Resolve to Obey, and you will Observe More.
In Bible Study, your attitude determines your altitude. One of the best things you can do to help you better observe God’s word is to have a purpose and intention to obey what God is saying. That will help flip on the switches and illuminate your mind to see wondrous things in God’s word. Many people who don’t want to surrender to God or change their ways don’t want to hear or see the truth. To such people, God doesn’t reveal the truth. As a result, a condition for profitable biblical observation is that the student is willing to obey.
Students learn more from classes that teach information they have an immediate use for. They are more motivated, alert, curious, and pay attention. They take notes, make sure they understand everything the teacher says and practice when they get home. On the contrary, if they see no important use for the information they are being taught, they tend to zone out, easily fall asleep in class, and only do the bare minimum.
For example, when I was in secondary school, French was required for five years. I went through it and remembered nothing. When I finished high school and realized that speaking French would be important for my future work, I invested numerous hours in daily practice and learned to speak and write French fluently in one year. Decades later, I repeated the same thing with learning Spanish. After living in the U.S. for 18 years and not bothering to learn Spanish, in one year, I learned to speak Spanish fluently and now work in a population where 70% of my patients only speak Spanish. If I plan to use something, I’m very motivated to learn it. If I do not see how I plan to use it, I’m wasting my time trying to learn it.
I’ve found that to be true of all learning, including Bible reading. When you see a strong need for the material you are learning, that need motivates you to learn. Instead of passive learning, you become an active learner. You become 100% engaged in the process. You ask questions and go out of your way to get help. You are not afraid to be embarrassed. You are patient; if at first you don’t succeed in figuring out something, you try, try, and try again. You don’t easily quit because you are motivated. You pray and reflect or meditate on the things you are reading. You read not only to understand but also to remember or retain the information. You take notes, organize, safeguard, and review them regularly. You are like a detective seeking to understand and solve a case. No one has to tell you to do this. You do it because you see the need that motivates you. And you want to have answers to critical issues you are facing now or know you will be facing in the near future. If you want to get the most out of Bible reading or Bible study, get personally involved and have needs that you want to meet with the knowledge you seek. As with many things in life, with Bible study, your attitude determines your altitude.
One day, Jesus was engaged in a discussion with a group of people who were having difficulty discerning whether his words were from God or merely his own opinions. He told them, “If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority” (John 7:17). If these people desired to use God’s word to change and direct their lives, their antennas would be up; they would carefully observe what is said. Not only will they fully exploit their natural endowments for observation and understanding, but God will also reveal his word to them. God will not reveal his truth to those who don’t plan to obey. To have no intention of obeying is to refuse to see or hear.
