How Is Studying the Bible Different From Reading It? (Psalm 105:15) | Daily Devotional & Bible Study

Today we start Bible Study 101 by asking what it means to actually study Scripture, not just read it. We look at research on how well Christians know the Bible, and at how Psalm 105:15 has been pulled out of context to shield leaders from hard questions. Learning to study for yourself is how you come to know God's voice and notice when something doesn't sound like Him.

"Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm." (Psalm 105:15)

Questions this episode answers

What is the difference between reading and studying the Bible?

Reading is moving through the words. Studying is slowing down to ask what a passage meant, who it was written to, and what it shows about God. Many of us read a chapter and can't remember it by lunch, and simple study tools help the words take root.

What does do not touch My anointed ones mean?

In context, Psalm 105:15 is about God protecting His vulnerable people as they wandered among the nations. It is not a rule that keeps pastors from being questioned. Pulling one verse out of its paragraph to support an agenda is called cherry picking.

How do I learn to recognize God's voice?

The same way you know a loved one's voice on the phone, by spending time with it. As you study what God has said and done in Scripture, you learn His character. Then you can test what you hear against His Word.

Timestamps

00:00 Why Bible Study 101 comes before Luke and Acts

02:36 Most Americans are biblically illiterate

04:40 What the research says

07:05 How Scripture gets used to manipulate people

08:24 What do not touch My anointed ones really means

11:32 Why there is no licensing board for pastors

14:54 How to recognize God's voice

23:12 What you'll need to get started

Links

As we get ready to study Luke and Acts, I'd love for you to join Bible Study Live in Rome, where our small group of women visits a room connected by tradition to Luke's house.

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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