You finally have a new Bible before you and are excited to dig right in. But wait! There's one thing you should do before you start using your Bible: Read the introduction, preface and any other explanatory materials about the translation or study system. It may seem like dry reading, but there are often nuggets of information that will enhance your experience and pay off in the end.

What can you learn? Well, for one thing, translators often explain their goals of translation or reasons for the specific translation. Some even go so far as to give a very basic primer on Bible translation. You might also learn who the translators were or how they handled the translation of certain words.

Study Bibles present a whole different facet to Bible reading. A study Bible often has a concordance, maps, and an index in addition to certain features that make it different from other Bibles. Most study systems are intuitive: the study note at the bottom of the page coincides with the verse number referenced. But others, such as chain references, may require instructions.

After reading the accompanying informational and/or instructional articles, familiarize yourself with the features of your Bible. Get a feel for the contents of each one and determine how you can use them. Pay special attention to the location of any one or two page indexes. These are so easily overlooked, but are very helpful when looking for a particular article, table or picture within the text portion of your Bible.

Finally, use your Bible, taking advantage of everything it has to offer as the need arises. Only through practice can you become better acquainted with a Bible's layout, and only through reading the Word can you experience its riches.