what i wish someone had told me about reading the old testament
still remember the first time I tried to read the Old Testament all the way through.
I thought it would feel like a grand adventure... a sweeping story with heroes and miracles and clear lessons. Instead, I found myself tangled up in names I couldn’t pronounce, wars I couldn’t keep track of, and long, wandering laws that made my eyes blur.
I put my Bible down more times than I can count. And each time, I felt a little more like I had failed.
If you’ve ever felt that way, I just want to say...
you’re not failing.
You’re not broken.
And you’re definitely not alone.
I wish someone had sat beside me back then and told me these few things. Maybe it would have made the road feel a little less lonely.
it’s okay if you don’t understand everything at once
I used to think real Christians could just open the Old Testament and know what was going on. That they read Leviticus like it was a favorite novel, and I was the only one lost in the wilderness.
But the truth is... nobody understands everything at once.
I remember getting stuck in Numbers, reading about census lists and tribal divisions, and thinking, Lord, how is this supposed to change my life?
It’s okay to move slowly. It’s okay to get confused. It’s okay to not "feel" something every time you turn a page.
God isn’t grading you. He’s just inviting you to stay close.
it’s not just about history — it’s about people
For a long time, the Old Testament felt like a textbook to me. Dates, kings, battles, rules. Dry facts with no heart.
It wasn’t until years later — after grief had sat with me for a while — that I realized these were real people.
Ruth wasn’t just a name in a love story.
She was a woman who lost everything and still chose kindness.
David wasn’t just the boy with the slingshot.
He was a broken, complicated man who knew how it felt to be terrified and alone.
Elijah wasn’t just a fiery prophet.
He was someone who wanted to give up... who sat under a broom tree and begged God to let him die.
When you start reading the Old Testament with your heart open to the people, not just the history, it feels different. It feels like you’re reading about yourself sometimes.
the old testament points to jesus, even when it’s hard to see
I wish someone had told me this earlier.
I spent years thinking the Old Testament was the "before part" and the New Testament was where the good stuff started.
But the truth is... Jesus is everywhere, even in the shadows.
In the lambs sacrificed for sins.
In the longing for a good king who would never fail.
In the promises whispered through the prophets when everything looked hopeless.
Reading the Old Testament is like standing at the foot of a mountain, seeing the storm clouds gather, not knowing yet that sunrise is coming.
Jesus is the sunrise.
it’s okay to need help
I used to feel guilty for using study notes. Like if I couldn’t figure it out on my own, I wasn’t faithful enough.
But faith isn’t a solo climb. It’s a hand-in-hand walk.
Ask questions. Use tools. Read slowly. Talk to people.
There’s no shame in saying, I don’t understand this. Can you help me see it?
God doesn’t love us less when we struggle to understand His Word. He just loves us through it.
I still laugh when I think about the first time I tried to read 1 Chronicles and gave up halfway through the genealogy. I ended up baking cookies instead and praying that God would somehow count that as devotion.
Maybe He did.
The Old Testament isn’t easy. It’s messy and complicated and sometimes heavy.
But it’s also where the deepest threads of God’s faithfulness are woven.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t quit.
If you’re feeling lost, keep reading.
If you’re feeling tired, rest... and come back when you can.
The Old Testament is not here to scare you. It’s here to show you that God has always been writing a story of redemption... even in the hardest chapters.
And if you keep walking through it — slowly, imperfectly, tearfully if you have to —
you’ll find yourself somewhere inside those pages.
I promise.
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