It is 6:49 a.m., and I am lying in bed in a hotel room in Surulere, Lagos, Nigeria. I have awoken to the sound of a generator just outside my window, which rumbles like the engine of a lorry. It is still dark, and my entire family is still asleep and likely will be for a few more hours.
Since my daughter is asleep beside me, there’s not much I can do discreetly without waking her. I check the time on my phone as I reach for my water bottle and take a sip. 5:53 a.m. Chale! It’s early.
I pick up my phone and notice the Instagram app on my screen. I’m getting better at resisting the urge to mindlessly tap on it as soon as I unlock my phone. Congratulations, girl. Instead, I tap on Substack, but it takes ages to load. I swipe out of the app and tap on the Bible app instead. Ahh, now it feels like I’m doing the right thing. I relax into the bed and begin reading where I left off.
We’re at Numbers 12, a book I’ve never read in its entirety. I’m here only because my grandfather told me to check out verse 6, which talks about dreams and prophets.
Since my intention was to continue where I left off, I started reading from verse 6, silently praying in my heart for the Holy Spirit to teach me through the scriptures today.
As I read on, I became intrigued to find Moshe (Moses—I’m reading the Complete Jewish Bible (CJB), so the names are slightly different) featured in the book of Numbers.
I made a plan in my heart to create a reading plan that would allow me to truly study each book of the Bible, so I know them deeply—in both my head and my heart.
As I continued reading, I reached the end of the 12th chapter and found a whole paragraph written in Jewish script, which I couldn’t understand at all.
There were references to other books in the Bible, like Hebrews and John, and I remembered that Jewish synagogue teachings often cross-reference other passages that align or reiterate what has been read. So, I turned to the book of Hebrews.
And that is where I’ve decided to begin my Bible study: in Hebrews. I am passionate about understanding God’s standards in a world built upon worldly standards. I share more about this on my Substack, where I write about my Christian lifestyle as a Woman of God, why and how I’m raising godly children, and what it means to be a godly wife in a culture that opposes godly living at every turn.
Hebrews 3:10–11 says:
“That is why I was disgusted with that generation. I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray. They have not understood how I do things.’ And in my anger, I swore they would not enter my rest.”
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. If we have not understood how He does things, we will learn. And we will enter His rest!
So… my aim with this Bible study series is to explore each book of the Bible, allowing the Word to teach me. I’ll start with a desire to understand how God does things and build from there. I’ll continue reading the CJB, researching the meanings of Jewish terms as I encounter them, and exploring the recommended cross-references.
The best part? I’ll finally document all my study right here on this blog.
I learn best—and enjoy myself more—when I take notes, so I take notes constantly on paper. But I also love, love, love to share what I learn. My hope is to build a community of people who are excited by scripture, the deeper meanings of words, and the wonderful ways the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) teaches us when we ask.
I am absolutely stoked to begin this journey.
Woman of God Bible Studies on the Blog: Come and be a part of this movement. Let’s allow scripture to teach us and share what we learn along the way.
January is the month where I seek God more intentionally than I did throughout all of last year. That’s why I’m also listening to The Bible in One Year on Spotify with Nicky and Pippa Gumbel. It’s brilliant! If you’d like to join, you can find it here: Bible in One Year on Spotify.
Woman of God 