GOD SPEAKS: QUICKENING SCRIPTURE

November 21, 2010

I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.
– Psalm 119:15

PART 1
Identify the Current Issue

God speaks to us in many ways. We learned that His language is Christ and that all things were created through Christ and hold together in Him. Last week we look at how God speaks to us through object lessons, or parables. We know that God speaks to us through scripture, and we’ve studied many well-know passages over the past few months to learn what God communicates through His word. The Bible addresses many things outright, such as standards for holiness, how we are to approach God and how we are to treat each other. When we need to hear from God on an issue or situation, we really should look at what God has already said on that subject from the Bible. There will be times where we need to hear God for a specific situation. God will sometimes take a passage of scripture and quicken it to us for our specific situation.

Perhaps you have had this experience: You are reading a passage you have read many times in the past. But this time it suddenly comes alive and you have an in-depth understanding of what it means. You see things in it that you had never seen before. That is probably the Holy Spirit quickening scripture to you because He is trying to communicate something to you. He likes to do that.

PART 2
Discover the Eternal Principles

Teaching point one: God is the source of our help. He watches over all parts of our life.

Psalm 121
1I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? 2My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. 3He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; 4indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5The LORD watches over you—the LORD is your shade at your right hand; 6the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. 7The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; 8the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Teaching point two: We are commanded to meditate on God’s word and commit it to memory.

Joshua 1:8
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Psalm 119:9-16
9How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. 10I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. 12Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees. 13With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. 14I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. 15I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. 16I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.


Teaching point three: God uses the Holy Spirit to recall His Word to our conscious mind.

John 14:26
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I have said to you.

PART 3
Apply Your Findings

Break up into small groups for discussion.

Pause for a moment and think about a question you have for God about something in your current situation. Read through each of these passages by yourself. Once everyone in the group has finished reading the passages, discuss what God has said to you through the quickening of scripture.

Psalm 16
1 Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”
3 I say of the holy people who are in the land, “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
4 Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more. I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
or take up their names on my lips.
5 LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7 I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
11 You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Proverbs 6:16-19
There are six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to him; Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood; A heart that plots wicked schemes, feet that run swiftly to evil, The false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Galatians 5:19-25
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

Matthew 5:3-12
[Jesus said] Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Joshua 24:15
[Joshua said] If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Jeremiah 31:3-4
The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. I will build you up again, and you, Virgin Israel, will be rebuilt.

Matthew 22:34-40
Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”