Monday, April 15, 2024
A Bible Meditation Using the Soap Approach
In last week’s Devotional, we mentioned how beneficial it can be to read our Bibles, pray and write down our thoughts gleaned while doing so. In more detail, a 4-part approach was shared for meditating on God’s Word, called SOAP. Forming an acrostic, these four letters stand for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer.
In the following is an example of how this life-changing practice often works.
With my Bible in hand and a pen and notebook near by; I prayed and then read PROVERBS 11. I prayed again and re-read 11 while looking for a verse (or verses) that spoke to me the most. In this case, verse 4 seemed to be the one for me that day. I then wrote it out – word for word – in my notebook to the right of the letter S which was in the left margin. This became my Scripture.
S. Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. PROVERBS 11:4
Then I re-read what I had written and prayed again while asking the Lord how the same thing might be said in other words today. Next, to the right of the letter O, I wrote my Observation of this verse in my own words.
O. Money cannot buy us everything, nor can our wealth purchase us eternal life at the time of judgment. However, our being right with God assures us of what we need for that day.
Therefore, we can see that having riches is not as important as being righteous.
After re-reading all I had written, I asked the Lord to help me see the truth of this passage for my personal life. Then, beside the letter A, I wrote out a personal Application of this passage.
A. I must remember that a genuine relationship with God, based on His righteousness, is more important than all the possessions anyone can have, including finances and fame; which are temporal and can be lost, stolen or destroyed. Based on the longevity of the eternal things that God gives, it is easy to understand what true riches really are. The truth of this is illustrated in the fact that hearses do not have trailer hitches.
In light of all this, I began to pray and thank the Lord for helping me with insight on this issue. Here is a synopsis of my Prayer, written beside the letter P.
P. Lord, thank You for making me right in Your sight, by forgiving and crediting me with your own righteousness. I realize how valuable this is and how it pays off on Judgment Day. Help me to live a life that reflects what You have given so freely and abundantly. May temporal riches never distract me from the importance of the righteousness You have given to true believers.
In Your priceless name, Amen.
Righteous meditation awaits you through giving time to prayer and Bible reading.
