Do you read the Bible every day? What about maybe 3 days a week? Do you only read it when you are at church? I know of a number of people who leave their Bibles at the church building where they attend. While some may have other Bibles they use during the week, it is often a sign that they do not read at all during the week. Does that describe you?

Getting on a regular schedule for reading your Bible is very important. The main reason is that few of us are disciplined enough to read the Bible every day if we do not have some sort of schedule to follow. Another great reason is that it can take you through the Bible faster than you probably would have read without a schedule.

The Old Testament was the law of God for the Israelites. In Deuteronomy 4:44 and 5:1, Moses makes it clear that the law was for the 12 tribes of Israel. It was not for any other people, except that some laws applied to those who would live with the Israelites (Numbers 15:29). So the questions comes up, “Why should I study the Old Testament?”

Much of the Old Testament was written as poetry. This includes pieces of the historical books (songs that were sung), many books of prophecy, and the books that are generally known as books of Poetry (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon). To understand what is being said, we must know something about poetry.

There are passages in the Bible that are difficult to understand. We have been running into many of them in the men’s class. Passages that talk about predestination or God punishing children for their father’s sin can be difficult. The truth is that different passages will be more or less difficult for different people.

The purpose of reading the Bible must not simply be for knowledge. It must be to give us the understanding we need to please God in what we do. We must apply what we learn — do what it says. But there are some important things to consider in making application from the Bible to your life. How Can I Know If What I Am Reading Applies to Me? The Bible was written for all people, with instructions to both old and young, both rich and poor, both men and women.