STUDY GOD'S WORD

May we know Thee more clearly,

love Thee more dearly,

and follow Thee more nearly.

This is a taken from a prayer by St. Richard of Chichester (1197-1253). It was in the textbook Conformed to His Image. I love this prayer. It stresses the need to know things. We need to know what God has done for us and know about His Sovereignty. The more we know then the more we can love Him. Then, the more that we can love Him the more willing we will be to choose to follow Him.

Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness:

for they shall be filled.

Matt 5:6

Studying God's Word is a must. So get a Bible you can read. There are great study Bible available. There are great books to help one understand helpful techniques. Mainly get a Bible and start. Remember, sin blinds so the more one reads and applies the more one can see.

James 1:22 states: "Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." Scripture continues in James describing this process like someone who looks into a mirror. If you look into a mirror and see that your hair needs brushing, but you don't brush your hair, then what have you done. Looking into that mirror didn't help you at all! However, if you look into the mirror and fix what you see is messed up you are "blessed in your deed." (Jam 1:23-25) Reading the Bible is more than an intellectual experience. The Word when applied transforms our lives.

I have a KJV of the Bible in large print that my mom gave me years ago when we were first married. It is marked up, highlighted and has notes on almost all pages! As a matter of fact, I actually gave it to my son a couple of Father's Days ago and started marking up another. I've had to borrow that Bible back when I get worried about meeting with someone I don't know exactly what they are stumbling with. Just because I can see the pages in my head and can just flip to the Scriptures so easily.

I also have a Ryrie Study Bible in NASB, given to by a dear friend, which I used for studying because the notes at the bottom of the page are theological notes to keep one doctrinally on target. I have given my girls Application Study Bibles. One wanted it in NKJ version and the other wanted NIV. I like Charles Stanley's applications and David Jeremiah. I went to Barnes Pharmacy and allowed the girls to read and thumb through different ones before picking out their own. My husband and son just use the large print KJV. Just find one in a good version you* can read.

Hopefully Helpful Hints:

*Remember one has to read for the theological understanding to apply the Scripture for today. All I mean is there are cultural differences, but the Truth is still there. So, if one needs some guidance in what a certain word means, ritual, government issues back then, Jewish traditions, etc. there are helpful resources. The Sunday School literature within our Baptist literature has Holman Commentary references or even the option of having the actual paper back commentary for that particular lesson book. I actually order leader books for anyone who would rather have it to study by than a personal guidebook. There is also a magazine to order that covers cultural articles relating to the lessons for the time during the Bible and now. Ask your literature order person.

*Read the NT Epistles as a letter. Meaning read the whole book, then go to the individual Scriptures you want to study. Then, you get the contextual meaning. If you wrote a letter to someone and when they got it they just picked out this sentence or phrase and put their own understanding to it, you might get upset. When one reads these Epistles one should be after the Author's intent for the letter, not your interpretation of it. Have you set in SS and someone says, "Well this Scripture means this to me and it can mean that to you." No. We are after God's Truth.

*When reading John, one notices he likes to emphasize things with repetition. So, one can easily say its important to notice repeating words.

*Any of the English rules one learns in school apply to the Scripture. Notice punctuation marks. Colons means there is an explanation following, semi-colons continues a list, etc.

*Figures of speech can be confusing, but try to visualize what the Scripture is referring to. Actually gives one a big hint most of the time, because the words are trying to paint a picture.

*I like noticing the verbs. This stands out if one is reading Matthew and following the references to the "kingdom of heaven." I went through Matthew and highlighted every reference to Kingdom of Heaven. Then, notice the verb used with it. As early as chapter 3, John is saying, "Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." IS at hand. Not shall be, has been, or will be but IS. Read through the B-Attitudes. Circle the "is." How about the Lord's prayer: "Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven." This is a prayer or petition for God to reign, show His sovereign power now. Hebrews relates to us we cannot have the full course meal of the kingdom of heaven, but we can taste it. Matthew gives us ways to taste the kingdom. The kingdom of heaven is. I view this as another way of describing living "in Christ." Paul used kingdom walking wording also, but Matthew describes it using "is at hand" if one follows text. (I'll add a book reference below for those intrigued.)

* The Kay Arthur book below just takes the old school approach of asking the questions one learned in English: Who, What, When, Where and How? It's simple and easy to apply to one's study habits.

These are just things that randomly came to mind. My husband has purchased many J. Vernon McGee Commentaries, because he believes anyone can read them and follow along. They go on sale quite often at CBD for $49 or $59 and he tries to keep him a set on hand. I will reference other helpful books.