Part of effective Bible study is selecting the right Bible. Sometimes people struggle with Bible study simply because the language is too difficult, the font is too small or they don’t know how to interact with their Bible. Thinking through these practical issues will bear spiritual results:

- Select a translation that you can trust and understand. There are a variety of Bible translations to select from. Some are easier to read, but less accurate. Others are very accurate, but sound like Shakespeare. You want a translation that you can understand, but also be confident in it's accuracy. I recommend the New American Standard Bible, the New International Version or the English Standard Version.

- Select a Bible that you can interact with. Some people like to underline, circle and highlight so they use a physical, paper Bible, with wide margins to write notes. Others want to be able to click on a word and research the original languages, so they use an app on their phone or tablet. I prefer a physical Bible with thick enough paper and wide enough margins to make notes, but I also rely heavily on the Literal Word app if I need a word defined.

- Have more than one Bible! I have one Bible for preaching (large font with minimal footnotes-I want to be able to find the passage quickly, without distraction), one Bible for devotional study (thick paper, wide margins for notes), one Bible for travel (smaller, rugged cover, small font) and one Bible for study (NASB Study Bible with LOTS of notes).

- Select a font size that you can read. This may sound unspiritual, but many people grow weary of Bible study just because the font is too small or crammed together. I've seen Bibles range from 5.5pt (very small) font to giant font. Generally, the smaller the Bible, the smaller the font. At 38 years old I've found that I like 9pt font or higher for reading.

- Buying a Bible is like buying a pair of pants. You need one that fits you, and it's ok to have more than one.