Walking in the Word

Welcome to My Blog!

This blog focuses on encouraging women to enjoy refreshing, intimate times with the Lord in the Word. Hopefully, it will inspire personal study and spiritual growth as we go. This blog also invites discussion over Bible study and some other wonderful Christian disciplines available to us in our spiritual growth! Come and enjoy!

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The Bible
Webster's Dictionary
A Bible Dictionary
A Topical Study of the Bible
Strong's Concordance
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Apr. 21, 2008

Bible Study (Part 9)

Posted in Bible Study

Good morning, friends! I have no idea what your day looks like for you, but ours is a nice, warm, sun-shiny day. There is a touch of haze way up there in the sky, but it's not making a dent in the sun's work. I'm grateful for that! I've been wondering when spring would arrive, and perhaps it has now. I pray that your day is beautiful no matter what your weather today. May it be rich with blessing and the presence of your heavenly Father, even at this very moment for you! Know that I'm praying for you today as you seek to accomplish the great things He has prepared for you by His amazing strength!

So, today I'd like to wrap up our final two questions in the list from our first entry on Bible study. Are you ready? I'm not intending to make light of the questions. I don't take this casually, as you probably know by now. I know these questions are much deeper and more significant than will ever be touched on in a blog. Remember my intent is to walk through these questions with you on my own with the hopes of inspiring you to spend time on them with God to find out what it means to you personally in your own life. My answers aren't your own, I would guess, and that's just fine with me. ;')

How Do I Study the Bible?
I love this question! For anyone asking it right now in your own heart of hearts, can I just give you some kind of cyber hug in this very moment? You, my friend, are sweetness and light to me. *grin* Okay, all of you are sweetness and light to me if you're reading this far. But, honestly, it touches my heart to know there are those out there wishing to study, but not sure what to do with it. Bless you for coming to this place and being brave enough to ask this question.

Guess what? (I have boys, and they'd say: Chicken butt! Whoops!) No, really. Guess what! There is no one right answer to this one! Now, isn't that encouraging? Don't click your "back button" just yet on your browser. This is the beauty of study. It's really quite freeing as a concept. I mean, what better way to approach study of the Bible than to know it is going to be an adventure between you and your heavenly Father with the help of the Holy Spirit?

I want to go back in our little Bible study "blog series" to remind you of a definition, if you don't mind. The entry was here.

"I believe Bible study is the beautiful, God-led, spiritual interaction with Scripture during which we seek to know the truth of God, experience His love, and see His power in that Scripture and, ultimately, in our own lives. It yields a strong understanding of His truth, will, and purpose for our lives. We become familiar with who He is...who we are...and the relationship between us as God and man." ~Jennifer J.

How you go about this particular discipline has more to do with who you are, how you are specifically wired, and the interaction God has planned for you both. Be who you know you are in Christ, so long as it doesn't stop you from growing in Christ. Grow up in Him as we are commanded to do! Do it in the way He leads, and it will be both wonderful and fruitful!

As home schooling families, we spend so much time choosing the right curriculum and finding the right methods. We know we are tailoring education to who our children are and how they are made. Why not consider the same for yourself? Just a thought. . . ;')

Is There a Right and Wrong Way to Study?
This is where I want to say, "Absolutely! Without a doubt!" But, you might be surprised what I mean by that. There really is a right and wrong way! It has less to do with a specific method, though, and more to do with heart and handling.

Yesterday, Denise brought up a very important point. It was where I was headed, so I want to make sure we bring in the Scriptures she shared and some others.

"For the Word of the Lord is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing the soul and the spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of the Him to whom we must give an account." ~Hebrews 4: 12-13 (The Word divides, penetrates, judges, reveals. We must receive it for what it is, and what it is intended to do in our lives.)

"Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good." ~1 Peter 2:2-3 (We need to grow up, and knowing the Word is how we do that!)

"Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." Hebrews 5:13-14 (Maturity and discernment!)

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." ~2 Timothy 2:15 ('Nuff said?)

Do not add to or take away from the Word! ~Revelation 22:18,19

Insert verses about blind leading the blind, being hearers and doers, and obeying the Word here. ;')

There are more verses out there, and I've left them for you to discover. I think the point to be made is that, when we study, we need to be mindful of doing it with integrity and caution. There is a wrong way to study. People have invented the most, dare I say, "interesting" religious beliefs and rituals out of poor study methods and habits. Our study should be rooted and established in faith and sound methods. We all know the Bible, out of context, can say anything we want it to say. Right?

There is a danger. It's real. We can wrongly handle the Word. That said, we also know we have a very loving and powerful Father who doesn't want anyone to perish. He's not some mean, rude, miserly God just waiting for us to mess up! He is our help! Or if not, He wouldn't have given us His Holy Spirit as our Teacher, Counselor, Comforter, and Seal. *very big grin*

No one should be afraid to study. On the contrary, we only grow in study as we do it. Much like our physical strength increasing as we exercise, this discipline is strengthened by use. Thankfully, we're not alone in the process! *grin*

So, what do you think? Anything fun to share?

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Apr. 20, 2008

Bible Study (Part 8)

Posted in Bible Study

Hello, friends! Here we are getting to the end of this part of our series. Really, we are! *grin* More than five parts to anything is more than I ever thought I could work through, but I've hoped to persevere. Well, we've made it to eight now. I hope this is a blessing to you.

I think this topic might qualify as one that makes us go, "Hmmmmmm." Let's dialog over this one, if you like.

What If I Never Study the Bible?
I think we might agree that Bible study is not mandatory in a "jump through hoops" in the Christian life kind of way. God would never want us to study the Scriptures with no heart for Him in the process. Jesus specifically had words for the Pharisees who studied the Word, but did not come to God for life. So, studying is something else to us. We've covered all of that in the other entries, so there's really no reason to go through it again.

But, what if I never choose to study? What will be the effect of that decision?

I don't believe salvation is based in study, so one who has relationship with God through faith in Jesus' death on the cross doesn't lose that. We would still be saved.

What comes to mind to me immediately is our maturity. That is what would suffer most, I believe. If we explore maturity in Christ, we would likely find that knowing and living by the Scriptures changes everything in our mountaintop and valley experiences of life. We have wisdom for our own lives and can share with others what God has done in our lives in that way. We have opportunity to turn to the truth of the Word and become familiar with the love and power of our heavenly Father. What is left for us without intimate knowledge of the Scriptures?

Can we move through life without study? Absolutely. I know people do it all the time. In fact, I've heard my pastor mention statistics saying that the majority of Christians are not regularly setting aside time for study. At first I was surprised, but I have to be honest. I know I'm part of that statistic in certain seasons of life by my own choice or by circumstance.

Here we aren't talking about seasons. The Isaiah verse that says, "He gently leads those who have young" has been my haven when my kids were very small. Not that it was an excuse for avoiding study, but I did live in His grace during those times. Instead, I walked with Him closely in other ways when my sleep-deprived mind could barely focus beyond basic tasks.

But, what if I never study the Bible?

What do you think?

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