Written by: Madison Wilcox
I ate four pieces of toast this morning: two with peanut butter and pear and two with butter and chopped dates. (Don’t ask about my unique food preferences.) It took me at least 20 minutes, setting me back on my schedule. Was the time worth it? Absolutely. Do I regret the fourth piece of toast? Not at all. I need to eat to live.
The point is this: eating takes time and intentionality. This morning, I had to prepare my food, chew each bite and clean up the mess. As necessary (and enjoyable) as eating is, the process isn’t efficient.
The same inefficacy applies to eating the Word. The process is necessary. It is often enjoyable, but it is rarely efficient. Sometimes it’s a struggle to accept this fact. My own devotions often turn into something akin to browsing the menu rather than sitting down for a meal. I may look at the food, but I don’t put in the effort to take a bite.
What would it look like to take a bite? The following list of questions and exercises will help you dig into a Bible story. We’ll focus on God first, the characters next and application last. Expect a feast.
Questions about God:
How does God react to humans in this story?
What do God’s actions reveal about His heart? What does God desire? What makes Him happy? Sad? Angry?
How does God communicate with humans in this story? What does He communicate? What does He not?
Do any of God’s actions surprise you or seem incongruent with your understanding of God?
1 John 4:16 says, “God is love.” What element of God’s love does this story reveal?
Bonus exercises:
Rewrite the story from God’s point of view.
Freewrite a list of every assumption the story makes about who God is.
Questions about the characters:
What do the characters know about God? What do they not know? What do the characters learn about God over the course of the story?
What specific sins are the characters struggling with here? Are there any additional sins that connect with their primary sin struggles?
What external pressures ( familial or cultural) are the characters dealing with?
What personal history are the characters dealing with? How might past events in the characters’ lives influence the way they might think and act?
Where do the characters exercise faith or reveal a lack of faith?
Bonus exercises:
Write the story from the point of view one of the characters.
Write a letter to the character(s) in the passage or from one character to another. Write a letter from the main character to God.
Questions for application:
What encourages you about the story? What scares you? Why?
If you were one of the characters in this story with your own weaknesses and desires, what would you have chosen to do?
What might you face today that compares to what these characters are facing?
What questions does the story leave unanswered? About God? Yourself?
How does the rest of the Bible contribute to your understanding? Find other passages that apply.
Bonus activities:
Journal about what would happen if you really believed what the story says about who God is. Use your imagination.
Write a letter to God describing what you learned about Him from the passage and asking Him the questions you still have.
