Observe God's Word

 

Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters. As a church planter, you rely on God’s word to guide you and lead you.  You know very well that God’s word is a lamp for your feet and a light for your path (Psalm 119:105).  God’s word, the Bible, showed you the way of salvation.  Because of God’s message revealed in Holy Scripture you were able to trust Christ and be born again.  

God’s word led you as you began to walk as a disciple of Christ. You were instructed by the Bible as you began to obey Jesus’ commandments. Because of the impact the Bible has made in your life, you share it with others.  You have learned through your life experience what King David learned in his life. David said in Psalm 12:6, “The words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times.”  David was saying that God’s word is pure. It does not contain flaws. But not only was it flawless, David knew that God’s word, like gold and silver, was of great value.

You and I, as followers of Jesus, as men and women who have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, believe David’s testimony.  When we hear, “The words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times.” we say “Amen!”  And yet sometimes we fail to examine the pure and perfect word of God. Sometimes we get busy with other activities and fail to appreciate the great value of the word of God.

You have learned that there are three steps to Bible study: observation, interpretation, and application. I want to focus on observation today.  It is through observation that we access and receive the great wisdom, power, and grace that is available to us from God’s word, the Bible. Observation is far more than a quick reading of the sacred text or simply listening to another person read the Bible. To observe is to notice and perceive what is being said.  Friends, observation is hard work.  Observation is more than just looking; observation is seeing what is important and meaningful in a text. If we do not look carefully, we will not observe the important truths in God’s word.  We will gain a superficial understanding of what our Lord want’s to communicate to us, but not a full understanding. Observation takes time. Good observation requires us to free our mind from distractions so we can see what God is saying in the scriptures.

Observation of the biblical text means that as we read or listen, we must ask questions of the text. Who is the author? Is this passage telling a story or giving a teaching? Is this passage describing something that happened in the past or something that will happen in the future? Where did the things written about take place? When did the things written about take place? What people are mentioned? To whom was the passage written? 

As we consider these and other details in the passage we are studying, we will gain a better understanding of God’s word. We will be enriched mentally and emotionally; we will be enriched spiritually and in our relationships with other people by this understanding.  So here is my word of encouragement for you: take time to carefully observe the Word of God today and every day. By doing so, you will be blessed and you will be empowered to bless others. 

This has been “Multiply.” And I’m Dean Davis asking, “Who will you share this encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters #Observation #God’sWord