There are many different types of Bible studies and devotions out there. Some focus on specific methods, such as expository studies or teachings which highlight the details of the meaning of a specific text(s) or passage(s) of Scripture.
Some studies just take a Biblical figure, such as in my study of Job, and expound upon them in detail without a detailed outline to the study.
Devotions can also take specific forms and structures. Some are over the course of days or weeks and detail a specific topic.
Others are just one-time devotions that deal with any number of topics from life or from Scripture.
Whatever form they may take, Bible studies and devotions are incredibly helpful in understanding the Word. While they should never replace your own study (after all, if you only ever participate in Bible studies rather than digging in on your own, you will only ever get what other people pull from the Word) they can be great resources, especially for new believers.
Bible Studies and Devotions: What Value They Add
- They can help you discover new nuggets of wisdom from scripture
- They can aid you in finding God’s truth
- They can help you learn to apply scripture in your daily life
- They can help you through trials and struggles you may go through that leave you feeling alone
- They can help you avoid the usual pitfalls that people find when attempting to study more difficult text
- You can learn the art of rightly interpreting and applying the Word
- It can challenge things that you may have been taught as you see truth revealed in the Word itself
I cannot separate my Jewish identity from what I teach here on Worth Beyond Rubies and I wouldn’t even attempt to try.
A large part of what I teach is the Jewishness of Jesus and here you will learn to study the Bible from the context, not of 21st-century Western society but in the context of when it was written and to whom.
One of my esteemed teachers, Rabbi Tony Eaton, says when we read the Epistles, we are reading someone else’s mail. While it has lessons for us today, it was not written by Paul TO us. Those letters were written to real people in real places at real points in history and we need to examine context as well as the content.
So whether you are a Messianic Jew or you are a Christian, you will find that the studies I share here will help you grow your faith in a way that is both challenging and true to the Word and to who you are in keeping with 1 Corinthians 7:17-24, known as Paul’s Rule in All the Churches.
So let’s come together and learn as a community of believers as His Word instructs us.
