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 Meaningful Bible Study It is often said that the Bible is hard to understand, but it can be understood. God tells us how to understand it. Here are seven biblical principles to understanding God’s word. 1. Let the Holy Spirit lead you. John 16:13
2. Read the Bible with an open mind. Don’t come to the Bible with a hidden agenda. Allow God to speak to you. Matt 11:25
3. Don’t build doctrine on one verse. Read as many texts on the subject to see what the Bible says. Isaiah 28:9-10
4. Use a concordance to find all the texts on a particular subject.
5. When reading something that is not in harmony with scripture you should stop reading it. Proverbs 19:27
6. Understanding truth has to do with the heart. You must have a willing heart. John 7:17
7. Believe that God’s word changes you. John 6:63
a. Using the acronym VIM can help you achieve this.
· V – visualization. Visualize the situation you are reading about in intricate detail. Feel the situation as if you were there. If the wind is blowing, feels the cool breeze as it brushes against your skin.
· I – identification. Take the place of the character you are reading about. Completely engulf yourself in the role, doing as the character does. Then think of similar situations in your life that would fit the circumstances of the Bible character. Use this to reflect on what the passage means to you.
· M – meditation. Go over the points of the passage in your mind. Analyze each point think of how it applies to your life. Let God show you through the story how to address that situation in your life.
The Bible is God’s message to us. Its stories tell us who He is and of His love for us. It helps us through events that we encounter and a bond with God is created that nothing can destroy. Through time in the word and in prayer God heals us and delivers us. He gives us hope.
Study taken from Shawn Boonstra's devotional, The Sword of the Spirit.
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