How to Read the Bible

From Promise to Person: Seeing Christ in Every Story.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash- “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” Matthew 6:33 — We don’t have to read the Bible. We get to read the Bible and enjoy an inexhaustible relationship.

I’ve often heard Jeremiah 29:11 declared over Christians walking through hardship. The beautiful lure of this verse—“For I know the plans I have for you…”—has brought comfort to countless believers. But it also raises an important question: Was this written to us, and can we claim it today?

Every page of Scripture carries God’s eternal heartbeat.
The Bible isn’t a random collection of verses or a manual for self-help.
For believers, it’s a revelation of an unchanging God who speaks, acts, and redeems across generations.

Paul understood that. He was a Pharisee of Pharisees, top in his class in understanding the Old Testament. And after Christ transformed him, he read the Old Testament not as knowledge or religion, but as a living revelation and relationship pointing straight to Jesus and shaping every believer who follows Him.

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”
—Romans 15:4

Paul isn’t just saying, Read the Bible.
He’s saying, Learn to see God in it.

---

So, How Do We Read It And Apply It?

1. The promises were for Israel; the character is for us.

Jeremiah 29:11 was given to Israel in exile.
But the God behind that promise—the One who restores, redeems, and never abandons His people—is the same God who reigns today.

• The context: seventy years in Babylon.

• The principle: God’s plans are redemptive even when we can’t see them.

• The character: faithful, good, and sovereign.

Paul’s logic in Romans 15:4 confirms this. We draw hope not by stealing Israel’s promises but by trusting the same unchanging God who made them.

What God revealed of Himself then, He still is now. And as Romans 8:28 declares, God, in His timing and will, works all things out for good—whether on earth or in heaven. Either way, for you and me, it ends with hope every time in the story of God.

2. Paul’s pattern: from story to Savior.

Paul doesn’t flatten Scripture into moral lessons—he connects it to Christ.

• Romans 15:3 – He quotes Psalm 69 about David’s suffering and applies it to Jesus: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” David’s pain pointed to Christ’s cross.

• 1 Corinthians 10:6 – He looks at Israel’s wilderness rebellion and says, “These things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil.” Their story becomes our warning.

• Galatians 3:6–9 – He shows Abraham’s faith wasn’t about nationality but trust. The same faith saves us through Christ today.

Every time Paul opens Scripture, he’s tracing God’s fingerprints—seeing Christ where others saw only commandments.

3. How to read scripture like Paul:

Paul gives us a divine blueprint:

1. Start with Context
   Who was this written to? What was happening in their world?

2. Look for God’s Character
   What does this reveal about His heart, holiness, and faithfulness?

3. See Christ in the Story
   How does Jesus fulfill, embody, or reveal the truth behind this passage?

4. Apply the Eternal Principle
   What does this mean for my faith, obedience, or hope today?

When you do this, you stop asking, “What does this mean to me?”
and start asking, “What does this reveal about God—and how can I live in light of it?”

4. The fruit of this approach:

When you read Scripture this way:

• Endurance grows because you see how God has always carried His people.

• Encouragement rises because you realize you’re part of the same story.

• Hope multiplies because the same God who was faithful then is faithful now.

That’s how Paul could say, “We rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
Hope wasn’t wishful thinking—it was rooted in the God of Scripture, proven by history, and revealed in Jesus.

---

Never Finished Challenge

1. Pick one Old Testament passage this week (Genesis 22, Psalm 23, or Isaiah 43).

2. Walk through the four steps: Context, Character, Christ Connection, Eternal Principle.

3. Write your takeaway as one sentence beginning with “Because God is ___, I can ___.”
   Example: Because God is faithful in exile, I can trust Him in uncertainty.

4. Please share it with your family, men’s group, or discipleship circle.

Let Scripture teach you endurance, fuel your encouragement, and anchor your hope.

---

What Does Today Say About God?

Known.

The Bible is not a book about us.
It’s an unchanging and inexhaustible book about God—and when we see Him clearly, we find ourselves rightly.

That’s what Paul understood.
That’s what Romans 15:4 calls us to.
That’s why every promise finds its “Yes” and “Amen” in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20).

What an Author!
What a Father!
What a Friend!

Thank you, Jesus!

How has God’s Word taught you lately?

---