Our Next area of Study in the Spiritual Disciplines is The Study of God's Word. Join us at The Passionate Participation in God Project http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=237088564302 starting 02/26/2010 for the 20 days of this study. Or go to http://www.abbasglory.com/ and click on the In God daily tab. __________________________________________________
Study
The intentional process of engaging the mind with the written and spoken Word of God and the world God has created in such a way that the mind takes on an order conforming to the order upon which it concentrates.
When God made his covenant with the Israelites, he established the books of the Law, which laid out in detail the way God’s people were to live. From that point forward, study became an important part of life with God. Now in addition to the Law, we have the other books of the Old Testament and the revelation in Jesus Christ. Scripture is an expansive gift that shows how God has been with us throughout history.
Accordingly, one of the best ways we can learn more about and grow closer to God is to study the written word. Scripture is the foundation of all of the disciplines. We know Jesus studied the Torah. Luke 2 tells us that Jesus went to the Temple as a young boy and spent time with the teachers there, asking questions. Indeed, he knew the Torah backwards and forwards, quoting from it time and time again. We too are well served by studying and, yes, even memorizing large pieces of Scripture.
The intentional process of engaging the mind with the written and spoken Word of God and the world God has created in such a way that the mind takes on an order conforming to the order upon which it concentrates.
When God made his covenant with the Israelites, he established the books of the Law, which laid out in detail the way God’s people were to live. From that point forward, study became an important part of life with God. Now in addition to the Law, we have the other books of the Old Testament and the revelation in Jesus Christ. Scripture is an expansive gift that shows how God has been with us throughout history.
Accordingly, one of the best ways we can learn more about and grow closer to God is to study the written word. Scripture is the foundation of all of the disciplines. We know Jesus studied the Torah. Luke 2 tells us that Jesus went to the Temple as a young boy and spent time with the teachers there, asking questions. Indeed, he knew the Torah backwards and forwards, quoting from it time and time again. We too are well served by studying and, yes, even memorizing large pieces of Scripture.
For our purposes, study refers to an analytical process of learning as opposed to the more devotional practice of meditation. It is appropriate for the study to come first. Before we get to the devotional stage, in which we meditate upon what a certain passage means to us specifically, we must first seek to understand the passage. But this is not to say that study has no effect on us. Indeed, the opposite is true. What we study, what we concentrate on, becomes ingrained in us. Study transforms us from the inside out.
Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them.—Psalm 111:2
Day 46 ~ Spiritual Practice: Learning from Scripture
Day 47 Directions for Living
Day 48 Obeying God’s Law
Day 49 One Teacher
Day 50 Knowledge of God
Day 51 Setting Our Hearts to Study
Day 52 Saturated with Scripture
Day 53 The People of the Book
Day 54 Eating God’s Word
Day 55 Treasuring God’s Word
Day 56 ~ Spiritual Practice: Discerning Our Teachers
Day 57 Delighting in the Law of the Lord
Day 58 True Teachers
Day 59 False Prophets
Day 60 Observing One Another
Day 61 Remember Jesus Christ
Day 62 Learning in Community
Day 63 Learning from Creation
Day 64 Studying God’s Ways
Day 65 Transformed into the Image of Jesus Christ
Day 46 ~ Spiritual Practice: Learning from Scripture
Day 47 Directions for Living
Day 48 Obeying God’s Law
Day 49 One Teacher
Day 50 Knowledge of God
Day 51 Setting Our Hearts to Study
Day 52 Saturated with Scripture
Day 53 The People of the Book
Day 54 Eating God’s Word
Day 55 Treasuring God’s Word
Day 56 ~ Spiritual Practice: Discerning Our Teachers
Day 57 Delighting in the Law of the Lord
Day 58 True Teachers
Day 59 False Prophets
Day 60 Observing One Another
Day 61 Remember Jesus Christ
Day 62 Learning in Community
Day 63 Learning from Creation
Day 64 Studying God’s Ways
Day 65 Transformed into the Image of Jesus Christ
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This material is from the 'A Year With God' Devotional by Richard Foster, which is our text along with the Bible.
Artwork: Sword of the Spirit by Jeff Haynie
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