STUDYING
THE BIBLE DEVOTIONALLY
One of the
great dangers in personal Bible study is that these important doctrines become
ends in themselves. It is the same with teaching the Bible. We let the Word of
God become the aim of teaching, rather than making our aim the building up of
people and making them mature in Christ. We must study the Bible for the
greater purpose of learning how to live. Paul reminded Timothy of this goal,
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of
God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly
equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16, 17).
There are
many approaches to studying and teaching the Bible. Each chapter is designed to
help you grow in Christ. But this chapter is more compelling because it moves us beyond learning the contents of
Scripture to personal application of the principles and spirit of the
Scriptures. Because this chapter wants to help you become more spiritual,
the devotional approach to Bible study and teaching has great value. After
discussing nine different approaches to the study the book of Galatians,
Merrill C. Tenney wrote, THE DEVOTIONAL APPROACH IS THE CROWN
These methods may produce a good understanding of the letter
of the epistle; but a mere knowledge of its facts and style will never impress
its real message upon a believing heart. The crown of all study is the
devotional method, by which the truths ascertained through the various means
already described are integrated and applied to the needs of the individual. This
same high view of the devotional approach to Bible study was also held by
Howard Vos. In his survey of sixteen different approaches to Bible study, he
noted,
THE DEVOTIONAL APPROACH MAKES US SPIRITUAL
The end in view in all devotional Bible study is the
improvement of the individual's spiritual life by discovering in the Word the
claims of God upon the believer and His instructions for living and enhancing
the Christian life . . . The devotional method may be effectively executed by
means of a careful study of words, verses, paragraphs, chapters, books,
Biblical characters, and Christ in a given portion. You will use a variety of
approaches to study and teach the Bible, but ultimately you will be most
concerned with life application. As you use the various methods of Bible study
and teaching to communicate biblical content, you will lay a foundation in the
life of your students. When you have laid that foundation, the devotional
approach to the Bible will help us guide students to apply their biblical
knowledge to life. When this is done, the Holy Spirit who is our Teacher, will
use the Scripture to effectively change our students' life. That is the
ultimate goal of our Bible teaching ministry.
Why Study the Bible Devotionally?
There are
several good reasons to use this effective approach to Bible study. One of the
most significant relates to what Jesus called "the great
commandment." When challenged by a Pharisee just a few days before His
death to identify "the great commandment in the law" (Matt. 22:36),
Jesus responded, "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great
commandment" (Matt. 22:37, 38). A
devotional understanding of the Scriptures helps us love God more and more as
we grow in Him.
One of
God's purposes in Scripture is to help us overcome sin. The Psalmist wrote,
"How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your
word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your
commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against
You" (Ps. 119:9- 11). The person was right who wrote in the flyleaf of the
Bible of Evangelist Dwight L. Moody, "This book will keep you from sin, or
sin will keep you from this book." Studying
the Bible devotionally will help us achieve victory over sin in our life.
A third
reason for the devotional approach is found in the benefits of meditation.
Meditating on the Scripture is one of the biblical keys to success in life. God
told Joshua, "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but
you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to
all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then
you will have good success" (Josh. 1:8). Also, meditating on the
Scriptures is one of the keys to personal
fulfilment in life. The "blessed man" is described in the first
psalm. "But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he
meditates day and night" (Ps. 1:2).
As
mentioned above, the goal of studying and teaching the Bible is to introduce
significant change in the life of a student. More than other approaches to the
Scriptures, this approach relates directly to the practical expression of our
faith in living for Christ. Therefore, this approach will help us accomplish
the work we are most committed to doing.
HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE
DEVOTIONALLY
Before we
can consistently TEACH the Bible to change the lives of our students, we must
first learn to STUDY the Bible devotionally. Unlike other approaches to Bible
study, the key to studying the Bible devotionally is not so much in methodology
as in attitude.
According to Merrill C. Tenney,
Devotional study is not so much a technique as a
spirit. It is the spirit of eagerness which seeks the mind of God; it is the
spirit of humility which listens readily to the voice of God; it is the spirit
of adventure which pursues earnestly the will of God; it is the spirit of
adoration which rests in the presence of God.
One way
you can help insure you are coming to the Scriptures with the right attitude is
to begin our Bible study time with prayer. As you pray, focus upon who God is
and express your appreciation to Him for revealing truth to His people (Deut.
29:29). Many teachers find it helpful to pray a prayer similar to that of the
Psalmist as he approached the Scriptures. "Open my eyes, that I may see
wondrous things from Your law" (Ps. 119:18).
As you
begin studying the Bible devotionally, you should take time to choose a passage
that lends itself to this approach. While the focus of all Scripture tells us
about God, certain parts of Scripture tend, to be better suited to devotional
study than others. The Psalms lend themselves to this approach because they
were written passionately for God. The Psalmist is concerned about knowing God
experimentally, so your students can seek God with that same passion. Also,
extended passages such as the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7) or the Upper Room
Discourse (John 13- 18) lend themselves to application. Normally, you will
study shorter passages when approaching the Bible devotionally.
Next, be
sure to give yourself time. One pastor commented he took an extended time
Monday to study and apply devotionally the passage he would preach next Sunday.
He said it was more important to feel the Lord speak to him through the passage
before he prepared a sermon to speak to others.
Most will
want to read the passage several times, perhaps emphasizing different verses
and/or words during each reading. Also, you may wish to commit parts of the
passage to memory so you can meditate on them. When you commit the Scriptures
to memory, you can meditate on them even outside of your study time. The four
best times of the day to meditate on Scriptures you have memorized are:
(1) when
you find yourself sitting and waiting,
(2) when
you commute from place to place,
(3) when
you go to bed each evening and
(4) when
you wake up each morning (Deut. 6:7).
While your
attitude in devotional Bible study is of primary importance, you should not
neglect methodology. Ask yourself several basic questions to discover the
message of the passage.
First, "What is the primary
emphasis or subject in this passage?"
Second, "Who is (are) the key
character(s) in this passage?"
Also, "Is there any significance
in the meaning of his or her name?"
Also, seek to identify the key verse
in the passage being studied.
Because
the focus in devotional study is your relationship with God, you should look
for special insights in the passage relating to your relationship with Christ.
> What does
this passage teach that God does for you?
> What
should you do for God?
> What
practical principles are intended in this chapter? Apply these principles to
daily living.
> How do
they make you feel? Do you love God more? Do you want to worship Him more? What
energy do you get from the passage?
Give
special consideration to the key verse of the passage. Key verses jump out at
us and make us remember what is taught in a passage. They are important for two
reasons:
First, because they summarize the heart
of the message;
Second, they are pivotal in the
development of the context of the passage.
Next, consider the meaning of key words in the passage you are studying. Begin by compiling a list of words which are used several times or words which are significant to the passage. Then look for answers to several questions about these words.
Next, consider the meaning of key words in the passage you are studying. Begin by compiling a list of words which are used several times or words which are significant to the passage. Then look for answers to several questions about these words.
Ø How is
this word used in other places in Scriptures?
Ø Does this
writer tend to use this word in a unique way?
Ø What did
this word mean to those who first read it?
Ø Does this
word reveal some significant truth about God, people, sin or salvation?
Ø How can
this word be applied to strengthen one's personal walk with God?
Finding
the answers to these and similar questions will help you better understand and
appreciate the message of the passage.
PRINCIPLES
FOR INTERPRETING DEVOTIONAL STUDY
1.
Every passage will have one interpretation governed
by literal interpretation, but will also have many applications.
2.
Be careful of "spiritualizing" the Bible to
make it say something apart from the meaning of the text.
3.
The Bible is a book of principles to guide our daily
lives and service.
4.
Know the difference between descriptions of
situations that do not apply today and prescriptions that were written to guide
our lives.
5.
Apply to your life those direct applications where
the Bible generally censors or approves all.
6.
Explicit commands to individuals are not always the
will of God for you today.
7.
Apply to your life the obvious principles in the
lives of people in Scripture.
8.
You do not need to be in the exact situation that
involved a person in the Bible, to apply their principles to your lives.
