<< Previous | Next >>

Being Steady Through Bible Study

By definition, a steady person is someone who is secure and constant. The question is how is this possible with our hectic lifestyle? The answer is simply, Bible Study. Spending time regularly in the Bible will give us a solid foundation to build our lives upon and a consistent guide to provide wisdom for life's challenges. Through the acrostic, B.I.B.L.E. we can see the value and solid results Bible study will bring to anyone who is willing to invest time in such study.

B - Behavior

Bible study gives us all we need to improve our behavior. How shall we live in light of our relationship with the Lord? He has given us a clear pattern to follow, if we will study His Book. From the Ten Commandments to our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, lifestyle qualities and practical implications are abounding. The Bible is God's training manual for Godly living. Through such tools as cross references, parallel passages and topical searches we will learn principles to live by, precepts to follow, promises to draw upon and prayers to apply.

I - Insight

Bible study will give "more insight than all my teachers" as we read in Psalm 119:99. Wisdom is found as we walk with the wise and God has given us a wealth of insight for daily decisions as well as deep doctrinal issues. When we use such tools as the LOGOS Bible Study Starter and study a topic of concern or search out the various comments on a certain Bible passage, the light dawns with tremendous brilliance and insight becomes overwhelming. Well planned Bible study will help us to grow from head knowledge to life application. This is what insight is really all about.

B - Balance

Bible study will give balance to those who study God's Word in the context of history as well as current relevance. They will be, like Jesus taught in Matthew 7:24, those that build their houses on the rock. When the storm comes, they will be well prepared with a life that is steady and well balanced. When we study with Bible study tools, such as Word studies, Bible Dictionaries or Background Commentaries, we will obtain the context and background of the Bible passage we are reading. As we find the basis and the timeless relevance of the passage we will achieve balance in both our understanding and application.

L - Leadership

Bible study will provide us with a wide variety of leadership techniques as we study the life of our Lord Jesus and the lives of many other leaders throughout the Bible. Choosing biographic studies through using Bible Dictionaries, Encyclopedias and topical Bibles will expose us to lives that faced similar issues that we face as leaders. Through thorough Bible study, we will learn practical skills as well as wise counsel for dealing with the pitfalls that often accompany leadership. There is no better leadership manual than the Bible.

E - Example

Bible study will introduce us to those who have gone before and have set examples for us. There will be those who are examples of Godly living such as Paul, who invites the reader to follow him as he follows Christ, (1 Corinthians 11:1). There are also those who have set a poor example to avoid, such as Judas who followed his greed (John 12:6) to his own loss. As we study life examples, a good tool to use is “The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge” edited by Jerome H. Smith. As we move from verse to verse, this tool will point to other passages that reveal similar content with qualities to either emulate or resist.

In conclusion, knowing the great potential for spiritual development that Bible study will bring, the investment of time is certainly worthwhile. The tools mentioned above are readily available in LOGOS software and are quite easy to use in any type of Bible study. Having been a Bible student and teacher for many years, I have labored over the bound copies of the above mentioned tools for hours on end. The investment of time has always been quite valuable, but now I am able to accomplish far more than ever through the advanced capabilities of LOGOS software.

Submitted by Jimmie Van Sant