This Proverbs 31 series has taken me on real journey. If you can believe it we are still only on verses eight and nine.
Proverbs 31:8-9
8 Open your mouth for the dumb [those unable to speak for themselves], for the rights of all who are left desolate and defenseless;
9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, and administer justice for the poor and needy. (AMP)
We discovered that these two verses speak right to the heart of Jesus and what He came to earth to do. (Isaiah 61:1) However going about doing what we are commanded to do is not easy task and requires some preparation from us. In Leviticus 19:15-16 we find two very wise guidelines for dispensing justice. And in Isaiah 1:16-20 we find a wealth if wisdom and the third guideline: Learn to do right! The Bible then provides us with plenty of help on how to learn to do right. We’ve already looked at Step 1: Wash and cease to do evil. Here we carry on with Step 2: Learn.
Step 2: Learn
Daily time in the Word with the Holy Spirit as our teacher is the start to learning the expectations of God.
Psalms 19:8-10
8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. (NKJV)
The Bible contains all that we need to know God, learn his commandment and His statutes and follow them. Learn the Word.
This is where a lot of people get stuck and I was too for a long time. The movie War Room is a brilliant movie about the power of prayer and all that can be achieved when we go into our closet, close the door and seek God. (Matt 6:6) When the main character is challenged about her relationship with God she decides to get serious with God and creates for herself a war room. Her first few attempts are so funny yet so true. She is seen eating chips and drinking a cool drink while staring into space. In another scene she has fallen asleep up against the wall. Eventually with perseverance and a plan she gets going and completely changes her life and that of her family.
In order to help you get going I am going to share with you two techniques that you can use to start studying the Word of God and making some headway with your relationship with Him. The very first thing you are going to want to do is pray and ask the Master Teacher, the Holy Spirit to open your eyes and ears so you can see the Truth in the Word and hear His voice. Ask Him to teach you and guide you and use the time you have set aside to increase your knowledge and wisdom.
Method 1: Personalise
Materials Required:
- Scheduled time in your diary at least five times a week
- Private space preferably with a door
- Pen and paper
- Your Bible (make sure it is a good translation such as English Standard Version ESV, King James Version KJV, New King James Version NKJV or Amplified AMP. The NIV and The Message are not a good choice)
- A dictionary
Step 1: Read
Read the verse you have chosen. A good place to start is in Paul’s writings which contain incredible nuggets that can be practically applied to life. These are the books of Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians.
Here is an example:
Ephesians 1:2
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (NKJV)
Step 2: Write it out.
Write out the verse in your journal putting your name into the verse.
Grace to you, Rosalind Schlabitz, and peace from God my Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Step 3: Substitute
Now use the dictionary to look up key words to flesh out the verse and give it depth of meaning. The word grace is defined as a charming quality or characteristic. Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines peace as freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions. Now write out the verse again.
Grace (a charming quality or characteristic) to you, Rosalind Schlabitz, and peace (freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions) from God my Father (originator) and the Lord Jesus Christ.
This verse has now taken on a whole new meaning to me. I am blessed with a charming quality and freedom from oppressive thoughts and emotions. The Word starts to come alive to me and I want to know more.
Step 4: Memorise
Psalms 1:1-2
1 Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night. (NKJV)
In order to meditate on the Word day and night you need to know the Word. In order to know it you just need to memorise it. A simple way of memorising is to write out the scripture on a card. Then read the verse or verses out loud five times in a row. Keep that card with you all day and every time you see it read the verse out loud five times. You will know that verse but the end of the day! At the end of the week revise all the cards from the week.
Method 2: In depth Research
Materials Required:
- Scheduled time in your diary at least five times a week
- Private space preferably with a door
- Computer with Olive Tree Bible Study or eSword installed with several Bibles loaded, a Bible dictionary, a Strong’s Bible and some good commentaries.
- Paper and pen
- A dictionary
This method is for studying passages of scriptures as well as single verses. However, it is often in a single verse that the Holy Spirit will reveal great depth of knowledge.
Step 1: Read
Read the verse or passage in a few different translations making sure to have good ones as mentioned above. The NIV is not a good translation. The Message is not a Bible.
Step 2: Research
- Now read about the verse in a Bible commentary such as Matthew Henry’s Complete Bible Commentary.
- If the verse has any little references like numbers or lower case letters in it click on them to find other related verses and notes. Read them all. Make notes of other verses that stand out to you that you want to delve into later.
- Read the verse in a Strong’s Bible noting every single word and the Strong’s definitions given.
Step 3: Write it out
Write out the verse with all the all the additional information you have learned from your research step above also making sure to put your name into the verse as done in the previous method. Read it out aloud.
Step 4: Memorise
Follow the memorisation step in the previous method.
The key is to now daily put into practice what you learn from your study of the Word. It is of no use to study the Word and not do it and apply it. Then you are simply wasting your time and you will be judged more harshly than someone who did not know the Word.
James 1:22-27
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. (NKJV)
Which leads us on to Step 3 of learn to do right….Coming soon.