It's time to dump your fears revolving around the most published, translated and read book in human history, the Bible. I'm here to help you. So let's get right into it.
The Bible is actually 66 smaller books rolled into one volume. It is broken into 2 sections. The Old Testament, which is the stuff that happened before Jesus came, and the New Testament, which are the things that happened since Jesus came.
Every book of the Bible is divided into chapters. Each chapter is divided into verses. This is how we find our way around the Bible.
When I write Psalms 119:105 (the 'P' is silent. it's pronounced "salms")
I mean the Book of Psalms, Chapter 119 and Verse 105.
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalms 119:105)
So now when you see Christians posting John 3:16 everywhere you know they are referring to the Book of John, Chapter 3, Verse 16.
Easy. Let's move on. 👉
What Translation to Use
And there are OODLES of them! Many are ‘not fit for human consumption’.
If you speak English go for the
NIV (New International Version)
or
NKJV (New King James Version)
No doubt later you will wish to try other versions but for now, pick a version and stick to it for a while. The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew and the New Testament was originally written in Greek and dealing with all the different translations can lead to a lot of confusion in the beginning.
If English isn't your first language, then there IS a version in your language. If you have access to the internet then you have access to a Bible in your language of choice.
Entire Bibles can be Downloaded for FREE from any app store.❗️(How great is that?) 😃
Where to Begin Reading
I'm going to do an odd thing and tell you NOT to begin at the beginning of this book. You should begin in the book of Matthew, which is at the beginning of the New Testament. It tells the story of the life of Jesus. It is followed by the books of Mark, Luke and John, who were also witnesses of the things Jesus did. And just like witnesses in a court of law, you can get to the truth of what really happened through their testimonies.
Then proceed to the following book, which is called the book of Acts. It tells the stories about the first Christians.
The remainder of the New Testament is a bunch of letters written by Christians to teach and encourage each other.
After you read these first 5 books I've recommended, then you can continue your reading anywhere you wish. 🤷♀️ You can go back and start at the beginning and read the book of Genesis and it will make a whole lot more sense to you than if you had started there right out of the gate.
I would also recommend that you don't listen to other people tell you what they think the Bible says or read a bunch of commentary on it just yet. There is a time and place for Bible teachers (plug for myself because I am one 😉), but for now, just read it for yourself.
Remember, ☝️ I started reading the Bible when I was only 9 years old and, although I didn't understand a lot of it (and I still don't), I understood most of it and you will too. 🙂
Like a draught of fresh air in a stuffy room or a cold drink filled with ice on one of those blistering hot days, the more you get of the Bible the more you will want.
Enjoy.
“Let's get into it!” 🫠
The Truth with Love,
Always Laura-Lee
🌸🌿🌸🌿🌸
Here's a little something extra for those of you who scrolled to the bottom. The book of PSALMS is actually a bunch of songs. Basically the pop songs of the day. The words were written down but the tunes didn't survive the centuries.
It is encouragement off the charts and boy don't we need that these days! The book of Psalms can be found really easily. It's smack-dab in the middle of the Bible. If you are reading the Bible in PAPER form (which I highly recommend but not essential at this time), then you just flip it open to the center and (Boom!) there are the Psalms.
Easy-Peasy. Not scary at all. 🤷♀️☺️
LINK "Thy Word" (Lyric Video) 🎶
