UNLOCKING WISDOM THROUGH JESUS AND PRAYER (3)

LET THE WORD DWELL RICHLY (COLOSSIANS 3:16)Paul tells the Colossians:"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.""Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly." Not sparingly. Not occasionally. Richly. Abundantly. Profusely. Like a river, not a trickle. Like a feast, not a snack.How do we do this?1. Read it systematically. Do not just read your favourite verses. Read the whole counsel of God. Read the New Testament and Old Testament in parallel to read the entire Bible. Let the grand narrative shape your understanding.2. Meditate on it deeply. Meditation is not emptying your mind; it is filling your mind with God's truth, then turning it over, examining it, and applying it. Psalm 1 says the blessed man meditates on the law day and night.3. Memorise it strategically. Hide God's Word in your heart so that you have it when you need it. In the moment of temptation, in the moment of decision, in the moment of despair – you need the Word inside you, not just on your shelf.4. Study it carefully. Use tools. Read commentaries. Listen to faithful teachers. Join a Bible study. The Bible is deep enough to reward a lifetime of study.5. Obey it immediately. James 1:22 says, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." The Word does its deepest work when it is obeyed. Knowledge becomes understanding. Understanding becomes wisdom. And wisdom becomes character.A young man came to a wise pastor and said, "I have been reading the Bible for years, but I do not feel any wiser."The pastor asked, "How do you read it?"The young man said, "I read a chapter every morning. It takes about five minutes. Then I check it off my list and go about my day."The pastor said, "You are not reading the Bible. You are consuming it. You are treating it like a vitamin – something to ingest quickly so you can say you did it. But the Bible is not a vitamin. It is food. And food must be chewed, digested, and assimilated. Slow down. Meditate. Ask questions. Apply what you read. And then you will find wisdom."Rev. Cheong Yew KwongFaith Church SingaporePlease visit our website at faithchurch.sg#goodtoread ... See MoreSee Less

藉着耶稣和祷告解锁智慧 (三)

把道丰丰富富存在心里（歌罗西书3:16）保罗告诉歌罗西教会：“当用各样的智慧，把基督的道理丰丰富富地存在心里，用诗章、颂词、灵歌，彼此教导，互相劝戒，心被恩感，歌颂神。”“当把基督的道理丰丰富富地存在心里。”不是稀稀拉拉地，不是偶尔存一点，而是丰丰富富、满溢充盈。如江河滔滔，而非细流涓涓；如丰盛筵席，而非零食小点。怎么才能做到呢？1. 有系统地读经。不要只读自己喜爱的经文，要研读神完整的旨意。新旧约并行阅读，通读全本圣经，让贯穿古今的宏大叙事塑造你的认知。2. 深度默想经文。默想不是清空心思，而是用神的真理充满你的思想，反复揣摩、细细省察，并且付诸实践。诗篇1章说，昼夜思想律法的人是有福的。3. 有策略地背诵。将神的话语藏在心里，在需要的时候随时支取。在受试探、做抉择、陷入绝望的时刻，你需要把神的话存记在心里，而不是放在书架上。4. 仔细查考经文。善用各类参考资料，阅读释经著作，听从忠心教师的教导，参与查经聚会。圣经的内涵极其深邃，值得人用一生去钻研。5. 立刻遵行。雅各书1章22节说：“只是你们要行道，不要单单听道，自己欺哄自己。”当人顺服时，神的话语才能在生命里产生最深的果效。知识化为悟性，悟性化为智慧，智慧塑造品格。曾经有个年轻人来问一位很有智慧的牧师：“我读经这么多年了，但从没感觉自己变得更加有智慧。”牧师问：“你是怎么读的？”年轻人回答说：“我每天早晨读一章，大概要花5分钟。然后我就把它从每日必做事项里划掉，再去该干嘛干嘛。”牧师说：“你这不是读经，是囫囵吞枣，好像每天吃两粒维生素一样 —— 你只是为了快点把这件事情应付掉，这样你就可以说你已经完成目标了。但圣经不是维生素，而是你的主食。食物必须细嚼慢咽才能消化，转化为身体的养分。所以慢慢来，边读边默想，边想边提问。把你读过的经文用在生活中，这样你就会找到智慧。”张耀光牧师 新加坡信心教会请访问我们的中文播客,faithchurch.sg/牧师手札/#牧师手札 ... See MoreSee Less