God’s Word: What I Believe, I Do

In review of James 1:25 I read, “But you must never stop looking at the perfect law that sets you free. God will bless you in everything you do, if you listen and obey, and don't just hear and forget.” (CEV)

God's law offers me a true reflection of my sinful condition and gives me the opportunity to ask God for forgiveness. I am saved by God's grace, and salvation frees me from sin's control. I am now free to live as God created me to be. I am not free to do as I please, but rather free to obey God.

Many people know the Bible, but in order to be blessed by it, I need to do what it says.

I act on what I believe, meaning my behavior and attitudes are a reflection of what I think is true. So think about it this way: The only parts of the Bible I truly believe are the parts I put into practice.

If what I say I believe doesn’t change how I live life, then I probably don’t really believe it. That’s why when I have a difficult decision to make, I need to remember: “God’s way is perfect. All the LORD’s promises prove true . . . ” (2 Samuel 22:31 NLT). When I follow God’s Word and do things his way, I’ll be able to do the right thing at the right time.

Now, in order to put God’s Word into practice, I need to know it. That means I can’t just skim through the Bible and hope something sticks. I need to make time for Bible study every day.

There are many ways for you to learn God’s Word. For instance, you can write Bible verses on cards and put them in places where you’ll see them throughout the day. You can gather verses into my heart by memorizing them, or I can listen to Scripture on my cell phone.

It doesn’t matter what methods I use to learn God’s Word. The important thing is that I’m studying, memorizing, and applying it to my life. When I do that, I’ll experience a freedom that cannot be diminished by the problems and challenges I face today.

In summary, never stop looking at the perfect law that will set me free. God will bless me in everything I do, if I listen and obey, and not just hear and forget. God's law offers me a true reflection of my sinful condition and gives me the opportunity to ask God for forgiveness. I am saved by God's grace, and salvation frees me from sin's control. I am now free to live as God created me to be. I am not free to do as I please, but rather free to obey God. In order to be blessed by the Bible, I need to do what it says. For I act on what I believe, meaning my behavior and attitudes are a reflection of what I think is true. The only parts of the Bible I truly believe are the parts I put into practice. When I follow God’s Word and do things his way, I’ll be able to do the right thing at the right time. To put God’s Word into practice, I need to know it. The important thing is that I’m studying, memorizing, and applying it to my life. If I do, I’ll experience a freedom that cannot be diminished by the problems and challenges I face today and in the future.

As I reflect on this verse and this devotion this morning, I realize that my perspective does change for the day or days after getting into and applying God’s Word. However, it can quickly fade away. I believe my next step should be to memorize key passages of scripture that I can bring to mind quickly when the situation arises. 

Father, this morning I ask and pray for guidance and wisdom on the course of action for several key areas of my life right now. 1). Future job, and which training I should pursue. Also what job should I be looking for. 2). A decision to refinance our home. I will trust you with leading me on the path you want me to pursue. Instead of worrying, I will put my trust in you, and do what I know is the right thing to do. I ask these things trhough your Son Jesus name, Amen.

Learning How to Apply the Bible to My Life

In review of James 1:22 it says, “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” (NIV)

While it is important to listen to listen to what God's Word says, it is much more important to obey it and do what it tells me. I can measure the effectiveness of my Bible study time by the effect it has on my behavior and attitude. Put what I hear into action.

The most difficult part of Bible study is personal application. Application is when I take the truth of God and apply it to my life.

Satan doesn’t care if I study the Bible, just as long as I don’t apply it.

Jesus taught the opposite: “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (John 13:17 NIV).

Just knowing God’s Word isn’t enough. I experience God’s blessings when I do what God’s Word says.

The Bible tells me in James 1:22: “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only” (ESV).

To become a doer of God’s Word and apply it to my life, it helps to write out the application. Applications will have four characteristics.

First, an application needs to be personal. That means it’s about me and not someone else. My life is the only thing I can change. So my application will start with the word “I,” not “we” or “you.”

Second, it needs to be practical. It should be something I can actually do. It might be an entire project or a simple action step.

Third, it needs to be possible. If I choose an application that I”m not actually able to do, I’ll become discouraged. For instance, you might say, “I’m going to read through the entire Bible every single day.” That’s highly unlikely, if not impossible. Instead, I can choose to read one chapter from the Bible every day.

Fourth, it needs to be provable. This means that it needs a deadline. Take Philippians 2:14 for example: “Do all things without grumbling or disputing” (ESV). I might write this personal application: “Lord, I need you to help me not to grumble at work. I’m going to stay accountable by asking a friend to check with me next week to see if I did this.”

So, the next time I read a passage of Scripture, don’t be satisfied with just studying the passage. Instead, apply it by making it personal, practical, possible, and provable. Then I’ll start experiencing the blessings God promises to people who are doers of his Word.

In summary, don't just listen to God's Word, do what it says. Otherwise I'm only fooling myself. I can measure the effectiveness of my study by the effect it has on my behavior and attitude. I need to put what I hear into action. The most difficult part is personal application. Application is when I take the truth and apply it to my life. Just knowing God's Word isn't enough. I experience God's blessings when I do what God's Word says. To become a doer and to apply it, it helps to write out the application. The application needs to be personal, about me. It needs to be practical, or something I can actually do. It needs to be possible. And it needs to be provable, it will need a deadline. So I shouldn't be satisfied with just studying the passage. I need to apply it by making it personal, practical, possible and provable. 

Father, with your help, I pray today that I will learn to not just read, but be a doer. I’ll work to make what I read personal, practical, possible and provable in my life. I ask you also for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership and my interactions with others. I ask these things through you Son Jesus name, Amen.

Developing Spiritual Roots

In review of Luke 8:13 it says, “The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it. But they don’t have deep roots, and they believe only for a little while. As soon as life gets hard, they give up” (CEV).

In Luke 8:9-15, Jesus explains to his disciples his parable of the four seeds. In the parable, the seed is God's word. Seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the enemy come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. Seeds on the rock represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don't have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when the face temptation. The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all to quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasure of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. All the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God's word, cling to it, and patiently product a huge harvest.

"Footpath" people, like many of the religious leaders, refuse to believe God's message. "Rocky soil" people, like many in the crows who followed Jesus, believe his message but never get around to doing anything about it."Thorn patch" people, overcome by worries and the lure of materialism, leave no room in their lives for God "Good soil" people, in contrast to all the other groups, follow Jesus not matter what the cost.

During the springtime, all the grass in California turns green, the wildflowers bloom, and it’s really pretty. But once the rains stop, everything turn brown again. This is because the grass has no roots. It can’t go down deep enough to get water from the springs that are deep beneath the ground. When there are no roots and a plant is in shallow soil, it may initially sprout and look good, but it doesn’t last. The plant withers quickly because it doesn’t have roots.

Luke 8:13 says, “The seeds that fell on rocky ground are the people who gladly hear the message and accept it. But they don’t have deep roots, and they believe only for a little while. As soon as life gets hard, they give up” (CEV).

There are times when I hear God’s Word and get excited about it, but then I don’t allow it to change me. I act superficially. I react emotionally. I’m moved impulsively. But I don’t take the time to really let it sink in.

I’d really rather be a person with deep spiritual roots so that when recession comes and lasts several years, I’ll be able to keep bearing fruit. This way when the rough winds come and somebody in my family gets sick or a close friend dies, the trial doesn’t blow me away, because I’ve got roots.

To develop spiritual roots I need to continue having a daily time with God and add in a weekly small group time with other believers. I’ve got to spend time alone with God, and I’ve got to spend time with other believers.

If I don’t spend time with God on a daily basis, I’ll dry up and blow away when the pressure is on. I won’t be able to handle it. Therefore it’s important for me to make time to listen during a daily time with God. I have to sit and be quiet. I need to read the Bible, talk to God and journal. I need to do Whatever it takes to keep the focus on God.

I also need a weekly small group. Nobody has a complete perspective on life. Everyone wears blinders. The people in my small group can see things in your life I can’t see. That’s why we need each other! I’ll learn from the people in my small group as I encourage others.

Bottom Line:

Regardless of what’s going on, don’t give up, but apply what your hearing.

What this means to me:

It doesn’t do me any good to hear a good message that I agree with, but because of life’s circumstances not apply it. Work to apply what I hear regardless of what’s going on around me.

In my own life, I’ve done pretty well with having a weekday quiet time. While I read, study and journal, I do not spend much time being quiet or just talking with God. I need to include this in my morning routine. Also today I received another important reminder to be part of a small group. Being part of small group will just a more conscience effort on my part to leave work earlier, put up with more traffic just so that I can spend time, or give up sleeping in on Saturday’s and join the men’s group that meets then.  Today, I pray Father that you will help me free up my schedule and give me the extra push of motivation to re-join a small group. I also pray Father that you will help me conduct my day in peace and not get upset about work requests and demands that come in today. Lastly I ask for your guidance in how I handle work tasks and interactions with others.

Blessings Come from Obeying God’s Word

In review of Matthew 7:24 it says, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

Bottom Line:

Anyone who listens to my teaching, and puts them into practice is wise, much like a man who built his house on solid foundation.

What this means to me:

It is wise for me to listen to, obey and put into practice Jesus’ teaching. Doing so is much like building on a solid foundation.

Any receiving, reading, researching, remembering, and reflecting on the Word of God will be useless if I fail to put into practice what I learn. I must become a doer of the Word (James 1:22).

This can be a hard step. Satan will fight it intensely. He doesn’t mind me going to a Bible study as long as I don’t do anything with what I learn.

Also, I’m only fooling myself when I assume that just because I have heard or read or studied a truth, I have really internalized it.

I can be so busy going to the next thing, that I have no time to implement what I’ve just learned. I can even forget about it on the way to my next study!  So without implementation, all my Bible studies are worthless. Jesus said, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24 NIV).

Jesus also pointed out that God’s blessing comes from obeying the truth, not just knowing it. He said, “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them” (John 13:17).

Being a part of a small study discussion group is extremely beneficial. I can always learn from others truths that I would have never learned or considered on my own. Others will help me see insights I would miss, helping me apply God’s truth in a practical way.

So the best way for me to become a doer of the Word, is to always write out an action step as a result of my reading or studying of or reflecting on God’s Word. Get into a regular routine of writing down exactly what you intend to do.

What I’m learning is that within this action step, what I write down should be personal (involving me), practical (something I can realistically do), and provable (with a deadline). Every application I take would involve either my relationship to God, my relationship to others, or developing my personal character.

One of the things that God wants me to do is to meet with others.  I’m getting back into the groove of this and will do as much as I can before my wife and I move next month. In addition, small groups have just started back up and tonight will be my first day back to that after a small break. My experience with groups has been getting different insight from others and even course correction when I need it. Through my morning quiet times, I try to do a lot of what I have mentioned above. I have gotten into the routine of writing my notes down about a passage and concluding with some specific next steps. One thing I will need to include is some form of deadline. As a result tremendous blessings will come from obeying God’s Word.

Steps to Effective Bible Study (Part 2)

In review of Matthew 4:4 it says, “Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Bottom Line:

In addition to food, we need every word that God has spoken.

What this means to me:

In the scriptures I am told (and Jesus has confirmed it) that I can not live only on food. I need to be obedient to every word that God speaks.

God wants me to apply his Word and then allow it to change my life. All of this starts by studying God’s Word. Yesterday I reviewed  two principles:

1. Ask the right questions.

2. Write down my observations.

Here are the others:

3. Apply God’s Word. In this step, I move from the “what” to the “so what” and do what the Bible says. The ultimate goal of all Bible study is application. In other words, how will this Scripture change my life? I am to not settle for understanding alone. I need to apply the biblical principles to my daily life. Any of my Bible study efforts won’t really have any value if, I don’t become more like Christ.

What I’m learning is that I will only believe the part of the Bible that I apply. If I don’t do them, then its like I don’t really believe what the Bible teaches about them. The problem isn’t with understanding, rather with applying what I understand.

4. Study the Bible systematically, not just haphazardly. I can study it systematically by studying it verse-by-verse, book-by-book, topic-by-topic, or theme-by-theme. The opposite is a sort of dip-and-skip method, where you just open up the Bible and put a finger down where you want to study. This may not produce the kind of results God wants in my life.

5. Read the Bible over and over again. This simple tool will change your life. It can be amazing how much I can get out of a passage just by studying the same passage over and over again and then coming back to the same passage a few months later. The more I read a passage, the more I’ll get out of it.

By applying these five principles I’ll get more out of my study time.

Honestly I find myself doing a more haphazard approach as I use as a springboard the “Daily Hope” daily devotional from Rick Warren for my quite time studies. This tends to be more topic based and jumps around from book to book, so I may not be getting the benefit of seeing a portion of scripture as a whole. I have however just started my last college class for my Bachelors degree and it happens to be a study in Exodus and Deuteronomy. This is a more concentrated study, verse by verse.  This course will go on for the rest of this year. This will give me a good re-introduction into this form of study. Starting next year, I’ll re-address how I do my quiet time studies and possibly adopt a different approach that is more verse by verse or book by book.