2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
- Doctrine: I need to ask the Holy Spirit to help me to study to show myself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth. I need to “Put it into English”, put into my own words this piece of scripture. I need to ask, who, what, when, where, why, and how. I need to put it into the context of verses before and after and in other parts of the scripture. I need to be careful not to add or twist it to my comfort or to what I have been told by others. I then need to ask, “ Since this is true, what manner of person ought I then to be?” (Doctrine: God’s prudent, practical, and perfect advice on how I should respond to all of life’s situations.)
- Reproof: When the scripture shows me how I have been applying this truth to my real-life situations, I should feel reproved. It is healthy and normal to feel angry, afraid, defensive, hurt, and excited but if it does not hit my emotions, then the truth will not change me or last in my life. God wants me to be real with his truth. He loves me to be passionate, hot, or cold but never to be nauseatingly neutral. (The longer and deeper that I have walked with God, the more sensitive my conscience should be, and the more the scriptures should open up new areas that God wants to help me grow in.
- Correction: What does it show me about my part in cooperating with the Holy Spirit so that he can fix what the Bible has reproved?
- Instruction in righteousness: God wants to take me far beyond just fixing what is broken. He wants to bring good out of the situation. Where sin abounds, he wants grace to even more abound.
- Be perfected: If I am to apply this practical truth so that people watching my good works will conclude that there must be a God and give him the glory, then I must decrease and he must increase. I must be living dead and the life that I now live in the flesh I must live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.
- How does this scripture go beyond correcting me, to furnish me for all good works?
If I meditate on God’s word and think, “ Well that makes sense, I just am tickled pink about doing it that way and can see how it will work. Sure I can do that, it seems fair and everyone will affirm me for being so wise, etc. I HAVE IT WRONG!
If I think, “ that is crazy I just don’t want to do it, it will never work, I am not strong enough, it is totally unfair, and people will probably hate and abandon me,” etc. THEN I PROBABLY HAVE IT RIGHT!
So where do I find the grace to obey? Well, he died for me and my ways sure have not worked well. Where else can I go? He has the words of life. His ways are not my ways and his thoughts are not my thoughts but the foolishness of God is wiser than my greatest wisdom. I can remember the parable of the bad attitude son who did the will of his father and was affirmed. All he asks me to do is to yield my body members according to a growing picture of his ways in action.
Thoughts from Verle Bell February 26,2023
verlebellmd.com 
One reply on “Rightly Dividing the Word”
Can a person, while meditating on God’s Word, think a combination of the two instances you sited? Many times I have thought, ‘well, that makes sense,’ ‘but will it work?’ ‘I don’t know if I am strong enough,’ however ‘I can see how it would work.’ I think, ‘I can do that and it seems fair,’ yet ‘people may hate and abandon me.’ (The last part never really entered my mind and is something I have to remember in the future.) To me it all boils down to Faith in His Word.
If you know in your Knower that He is the ultimate of good and He will never hurt you, your Knower reminds you that whatever is written in the Bible is for your benefit, not your harm. The difficulty of said action does not enter the picture if your goal is a more peaceful life on this Earth. Every ounce of energy spent in the commission of that Word will culminate in the most…I am at a loss for words!…awesome lifetime.
Always easy to do? No way, Jose’.
But ab-so-lutely worth every effort put forth.
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