“study to shew thyself approved unto god, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
— 2 timothy 2:15, kjv

there was a time when opening my bible felt more like something i was supposed to do than something i genuinely wanted to do.

i would read a few verses.

highlight something that sounded pretty.

maybe post it on my story.

close my bible.

and if i’m being completely real… sometimes i had absolutely no idea what i had just read. 😭

i loved god, but the bible felt intimidating.

there were names i couldn’t pronounce, stories i didn’t understand, laws that confused me, and passages that felt like they had absolutely nothing to do with my life.

meanwhile, i would hear pastors explain scripture and think:

how did they get all of that from those few verses?? 😭

i thought maybe i wasn’t spiritual enough.

maybe i wasn’t smart enough.

maybe understanding scripture was something reserved for pastors, theologians, and people who had been reading the bible their entire lives.

but eventually, i realized something that completely changed the way i approached scripture:

the problem wasn’t that i couldn’t understand the bible.

the problem was that i had never been taught how to read it. 🤍

i was treating the bible like a textbook 📚

for the longest time, i thought reading the bible meant starting at genesis 1 and somehow making it all the way to revelation without getting confused.

so i would read chapter after chapter trying to absorb as much information as possible.

and eventually?

my eyes were reading but my brain was somewhere else entirely. 😭

or i would do what i like to call bible roulette.

feeling sad?

open psalms.

need advice?

open proverbs.

going through heartbreak?

search “bible verses about relationships.”

and while there is nothing wrong with turning to scripture in those moments, there is so much more waiting for us when we understand the bigger story.

the bible isn’t just a collection of inspirational quotes.

it is one connected story.

and the center of that story is jesus. 🤍

the bible wasn’t all written to you — but it was all written for you

this was one of the biggest mindset shifts for me.

not every instruction in scripture is directly addressed to us.

when god told noah to build an ark, he was speaking to noah.

you do not need to go to home depot tomorrow and start building a massive boat in your backyard. 😭

but the story is still for us.

noah found grace in the eyes of god.

god provided a way of salvation.

and the ark becomes this beautiful picture of refuge and rescue.

in the same way, jesus becomes our place of safety.

our salvation is not found in our ability to save ourselves.

it is found in him. 🤍

that is why context matters.

who is speaking?

who are they speaking to?

what is happening historically?

and most importantly:

what does this teach me about god, his character, his promises, and ultimately jesus?

scripture is constantly pointing us back to jesus ✝️

jesus himself said:

“search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”
— john 5:39, kjv

the scriptures testify about him.

the old testament prepares the way for him.

the prophets speak of him.

the sacrifices foreshadow him.

the promises find their fulfillment in him.

the gospels reveal him.

the letters teach us how to live because of what he has done.

the bible isn’t primarily a story about us trying harder to become better people.

it is the story of a savior coming for people who could never save themselves.

and that changes everything. 🤍

stop reading every verse asking, “what does this say about me?”

this one convicted me.

because it is so easy to make ourselves the center of scripture.

“what does this verse say about my purpose?”

“what does this mean for my relationship?”

“what does this promise mean for my future?”

and those questions can absolutely have a place.

but before asking what scripture says about you, ask what it reveals about god.

because the bible was never meant to make us obsessed with ourselves.

it was meant to make us fall more in love with him. 🥹

people often use scripture to point to self.

scripture is supposed to point us to our savior.

different s’s. 🤍

even “study to shew thyself approved” points beyond our performance

2 timothy 2:15 says:

“study to shew thyself approved unto god…”

and at first glance, it can almost sound like:

study enough so god will finally approve of you.

but that would contradict the gospel.

our acceptance before god is not earned because we read enough chapters, prayed enough prayers, or had the perfect quiet time routine.

our confidence is found in christ.

jesus carried our shame.

jesus took our sin.

jesus gives us righteousness we could never earn for ourselves.

so studying scripture is not about trying to convince god to love us.

it is about knowing the god who already demonstrated his love for us through christ. 🤍

the more we know him, the more our minds are renewed.

our identity changes.

our heart posture changes.

our faith grows.

and slowly, we stop living like people trying to earn love…

and start living like people who know they are already beloved. 🥹🤍

and yes — that word matters deeply to us here.

this is the heart behind beloved beauty 🤍

beloved beauty has never just been about skincare, perfume, lip oils, journals, or pretty packaging.

as much as we love all of those things 😭🤍

the heart of beloved has always been deeper:

you are known.
you are loved.
you are beloved by god.

but the only way we truly begin to understand who we are is by first understanding who he is.

beauty culture constantly tells us to look inward.

improve yourself.

reinvent yourself.

fix yourself.

become prettier.

become more successful.

become more desirable.

scripture invites us into something completely different.

look to jesus.

know him.

abide in him.

let him transform you from the inside out. 🌿

because real beauty was never supposed to begin in the mirror.

it begins in the heart.

“whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning… but let it be the hidden man of the heart.”
— 1 peter 3:3–4, kjv

we love beauty here.

we believe femininity is beautiful.

taking care of yourself can be beautiful.

getting ready can be beautiful.

wearing a perfume that makes you feel put together can be beautiful. 🤭✨

but none of those things were ever meant to tell you your worth.

your worth was settled long before you looked in the mirror this morning.

jesus already showed you what you were worth to him at the cross. 🤍

how to start reading the bible differently 📖✨

the next time you open your bible, you don’t need a theology degree.

you don’t need the perfect study routine.

and you definitely don’t need twelve different coloured highlighters. 😭

start with a few simple habits:

1. ask, “what does this teach me about god?” 🤍

before asking what a passage means for your life, pay attention to what it reveals about his character.

is he faithful?

holy?

merciful?

patient?

just?

loving?

what is the passage showing you about him?

2. ask, “how does this connect to jesus?” ✝️

sometimes the connection is direct.

sometimes it is through a prophecy, pattern, promise, sacrifice, covenant, or theme.

and sometimes the passage simply helps you understand why humanity needs a savior in the first place.

not every verse is a secret metaphor about jesus, but all of scripture ultimately fits within the story that finds its fulfillment in him.

3. read the verses around the verse 👀

context is everything.

before putting a verse on your lock screen, read what happens before and after it.

who wrote it?

who were they writing to?

why?

you would never open a random text message halfway through someone else’s conversation and assume you knew exactly what was happening.

scripture deserves that same care.

4. let scripture explain scripture 📖

when something confuses you, don’t immediately build an entire belief around one verse.

look for other passages that speak about the same topic.

the clearer parts of scripture can help us understand the harder ones.

5. read slowly 🤍

you do not get extra points for reading ten chapters instead of one.

some days, one verse that you truly sit with can transform you more than rushing through twenty pages.

this isn’t a race.

you’re building a relationship.

your quiet time doesn’t need to look perfect ☕️📖

this is something we want every beloved girl to know.

your time with god does not need to look like the pinterest version of christianity.

you do not need the aesthetic bible.

the perfect journal.

the expensive highlighters.

the candle.

the matcha.

the sunrise.

and the spotless cream-coloured bedroom.

we obviously love a beautiful quiet-time moment over here 🤭🤍

but the accessories should never become the point.

our journals, candles, study cases, and rituals are meant to create space for what actually matters:

meeting with god.

your bible can be falling apart.

your handwriting can be messy.

you can show up confused.

you can ask questions.

you can reread the same chapter five times.

you can tell god, “i genuinely do not understand what this means.”

he is not intimidated by your questions.

keep seeking him.

the goal isn’t just to finish the bible

it’s to know the one the bible reveals. 🤍

that changed everything for me.

i stopped treating scripture like another christian task to complete.

i stopped measuring whether my quiet time was “good enough” based on how many pages i read.

i started opening scripture with a different prayer:

“jesus, show me who you are.”

and little by little, the bible stopped feeling like random disconnected stories.

i started seeing the thread.

grace.

redemption.

sacrifice.

covenant.

rescue.

love.

jesus.

always jesus. ✝️

so if the bible has ever felt confusing to you, don’t give up.

you are allowed to learn.

you are allowed to ask questions.

you are allowed to start slowly.

open your bible today.

read a few verses.

look at the context.

ask what it reveals about god.

ask how it fits into the larger story of redemption.

and most importantly…

look for jesus. 🤍

because the purpose was never simply to become someone who knows more scripture.

it is to become someone who knows him.

and the more you know him, the more you begin to understand who you are too:

known.

chosen.

loved.

and forever beloved. 🤍✨

with love,
beloved beauty

you are known. you are loved.
isaiah 43:1 🤍