Five Books to Help You Study the Bible

So. I'm part of a women's Bible study that meets weekly at church, and last week, we took some time to share some of our favorite devotionals and books with one another. The whole session got me to thinking about what books I would recommend to someone who wants to study the Bible a bit more seriously than the average church-goer.

I grew up in church, and though I'm incredibly grateful for that background, for the most part, I was biblically illiterate by the time I got to college. Don't get me wrong. I knew the stories, and I even knew tons of verses by heart, but I didn't know a thing about Israel's history or how it played into the Bible's overall message. I didn't know anything about the exile, or the divided kingdom, or even the patriarchs for that matter. I knew the Roman Road, but I couldn't see the Big Picture of the Bible. I had never even heard the word covenant. I was clueless.

It was sitting in an Old Testament class at Mississippi State that Israel's story was first broken down for me. And it was in the New Testament class the next semester that I formed a picture of what the early church may have looked like. Those classes ignited within me a passion and hunger for reading, understanding, and teaching the Word of God to believers who may be a little on the clueless side (just like I was). 

Studying the Bible can be intimidating, to say the least. First of all, you have to figure out where to start, and once you get started, there's the problem of deciphering what in the world the text is saying. I promise that you don't have to go to seminary to understand what the Bible says—there are tons of books to help you with that. A good study Bible is always a helpful tool to help you understand what's going on, but if  you want to go a little deeper, then you're in luck. Here are five books to help you get started.

1. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (Fee & Stuart). I really can't recommend this book enough. It covers everything from the differences between translations to the various genres of literary forms used throughout the Bible. You wouldn't interpret the poetry of the Psalms in the same way that you would one of Paul's letters. This book teaches you the difference between the two and how to rightly handle each one. I highly, highly recommend this book.

2. A Survey of the Old Testament (Hill & Walton). We used this book in my Old Testament Survey classes at Beeson. It's not a book that you would read cover to cover, but it's a great reference tool. Let's say you're following a Bible reading plan that has you reading Ezekiel this month. That's a tough nut to crack, to say the least. So, you pull this book off the shelf and read the chapter on Ezekiel to give some context to your reading. It will give you a general idea of when the book was written and what was going on in Israel at that point in time. It will also give you an outline and introduce major themes that you'll find in the book. It's a super handy tool to keep on your shelf.

3. Old Testament Theology (House). Y'all. This book is a treasure. And I'm not just saying that because the author, Dr. Paul House, was one of my favorite professors in seminary. I'm saying it because it's the truth. If you want to learn more about the character of God as it is revealed in the Old Testament, this book is for you. In each chapter, Dr. House demonstrates how we can see a different aspect of God's character in the separate books of the the Old Testament. In Ezekiel, he is the God Who Is Present. In Isaiah, he is the God Who Saves. In Ecclesiastes, he is the God Who Defines Meaningful Living. You get the picture. Seriously. So good.

4. Encountering the New Testament (Elwell & Yarbrough). This is a great introductory text on the New Testament. We didn't use it in my seminary classes, but my New Testament professor referred to it often, and I purchased the book after I finished her class to keep for reference. This one is similar to the Hill & Walton book above, except it covers the New Testament. You'll learn about the authors of each book and when exactly it was written, as well as the major themes of each book and a basic outline. If you're studying 1 Corinthians, you can turn to the corresponding chapter and learn what the city of Corinth was like at the time Paul wrote the letter. And, bonus, this one is full of pretty pictures and maps. Great reference book to add to your collection.

5. Theology of the New Testament (Thielman). This one was written by another one of my favorite professors, Dr. Frank Thielman, and it's priceless. He does a fantastic job of looking at the historical situation of each book and then interpreting the theology of each one accordingly. It's a great theological introduction to the various books of the New Testament, as it highlights the major concerns of each book and helps you understand why it matters. It's a keeper, for sure.

Now that you have the lowdown on the books, there are a couple of things I want you to keep in mind. These books use big words sometimes. Words that aren't used very often outside of theological education. If it makes you feel any better, I spent my first semester of seminary looking up all sorts of words I didn't understand. So even though a dictionary isn't officially part of this list, I'd say you should keep one at hand to look up words like hermeneutics and exegesis and eschatology. Don't let the big words scare you off. You can do this. I promise.

Aside from the big words, some of these books also have big price tags. I wouldn't want to go out and buy them all at one time. Feel free to build your library slowly. If you're working your way through the Old Testament, just spring for the Old Testament books. But at the very least, please buy How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth. It's a game changer. I promise.

Until next time, grace and peace.

Morning Meditation: Our God is Able

Our church has been going through the book of Daniel on Sunday mornings. This week, Dr. Cooper preached on Daniel 3, and it's been on my mind ever since. It's one of those stories that those of us who were raised in the church have heard 100 times. You know it. Let me set the scene.

Israel has been sacked by the Babylonians, and the people have been dragged away from their homes and brought to Babylon, where they can be kept under the king's thumb. It's not a good time for the people of Israel. They've lost their homes, their land, and their temple, and the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, seems hell-bent on ripping away their faith as well.

In chapter 3, he has an enormous golden statue constructed and declares that everyone, even the freshly imported Jews, is required to bow before it. Anyone who refused would be put to death. Well. That made things a little difficult for the Jews. Worshiping idols is clearly against The Rules (aka the Ten Commandments) that God gave Moses. 

So the Jews had a choice. They could either bow down to the statue and live, or they could refuse and die. Enter Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, three Jewish youths who had already caused the king a bit of trouble. They refused to bow down. And for their insolence, the king sentenced them to death by fire. But before he had them tossed into the blazing furnace, he asked them who could possibly save them from their fiery fate.

And their answer. Y'all. It stops me in my tracks. Every. Single. Time. Standing before a king who had just ordered their death, the three boys answered: 

O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up. (Daniel 3:17-18)

Did you catch that? Faced with certain death, their faith in God was unwavering. They declared that He is able to rescue his people from the most dire of situations, but even if he does not, he is still a God who is worth believing in. 

God is able. Period. He is always able to rescue his people from the plights of the world. The hard part to swallow is that sometimes he chooses not to. Or at least, that's what it seems like. The cancer gets worse, despite our fervent prayers for healing. The marriage falls apart, despite our desperate cries for reconciliation. The miscarriages keep coming, despite our pleas to the contrary. 

And those problems, as serious as they are, are nothing compared to what our brothers and sisters are facing in the Middle East. ISIS continues to target believers and execute them for their refusal to stand down. Being a Christian in Syria is a death sentence. Literally. It's almost as if nothing has changed since Daniel's day.

And yet, God is still able. If there's one thing you cling to when you're facing the fire, let it be this: God is who he says he is. He will do what he says he will do. And his word promises deliverance for his people. We must be the kind of people who say, "My God can do anything. He is my deliverer. My very present help in trouble. My stronghold. My shield. My salvation. But even if he chooses not to act in this moment, I will still be faithful. I will still serve him. I will still believe." 

Because here's the thing. Sometimes God allows profound suffering because he has something greater in store. We don't have to look any further than the cross to know this is true. He isn't asking us to do anything He hasn't already done. He himself suffered. He himself died a brutal death, a death that was a necessary prequel to the Resurrection. Without the cross, there is no victory over death. There's no new life. There's no happy ending. There's no hope. 

So you see, God's story is bigger than ours. He knows what he's doing, even when we don't understand it. And he is mighty to save. Always. No matter the circumstances. He is able. How do I know that? Well, as it turns out, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego weren't alone in that fire. There was a fourth man in the furnace with them, and the three boys emerged unscathed.

That fourth man was Jesus. He was in the fire with those boys, and he's in the fire with us today. We may or may not emerge unscathed, but either way, we know that salvation has already come. Death no longer gets the last word because Jesus rose and conquered the grave. It has no hold on us who believe. And that's what gives us the confidence to stand before the world and refuse to bow down.

It's easy to say we believe these things outside the fire. To stand apart from the flames and declare our faith in God, but it's an altogether different thing to hold fast to that faith while the flames are licking at our toes. May we have the strength to stand firm when the flames flicker in the edges of our vision. And through it all, may the God of our salvation be glorified now and forever. Amen.

Until next time, grace and peace.

FREE Verse Card + New Collection Updates

Hello friend! How are you?? We're busy, busy, busy, but that's just the way of things when you've got a couple of little ones who are always on the move. Those two little ones are the reason it's been so long since you heard from me. I spent the summer chasing them all over the South (literally) and squeezing in some design time in the cracks and crevices that were left over.

Because life is so busy, sometimes it's hard to push the pause button and focus for just a few minutes on what God has to say. And yet, spending time in His presence is absolutely crucial to my well-being. It's not something I can afford to neglect. That's why I created the Dwell Collection. Each product has been specifically designed to help us draw near to the heart of God. There are journals and verse cards, and, God willing, there will also a handful of fun items like jewelry and mugs.

I'm so excited to share the results with you! If you follow me on Instagram (which, if you don't, you should), you've gotten a few peeks of the Dwell Journal, which is the heart and soul of the new line. At this point, I'm deep in the process of having the new collection produced, and I have my fingers crossed for a launch sometime in October. I'll keep you updated on the progress. 

In the meantime, I want to share a little freebie with you, my faithful readers. This print is actually one of the verse cards in the new collection. You can print it out on cardstock and frame it (as I did above), or write a message on the back and send it as a postcard. Print several and give them to friends, or tack one to your bulletin board as a reminder to praise the Lord. I pray that as you see the verse day in and day out, it will seep into your heart and mind, and before you know it, you'll have it memorized. Click here to download your free Psalm 150:6 art print.

I'll be in touch soon with more updates! Until then, grace and peace.