Reach into Your Time Pockets for Bible Study...Continued from page 2

When you can't read, meditate. During downtime when it's not practical to have the Bible open in front of you to read - such as when you're driving and stuck in a traffic jam or when you're doing laundry at home - put the time to use by meditating on a Bible verse you've recently read. Recite the verse in your mind and ponder its meaning. You may even want to use the time you spend lying in bed before you fall asleep for this purpose. Rather than letting your mind wander, focus your thoughts on a specific Bible verse and enjoy the new insights you receive as you reflect on it.  Remember Joshua 1:8's urging: "Do not let this Book of Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.  Then you will be prosperous and successful."

Keep a Bible study journal. Use the notebook and pen you're carrying with you to record your impressions of what you're studying in the Bible. Write down your prayers to God regarding what you're reading. Also write down any new thoughts God sends you in response to those prayers. Record both your fresh insights into the Scriptures and the ways you sense God leading you to apply those Scriptures to your life.

Look for ways your own life reflects the truth of what you're studying in the Bible. Each day, keep in mind the Scripture verses you've been studying lately, and notice when those verses are illustrated through your own experiences. For example, if you've recently been studying the book of Luke and come across birds eating in your backyard or in a park, you can recall Luke 12:24: "Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!" Then, as you watch the birds eating the food God has provided for them, thank God for all He has given you and decide to trust Him more. Or, if you've been studying the story of Jesus' visit to Mary and Martha's house in Luke 10:38-42, let it remind you to catch yourself when you let urgent things distract you from more important things.

Be persistent. Remember that it's always worthwhile to keep studying the Bible however you can, because, " ... faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17).