If you are reading this, you have probably seen something about Bible journaling before. The trend revolving around the thick versions of God’s word complete with notebook lines, footnotes, sticky tabs, and a whole lot of colored pencil art isn’t exactly a secret. I have one that I decorated a few years ago and I still use it. The problem back then? Having note lines in your Bible wasn’t really a thing yet. Did I let that stop me? Let’s just say I found the perfect colored pencils that would lightly color over the words without ripping the pages — through trial and error of course.

I would include the link to them here but from my ‘trial and error’ experience, I know with complete certainty that it really isn’t worth it. There is one major drawback to that form of Bible study: the pages are so decorated you can’t actually read what it says!!

I learned a few important things in that time. First, that God’s Word is inherently beautiful. As plain as some of the text may be, as many numbers added in and painful descriptions dispersed throughout it, still its purpose and coherence gives it a majesty that can be neither heightened nor diminished by expensive colored pencils. 

Two, that God’s Word is timeless — and honestly miraculous. Who would have ever imagined that all of those records, poems, journal entries, letters, songs, laws, and parables would ever come together into one big story? Each author, diametrically different, yet a string of perfect integrity is sewn through each line that has challenged even the most skeptical scholar’s doubt and provided evidence for many a close-minded historian.

Three, that this text is a gift. Not only is it a credible collection of historical documents, it is the token of a Word ardently passed between generations from the beginning. It is all written, in a way, as a letter with its recipient as the world — you could say that is how any book is written but none with a scale so large. It aims at all people and one person at the same time, and every word is chosen with careful meaning, which is where I learned my fourth lesson: the Bible deserves to be studied.

Studying the Bible sounds ceremonious. Probably because it is. Don’t let anyone tell you it is just like reading any other book. It is not. Why? Because it’s holy. It’s different. To put it in modern terms: the Bible is low-key weird. It can be confusing both in and out of context. It is effective that way because it raises necessary questions. Most of them are paired with their answers later (or earlier) in the text — but even so it can still be hard for our human eyes to see the depth of truth that is defined.

The truth isn’t hidden; it is in plain sight on the pages of God’s Word. All it takes is a careful eye and a curious mind — an honest heart that is willing to learn. Over the years I’ve discovered a kind of Bible journaling that helps me dive into curiosity best as I hope everyone who reads this will too. The way everyone comes to understand the truth is different and no one has the perfect formula for every person — but whatever way you learn, here are a few tips I like to go by!

1. Use an actual journal

This is number one on my list for a reason. If you have a journal Bible with designated places to write in it, by all means, use it! I don’t use a journal Bible and I still find myself writing little reminders that point to different scriptures or marking specific parts. Marking in your Bible, while sometimes more distracting than helpful, can be a great way to get the text to stick. But keeping a separate journal still has value when it comes to deeper study.

Taking notes is a crucial part in solidifying your understanding. It is getting down on your hands and knees to use other parts of the Bible, the history, the time, to understand better what the text means. With pages open for writing, you can copy scripture, write your thoughts about it, circle and underline parts, write down your prayers and questions, or even draw things to help you remember. It is possible to have good Bible study without a journal — but from my experience, with all of the extra room it is enhanced.

Jen Wilkin talks a lot about using a seperate journal in her book Women of the Word. She has a strict system for Bible Journaling, perfect for anyone looking to dive deep into the text. Whether you are aiming for a time of deep study, gleaning what you can, or just praying a few verses, having a journal on hand is always a great way to mark growth over the years in an organized yet personal way. Deep thoughts are meant to be had but all of your thoughts and questions can’t fit in note-lined margins!

2. Understanding before Application

        A prevailing belief lately is that many verses commonly used are taken out of context. I believe this wholeheartedly and I’ve seen it done with little restraint. As much as I may sound like a broken record, understanding the Bible in context is crucial to absorbing its meaning at all. The words can’t mean something to us that they never meant when the author originally wrote them!

Understanding, however, cannot outshine application, nor vice versa. While understanding is important, mere affirming of the Bible’s meaning asserts no progress without action. Even Christians respected as faithful leaders are guilty of spending so much time on understanding, they forget application — in finding the meaning of the words, they forget the reason they first sought the meaning. If reading God’s word is to become more like Him after gaining a better understanding, then understanding is only the beginning. Neither actions nor understanding can stand alone — as two legs they are used one after the other to move forward.

3. Prayer

    I have tried my best to keep this list general — likewise, I’ll end with the most general application of all. Prayer. Strangely, it seems to be the one I struggle to remember the most when studying the Bible — but if you think about it, it is the most natural reaction to His words. 

God did not leave a groundbreaking masterpiece on the world’s doorstep to be delicately read with no reaction. He made it to be rifled through, puzzled over, understood, fulfilled, cursed, cherished, hated, prized, and burned. It is a letter that inspires and indeed demands a reaction from its recipients, and I believe it is the saddest feat ever when we read and act as if the words have no meaning. People have been aroused to anger by the Bible but even that is better than passivity — but best of all reactions is that of prayer. 

    How could you understand a bit of a conversation without making a reply? When someone talks to you, aren’t you urged to talk back, ask questions, give your opinion? Why is it that we have those reactions to everyone in the world but we hold them back from God as if he cannot handle them?

God wants us to seek. That is what the Bible is for. It is to find His character displayed most carefully on the pages, but even all of it's words cannot account for all of the glory of God.  It is His intention that each person would realize that and seek Him further with the Bible as their inspiration, not just a manual. Through Jesus’s sacrifice we have the ability to make our reply heard, the wrath of God no longer permanently upon us. Why wouldn’t we use it to ask for understanding from our loving Father?

God’s word is beautiful and timeless. It needs no decoration, all it needs is careful seeking, through study, prayer, and action. Living it requires everything and nothing all at once and understanding it, only humility. Through God’s grace we are able to do all three and through his love we have been invited to. How wonderful it is that we get to study His Word thereby accepting His Great Invitation!

©Goodstrong Words May 2022