You read the Word to fight sin. To kill laziness. To fuel your faith. To guard your family. To lead with conviction. To endure hardship. To praise God. To correct fools. To build and protect and lead.
The man who reads but doesn’t obey is like a fool building his house on sand. He’ll look mighty spiritual—until the flood comes.
Make It a Habit
You don’t need a fancy plan. Start with a chapter a day. Read the Gospels. Read Genesis. Read Proverbs with your sons. Listen to Psalms while you drive. Write down what hits you. Memorize a verse or two. Pray it back to God.
Don’t let a day go by without Scripture entering your eyes, ears, or mouth. This is food. Daily bread. Eat.
Get Some Tools
Here’s where some practical help kicks in. If you're confused, here are a few things that actually help:
Study Bible: Get one. The ESV Study Bible or Reformation Study Bible are solid. The notes won’t replace the text, but they’ll help you avoid dumb mistakes.
Cross-References: Look at how Scripture explains Scripture. The Bible is the best commentary on itself.
Ask Questions: Who wrote this? Who was it written to? What's the main point? What does it tell me about God? About man? About Christ?
Start Small: Don’t try to understand Leviticus on your first lap. Get rooted in the Gospels, Proverbs, Psalms, and a good epistle like James or Ephesians. If you feel yourself getting bogged down, just read past it. Its ok to skip and come back later.
Use Audio Bibles: Let it wash over you while you drive, work out, or mow the lawn.
Write Stuff Down: Keep a notebook. Summarize what you read. Jot down verses that punch you in the gut.
Pray Before and After: Ask God to open your eyes. Then thank Him when He does.
Final Charge
Men, it’s time to stop making excuses. Open your Bible. Learn it. Love it. Lead with it.
The world is full of effeminate men with all kinds of opinions and empty souls. Don’t be one of them.
Read your Bible.
Build. Fight. Protect. Lead.