Now What?

• Read through the Bible in a year. This is a very structured way to study and it and teaches the discipline of reading every day and draws from the various areas of Scripture every day. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work well for me because I can’t stay on track. If I read a passage that reminds me of a verse somewhere else, off I go. 
• Word study. With a good concordance, you can search for one word. That’s a good way to meet a specific need. I did a word study on fear during a time of suffering. By the time I’d read, “Be not afraid,” a few dozen times, my faith was stronger. Once, I did one on “but.” That was a strange one. I did learn a lot about myself and my relationship to God.
• Topical study. This is one of my favorites. I have a Nave’s Topical Bible and I can’t live without it! Choose a characteristic of God that ministers to you in your situation, or a specific need you have, like peace or joy. As you work through this topic, God will pull you closer to Him and assure you of His love.
• Just start reading. Choose a book you love – Psalms, one of the gospels, one of Paul’s letters – and read it through, applying its truths to your life. Once, when I was particularly doubting my ability as an author, I studied Paul’s letters to Timothy. The encouragement Paul gave to Timothy gave me the courage to keep going.