This is The Way – Devo Day 38

The Discipline of Study

The discipline of study is central to the process that the Holy Spirit uses to renew our mind is a way that we can respond appropriately to the truths of God’s Word. Study not only involves reading but also active engagement with the Scriptures through observation, interpretation, and application. This discipline also includes devotional reflection and exposure to current gifted Biblical writers and teachers and those of the past as well.

And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them,

Deuteronomy 17:19 (ESV)

Since the study of Scripture is the primary vehicle for laying hold of God’s perspective on the world and our purpose in it, this discipline is pivotal to our spiritual growth (2 Tim 3:16-17). Consistent study of God’s Word cultivates Kingdom values and priorities, provides wisdom for decision making, assists us in overcoming temptation, and expands our knowledge of God and ourselves.

Most people are intimidated by the thought of doing a personal Bible study because they have no idea how to even start or it turns into a hit-or-miss approach that provides little spiritual nourishment. Here’s a brief list of ideas and suggestions that may help:

• Be consistent in your study make it a regularly scheduled activity.
• Don’t regard the Scriptures as a textbook or a self-help manual. Treat it as the voice of God speaking to you.
• Be systematic in your choice of books, chapters, and topics so that you are exposed to the entire counsel of God over time.
• Whole Book Study – each book typically has a single author, written at a particular time in a particular culture, and many times written to a particular audience. Try studying the book either synthetically or analytically. In the synthetic method, you seek an overall, comprehensive picture of how the different pieces of the book fit together and what are the unifying themes or storylines. In the analytical method,m you focus on the details of a particular passage or section of a book and employ more in-depth analysis. As you are reading a passage engage with it by reflecting, observing, interpreting, correlating, and applying it. Inobservation you are looking for the basic questions of the passage, keywords or phrases, quotes from other books, progressions of thought, and contrasts and comparisons to other passages of Scripture. In interpretation, you seek to understand the things you observed. In correlating, you seek to understand how it fits into the book and the entirety of Scripture, and how it is related to other portions of Scripture. In application, you seek a plan to implement the specific principles and directives that you have discovered in the passage you are studying.
• The Topical Method – this method seeks to discover themes, principles, and the wisdom of God concerning particular topics throughout Scripture (Genesis – Revelation). You can use a concordance or tools like the Thomson Chain Reference Bible or Nave’s Topical Bible to find passages for your study. Make your observations, ask questions, look for answers, and then formulate an outline of the topic to organize your thoughts.
• The Biographical Method – this method involves a study of the life, failures, and successes of a particular Biblical personality. This method is particularly useful in discovering how God relates and works with humans. Then within the context of that life engage with the story using the observation, interpretation, correlation, and application steps.
• There are also a host of Bible studies available online and for purchase in book form. Check out my.bible.com, rightnowmedia.com, and amazon.com for some ideas.

The Discipline of Meditation

Meditation is the close relative of the disciplines of prayer and study and it also depends on the disciplines of silence and solitude. Meditation has become such a lost art in the West that we typically associate it with Eastern religions. Far from emptying your mind, however, biblical meditation focuses the mind on the nuances of revealed truth. To meditate on the Word is to take the time to ponder a verse or a passage from Scripture (hit the pause long enough to focus your attention and let the Scripture speak to you).

THe APostle Paul underscored the importance of the believer’s thought life when he instructed the Colossians to set their minds on things above, not on things that are on Earth (Colossians 3:1-2) or in Romans:

5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.
8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

Romans 8:5–8 (ESV)

The Apostle Paul speaking to the Philippians expanded on those [principles and explained how to set your mind on the right things. Meditation directs the conscious mind throughout the day and using Scripture as the last thing you set your mind on before going bed helps direct your unconscious mind as you sleep. The only way you develop the skill of meditation is by doing it. Your mind has a finite bandwidth. Filling it with God’s Word and Paul’s suggestions will leave little room for garbage and foolishness.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
– This is The Way

Philippians 4:8 (ESV)

Questions to Ponder

1. What have you learned through this Bible study so far?
2. When this study is done what study will you do next? If you are not sure, how will you figure that out? What resources will you tap to help you choose?

If you are just starting and want to go back and read the previous posts in this series