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Let’s take a few minutes to clear our mind and prepare our heart to receive a word from the Lord. Go to your special place where there will not be any distractions. Pour your heart out to God. He is ready to heal and to restore all that is broken in your life.
Knowing Scripture
Paul’s letter to the Colossians is rich with insight into who Jesus is, what He has done, and how we should respond.
He wrote to encourage them to keep their eyes on Jesus, to live a life worthy of their calling, to be full of love for one another, and to…
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
Colossians 3:16 ESVSince the Church was new at this point, it didn’t have a complete, written Bible. So, when Paul told Christians to let the “word of Christ dwell” in them richly—he would have been referring to the teachings of Jesus they’d learned from Paul and others.
Because access to written Scripture was limited, this new Church needed to be encouraged and reminded to stay faithful in teaching one another. And one of the ways they did this was through praising God together and being thankful for all He had done.
We now have an incredible gift in the Bible. We have the full counsel of God from both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Through God’s Word, we can know God’s plan and purposes, the story and truth of Jesus, and how we are to live as followers of Christ together. And, we can encourage one another as we study and learn Scripture together.
So, take time in your day to read God’s Word. Study its content and context. Discover God’s character, plans, purposes, and love as you allow His Word to dwell in you richly. Then, try to spend time with other believers and discuss what you’ve read.
Sometimes it’s helpful to have a nice, succinct summary of something you’re studying. That’s why resources like the Key Word Commentary are so popular with users of the Olive Tree Bible App. The Key Word Commentary distills each chapter of the Bible (all 1189 of them!) down into ten “keys”. These keys help the reader understand the most important elements of the chapter, from the surrounding context to the key verse to key quotations about the chapter from theologians. Let’s look at some examples of the Key Word Commentary taken from the beginning of the book of Psalms.
1. Following psalm
2. Analysis of psalm
3. Key verse
Verse 3: “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water.”
4. Key word / key phrase
Verse 1, “blessed.”
5. Key event / key person / key theme
The man who is blessed
6. Key thought
There are three steps on the evil path specified by the psalmist in verse 1.
7. Key thing to look out for
A person blessed by God is like a flourishing tree (see cross-reference below).
8. Key Bible cross-reference
Verse 3. See Jeremiah 17:8.
9. Key “by way of explanation”
Verse 5. When God judges people nobody will be able to stand in his presence.
10. Key“Quotable Quote”
“The meaning of the psalmist is that it shall be always well with God’s devout servants, whose constant endeavor it is to make progress in the study of his law. He teaches us how impossible it is for anyone to apply his mind to meditation upon God’s law, who has not first withdrawn and separated himself from the society of the ungodly.” – John Calvin
1. Before and after
2. Analysis of psalm
3. Key verse
Verse 11: “Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.”
4. Key word / key phrase
Verse 2, “Anointed One.”
5. Key event / key person / key theme
The Lord’s Anointed
6. Key thought
In the New Testament, where this Psalm is often quoted, the Anointed One is applied to Christ.
7. Key thing to look out for
This Psalm was probably originally written to celebrate the coronation of an heir to David’s throne.
8. Key Bible cross-reference
Verses 1, 2. See Acts 4:25-28.
9. Key“by way of explanation”
Verse 2. The Hebrew word for “anointed one” is “Messiah.” The English word “Christ” comes from the Greek for “anointed one.”
10. Key“Quotable Quote”
“For I believe that the whole of human existence, both the dispositions of the soul and the movements of the thoughts, have been measured out and encompassed in those very words of the Psalter. And nothing beyond these is found among men.” – Athanasius the Great
If you’re looking for a tool to help understand the basics of the chapters of the Bible, then look no further than the Key Word Commentary. Visit our store to add this to your Olive Tree Library!
www.olivetree.com/votd/index.php
Food for the Soul 