In Love with the Bible

Learning to love God's Word

Past Posts

A Look at John 6:1-14

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I have not usually found it helpful to meditate on scripture by focusing on a character in a Biblical account—but one day I did. So this post illustrates meditating on scripture by placing yourself in the story, via a character in the passage. I’m going to start by telling you how I came to meditate on this passage.

At a time when I was dealing with a particular habitual sin—one in my thought life—I was getting ready to take a walk and realized I wanted to choose that sin. As a walk does not require much attention, I knew my mind would need something to focus on if I were to avoid sin. I grabbed my Bible and just asked God to give me a passage that I could think about while walking. I opened up to the feeding of the 5,000—and was unhappy with that selection. I didn’t think there was much food for thought there and I knew I needed something that would capture my attention. I decided, in a grumpy way, that I could at least make a beginning. I got about as far as saying something like, “Thank you, Lord, that when we give you our little bit, you make it sufficient for the need,” when I was interrupted by the thought that I should consider the possibility that the biggest miracle in the story was not the multiplication of the loaves and fish, but the boy giving Jesus his lunch. That thought surprised me, but I pondered it. I realized it’s easy to imagine why a boy would not want to give his lunch to Jesus to feed 5,000 others (the foremost being, it seems like a good way to go hungry.) I thought of some other reasons, too. The thing that struck me the most is that every one of those reasons applied to why I was having problems with a sinful thought pattern. I ended up thinking about this for a good week. (Not bad for a passage with “no food for thought.”) In the end, I found myself thinking particularly about how the boy must have felt when the leftovers were picked up; the “garbage” was significantly bigger than the original lunch. I can imagine the boy saying, in awe, “You did that with my lunch?” I think God invites me to believe it’s possible that I might say to him when my life is over, “You did that with my life?”

I want to point out that through meditating on this passage I ended up with a good understanding of why I had a particular habitual sin. Dealing with those issues did not come from meditating on this passage. It came from meditating on scriptures that spoke to the root issues of my sin: my unbelief—doubting God’s sufficiency. Meditation on one passage can often lead us to meditating on other passages.

I believe one could also gain good insight by looking at this passage from the viewpoint of the disciples. Jesus tells them to have the people sit down. Until then there may not have been any expectation on the part of the crowd that Jesus is going to provide food—the disciples certainly did not have any such expectation. To have the crowds sit is to imply that food is coming and the disciples know full well that there is not enough food. Even when Jesus began to divide the food, the disciples had no way of knowing it would be enough for such a crowd. I wonder if any of the disciples were thinking, “Jesus, how could you ask me to do this?” It’s easy to be confident of the outcome when you know the end of the story, but what if I’m the one being asked to do what I know is not possible? How do I respond when the outcome is unknown? Do I want to put the biggest guys in the front to make sure they get something? Do I want to put them in the back in hopes I’ll be far away from them when the food runs out? Or do I trust Jesus to fully supply what is needed (with leftovers)?

A Look at Romans 12:2

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There are three word pictures in Romans 12:2 that are very helpful to me when I ponder the passage. In my experience, focusing on them creates a source for fruitful meditation. This is how the verse reads in the New American Standard Bible: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” I’d like to focus on the words conformed, transformed, and renewing.

The word conformed means to fashion in the same way—being made from the same mold, cut from the same pattern. I’m not a great seamstress, but I have done enough sewing to know that you can get a wide variety of looks from the same pattern by changing fabrics and using different finishing touches. Within all that variety there will, however, continue to be a certain sameness because the pattern is unchanged. In spite of the great variety of sizes, shapes, complexions, and personalities that people come in, being shaped by the world will leave a certain sameness to us—one that is not pleasing to God. It is worth asking ourselves some questions. Do I recognize where I’m cut from the same pattern as the world? Do I see ways God has made alterations to the pattern? Am I willing to let God (metaphorically) rip out some seams in order to make further alterations?

The word transformed used in this verse is the same word that is translated as transfiguration when it talks about Jesus’ skin and clothing becoming radiant. It is a word that expresses a real change. The Greek word looks like this: metamorphoo. When I saw it, my first thought was “metamorphosis,” and they are indeed related words. I found it worth thinking about the level of change that happens when a caterpillar becomes a moth or a butterfly. It’s not a matter of the caterpillar growing wings, but it really becomes something new—the old body is dissolved and a new body is restructured. Something is lost, but something is gained. Would the caterpillar be willing to form a cocoon/chrysalis if it knew what would happen while it was inside one? Am I willing for God to take me apart and put me back together in a new way? Am I willing to go through the loss of being a caterpillar in order to become a butterfly? (Will I believe a butterfly is on the other side of the process?)

Renewing our minds means renovating our minds. The architect with his plans and the contractor with his skills enter into renovating a home without any concern for the fact that some walls may come down, new boards may be nailed in, or new windows may be cut out while old ones are boarded over. But when it comes to renewing our minds, we are neither the architect nor the contractor. We are the house. We may not see or understand the architect’s plans. We may not understand the reasons the contractor removes some things and adds others. Maybe we don’t like some of the changes or the messiness of the work. It helps to have confidence that the final product will be worth it (i.e. trust the skills of the architect and the contractor). Of course all analogies have their limits. If a house is being renovated, it does not actively participate in the work being done. But we do. God cannot renew my mind with his word if I don’t spend time in his word. It is worthwhile to ask God where he wants to renovate and what scriptures he might want me to meditate on to help it happen. Truth is the building material for mind renewal.

We are told the transformation that comes from a renewed mind enables us to “prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Let’s take a quick look at some of these words, too.

  • Prove: to test, discern, to approve (it is a word that connotes checking to see if something is worthy of being received or not)
  • Good: benevolent, profitable, useful
  • Acceptable: fully agreeable, well-pleasing
  • Perfect: complete, adult (i.e. full grown), having reached the goal

I believe that those areas of my life that have been transformed by God’s word demonstrate that God’s word is worthy of being received—life lived God’s way is useful, well-pleasing, and accomplishes God’s goals.

A Look at Psalm 23

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At one time, a number of years ago, I was experiencing depression. I borrowed a book on mental health that was written by a Christian for Christians. I do not remember the name of the book or the author, but I do remember that the author claimed he did not know anyone who faithfully meditated on Psalm 23 who continued to have problems with depression. He then gave a brief synopsis of what it means to shepherd sheep as an to aid in meditating on the Psalm. I cannot speak to whether or not he is correct that anyone who meditates on this chapter will be set free from depression (I’m sure there are a variety of factors linked to depression), but I do know that mine lifted. Another benefit for me was that I realized that a shepherd loves his flock because he cares for the individual sheep. This was important for me because previously when I read, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son,” I believed that God loved the world, so I got in on the deal. This Psalm made me rethink that and see that God loves the world because he loves the individuals who make up the world. A few years later I saw a book called A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 (by Phillip Keller), I remembered how fruitful my earlier meditation on the Psalm had been. I snatched up the book and refreshed my mind with the blessings of having God as my shepherd.

I found learning about shepherding was more helpful to meditating on this Psalm than word studies or cross-references. Here are some concepts from the two books that aided my meditation on this passage:

  • The Lord is my shepherd: how good a shepherd is at his job impacts every aspect of a sheep’s life. Our shepherd knows his job and knows his sheep. He does his job well.
  • I shall not want: a combination of having needs met and being content with the care given. (A sheep that insists on wandering even when its needs are provided for may need to be butchered because of the bad influence on the rest of the flock—that was an unhappy thing to see.)
  • Lying down in green pastures: a sheep is most quieted by the presence of the shepherd, and a sheep cannot ruminate well unless it is quiet. If the pastures are green, the shepherd has taken good care of his pastures; he has provided good food for his sheep.
  • Beside quiet waters: one of the best sources of water for sheep is the dew-drenched grasses of early morning, so this is a good time to graze them. Additional sources of water must also be available. A shepherd needs to make certain there is clean water, as the sheep will otherwise drink filthy, contaminated water. He also needs to make sure the water supply is not from fast flowing sources, or the sheep may be swept off their feet (not in a romantic way!) A shepherd will sometimes dig to create a pool of quiet water from a fast flowing stream.
  • He restores my soul: a sheep is “cast” when it is on its back and cannot get back up. If the shepherd does not find it and set it on its feet, the sheep will die. One way a sheep can become cast is when it seeks soft hollows to rest in. (I can find easy parallels in my life!) Another way is when the sheep have too much wool, especially if it is matted with mud, manure, burrs, or other debris. This is a problem the shepherd must deal with. The sheep cannot clean themselves up.
  • Paths of righteousness (i.e. right paths): Pasture rotation is important for the health of both the sheep and the land. Left on their own, sheep overgraze their pasture and it can take a long time for the pasture to recover. The sheep are also more likely to become infested with parasites by staying in the same place too long. The shepherd keeps an eye on the condition of his sheep and his pasture, moving them as often as needed.
  • The valley of the shadow of death: the valleys are the best route to the fresh pastures of higher ground used in the summer. This is where grass is best and water can be found. It provides the gentlest slopes. There are also dangers associated with valleys, and it is the shepherd’s job to protect the sheep from those dangers.
  • Comfort from a rod and staff: the rod is used both to discipline the sheep and to protect the shepherd and his sheep. The staff is used to draw sheep together (or to the shepherd), to guide them, and to rescue them from situations where they cannot rescue themselves.
  • The prepared table: a shepherd who cares about his sheep will remove toxic plants, add minerals to the soil as needed, clean water holes of debris and be alert to any signs of predators in the area.
  • Anointing heads with oil: oil is mixed with other substances and applied to the heads of the sheep to protect them from pests and parasites. Greased heads also help rutting males to not kill or injure one another when fighting.
  • Being followed by goodness and mercy: a mismanaged flock can ruin the land, but a well managed one benefits it greatly—even to the point of restoring ruined land. A flock of sheep has the potential to greatly bless the land.
  • Dwelling in God’s house forever: this is the picture of sheep fully satisfied with the care of the shepherd and a shepherd who delights in his sheep.

I think it is especially beneficial to spend time meditating on this Psalm if you need to grow in understanding how much God loves you. A shepherd spends a great deal of time caring for his sheep and their pasture lands. It is good to remember God invests time in us, too. He looks after our welfare and is alert to what affects us. I hope you find the information on shepherding aids you in that mediation.

What is meditation? (And one example)

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My favorite view of meditation comes from a book by Jim Berg, Changed Into His Image. He says that anyone who knows how to worry knows how to meditate. The process is the same; it’s the thoughts that are different. Instead of allowing my mind to be filled with concerns about an event or a “what if’,” I fill my mind with God’s word. When we worry, we find ourselves thinking about all the possible outcomes, the way other events might affect what we are worrying about, or how we should respond to the different scenarios we imagine. Meditation is the process of looking at scripture with the same focus.

I’d like to share about my meditating on Proverbs 4:23. I think this verse speaks to a key reason why scripture meditation is so important. It says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (English Standard Version). I found these definitions of key Hebrew words:

  • Keep: guard (in a good sense: to protect or to maintain; in a bad sense: to conceal)
  • Vigilance: a guard—the man or the place (i.e. prison)
  • Flow: exit, boundary, border, source
  • Life: fresh, life, living thing

Looking at those definitions, I came up with this paraphrase: Guard your heart with your whole being. Be the guard. Your life flows from it. [Note: a paraphrase is not meant to be a literal translation—it’s what the passages says to me.]

As I spent time thinking about this verse, using both my paraphrase and the regular translation, I found that my focus would sometimes be on a particular word or phrase and sometimes on another. I asked myself questions, such as, “How can I guard my heart?” “Why is it important to do it with all vigilance?” “In what way is my heart a source of life?” My pondering on this verse led me to these thoughts:

  • Who I am and how I respond to God, to others, or to life in general is rooted in what my heart believes to be true.
  • Guarding my heart is a personal responsibility. Failure to take that responsibility allows the source of my life to become polluted, and what flows from it will not be godly.

It also led me to thinking about other scriptures that were relevant:

  • Romans 12: 2 says we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds
  • Philippians 4:8 says to think on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, excellent, worthy of praise
  • Luke 6:48 says the good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, brings forth what is good while the evil man brings forth what is evil because the mouth speaks from the abundance of the heart
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says we are to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances

So meditating on Proverbs 4:23 led to further meditation, using the four scriptures above. This, in turn, led to the following practical applications:

  • God’s word is the main way I can renew my mind. Be alert to attitudes and perspectives that are not scriptural. Then look for passages that give me God’s perspective instead and meditate on them.
  • Pay attention to my thought life. Is what I’m thinking really true? (Can I be sure of that?) Even if it is true, is it also honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, excellent, and worthy of praise. (When the truth is ugly, I need to be looking for what God might be wanting to do in the situation.)
  • Pay attention to the words that pop out of my mouth or the thoughts that pop into my head. They reveal something true about me. (I don’t have to “own” every thought, but every thought will reveal something about me—even if it just points to an area where I am vulnerable to some temptation.)
  • If I find myself unable to rejoice or give thanks in a particular circumstance, I need to keep praying to see it from God’s perspective. He promises to work all things together for our good. If I can’t see any good, I have not yet seen the situation as God wants me to see it.

My key reason to meditate on scripture is because I am what my heart believes.

  • I want my heart to believe what God says.
  • I want a world view shaped by scripture and not human philosophies.
  • I want my understanding of who God is to be shaped by his word—letting him tell me who he is instead of me telling him who he should be.
  • I want to meditate on scripture so God can change me from the inside out—changing my heart to change my behavior instead of me trying really hard to do or be what I think God wants me to do or be (and usually failing).

In my next post, I’ll share some things I learned about being a shepherd that can give greater meaning to the 23rd Psalm.

I Studied a Passage. Now What?

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In John 4:23, Jesus says that the Father is seeking true worshipers—who worship him in Spirit and in truth. One purpose, then, of listening, reading, and studying the Bible is to grow in knowledge so we can fulfill the goal of worshiping him in truth. But we need more than intellectual understanding of who God is. We need a relationship with him. I strive to look for three things with any scripture I’ve studied: life lessons, prayers to pray, and scripture to meditate on. Let’s take at them one at a time.

Life lessons are those places where scripture speaks a truth I need to hear. What I need to hear one time is not necessarily what I will need to hear another time. This is why no matter how many times I read a passage, I often learn new life lessons. Here are examples of some of the life lessons I wrote in a journal the last time I studied Philippians:

  • God began a good work in me—he will complete it (1:6). This is a truth I need to remember because sometimes I find myself dealing with the same sins and I can be discouraged. But I see places where I have changed and I know that God has begun a work in me. I need to trust to him those areas where I still struggle.
  • The antidote to anxiety is God’s peace—which I receive by making known my needs to God with thanksgiving (4:6-7)
  • Paul has learned to be content in all circumstances (4:11b-13). He identifies the secret to contentment in this way, “I am able to do all things through [Christ], who empowers me.” His focus is on Christ, not the circumstances. If he is in need, he can trust Jesus to either supply the need or give the strength to respond rightly to the unmet need. If he has abundance, he does not put his confidence in it, but in Christ. I think the bottom line is that he has learned to be content in all circumstances because he does not look to his circumstances for his welfare, but to Jesus. He has realistic expectations. Circumstances change and if they are my source of contentment, my contentment will come and go. Jesus and his love are unchanging. He also empowers me to meet whatever life throws at me. Keep my focus on him—in difficult times and in good times.

Scripture also provides us with many opportunities to see ways we can pray for ourselves and for others. Sometimes we can just take a prayer straight out of scripture. The Lord’s Prayer would be a common example. Paul in his letters tells different churches what he is praying for them—Ephesians 3:14-21, for instance. These are also good prayers to pray. Sometimes we can also see things to pray for based on passages that are not prayers. For instance, in 1 Thessalonians 1:5, Paul says they can know they have been chosen by God “because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.” I desire my church and the ecumenical fellowship I’m a part of to receive the gospel in word, in power, in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. I also desire that we would be a part of the way God can, in the same way, bring his gospel to others. So I pray these two things regularly.

It is my experience that the main way scripture moves from being something I know in my head to something I believe in my heart is through meditation. This is what can make the lessons for life stick. This is what can produce changes inside me. One example of a way I have been changed by scripture meditation is that I used to avoid ever telling God, “Do whatever it takes,” when praying about changes I knew needed to be made in me. After a topical Bible study, I ended up meditating on Isaiah 48:10-11. It says, “Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.” About a month later as I was praying I found myself saying, “Do whatever it takes.” It completely shocked me and I asked myself if I really meant it. Much to my surprise, I found that I did. I would prefer to go through a furnace of affliction than be someone who causes God’s name to be profaned. This was a profound change! Another example is meditating on the 23rd Psalm. It made me realize that the shepherd loves the flock because he loves the individual sheep. I had come from a perspective that God loves “the world” and because I’m a part of “the world,” I got in on the deal. This psalm made me realize I had it backward. God’s love for the world flows from his love for the individuals who make up the world. These are changes in my heart beliefs, and they affect me and my relationship to God in significant ways.

Because of the importance that I see of meditating on scripture, I plan several posts on that topic. How we meditate will vary—depending both on what we are like as individuals (my husband wants the facts and I want the stories) and what kind of scripture we are meditating on (theology, history, poetry, etc). I will cover what meditation is and some different ways I meditate based on the type of scripture I’m pondering.

Helpful Resources for Bible Study

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One of my favorite things to do when studying the Bible is word studies. I may be partial to them because I like words and word etymologies. I do, however, find them to be really helpful in broadening my understanding of many passages. Here are a couple of examples. In Luke 9:23, Jesus says, “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” In doing a word study I saw that the word “deny” could also be translated “disown”. I really like using “disown”. God created us for a purpose. It is reasonable to assume that there will be things he calls us to do that we will enjoy; that we will experience as fulfilling. Disowning my life means that I give God the choice of what I do with my life, but it doesn’t necessarily imply that I will dislike his choice. Denying myself, on the other hand, to me does imply that if I follow Jesus I will have to do what I don’t want to do or not do what I want to do. Sometimes God’s call on my life is hard, but sometimes he asks me to do something he has already given me a desire to do. To follow Jesus, I no longer choose the path; he does—and it can be to some places I really like. The second example is from 1 Peter 5:7, where we are told to cast our concerns on God because he cares for us. That word “for” is the Greek word “peri”. While “for” is a perfectly acceptable translation of the word, a key way it gets used is to mean “around”. I find that it gives me a greater sense of God’s personal care for me to know everything around me is something he takes an interest in.

Sometimes when I want to study a topic, I read through the Bible to find everything I can on that subject. It makes for a long project! But when I want to do something that is quicker, a concordance or searching a digital Bible is very helpful. It is easy to search for a word using these kinds of tools, although to do a thorough search, it’s good to keep synonyms in mind. A topical Bible can help if it covers the specific topic one is interested in. That’s because it will not be tied to a specific word, like a word search is. For example, I am currently doing a topical study on joy. I chose to do it by reading through the Bible, but if I were to do it as a word search, I would also want to look up words like joyful, rejoice, glad, or delight. The more synonyms looked up, the more thorough the search is.

For both word studies and searching digital Bibles my favorite resource is called e-Sword. Advantages:

  • It’s a free download—available even if I don’t have internet access
  • it has many translations to choose from
  • it helps with word studies by showing numbers linked to definitions of original language words (shown as tooltips and clickable for other uses)
  • it has a search button
  • it has its own note-taking feature.

Disadvantages:

  • some translations have to be purchased (due to publisher requirements)
  • the word studies are only available in a King James version, which uses a different Greek text than most modern versions.

I also have a New Testament study Bible (called The Complete Word study New Testament—also a King James version) that shows the parts of speech for all the Greek words. My favorite way of using it is to find out if a verb form designates a one time action or if it is a continuous or a repetitive action. I am fine with being told that we are to keep asking, seeking, and knocking in Matthew 7:7-8, but very grateful that when it says in James 4:9, “Be wretched, and mourn, and weep,” it’s not meant to be ongoing!

I’ve never done a Bible study that only uses the things talked about in this post. While these are helpful tools, they do not replace paying attention to context, comparisons, contrasts, or other relationships. The concepts I wrote about in studying the Bible with only the Bible as a resource are, to me, the backbone of Bible study. These tools help flesh out that study.

Cross-references, commentaries, Bible encyclopedias and dictionaries, and books about particular scriptures can all add to our understanding of the Bible. My personal preference is to study a passage for myself before looking at outside resources. I value the pleasure of gaining insight directly from God’s word over reading about someone else’s discovery from God’s word.

I am asking my husband do a guest post on reference material, while my next post will be about what I do after I’ve studied a Bible text.