Our thoughts or God's thoughts?

[BruceLeiter]

Isa 55:6 “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;
Isa 55:7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

What is more important, to engage our thinking in trying to understand and interpret the Bible, or what? What are the principles of good interpretation?

 

[Edward429451]

What is more important, to engage our thinking in trying to understand and interpret the Bible, or what? What are the principles of good interpretation?

That's a good question.

The carnal man can not receive or discern spiritual matters because they are spiritual. SO I always (usually) make a conscious effort to read it from my spirit, and it's bad to miss that pre-read prayer, Holy Spirit, teach me and talk to me as I read the Lord's word...

There's 3 readings of a passage of scripture to study it right I think. !st is read it for the textual message. Sometimes the carnal mind can sort of make sense of some of it, so we get on the internet and let our canal selves argue about doctrine, lol!

2nd reading you open your heart to receive the spiritual message that lies beneath the text and you listen for the Holy Spirit.

3rd reading is where you look for the Biblical principle that is being spoken of that you apply to your own life...

That's sorta how I read and interpret the scriptures. After reading the passage a few times and you have a decent handle on it, you get on youtube and find a couple teaching videos on that passage and listen to a couple different points of view and spot the similarities and differences and according to, compared with what you got out of it. when you read it. And ponder these truths, pray some more and then sleep on it!

 

[BruceLeiter]

That's a good question.

The carnal man can not receive or discern spiritual matters because they are spiritual. SO I always (usually) make a conscious effort to read it from my spirit, and it's bad to miss that pre-read prayer, Holy Spirit, teach me and talk to me as I read the Lord's word...

There's 3 readings of a passage of scripture to study it right I think. !st is read it for the textual message. Sometimes the carnal mind can sort of make sense of some of it, so we get on the internet and let our canal selves argue about doctrine, lol!

2nd reading you open your heart to receive the spiritual message that lies beneath the text and you listen for the Holy Spirit.

3rd reading is where you look for the Biblical principle that is being spoken of that you apply to your own life...

That's sorta how I read and interpret the scriptures. After reading the passage a few times and you have a decent handle on it, you get on youtube and find a couple teaching videos on that passage and listen to a couple different points of view and spot the similarities and differences and according to, compared with what you got out of it. when you read it. And ponder these truths, pray some more and then sleep on it!

A very good method, @Edward 429451. Another way I've found to be very satisfying is to read the whole Bible all the way through a couple chapters a day so that after a few times we can get a sense of the whole of Scripture and can relate different parts to each other for good interpretation.

 

[Edward429451]

A very good method, @Edward 429451. Another way I've found to be very satisfying is to read the whole Bible all the way through a couple chapters a day so that after a few times we can get a sense of the whole of Scripture and can relate different parts to each other for good interpretation.

I read 3 chapters a day which gets m through the entire Bible once each year. One day I was thinking about being in front of Jesus one day and what if He says to me, did you my book to you? And I had read it cover to cover before so I got a reading plan and finished it all the way through!

I'm on cover to cover read 5 or 6 times now? I'm in Psalms right now I finished Psalm 112-115 today! and so, what you say is true, I started being able to put together the different parts of scripture! Not only that, but, so far, every time I read it again I see something that I never seen before (seems like it!)

People don't understand how important reading the word is.

 

[BruceLeiter]

I read 3 chapters a day which gets m through the entire Bible once each year. One day I was thinking about being in front of Jesus one day and what if He says to me, did you my book to you? And I had read it cover to cover before so I got a reading plan and finished it all the way through!

I'm on cover to cover read 5 or 6 times now? I'm in Psalms right now I finished Psalm 112-115 today! and so, what you say is true, I started being able to put together the different parts of scripture! Not only that, but, so far, every time I read it again I see something that I never seen before (seems like it!)

People don't understand how important reading the word is.

Amen, Edward429451! That's true to the Holy Spirit's work in my experience too!

 

[Edward429451]

Amen, Edward429451! That's true to the Holy Spirit's work in my experience too!

The Holy spirit is prolly the one who put the thought in my head! Did you read my Book to you?

Uhh, no, someone said it wasnt translated good and so was not true...

Ahem...Man that would be embarrassing!

What you find out from reading the word for yourself is...that it's all true. he reveals that to you!

And I know it's true because I have peace in my spirit about it. That makes discernment easier. If my spirit is troubled, then somethings wrong. If I have peace in my spirit, it's safe to Believe it.

 

[BruceLeiter]

The Holy spirit is prolly the one who put the thought in my head! Did you read my Book to you?

Uhh, no, someone said it wasnt translated good and so was not true...

Ahem...Man that would be embarrassing!

What you find out from reading the word for yourself is...that it's all true. he reveals that to you!

And I know it's true because I have peace in my spirit about it. That makes discernment easier. If my spirit is troubled, then somethings wrong. If I have peace in my spirit, it's safe to Believe it.

I have had many situations in my life for me to be troubled about, but God has taught me a biblical pattern that isn't in the western culture, persistent lamenting (for example, Job 10; Psalms 6, 22, 39, 88; Habakkuk; Jeremiah's Lamentations 3) until God gives me his peace (Philippians 3:6-7). As long as I focus on God, he makes that peace persist in my life:

Job 10:1 “I loathe my life; I will give free utterance to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.
Job 10:2 I will say to God, Do not condemn me; let me know why you contend against me.
Job 10:3 Does it seem good to you to oppress, to despise the work of your hands and favor the designs of the wicked?
Job 10:4 Have you eyes of flesh? Do you see as man sees?
Job 10:5 Are your days as the days of man, or your years as a man's years,
Job 10:6 that you seek out my iniquity and search for my sin,
Job 10:7 although you know that I am not guilty, and there is none to deliver out of your hand?
Job 10:8 Your hands fashioned and made me, and now you have destroyed me altogether.
Job 10:9 Remember that you have made me like clay; and will you return me to the dust?
Job 10:10 Did you not pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese?
Job 10:11 You clothed me with skin and flesh, and knit me together with bones and sinews.
Job 10:12 You have granted me life and steadfast love, and your care has preserved my spirit.
Job 10:13 Yet these things you hid in your heart; I know that this was your purpose.
Job 10:14 If I sin, you watch me and do not acquit me of my iniquity.
Job 10:15 If I am guilty, woe to me! If I am in the right, I cannot lift up my head, for I am filled with disgrace and look on my affliction.
Job 10:16 And were my head lifted up, you would hunt me like a lion and again work wonders against me.
Job 10:17 You renew your witnesses against me and increase your vexation toward me; you bring fresh troops against me.
Job 10:18 “Why did you bring me out from the womb? Would that I had died before any eye had seen me
Job 10:19 and were as though I had not been, carried from the womb to the grave.
Job 10:20 Are not my days few? Then cease, and leave me alone, that I may find a little cheer
Job 10:21 before I go—and I shall not return— to the land of darkness and deep shadow,
Job 10:22 the land of gloom like thick darkness, like deep shadow without any order, where light is as thick darkness.”

Php 4:6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.