The Word Hand is a tool for remembering five key ways we can engage with God through the Bible: hear, read, study, memorise, meditate. The diagram could be used on a personal level or when teaching someone else.
Did you know that the Bible has been translated into more than 680 different languages, and the New Testament has been translated into at least another 1530 languages? Why is this book so important? God wants to communicate with you. The Bible is a personal book, with relevance for you and your life.
Hear
Jesus said, ‘Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock’ (Matthew 7:24). You can listen to the Bible when preachers preach it, or teachers teach it. You can also listen to the Bible online. Yet, within a day, most of us will forget what we hear. But hearing is a good start.
Study the Bible Hand diagram. Have you ever tried to balance a Bible using just your little finger? Try it. What else do you need to hold the Bible firmly in your hand, in your life?
Read
The Bible says, ‘Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near’ (Revelation 1:3). Reading the whole Bible, over time, is essential. Yet just hearing the Bible and reading it will only scratch the surface of God’s deep wisdom.
Try balancing a Bible using just your two smallest fingers. It might be possible if you stand perfectly still. Now try to run. What does the verse in Revelation 1:3 say must be added to hearing and reading?
Study
The Bible says, ‘Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth’ (2 Timothy 2:15). It is an amazing thing: you can be your best and do your best when you know God’s truth.
What does it mean to correctly handle truth? What would it look like if God’s Word was mishandled? What do you think would be the consequences?
Memorise
The Bible encourages us to know God’s Word. One day ‘Moses summoned all Israel and said: ‘Hear, Israel, the decrees and the laws I declare in your hearing today. Learn them and be sure to follow them’ (Deuteronomy 5:1). Memorising the Bible gives you a secure foundation in life. It enables you to recall God’s Word accurately in every situation.
Are there creative ways you can memorise God’s Word? How can you enable it to not only sit in your mind, but change your heart?
Meditate
God told one young leader, ‘Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; 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’ (Joshua 1:8). Meditation is essential in learning to live out a vibrant faith. Here are some suggestions on how to memorise and meditate:
1. Write out a verse and read it slowly. Emphasise different words or phrases, asking the Holy Spirit to lead you.
2. Ask questions about the verse. What does this mean to me? What is God saying?
3. Read the verses that come before and after the verse you have chosen. What is the context? What is the message you are hearing? Can you find any other verses that are similar?
4. Above all, ask God how you can APPLY the verse to your life.
Using the picture of the Word Hand, you will notice that you can hold the Bible using just your thumb and forefinger. If life is busy, these two aspects of the Bible Hand – memorising and meditating – are the ones that will impact you the most. Yet the fullest way to understand is to Hear, Read, Study, Memorise and Meditate.