Question: Sir: I would like to start studying the Bible. Do you have any suggestions that would help me get the most out of it?

Answer: I commend you for your noble desire. Peter urges, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious" (1 Peter 2:2). Perhaps the most important thing you could do is to plan time each day to devote to Bible study. An average reader can easily read the entire Bible in a year at the rate of thirty minutes per day. Also, I would encourage you to read the entire Bible through. Try to see "the big picture" of the story of God’s dealings with humankind, rather than attempting to grasp all the details as you go along. Reading the Bible in a reliable modern translation (such as the New Revised Standard Version, Today’s New International Version, etc.) is highly recommended. As you read, pray, as the Psalmist of old: "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law" (Psalm 119:18). Allow the word of God to be a lamp unto your feet and a light unto you path (Psalm 119:105).