Is It a Sin to Write in Your Bible? (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) | Daily Devotional & Bible Study

Today we face a question that stops a lot of us before we ever pick up a highlighter: is it wrong to write in my Bible? We look at what Deuteronomy 6 tells God's people to do with His words, why the words are holy but the paper is not, and how marking a page helps your brain stop skimming. I also share a simple, low-cost supply list for the color method week ahead.

"These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart." (Deuteronomy 6:6)

Questions this episode answers

Is it a sin to write in your Bible?

No. The words of Scripture are holy, but the printed paper is one copy of thousands. God's people honor His word by knowing it and living with it, and marking your Bible can help you do that.

What is the Shema in Deuteronomy 6?

The Shema is Deuteronomy 6:4-9, named for its first Hebrew word, which means hear. It calls God's people to love the Lord with all their heart, soul, and strength and to keep His words on their hearts, hands, and doorframes. Jesus quoted it as the greatest commandment.

Why does marking my Bible help me understand it?

When a passage is familiar, your eyes move while your brain fills in the rest. Putting a color on a word forces you to decide what that word is doing, so you have to slow down and actually read.

Timestamps

00:00 Where the color method came from

07:49 The words are holy, the paper is not

11:38 Deuteronomy 6 and the Shema

16:13 What Jesus criticized in Matthew 23

17:30 Shanan, the word that means to sharpen

19:08 Why marking breaks the habit of skimming

27:36 Can I just use the app on my phone?

29:36 What you actually need to get

Links

If learning to study Scripture for yourself excites you, Bible Study Live is a chance to open God's word together with a small group of women and see it come alive.

Bible Study Live is a small-group Bible study trip with Rachael Groll. Study Scripture where it happened in Rome, or slow down for a contemplative Bible study retreat in Maui. Dates and details at BibleStudyLive.org

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