You Can Understand the Bible

How many of you have had the experience of sitting down to read the Bible, working through a chapter or two or three, and then wondering, How I am ever going to understand this?

I certainly have, and I’m sure a lot of you have too (maybe even this morning). And it’s hard, isn’t it, to keep getting up extra early and setting aside time when you’re not convinced you’ll even be able to make sense of what you see.

Well, with these next few minutes, I want to try and rebuild our courage and confidence as a church for the moments when we open God’s word. And to do that, I want to give you just one verse from the apostle Paul, 2 Timothy 2:7:

"Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything."

It’s one of my favorite verses in the Bible — why? Because it’s a verse that gives us hope for understanding every other verse in the Bible.

I want you to see three things in this verse. First, understanding is possible.

“Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.”

In other words, I know some of what I am writing here won’t make sense to you immediately, and you’ll be tempted to think you cannot understand it — but you can. So don’t give up too easily. Don’t assume this is above you. When you read, assume that God can make this clear to you — yes, even you.

And not just some of it, not just your favorite verses in Psalms or John or Romans, but all of it:

“Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.”

Understanding is possible.

Second, understanding is possible because God gives it.

“Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.”

On our own, we can’t understand the Bible. If God leaves us alone when we read, it wouldn’t be worth getting up early, and pouring more hours in, and pressing through difficult verses and chapters. We would search and ask and wrestle in vain. But if it’s God who will makes things clear for us, then he can overcome our limitations and blind spots. You can understand the Bible because God gives understanding. And he’s not just over your shoulder when you read; no, he’s inside of you — in your eyes, your mind, your heart, showing you what you’d never see on your own.

Lastly, because God gives understanding to people like us, be willing to slow down and think harder. This understanding doesn’t float down from the clouds and land softly on our heads. No, God gives the gift of understanding through the hard work of reading well. The verse demands almost as much as it promises:

“Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.”

This won’t come easily, Timothy. You can’t do this on your own, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have to work for it.

So, when you open your Bible this afternoon or tomorrow morning or later this week (or when you listen to a sermon on Leviticus in 10 or 15 minutes), think hard over what you read, ask God to make it clear to you — and not just clear, but compelling, beautiful, satisfying, life-altering — and then trust that he will give you understanding.