Blessed to Thrive

 Psalm 1 (NASB)

"How blessed is the man who does 

not walk 

in the counsel of the wicked,

Nor stand 

in the path of sinners,

Nor sit 

in the seat of scoffers!

But his delight is 

in the law of the LORD,

And in His law 

he meditates day and night.

He will be like a tree 

firmly planted 

by streams of water,

Which yields its fruit 

in its season

And its leaf does 

not wither;

And in whatever he does, 

he prospers.

The wicked are not so,

But they are like chaff 

which the wind drives away.

Therefore the wicked 

will not stand in the judgment,

Nor sinners 

in the assembly of the righteous.

For the LORD 

knows the way of the righteous,

But the way of the wicked 

will perish."

The Bible is our book of answers. 

What answers do you find to the following questions?

Consider this cross-reference about water. When Jesus met a woman who came to a well to draw water, this is what He had to say about water. 

John 4:10,11. (NASB)  "Jesus answered and said to her, 'If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.

”She *said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water?

13,14 Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

Study questions - 

Start from the last verse and build a list of comparisons between these two groups (wicked and righteous) and the relationship to a sturdy well-watered tree and a plant whose leaves are dried and blown away by the wind. 

Wicked

     What happens to the way of the wicked?

     Will sinners (those who continue in sin) remain standing in the judgment?

     What will happen to the wicked (dry leaves) when the wind blows?

Righteous

   Remember they are planted by streams of water. Even in dry/hard seasons when others might wither, what happens to the leaves of the righteous?

   When the righteous are following God's will for their lives, what fruit will they see? 

   Do you see a significance in the contrast between the righteous being firmly planted as opposed to the wicked being blown away by the wind?

     How often does a righteous person dwell/meditate on the Law of God, the Bible?

   Is it (studying/meditating on the Word of God) a chore for him or something he enjoys?

   Where will you NOT find a righteous person

          walking?

         standing?

          sitting?

Considering the cross-reference from John, what is the ultimate blessing mentioned in the first line of the Psalm? 

Looking at the Psalm as a whole, why does God supply us with this living water? 

What/Who is our source of living water?

Do you see a lesson about staying firmly planted in the Word of God rather than moving to different waters (empty religions) and remaining a sapling, not nourished by the river of life? What happened to the leaves of the wicked? 

Additional thoughts to consider. You might have heard of the Dead Sea. It's a deep salt lake, where water doesn't flow. Its high salt level makes it unsuitable for most plant or animal life. While the salt is used for various purposes, the water is considered dead. 

How does this compare to the fresh, living water where trees take root and grow? What does salt do to most plants?

Click here to see the video and hear an audio of this Psalm.

      

Follow the rules or know Him?

 

Philippians 3:4-21 (NASB)

“I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. 

If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: 

circumcised the eighth day, 

of the nation of Israel, 

of the tribe of Benjamin, 

a Hebrew of Hebrews; 

as to the Law, a Pharisee; 

as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; 

as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.

But whatever things were gain to me, 

those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 

More than that, I count all things to be loss 

in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, 

for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, 

and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 

and may be found in Him, 

not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, 

but that which is through faith in Christ, 

the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 

that I may know Him 

and the power of His resurrection 

and the fellowship of His sufferings, 

being conformed to His death; 

in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained it 

or have already become perfect, 

but I press on 

so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. 

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; 

but one thing I do: 

forgetting what lies behind 

and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 

I press on 

toward the goal for the prize 

of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 

Let us therefore, as many as are perfect 

have this attitude; 

and if in anything you have a different attitude, 

God will reveal that also to you; 

however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.

Brethren, join in following my example, 

and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. 

For many walk, 

of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, 

that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, 

whose end is destruction, 

whose god is their appetite, and 

whose glory is in their shame, 

who set their minds on earthly things. 

For our citizenship is in heaven, 

from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, 

the Lord Jesus Christ; 

who will transform the body of our humble state 

into conformity with the body of His glory, 

by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”

This passage is from a letter Paul wrote to a group of believers in Phillipi. He began the letter encouraging them not to be worried because he was in prison. God was using that for good, to minister to the prison guards. 

He reminded them to keep in mind that even when they also suffered under persecution, not looking for their own safety, but to live as Christ did, in humble submission to the will of God. 

Upward call. The word "upward" can mean to fill to the brim. So, rather than fill ourselves with a resume that might look like Saul's, we could fill ourselves up with the faith that comes from knowing Christ!

In this part of his letter, Paul talked about his transformation while he was still known as Saul, after meeting Jesus on the Damascus road (read about it in Acts 9). While he was Saul, he had a highly respected position and an impressive resume in the law. After he met and came to know Christ, his perspective changed. 

 

The Bible is our book of answers. 

What answers do you find to the following questions?

Study questions - 

What credentials did Paul list early in this passage to remind the readers of his knowledge of the Law? 

Immediately after that list, he says he counted that as what, compared to knowing Christ?

Paul explained that before, he had a "righteousness of my own derived from the Law" but now that where does his righteousness come from? 

In the sentence reading "Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude," the word "perfect" has a meaning we need to understand. That word, "teleios" in Greek, could also be translated mature, rather that the perfection we think of in modern English. 

Paul told them and us how to identify enemies of the cross of Christ. List the specific ways we can know them. What will be their end? 

His summary reminds us of our true home. Where is our eternal citizenship? 

Who is coming from there?

What will He do?

Hallelujah!

Hear audio here.

Perspective on Life and Death from Scripture

 2 Corinthians 4:7-5:9 (NASB)

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, 

so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God 

and not from ourselves; 

we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; 

perplexed, but not despairing; 

persecuted, but not forsaken; 

struck down, but not destroyed; 

always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, 

so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 

For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, 

so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 

So death works in us, but life in you.

But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, 

“I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE,” 

we also believe, therefore we also speak, 

knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus 

will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you. 

For all things are for your sakes, 

so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people 

may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.

Therefore we do not lose heart, 

but though our outer man is decaying, 

yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. 

For momentary, light affliction is producing for us 

an eternal weight of glory 

far beyond all comparison, 

while we look not at the things which are seen, 

but at the things which are not seen; 

for the things which are seen are temporal, 

but the things which are not seen are eternal.

For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, 

we have a building from God, 

a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 

For indeed in this house we groan, 

longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, 

inasmuch as we, having put it on, 

will not be found naked. 

For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, 

because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, 

so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. 

Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, 

who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.

Therefore, being always of good courage, 

and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord

— for we walk by faith, not by sight— 

we are of good courage, I say, 

and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. 

Therefore we also have as our ambition, 

whether at home or absent, 

to be pleasing to Him."

To hear audio go to this post.

The Bible is our book of answers. 

What answers do you find to the following questions?

Study questions - 

What do the phrases; "earthen vessels," "in the body, "in our body," "mortal flesh," "outer man," inner man," "earthly tent," "our house," "clothed with our dwelling from heaven," describe? 

What do we expect to experience in our earthly bodies?

What contrast do you see between temporary and eternal?

What does the perspective of the goal and ambition "be pleasing to Him," give to the prior paragraphs?

 

When God's Promises are Conditional

 

Many of God's promises to us are unconditional, however, there are some in which we must meet conditions before we can expect Him to fulfill His promise. 

If we do something, then God will do something. I call these "if/then" promises. 

In the example below, I put the if/when in bold for us to easily see.   

If we request wisdom from God by asking in faith without doubting Him,

then He will give it. 

James 1:5-7

What is the "if" part that we are required to do? 

If we request wisdom from God ...

But is it enough to simply ask God for wisdom? 

No. Before He grants us wisdom, He expects us to ask a certain way. 

in faith

How much faith? 

without doubting Him.

I like to divide the phrases by structuring them so I can see the main parts and supporting parts. It helps me see and remember the main points.

If we request wisdom from God 

by asking in faith (part 1)

without doubting Him, (part 2, expanding on part 1)

then He will give it. 

James 1:5-7

With the Scripture structured this way, it's easier to see both parts of our responsibility in the request and His response. 

If we request 1) in faith 2) without doubting Him, then He will give it.

Here's another example. Read the passage below and find the if/when.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

Because there are several items in the "if" part and the "then" part, let's structure the verse into a list. My thoughts are in parentheses.

If my people, which are called by my name, (clarifies the question of which people)

1) shall humble themselves, 

2) and pray, 

3) and seek my face, 

4) and turn from their wicked ways; 

then 

1) will I hear from heaven, 

2) and will forgive their sin, 

3) and will heal their land. 

2 Chronicles 7:14

Making this simple listed helps with understanding each element. Sometimes, I write a number over the word/phrase in my Bible or make a list beside the verse.

Here's another if/then example. 

“If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name,” says the LORD of hosts, “then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings; and indeed, I have cursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart.

Malachi 2:2

Let's structure that verse so we can see the elements of if/when. Look for my notes in brackets.  with some questions and answers I noticed.

“If you do not listen, 

and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name,” says the LORD of hosts, 

[Is it enough to listen? No. We must take it to heart to give honor to the LORD]

“then I will send the curse upon you [notice the LORD gives us a chance to listen and take to heart]

and I will curse your blessings; 

and indeed, I have cursed them already, 

because you are not taking it to heart. [Did God have a reason to curse them? Yes, "because" is a term of conclusion. Because they didn't take heart, He cursed them.]

This is an example of spending a little extra time in Bible study to explore and learn truths in Scripture. Taking a few minutes to structure the verse(s) and make lists are easy ways to get more out of your Bible study time.

Here's another passage with an example of "if/then." This time the "if/then" is implied but easy to see.

And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a mustard seed, 

you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and be planted in the sea';

and it would obey you. 

Luke 17:6

Another example of implied if/then.

Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. 

Matthew 6:31-34

The main point is to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. By reading the verses before and after we see the context, and better understand it. 

The first two sentences explain the problem - us worrying about what we will have to eat, drink, or wear. Instead, Jesus told them to to do something else first. (seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.) 

The last two sentences summarize the whole passage so they were clear on the meaning. "So" is another term of conclusion. Because of the reminder that our Father knows our needs, we have a reason to live without worrying about them. He ends with an instruction, "so" do not worry. 

Want to practice on your own? Try it in Proverbs 2:1-6.

If/then phrases whether written or implied are great ways to add more depth and understanding to your time with the Lord, in His Word.

Remember to pray first, and ask God to send His Holy Spirit to teach you and fill you with the wisdom to not only read, but take to heart what He wants you to know.

I'm praying God will richly bless you as you seek Him above all things.

In Jesus' name,

Amen.

 

What Does it Mean to Meditate on Scripture?

 

Why meditate on the Bible? 

What does that even mean? 

This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, 

but you shall meditate on it day and night, 

so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; 

for then you will make your way prosperous, 

and then you will have success.

Joshua 1:8

The word "meditate" can bring up thoughts of Yoga, or serenely contemplating life by a beautiful sunset. In the Bible, we find the word "meditate" in this Old Testament passage recorded in the Hebrew is הָגָה  hāḡâ pronounced as haw-gaw'.  We commonly use the term "meditate" in English as the idea of thinking about something or using a chant to focus on our thoughts. 

Using an online Strong's dictionary of Hebrew and Greek words; הָגָה hâgâh, haw-gaw'; we learn the word is used several times in the Old Testament with slightly expanded meanings. In the King James version it was translated as "meditate" six times, "mourn" four times, "speak" four times, "imagine" two times, "study" two times, "mutter" two times, "utter" two times, "roaring" one time, "sore" one time, and "talk" one time. 

Here are some examples 

of how the word hāḡâ (meditate)was used in the Bible.

mourn - Isaiah 38:14 Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter: I did mourn as a dove: mine eyes fail with looking upward: O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me.

speak - Psa 35:28 And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.

imagine - Psalm 2:1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?

study - Pro 15:28 The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.

mutter - Job 27:4 My lips certainly will not speak unjustly, Nor will my tongue mutter deceit.

utter - Psalm 71:24 My tongue also will utter Your righteousness all day long;

For they are ashamed, for they are humiliated who seek my hurt.

roaring - Isaiah 31:4 For thus hath the LORD spoken unto me, 

Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, 

when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: 

so shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof.

sore - Isaiah 59:11 We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us.

talk - Psalm 71:24 My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.

Below is the same word used in Psalm 1 

Let's read through, 

then investigate this passage to see what we can learn about meditating on Scripture. 

Psalm 1:1-3

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,

Nor stand in the path of sinners,

Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

But his delight is in the law of the LORD,

And in His law he meditates day and night.

He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,

Which yields its fruit in its season

And its leaf does not wither;

And in whatever he does, he prospers.

By reading the passage slowly, we can find several answers to the question of the importance of meditating on the Word of God in this passage. 

Below is a deeper look with the Scripture above in black. My insights/ notes in blue.

Psalm 1:1-3 with notes

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, [note there is a a blessing for not listening to the advice of evil people and staying in the Word of God]

Nor stand in the path of sinners,

Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! [note the contrast between two things.

1) listening to the wicked and standing in the same path as sinners, 

2) and sitting in the seat of people who scoff at God's Word.]

But his delight is in the law of the LORD, [not duty, not boring, but delight, bringing joy to my life]

And in His law he meditates day and night. [In what? In commentaries? Listening to inspirational messages? No, though those have a place. But our focus, our continual meditation should be on God's law, the Bible. How often? Day and night. Meditating in God's law-the Bible-day and night.]

He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, [The person who meditates on the Bible will be like a small tree that can grow because it's nourished. Small faith can grow when nourished by the Word]

Which yields its fruit in its season [Yielding fruit is a natural part of the growth and maturity of trees and believers.]

And its leaf does not wither; [When the roots are fed from the streams of water-the Word of God-the tree doesn't wither when the droughts come or when storms hit. The roots are firmly established and deep. We might be damaged by illness or accidents, but if our roots run deep, we'll not wither away from God.]

And in whatever he does, he prospers. [There is no need to worry. Deep roots and thoroughly watered the tree will fulfill its purpose and be fruitful.]

Meditating is more than letting our eyes read the words on the paper or screen before us. 

It's searching for truths, 

allowing the truths to penetrate our hearts, and 

speaking them aloud. 

Those are the meditations that will make us 

resilient and 

fruit-bearers.

Precious one,

I pray God's Holy Spirit will reveal deep truths to you 

as you spend time with Him meditating on His Word. 

I pray these words give you strength and courage through your life 

and that you will boldly share these truths, 

in Jesus' name.

 

Why Context is Necessary in Scripture

 

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. 

Philippians 4:13 (NASB95)

There are dangers in pulling out one verse that sounds encouraging or condemning, without considering the context in which it was written. The very encouraging verse from Philippians 4 is often quoted but sometimes misused. 

Paul authored this letter to the believers in Philippi. How do we know? 

God's Word tells us. Philippians 1:1 Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:

Paul was in prison. How do we know? 

It's recorded in the Bible, in the same letter. Philippians 1:12 Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, 13 so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else,

In the first chapter of Philippians, Paul acknowledges his imprisonment but is writing to thank them for their gifts. 

Philippians 4:15 You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; 16 for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs.

He also writes to reassure them because they were concerned for Paul. 

Philippians 4:10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. 12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.

Then the next sentence, verse thirteen he writes;

 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. 

Considering what we know from the letter, Paul's "I can do all things" statement is based on his circumstance--being imprisoned for preaching the gospel. He has enjoyed prosperity and wealth but is now in prison. His comment speaks to trusting God in any circumstance, regardless of the need. A few verses later he clarifies his statement.  

Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:13 is not about Paul expecting God to give him the strength to do everything he wanted to do. Paul's expectation and trust is that God will supply his needs, in this case, while he is imprisoned for preaching the gospel. 

What difference does it make?

If we count on this verse as a standalone promise from God, and someone believes God will give them strength to do anything they want but they fail, we have misled them into a false belief. Be careful to share the Word of God accurately and in context.

2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

That's why it's so important to spend time reading the Bible, 

so we will understand the meaning 

rather than simply trying to find a verse that sounds good for our situation. 

The Bible contains both encouragement and instruction. 

Mostly, it shows us God's great love for us and His will for our lives.

Of course, we pray for the Holy Spirit to teach us before we look for answers in the Bible. Then we can search a passage by asking and answering questions such as;

Who? (to whom was it written? Who wrote it?)

What? (is being discussed or addressed? What is it explaining or asking?)

When? (After an event? Before an anticipated event?)

Where? (In prison? In the wilderness? In a synagogue? In a group of believers or nonbelievers?)

Why? (to address what issue or concern? to instruct about what?)

 and

How? (did this come up? How did it become a problem or habit? How are we to handle it or respond? How will God respond?)

By looking at the Scripture in light of those answers, 

we will be closer to ensuring we are handling the Word of God correctly. 

 

Beloved, I pray you will diligently seek to read and understand Scripture. 

It's God's Word to us--a rich and faithful Word. 

I pray it dwells in you richly.

He wants you to know Him and how very much He loves you. 

I'm praying your Bible study time will thrill your heart 

and leave you encouraged and 

empowered to share what you've learned with a world 

that so needs to hear it.

Lisa

Bible Study 101 - How to use a List in Bible Study

I admit I love a good list. 

In Bible study, it helps me absorb what I've read. 

It's good to read the Bible, but to actually study it, 

you need to spend a little more time with it. 

Even if you're not a list-maker, 

here are some ways you can use lists in your Bible study time.

For instance, in Philippians 4:8 we have an obvious list. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

So, we can write the list in a way to remember and apply it. My list might look something like this-

Dwell on These Things

whatever 

is true,

is honorable, 

is right,

is pure,

is lovely,

is of good repute.

If there is any 

excellence

anything worthy of praise 

let your mind dwell on these things. 

Phil. 4:8

That's a list that will help me focus on good, praise-worthy things. It also helps with memorizing because I can visualize my list. 

Here's another example in 2 Peter chapter 1:5-11. Starting in verse five we read qualities we need to have. [Read verses 1-4 for context and learn who this list applies to.]

Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, 

in your faith supply moral excellence, 

and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 

and in your knowledge, self-control, 

and in your self-control, perseverance, 

and in your perseverance, godliness, 

and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, 

and in your brotherly kindness, love. 

Did you notice that this list builds on itself? We diligently establish one quality before we apply another. We can read why this is important in the last few sentences.

For [a term of conclusion] if these qualities are yours and are increasing, 

they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

For [a term of conclusion] he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, 

having forgotten his purification from his former sins. 

Therefore, brethren, [because of what you just read] be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; 

for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; 

for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.

Did you notice "diligent" was repeated? What do we do when we want our children to remember something? Repeat it. People of faith should be diligent to grow from our initial faith to love in the steps listed above. In the conclusion, we read that by doing that, we are useful and fruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and our entrance into the eternal kingdom will be abundantly supplied.

On the other hand, it is also explained that if that is not happening, we have forgotten something very important.

Because the Bible is our book of answers,

you didn't have to consult a priest, pastor, or commentary to find the answer to the question  

  How Do I Know I'm Growing in Christ

You found it by taking the time to examine Scripture-the Word of God. 

Sometimes when I find a list I want to remember, I simply number the items in the list on the text and underline the answer it brings. 

Other times I make a separate list beside the passage. If there are only two or three, I might draw a bullet point or insert a dash to help me find the others. Colored pencils are also helpful to find special words. 

You create the lists in a way that makes sense to you. Colored pencils, indentions, or underlining. You'll want to be able to find the passage again and explain it to someone who has the question for the answer you found. 

I'm praying the Holy Spirit shows you rich and profound lists in your Bible study time today that reveal your identity in Christ and the way God wants you to think and behave.  

Blessings,

Lisa