The greatest gift of God to man, next to HisSon and His Spirit is the Holy Scriptures. So we need to give utmost importance to the study of God’s word. Here are seven steps to benefit maximum from the Bible.
- RECEIVE
Receive the Word as a personal message from God whenever you read or hear God’s word (Matthew 26:21, 22). Receive the Word with Faith (Heb. 4:2) and with all meekness (James 1:21). God is pleased with those who tremble at His Word (Is. 66:1,2). ‘Yes Lord, I surrender’ must be our attitude. God’s word performs unbelievable miracles in the lives of those who bow down and say yes.
- RUMINATE
Rumination is a zoological term equivalent to meditation. Just like the animal chews the cud we are to think over our intake again and again. To meditate means to ponder over, to reflect. It is becoming a lost art because men are becoming busier and busier. Meditation leads us from hearing to understanding. It prepares our heart for obedience (Read Jos. 1:8; Ps. 1:2; 119:97)
- REFER
Jesus said, `Search the Scriptures’ (John 5:39). We are commanded to `search from the book of the Lord and read’ (Is. 34:16). Diligent search will give us a better grasp of the entire bible. We are to compare scripture with scripture. Bereanswere more noble-minded than the Thessalonians because they searched the scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so (Acts 17:11).
- REFORM
Mere knowledge puffs up. It leads to intellectual arrogance. Knowledge must be applied. Trust must be practised. All understanding must lead to obedience. Life must be reformed. The bible is not just to inform but to reform and transform (James 1:22). Do not postpone obedience. Every act of obedience gets you new revelations.
- REMOVE
The word of God is a seed. Our life is soil. God wants that we abound in fruitfulness. But there are some hindrances and hurdles that must be removed for maximum fruitfulness. Otherwise we will keep receiving without reproducing. Fellowship with unbelievers (Ps. 1:1), worldliness and covetousness (Matt. 13:22) and faulty interpersonal relationships (1 Peter 2:1,2) are to be removed for the Word to produce maximum blessing in our lives.
- RELATE
Sharewith others whatever you have learnt from the Bible. Beware of stagnation. Wereceive to give out. Sharing need not be always in the form of preaching.Truths can be passed on in conversations, through letters, in Bible studygroups, care cells etc. Jesus spoke many precious truths while walking throughfields. Give it shall be given to you (Luke 6:38; Pro. 11:25,26)
- REVERE
All Bibleknowledge should lead to the worship of the Lord. The supreme purpose of thestudy of the Word of God is to know the God of the Word. And the knowledge ofGod enhances worship. Theology should always lead us to doxology (Ps. 138:2).
