What’s the secret to a closer relationship with God? Want to know His heart and align yours with His? This week I walk through Luke 15:1-7 in this second part of how to revive your quiet time. So read on for the easy three step method to hear God speak and get closer to Him as a result. Scroll all the way to the bottom for a free study aide that will help you dig into God’s Word and get the most out of it.
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Table of Contents
The Good Shepherd
In last week’s post I shared my personal interaction with Psalm 121 and used it to show an easy way to interact with God’s Word and really get it to penetrate deep into your heart. This week, I thought I’d read through and study how valuable we are to our Good Shepherd and what that means to me on a daily basis.
Step 1- Take it in
I like to read through the passage twice in order to get a good overview. When I read through this passage and think about what stands out to me, I’m going to jot down several things. Sometimes I go verse by verse and other times I have fewer items. But either way, I like to stick strictly to the words of scripture and not do any paraphrasing. Here’s what I’m grabbing from this passage:
- vs. 1-2 Sinners and tax collectors were gathering around to hear Jesus.
- vs. 3-4 Suppose one of you has 100 sheep and loses one. Doesn’t he go after the lost one until he finds it?
- vs. 5-6 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, calls his friends together, saying rejoice with me!
- vs. 7 In the same way, there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than 99 righteous who do not need to repent.
This is where many of us would stop when we sit down to read our Bibles, but if we just take a few more minutes, it will really make a difference to revive our quiet time.
Step 2 Think it through
Now I think about “what do I learn” from this passage? Do I learn something about God, His character, about myself? Is there a command or a promise, a warning or an example to follow or not to follow?
Here are a few things that I learn, and I might learn something different next time I study this, because God’s Word is a living Word. He’s speaking through it to me at that moment in time.
- Anyone can come to Jesus. He turns no one away. When we come to Him and listen, we WILL hear Him.
- When one of His flock is lost, He will leave the other ones safely in the fold and go after him. He is a Good Shepherd, so out of love, He won’t just give up on a wayward child. He’s coming after us to rescue us. We are valuable!
- He picks us up out of our dire situation, holds us close and brings us back home to be with Him.
- He’s so excited when even one sinner repents, that all of heaven is rejoicing big time when one of us is saved.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve got goosebumps (or if you’re in the south–chill bumps:)! What an awesome Lord and Savior we have!!
On to Step 3–Live it out
We want God’s Word to penetrate deep into our heart so that we have a more intimate relationship with Him, right? The best way to make that happen is to apply what we learn. So I’m going to ask myself some application questions, and I might end with a statement too.
- What lost sheep need to hear His Words drawing them to Him for rescue? How will I prayerfully be intentional to share with them?
- Where am I straying from Godly principles that I will now listen and return to the safety of His fold?
- What seemingly overwhelming situation am I trying to handle on my own, not taking the time to pray and listen to Him speak truth and encouragement?
My Lord is an approachable, attentive, powerful shepherd who desires me to stay close in the safety of His fold. I need to be more intentional in prayer, study and listening to Him speak to me. And I need to apply what He’s telling me:)
Some helpful aides to revive your quiet time:
- I really want you to be successful, so I’m attaching a free study aide to get you going. Scroll down to the bottom. You can use it with any passage. I recommend keeping it to bite-size pieces 10-15 verses.
- Also, if you’d like to take it one step farther and Bible journal, head over to THIS POST to get some great ideas and helps whether you’re a beginner or advanced or somewhere in between.
- In addition, here are some videos that I made that show you how to take this three step concept and
“illustrate your faith” in your Bible. https://inspiredandrefreshed.com/the-bible-minute/ - If you’re looking to go a little deeper into inductive Bible study, you can’t go wrong with any of Kay Arthur’s studies. She has many, so here’s a link to take you right to them. https://www.amazon.com/Kay-Arthur/e/B000APSPYI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_6?qid=1521241688&sr=1-6
That’s it for today. Dig in and enjoy a more vibrant relationship with the Lord as you revive your quiet time! Leave me a comment or three. I’d love to connect and encourage you in your faith!
Sally
Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”
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