Lent Devotion: Meditation, Day Two

Acts 8 (NIV) 30Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked.
31"How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
One of the most common excuses for not reading the Bible is, “I don’t understand it.” I agree it is very difficult to understand. There are unfamiliar terms. There are circumstances and life situations to which I can’t relate. Not many of us have ever pruned an olive tree or dressed a grape vine. Yet these are the discussions in the Bible. I’ve never dug a well or fought a battle with slings and arrows. I’ve been to a farmer’s market, but I doubt the sights, sounds and smells were anything like biblical times. I’ve never had to suffer through a famine or the oppression of an invading army, though people around the world do even today. So is there really anything in the Bible that can speak to me?
As the scripture listed above suggests, how can you really understand what is written unless someone helps you? The Bible is intended to be studied in community, with conversation partners. These partners take two forms, and both should be a part of your practice. The first is written. Many Bibles today have notes in the margins or at the bottom of each page that provide context to what we are reading. Commentaries on the books of the Bible are available for you to purchase, borrow, or check out at the library. These written partnerships will help you learn and understand.
The second form is real people who sit with you and help you make sense of what you read. You can study with an expert or a friend who is learning along with you. Find a Bible study to help you interpret what you read.