For too long a period, laziness, presumption, and self-satisfaction had set in to my soul to the point where my times of Bible study and prayer were disappearing quickly. It wasn’t too long before my understanding of life became foggy, my assurance of God’s favour in Christ weakened, and my joy of knowing Him started to deteriorate.
But just as surely as God, in His grace, has promised to continue the work He started in His children unto the end (Php. 1:6), He has given much wisdom to me for the purpose of maintaining my times of Scriptural study and prayer. The following paragraphs feature a few bits of what I’ve learned, and what I will need to 're-learn' many times!
First, I’ve found it essential to think of the Word of God not as a helpful stimulant but as necessary food. “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." (Matt. 4:4) George Mueller, a great man of faith from the 19th century, spoke of how “it was not for the sake of the public ministry of the Word that I gave myself to meditation, but for the profit of my own inner man.”
Second, if I ever use devotional guides, I only use those which require me to read the whole Bible. The Bible studies from “Tabletalk”, and D.A. Carson’s “For the Love of God” series, encourage the practice of reading from various portions of the Bible simultaneously. They do this in order that I can grasp the “big picture” of the Bible’s storyline concerning God’s plan of salvation, and that I may be prevented from thinking that God exists just to meet my needs and sort out my problems.
Third, as I read Scripture, I look for, and make note of, three things: testimony, commands, and promises. “Testimony” simply refers to the facts of faith – what God says about Himself, humanity, sin, and salvation. “Commands” are God’s directives to us which function in a twofold manner. 1) They act as a “mirror” which shows us the magnitude of our sin and our constant need for a Saviour, who has thankfully come to obey God’s commands in our place and pay the penalty for our disobedience (Gal. 3:24; 2 Cor 5:21). 2) They are means used by the Holy Spirit to produce holiness in us, since they express the perfect will of God (Ps.19:7-11; Jn 17:17). “Promises” indicate God’s favour of us, so that we may be strengthened in the hope of eternal life and escape the world’s corruption (2 Pe 1:3-4). One way I’ve taken note of these three elements is to underline, or “highlight”, each one with a different colour.
Fourth, I meditate upon the Bible and pray at the same time; in this way the Scriptures direct my thinking as I pray to God. Here are some examples of how this activity can be done. When I read testimony, I ask the Lord to help me believe it. As I read commands, I give thanks to God that Christ has fulfilled them, while asking Him to work in me so that I may obey them for His good purpose (Php. 2:12, Ps.119:35). When I read promises, I’ll ask God for the ability to put my trust and hope in them.
Am I sharing these ideas as if they constituted a sure 'formula' that will end a believer's struggle to stay in the Word? Not at all. In fact, the initial process of putting them into practice will be a struggle in itself! Still, if the effort is accompanied by earnest, humble prayer which asks for insight and understanding, I'm confident that the experience will be a rich spiritual feast for many.
There are many ways to study the Scriptures. Let us make sure, however, to choose those methods which require us to hear "the whole purpose of God" (Acts 20:27), rather than those which go no further than "meeting our felt needs".
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Carson, D.A. For the Love of God (Crossway, 1998)
Packer, J.I. Knowing God (IVP, 1993).
Piper, John. Desiring God (Multnomah, 2003).
© 2002-07 Sean McCausland
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