The biggest frustration to understanding the Bible is trying to understand it. This thought may contradict our concept. We may think that when we read the Bible, the purpose is to understand it. There is certainly nothing wrong with understanding the Bible, but trying to understand it is a great mistake. We simply need to read the Bible; we do not need to try to understand it. The more we try to understand, the more we will not understand. There are two main ways of coming to the Bible: the way of eating and the way of reading. The way of eating, which we should practice especially in the morning, is to read and pray over a few verses. The way of reading, which we can practice in the afternoon or evening, is to read a few chapters. When coming to the Bible in the way of eating, we need to avoid exercising our mentality to understand what we read. This kind of exercise is a frustration to us. We simply need to come directly to the Bible and to God’s presence by reading, praying, and pray-reading. We should not allow any kind of hindrance or distraction to come in. We simply need to read and pray-read.
Many portions of the Bible are difficult to understand. The first seventeen verses of the New Testament, for example, are in this category. Therefore, many Bible readers tend to skip the first seventeen verses of Matthew. However, we should not skip over any portion of the Word. We do not need to try to understand everything in the Bible; we simply need to read it. When we finish reading through the Bible the first time, we should read it a second time, then a third and a fourth time. Although we may not understand a portion the first time we read it, we may understand it the second or the third time. Also, we may not understand or receive any light from a portion at the time we read it. However, we may receive light from that portion years after we read it. Sometimes light will come through a portion of the Word a few days after we read it. We do not know when the light will come. Through the shining of the light, we are supplied and strengthened. Often while we are fighting against the devil, a strengthening supply will come from a portion of the Word that we read months or years before. The Bible is a wonderful book. We simply need to read it. Whether or not we understand as we read does not mean much.
Some may argue that if understanding the Bible does not mean much, they do not need to read it. This is wrong. We need to read the Bible, but we do not need to try to understand it. If we try to understand, we often will not understand, but if we simply read, we cannot avoid understanding. As long as we read, we will understand something. We will never read the Bible in vain. We will always receive something spontaneously. What we receive does not depend on us or our effort. If we endeavor to understand something, we will be frustrated. As we read, what is given to us depends on the Lord and His timing. The timing is not in our hands but in His. We simply need to build up a habit to daily and hourly read the Word. Then the Lord will send us the proper help of light, life, cleansing, killing, and resurrecting at the proper time. If we practice to daily read and pray-read the Bible, we will see a positive change and much growth in life after only a few months. I hope that all the saints would practice this.