When it comes to studying the Word of God, I find myself where many people do: stuck on what to study and how to study it. As an English teacher, I find that studying a text meant to be the foundation of my life can be challenging without the right tools. Here are three bible Study tools that I’ve found to be critical in my journey of keeping a consistent reading and study schedule with God.
The Bible App
Shocking, I know. However, this comes into play in really key moments. There are times when I simply can’t pull out my big leather-bound Bible either because I don’t have it on me or for efficiency in sending my friends and family scripture. The Bible App allows me to have the Word of God in the palm of my hand.
If you truly ponder just how lucky we are to have access to this, I think a sense of gratitude is appropriate. I especially consider those who do not have access to a Bible because their country persecutes Christians. Or even early Christians: what they would have done to simply hear what a believer had to say or recite from scripture let alone have access to a written copy.
I find that the Bible app has more to offer than just having access to your preferred translation. Also, I love the in-depth Bible study options that are currently being offered on a variety of subjects.
My husband and I actually used the Bible app to explore the Lent season this year. I grew up in a church that did not have an emphasis on Lent that I can remember. Exploring what other denominations regularly celebrate gave us a new opportunity to prepare our hearts in a different way.
All this being said, I always encourage a physical Bible to be your primary way of encountering the word. The English teacher in me knows how valuable it is to read something and have ownership of that item.
A Bible Tracker App
This particular Bible Study tool I stumbled across on Lemon8– a social media that was created to mimic Instagram and Pinterest put together.
The Bible Tracker app I use was created by Stine Johanne Wang Loehren. It has a simple interface that lets you choose the chapters you’ve read for each book. The app provides data that shows your progress in the current book, and it also tracks how much you’ve read from each testament.
This ended up being extremely encouraging for me. I am motivated by witnessing my statistical amount increase every time I read and log it into the app.
This tracking app is not the only one out there– I encourage you to find one that appeals to you most!
Commentaries
The first time that I ever heard of a commentary was in college. I had no idea that there were people out there that gave context into what the Bible was talking about. For those who are like me and have no idea what I am talking about, let me give you some background.
Biblical Commentaries are a tool for those reading scripture to give context and meaning to the text you are reading. Commentaries can be incredibly helpful when you are coming across new concepts or reading Poetic Psalms. The commentary gives you a better understanding of what the author could referencing or alluding to.
Some commentaries that are reputable:
- Matthew Henry Commentary (available through Bible Gateway)
- Bible Gateway
- The Blue Letter Bible (not only a commentary but offers that resource and others)
- Bibleref
Now, I would like to add that commentary is a human understanding and therefore fallible as it is not directly from God Himself. It’s important to use discernment when using commentaries and decide if they are reputable. I would ask your local Pastor or Minister if you are looking for commentaries to trust.
All of these resources are free if you use a digital format. Utilizing these can give you a deeper understanding of what you are encountering in your quiet time with God. Of course, please don’t let these resources take over how God is speaking to you individually. They are a tool that adds to your experience.
What do you use? Have you ever heard of these recommendations before? Let me know!
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