SOAPing

Most mornings, I use a Bible study method called SOAP (Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer).

I handwrite or type one or more verses of Scripture. 

During the Observation portion, I also read the surrounding verses, look up some of the related verses listed in my Bible, and use the free tools provided by www.blueletter.com and/or the YouVersion app in order to better understand what the passage means. 

During the Application portion, I reflect on what the Scripture and the additional insights I've gleaned mean to me. 

Then, I type/write out a Prayer.

Let me show you an example.

Scripture

Isaiah 29:19, NKJV:

The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

Observation

In order to understand the context of this verse, I read the entire chapter and tried to mentally answer the Who, What, Where, Why, When and How questions. The passage itself provided answers to some of them. For example: The LORD is obviously the one who is making the promises in the verse above, as well as other thrilling ones like this one: “And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness” (Isaiah 29:18, NKJV).

I’m not sure what the “in that day” phrase refers to. A day of reckoning that passed in long-ago times? A future reckoning? (I’ll need to do further study to find that out.) However, the truth is: God will set things right again! When He does, there will be a great reversal. The meek shall increase their joy in the LORD. The poor shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. The deaf shall hear the words of the book. The eyes of the blind will see.

Another exciting thing will also occur, just as the LORD promises in Isaiah 29: 23, NKJV: 

But when he [Jacob, Israel] sees his children, 

The work of My hands, in his midst, 

They will hallow My name,

And hallow the Holy One of Jacob,

And fear the God of Israel.

The New Living Translation renders that verse this way: "For when they see their many children and all the blessings I have given them, they will recognize the holiness of the Holy One of Israel. They will stand in awe of the God of Jacob."

That time, “that day,” will be a fulfillment of yet another one of God's promises that's found in this chapter:

Application

I will wait patiently and prayerfully for God to set things right. How and when He does it is His business, not mine. I trust Him to do a marvelous work--in His time and in His way. In the meantime, I will honor His name and stand in awe of Him for He is an awesome God at all times not just when He astounds me with “miracles.” Every day, I see His awesome work all around me. And those glimpses prompt me to praise Him.

Prayer

Father, I take joy in knowing You are indeed the God who sees and the God who acts. Help me to keep a quiet and trusting heart as I wait for You to set all things straight. 

NOTES: 

• I don't always write/type this much. But when time permits, I do enjoy and benefit from "digging deeper." However, even a little bit of SOAPing helps me.
• I encourage you to try this method and then post a comment to let me (and others) know what you think of it.

How to Cast Your Cares Away

Casting all our cares on God is hard to do, isn't it? We know that He causes all things to work together for His glory and our good. We know that He knows the best way to handle everything that concerns us. Yet, we do what a dear friend says she does: "I take my burdens to the Lord and leave them there. But then I go right back and pick them up again. Then the worry starts all over again, and I feel the weight of them again."

How do we release them? In my humble opinion, it's a bit like losing weight. We commit to doing it, and then comes the hard part. Moment by moment and day after day, we are faced with decisions. Do I eat this or avoid it? Do I exercise today or find reasons to skip it? Do I go to bed on time to give my body the rest it needs? Do I drink sugar-laden drinks or water? 

These are not once-and-done decisions. How much easier weight loss would be if that were the case. But we have to make those same decisions again and again and again. I think giving our burdens to the Lord is a lot like that, don't you? 

I heard one woman talk about a way she does that day-by-day surrendering. 

"Every single time a worry pops into my mind, I say to myself, 'For this [whatever the this may be] I have Jesus.' If the troublesome thought enters my mind again, which can be hundreds of times a day, I simply remind myself again: 'For this I have Jesus.' I can't keep the thought from coming, but I can refuse to let my mind dwell on the problem, no matter how big the problem is." 

My Vow

Vows. Promises. Commitments. Most of us take them lightly, don't we? I confess that I do, though I am struggling each day to keep the promises I make and, thus, prove dependable and trustworthy.

One commitment I made over 30 years ago was to write for God. For periods of time, I'd write regularly. But sometimes I'd lapse and write every now and then--mainly when a deadline was looming. But in recent days, God has been reminding me of His call upon my life, and I've resolved to get going again with that. To do so, I'll need to stay focused on my renewed commitment because it's so easy to get distracted, so easy to let other things take up the time I could have used to write--and should have.

To help me stay focused, I've written one Bible verse (see photo) on several "sticky notes" and placed them around the house. God directed my attention to this verse today during my early morning Bible reading time, but that was made by Ethan the Ezrahite centuries ago. Since it's still a good one, I'm also vowing to use every opportunity to make known God's faithfulness, to use every opportunity to remind myself, as well as others, of not only the faithfulness of God but also of His great love and mercy, of His complete forgiveness, of His unlimited power, of His....

Will you make that same vow? Will you vow to speak often with your Lord and to speak often about Him? Will you use your mouth, your voice--your speaking voice or your writing voice or your singing voice-- to make Him known to others?

I Am With You!

I'm sure I've posted this verse before, but I need to be reminded, as perhaps you do, of the precious promises it contains. So...let's read Isaiah 41:10 again and again and reflect on it so that we will not fear--no matter what happens.