"Do you understand what you are reading?"

Acts 8:30

This is a question teachers ask a pupil, particularly if they have a quizzical look on their face. It may be a Primary pupil with a book slightly above their reading level and some of the words are ‘just too big to understand!’. Or it might be a Senior pupil grappling with some difficult new content in a text book. And so the question ‘Do you understand what you are reading’ is such a welcomed question from the teacher!

In Acts 8, the Ethiopian Eunuch would have felt exactly the same way. He was reading a passage from Isaiah 53 and really had no idea what that scripture meant. Providentially, God sent Philip on the same road and as Philip overheard the Eunuch reading this passage he asked ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’.

“How can I, the Eunuch responded, unless someone explains it to me?” (v 31). And so Philip sat with the Eunuch to explain the scripture and the good news of the Messiah.

Parents, I am sure you have helped your children to read books, explaining certain words that are new to them. But have you sat down with your children to help them understand God’s Word? Do you set aside regular times in the week where you encourage your children to read the Bible, and ask them, “Do you understand what you are reading?”. What a beautiful question to ask and one that will provoke some wonderful conversations about the majesty of God, and the good news of the gospel.

It is good to ask questions, not as an inquisition but to create an inquisitive mind in your children. A mind shaped by understanding what they are reading in God’s Word.

God Bless

Richard Vanderpyl
Principal