Is the Bible Too Hard?

Our oldest son just turned 8.  We were excited when he finished his math worksheet and said, "Tomorrow I want to do more like this. I like them."  That wasn't always his response to schoolwork.  In fact, when he first started school he struggled with grasping concepts and did not like it very well.  Now that he "gets it," his schoolwork has become fun.  
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I did fairly well in school- except for gym class.  I later found out that when most people look at a moving ball, they literally see where it is going to be in a few seconds, allowing them to catch it easier.  When I look at a moving ball, I actually see where it is really at, thus making it much more difficult for me to catch it.  The gym teacher kept telling me to keep my eye on the ball, but had he known my condition, he should have told me to keep my eye in front of the ball.  I was well into adulthood before I actually figured that out.  Although I am still not that good at sports, they are much more enjoyable now that I understand the challenges and have the tools to help overcome them.
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Although it can be fun and exhilarating to face a challenge, it is not as much fun if there is little to no hope of success.  I recently heard a New Year's challenge to read the Bible. The pastor making the challenge to his congregation recognized that there were parts of the Bible that were more difficult to read than others.
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Too many people get discouraged and give up too soon. Please don't give up. It may appear that the Bible is too hard to read, but it is kind of like math homework.  If you get a few basic concepts down, the rest of it will make much more sense.  
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First, we must recognize that the Bible is a compilation of 66 different books that are divided into two sections- the Old and New Testaments.  The Old Testament was written before Jesus was born, died on the cross and rose from the dead.  The New Testament was written after these significant events.  With that in mind, we must realize that God's expectations for the Hebrew people before the cross were laid out in the law of Moses.  Old Testament books like Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy record these laws in detail.  
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These laws were important in showing man that he could not do all that God expected.  The Apostle Paul called them a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.  Galatians 3:24-25 says, "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster."  Christians therefore are not under the law of Moses, because of their faith is in Jesus Christ.  That is why Christians do not have to obey all the rules laid out in the Old Testament.
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This does not mean that the Old Testament isn't still important.  By studying it we are able to learn a lot about God and His interactions with man.  In addition to the law, the Old Testament has beautiful poetry, history, as well as prophecy.  Much of the prophecy concerns the coming of Jesus Christ.  
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The New Testament is made up of 27 books. These books can be divided into the Gospels (they tell of the life and ministry of Jesus), early church history (the book of Acts), letters to churches and individuals, and prophecy.
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The individual books of the Bible are divided into chapter and verse simply to make them easier to study.  These were not part of the original Bible. Realizing that the Bible can be kind of intimidating, I like to start out with a Bible study just in the book of John. This allows the “student” to get used to the chapter and verse divisions without having to find a number of different books. If you are interested in a 4 lesson study in the Gospel of John, please contact me at jdpastor@yahoo.com.