Most of us are familiar with the three primary steps of Bible study:
1. Observation (author, recipient, when written, why written, key words/phrases, literary genre, development of thought, historical background, etc.)
2. Interpretation [meaning to original recipients, taking into account context, history, culture, original language, etc.]
3. Application What are the universal principles & how do they apply in your life? I think I have a better handle now on the points the old Word of Life Quiet Times had in mind when, after each Bible reading they asked, "What does it say?", "What does it mean?", "How does it apply?". To be honest, I never understood what they wanted. What's the difference between the first two questions? Should I answer the first question by copying the verse word-for-word? I just didn't get the point... and it seemed pretty boring. If they had only explained Observation - Interpretation - Application, I might have made real progress in my Bible study!
Recently I've been thinking a lot about the "Application" stage of study. That step is difficult because it takes thought based upon biblical truth, honest evaluation of your life and meditation on both ... chewing on it, turning it over in your mind, examining the ins and outs. In my biblical counseling training days, a lot of time was spent looking at the application sections of the epistles. I remember someone once saying to me, "I just want the Bible to tell me what to do and I'll do it." Really? I find myself feeling a lot more like Paul in Romans 7 when I look at clear Biblical commandments and resolve to obey them ... until the next time I'm tempted, that is.
In recent years it seems the final step of "Application" has become more akin to the world's fascination with "self-help". The Bible is too often viewed as a guide to making your life function better. What steps do I need to take to have a manageable, fulfilling life? How can the Bible make my marriage better? ... make my children more obedient? All those things are possible, of course, but I think the questions are wrong. These things are BY-PRODUCTS of living a life pleasing to the Lord, not goals within themselves. God did not give us the Bible to make our lives better. He gave us His word as a revelation of HIMSELF! He gave us the Bible that we might know HIM.
So how should we think about the "Application" step in our Bible studies? When Pastor Wragg first came to FBC, he tried to get me to think more about "Implication", before thinking about specific "Application" in my life. I didn't understand what he meant at first, but I think I'm beginning to get a handle on it. When I read God's word now, I look for the "big picture". What is it teaching me about God? For example, when I prepared to teach the
Book of Ruth last year, instead of asking myself, "What can I learn about the life of Ruth and/or Naomi?", I continually asked myself, "What can I learn about God and what is the Implication of that in my life?"
So what did I come away with from the
Book of Ruth? I learned that God is always good and always faithful to His people, even when circumstances might make it appear that He is not. THAT is the main point of the
Book of Ruth, which is why (like John Piper) I chose my title for the Book from an old poem about God's providence, "The Hidden Smile of God". Once I had determined what God is teaching about Himself in
Ruth, I had to spend time thinking about the implication of that truth in my life. From a broad perspective, the "Implication" is that as one of His own, His goodness and providence is present in MY life, just as it was in Ruth and Naomi's. The implication of THAT would then would be: I must trust Him, even in the midst of trials and difficult circumstances. Another implication would be that a trial in my life does not mean I am being punished, but that God in His goodness knows precisely what experiences will make me more like His Son ... which is THE ultimate goodness that can happen in my life! From that point comes more specific, day-to-day personal life "Applications" ... one trial at a time.
I would encourage you to train yourself to think this way as you study God's Word. Step back and see the bigger picture of what God is revealing about Himself. Then contemplate the Implication of those truths in your life. You'll find such an approach results in a change in your "inner man", in your thinking ... which will ultimately be expressed in a lasting change in your outer actions. What a depth of richness there is for those who contemplate God. Don't settle for "self-help". Get your eyes off your navel and onto God!
