Monday
Open: God, meet me in Your Word today. I want to see You for myself.
Read: Read 2 Timothy 2:15 — 'Study to shew thyself approved… rightly dividing the word of truth.'
This year you will learn something very valuable: how to study the Bible for yourself. And it starts with today's verse, 2 Timothy 2:15: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." Paul is writing to a young man named Timothy, and he tells him to STUDY God's Word — not just glance at it, but work at understanding it. Notice the word "workman." Studying the Bible is like work that takes real effort and skill, as a carpenter learns to handle his tools well. Paul says to handle God's Word "rightly," meaning correctly and carefully, so you understand what God actually means. Here is why this matters so much for you now. You are getting older, and your faith needs to become truly YOURS, not just something you inherited from your parents. That happens as you learn to open the Bible and understand it yourself. The very first skill in Bible study is called OBSERVE — before you decide what a passage means, you slow down and carefully notice what is actually there: who is speaking, what is happening, where, and when. Most readers rush; a careful student observes. Today, practice observing. Look at 2 Timothy 2:15 slowly and write down the who, what, and where you notice in the verse itself with patient, focused, and careful attention today.
Talk about:
- What does Paul say to do? (Study God's Word!)
- What's step one? (Observe carefully!)
Remember: "Study to shew thyself approved unto God" (2 Timothy 2:15).
Pray: God, teach me to study Your Word carefully for myself.