Why do so many have difficulty grasping the Bible's message and meaning? The answer is simple-they don't have the right frame of mind. We must approach the Bible with respect for what it is-God's divine revelation to us.
Curiously enough, we find that the Bible is not a book that everyone can
readily understand. Many find it puzzling, difficult to figure out. How,
then, can we come to understand it?
The first set of keys to comprehension can be grouped under the umbrella
of the right approach we must have at the outset of our reading
and study.
We must come to the Bible with the right attitude and perspective-looking
with profound respect and reverence to the divine Author behind its pages,
willing to believe and follow what He says.
Without this approach, we may be able to discern certain biblical truths
on at least some level, but we will suffer profound blind spots regarding
major aspects of scriptural revelation-blind spots that will seriously
impair our overall understanding.
To get the big picture, we need to approach Scripture with the right
frame of mind.
Going to the Source
Our first step is prayer, to humbly ask God for His help. This is the
first vital key to understanding His Word.
God describes the kind of attitude and approach He respects: "But on this
one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite [i.e., repentant]
spirit, and who trembles at My word" (Isaiah 66:2).
Understanding God's Word is not a matter of superior intellect. God looks
on the heart, our attitude and approach, to determine whether to give us
understanding. The apostle Peter tells us: "In truth I perceive that God
shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works
righteousness is accepted by Him" (Acts 10:34-35, emphasis added throughout).
