Chapter
20
Know "How?" to study your Bible
....come HUNGRY & THIRSTY for MORE OF GOD in your life
What gives God joy and a smile?
Isn't it when our hearts desire to know Him more, ....to seek Him.
We want to be with Jesus, ....as He wants to be with us.
With MY WHOLE HEART I have sought You;
Let me not wander from Your commandments!
Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.
Blessed are You, O Lord!
Teach me Your statutes (TRUTHS).
I will meditate on Your precepts (TRUTHS),
And contemplate Your ways.
I will delight myself in Your statutes (TRUTHS);
I will not forget Your word.
— Ps 119:10-12 NKJV, Ps 119:15-16 NKJV
So, ...how does God teach us His TRUTHS?
He has not left us guessing....
“This is the new covenant I will make (through Jesus Christ) with my people on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws (TRUTHS, see John 8:31-32) in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.”
— Hebrews 10:16 NLT
How does God "put His laws" in our hearts and minds? He pours spiritual TRUTH into us, ....as we ACTIVELY ENGAGE with Him (John 8:31-32), ....eating the "Bread of Life" and drinking "Living Water" ....from God's Holy Word.
Come hungry, thirsty....
....if you honestly want to know Him more....
Jesus said, "I am the bread of life (TRUTHS IN HIS WORD). Whoever comes to me will never be hungry (spiritually) again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty (spiritually)."
— John 6:35 NLT
....and....
Explaining spiritual truth, Jesus said, "Whoever drinks the water that I give him will never be thirsty again. The water (TRUTHS IN HIS WORD) that I give him will become in him a spring of (LIVING) water (satisfying his thirst for God) welling up (continually flowing, bubbling within him) to eternal life".
— John 4:14 AMP
As we "eat" the Bread of Life (seeking spiritual nourishment from God's Word), ....as we "drink" Living Water (seek satisfying refreshment from God's Word)....
....we grow spiritually in hearts and minds ....AS WE EXPERIENCE KNOWING GOD....
We must be genuine, honest in WHO WE ARE and THE WAY WE LIVE. We must HUNGER for God's Word to know Him more. ....We must THIRST for living righteously for His approval. ....GOD SEES, ....KNOWS, ....and SATISFIES us with His joy, peace, hope. ....God COMPETES us with His loving presence in our lives!
....THIS is "How?" we start studying!
Make your Bible study personal....
An online search for "How to study the Bible" gives an abundant list of websites to visit for helpful suggestions on studying God's Word. Lots of good stuff to consider, ....too much to talk about here. ....So, let me give you 3 suggestions....
Choose a Bible Translation you enjoy reading.
There are several English language versions from which you can choose. In writing style, they range from "Word-For-Word" to "Paraphrase" translations. The following chart illustrates the range of options.
To test your reading preference, go to a website like www.biblegateway.com and read chapters like John 1 or Psalm 1. Read them in different translations until you find one (or more) you like best for your personal Bible study.
There are also good Bible Apps for your phone and computer. At my age, I'm "old school" and prefer a printed "hard copy" Bible. Younger, you might prefer a phone app. If so, checkout the app at www.YouVersion.com, ....and see if it works for you. And for in-depth Bible study, consider www.BlueLetterBible.org.
Write study notes to recall what you are learning....
Some people like to write journals. Helps them think through what they are reading in God's Word. ....Later, they can recall conversations with God, remembering what they learned. ....For me, I like writing notes on the pages of my Bible where I'm reading.
For example, many years ago I attended a men's retreat, where we studied Psalm 1 in considerable detail. SMILE, ....today I don't remember circumstances about that retreat, ....but I remember what we learned. Here's a photo of my notes....
Whether you journal or write notes, ....this is a really good study habit to remember what you are learning from God. ....Because, ....to learn from God is to know Him, ....and knowing God changes your life!
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you "see" TRUTH in God's Word as you read, speaking personally into your life....
....God will not leave us guessing what His Word means to us, ....as Jesus said....
"Remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative — that is, the Holy Spirit — he will TEACH YOU EVERYTHING and will REMIND YOU OF EVERYTHING I have told you."
— John 14:24-26 NLT
....which leads us to....
This Bible study approach is not unique, but a blending of what I've learned over the years. So, please adapt it to what works best for you, ....and grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. ....John 8:31-32; 2 Cor 10:4-5; 2 Peter 1:2-8
LISTENING to God's Word, you ask....
"WHAT is the Holy Spirit showing me in God's Word?"
As you READ scripture, PRAY ASKING GOD TO REVEAL HIS TRUTH TO YOU. ....As you focus on a specific verse(s) that "speaks" to your heart and mind, ....DESCRIBE TRUTH YOU "SEE" ....as a Truth, a Principle, a Commandment, or a Promise.
Truth: true or actual state of a matter; verified or indisputable fact or principle
Principle: general or basic truths on which other truths can be based, understood
Commandment: a statement of what to do that must be obeyed
Promise: a solemn declaration of intent of what one will do or not do
Ask yourself why is this TRUTH important to know?
What is God saying to me?
The instructions of the Lord are ....PERFECT, REVIVING THE SOUL.
The decrees of the Lord are ....TRUSTWORTHY, MAKING WISE THE SIMPLE.
The commandments of the Lord are ....RIGHT, BRINGING JOY TO THE HEART.
The commands of the Lord are ....CLEAR, GIVING INSIGHT FOR LIVING.
— Psalm 19:7-8 NLT
TRUSTING God's Word, you ask....
"WHY is the Holy Spirit showing me this in God's Word?"
Ask yourself questions about what you BELIEVE about this TRUTH? How does it RELATE TO YOUR LIFE'S CIRCUMSTANCES?
Recall we started out discussing how Bloom's Taxonomy relates to learning God's Word. Then chapter-after-chapter, ....we learned HOW GOD'S WORD CAN CHANGE OUR LIVES! ....NOW, reflecting on TRUTH the Holy Spirit is showing you....
REMEMBER scripture you've thought about and learned ....Psalm 119:11
UNDERSTAND the benefits of what you've learned ....Psalm 119:105
APPLY "knowledge of God" learned into your life ....2 Peter 1:3,5-8
ANALYZE outcomes of your worldview choices in life ....Romans 12:2
EVALUATE "God's TRUTH" in your worldview choices ....Philippians 4:8-9
CREATE the reality of your life's story ....Colossians 3:10 NCV
....and knowing THE POWER OF GOD'S WORD....
Consider the difference it could/will make as you understand and apply this TRUTH in your life....
Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. YOU'LL BE CHANGED FROM THE INSIDE OUT. Readily RECOGNIZE WHAT HE WANTS from you, and quickly RESPOND TO IT. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, ....GOD BRINGS THE BEST OUT OF YOU, DEVELOPS WELL-FORMED MATURITY IN YOU.
— Romans 12:2 MSG
OBEYING God's Word, you ask....
"HOW should I respond to God's Word?"
As you believe and trust God, ....be "thankful for this TRUTH" that He is showing you, ...."asking God to help you" ACTIVELY ENGAGE with His Word in your life....
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, BY PRAYER AND PETITION, WITH THANKSGIVING, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
— Philippians 4:6-7 NIV
Always follow through ....and finish well with God's help....
....Then, as you conclude your "quiet time" study with Jesus, ....or as you finish your Small Group Bible Study with friends, ....you close your Bible and head out into today's busyness stuff. ....REMEMBER what you just asked God to help you do, ....AS YOU MAKE LIFE-CHOICES.
Continue to meditate on TRUTHS God has shown you, ....ESPECIALLY THE ONES you asked Him for help applying it in your life. .....As you make daily choices, be ACTIVELY ENGAGED in applying those TRUTHS ....that relate to your life's circumstances. ....Again, Romans 12:2 NLT ....and John 8:31-32 NLT.
We must ALWAYS FOLLOW-THROUGH on what we talk with God about. Because, God's TRUTHS will not make a difference, UNLESS we make them a priority ....for making a difference in our lives.
God is the One Who created us, ....so knows best ....what Life Boundaries we should set for our lives, ....how we should make choices to help us be more like Jesus. .......If we are not talking with God, how else can we gain understanding and guidance from His Word? ....Receiving help from Jesus Himself!
Why does this study approach work?
....SMILE. Glad you asked.
....Because YOU CHOOSE to continually GROW IN YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF GOD and Jesus our Lord. Because you....
Listen & See God's Truth ....as you READ, asking in PRAYER ....that God would help you know what He is saying to you.
Trust & Believe God ....as you RELATE His Truth to your life circumstances, ....PRAYING you understand what to do.
Obey & Apply ....as you RESPOND, ....asking in PRAYER for God's help changing your life to be more like Jesus.
BECAUSE....
As your heart and mind become more Christ-like, ....which influences your choices, ....so your life becomes more Christ-focused.
* Credit: "3Rs + Prayer" Bible study approach is not unique, but a blending of what I've learned over the years, ....including from The Navigators, ....some Bible teacher friends, ....and a good book titled "The Promise Principle" by Phillip Hunter / spiral from Clker clip art
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