Search for [insight and understanding] as for hidden treasure. –Proverbs 2:4

Profitable Bible study involves more than just opening to a chapter and reading what’s there. Proverbs 2 encourages us to make the effort to know God better by carefully seeking a heart of understanding. 

When we read the Bible carefully and invest time memorizing Scripture, we absorb its truths more deeply (vv. 1–2). Sometimes reading the Word aloud helps us to hear and understand the wisdom of God more fully. And when we pray the words of Scripture back to God and ask Him for “insight and understanding” (v. 3), we enjoy a conversation with the Author.

Here are six guidelines to help you make the most of your study of the Bible.

  1. Set aside a regular time. Unless you schedule it, you’ll neglect it. 
  2. Before you start reading, ask God for help and understanding.
  3. Carefully think about what you are reading. The treasures of the Bible seldom lie like pebbles on the surface. To mine the gold, you have to dig.
  4. Before you decide what a passage means to you, try to understand what the author was saying to the original readers.
  5. Write down at least one truth or principle you can put into practice.
  6. Don’t get discouraged. Some parts of the Bible are difficult to understand, but there’s much that you can understand. And if you apply what you’ve learned, it will revolutionize your life.

We come to know God and His wisdom when we search for it with our whole heart. We find understanding when we seek it like silver and search for it like hidden treasure. 

Now read the passage from Proverbs 2 again, keeping these principles in mind. Then use this method whenever you study God’s Word. If you do, you will begin to discover the treasures of the Bible.

Gems of truth are found in the Bible—but you must dig for them.

Read Also:

Discovery Series “A Message for All Time”

Many people read the Bible, but at the same time, many people struggle with understanding and applying its ideas and messages to everyday life. Jack Kuhatschek provides tools to help you overcome the barriers that get in the way of understanding God’s Word and its relevancy for you in today’s culture.

Our Daily Bread Ministries in Indonesia is supported by the freewill offering of individuals in Indonesia, who through their gifts enable us to continue to bring the life-changing wisdom of the Bible to many here. We are not funded by any church or organisation.