Bible Study

As we were driving back in from Dallas Monday night (we went to Kent Brown’s funeral [father of Kyle & Jessica Brown] in Ft. Worth), I thought about how I really haven’t spent much extensive, focused time in the books of the Bible. I wanted to spend more time digging, researching, and applying the skills I have learned in Grad school. I then decided to go through a book of the Bible in a month (maybe two months, but we will see).
For each book that I am studying, I want to filter what I read through several different categories. I hope to spend 12 days asking text questions. What does the text say? How is it translated? What is my outline? What do I learn from the text about the author, the intended audience, and the setting? What are critical or key issues that the text addresses? What do introductions, dictionaries, articles, books, etc. say about my text?
Then I hope to spend 5 days asking history questions. What is the historical context of my text? What is the history of translation for this passage? How did the early church fathers interpret and apply this text? What do other major historical figures say about this text?
Then I move to theological questions. I hope to spend another 5 days asking these. What do we learn about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit? How does my text address sin, salvation, and mankind?
Finally, the last 8 days are spent asking pastoral questions. This centers around application. How does this text address the way we live? What does it teach about church? What are real-life applications of this text? How can this text be used in a congregational setting? In a campus ministry setting?
In the end, I am still not sure what I want to do with this studying of God's word. Do I write a synopsis of my research? Do I just keep the notes handy for future reference? Do I need a longer period of time to bring everything together? What is a good balance of Old and New Testament books? Any suggestions would be helpful.
I guess I will figure this out as I go. For now...I started yesterday going through 1 Peter. May God be near as I journey through his word.

Satan Waits Again

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of suffering." 1 Peter 5:8-9.

Satan is very sneaky in his vices. He tried to permanently blind me to the power of God in my storm. He took advantage of what I didn't know about my brothers and tempted me to react against the worst possible scenarios, as if these scenes were in fact going to happen. What a liar Satan is.

It would have worked had God (through his word) not been alive! As I cried out to God yesterday, he answered. Jesus stood and said, "Calm! Be still!" Then Satan fled. He waits for the next time.

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I just made an observation about what precedes the passage I quoted above. 1 Peter 5:6-7 reads, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

I was letting my fear/anxiety run through my own reason, my own head, my own emotions. I didn't initially cast my anxiety on God. How foolish! That is what Satan was looking for in me. When I didn't give God my fear, Satan came running for the kill. He can use my fear when it is still with me. Once it is God's, Satan can't do anything.

Let us not act out of fear! Let us cast all our anxiety on God alone. Resist the urges of Satan.