The talk these days is about passion. The assumption is that the secret to a fulfilling life is to discover your passion and pursue it. Perhaps, but cultivating the right passion is foundational.
"his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers." (Psalm 1:2-3)
I discovered a few years ago that there is a huge difference between knowing God's word and loving it. I've met far better Bible students than myself who had an impressive intellectual grasp of the Bible but who didn't seem driven to live and proclaim it. They knew truth but seemed to have little passion for it. In contrast, I've met people with a fairly simple understanding of the Bible who were passionate to live and share it.
It is a passionate love for God's word that allows us to be like "a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season". Mere familiarity with God's word will not accomplish what a passionate love for it will.
Sometimes there is an assumption that "deep" Bible study is reserved for the intellectuals and scholars. In reality, the "deep" things of the Bible are not expert understandings of prophecies but putting in to practice what God's word says. The tree that bears fruit is that of the doer, not merely the hearer and reader.
The simplest way to study the Bible is to read and look for answers to these basic questions: (1) What does it say?, and (2) what does it say to me? When we consider both the meaning of the passage and the personal application of it we've gone a long way in developing a passion for God's word. From there we meditate on it "day and night" - constantly pondering the significance of what we're read and its implications for action in our lives.
Discovering passion is important, but cultivating a passion for God's word is considerably more important. May a true delight in His word be both your joy and your foundation.
Steve
"his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers." (Psalm 1:2-3)
I discovered a few years ago that there is a huge difference between knowing God's word and loving it. I've met far better Bible students than myself who had an impressive intellectual grasp of the Bible but who didn't seem driven to live and proclaim it. They knew truth but seemed to have little passion for it. In contrast, I've met people with a fairly simple understanding of the Bible who were passionate to live and share it.
It is a passionate love for God's word that allows us to be like "a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season". Mere familiarity with God's word will not accomplish what a passionate love for it will.
Sometimes there is an assumption that "deep" Bible study is reserved for the intellectuals and scholars. In reality, the "deep" things of the Bible are not expert understandings of prophecies but putting in to practice what God's word says. The tree that bears fruit is that of the doer, not merely the hearer and reader.
The simplest way to study the Bible is to read and look for answers to these basic questions: (1) What does it say?, and (2) what does it say to me? When we consider both the meaning of the passage and the personal application of it we've gone a long way in developing a passion for God's word. From there we meditate on it "day and night" - constantly pondering the significance of what we're read and its implications for action in our lives.
Discovering passion is important, but cultivating a passion for God's word is considerably more important. May a true delight in His word be both your joy and your foundation.
Steve
posted by steve @ 8:35 AM
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