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Learn to study God's Word yourself!

Check out this sample study to see how the process works.
Print out your WordStudy Sheet. >>>

#1—Read it!

Carefully read the following passage:

Psalm 119:102-105 (NIV)
102 I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me.

103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

104 I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path.

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

#2—Investigate it!

Click on the highlighted words to find out their meaning. Record your findings on your WordStudy Sheet. Compare meanings. Find definitions of any other words you don't know in a dictionary or search for them here.

Sample Answers...
lamp: (v. 105)
   candle; lamp; light;

light (v. 105):
   1. light of day
   2. light of heavenly luminaries (moon, sun, stars)
   3. day-break, dawn, morning light
   4. daylight
   5. lightning
   6. light of lamp
   7. light of life
   8. light of prosperity
   9. light of instruction
   10. light of face (fig.)
   11. Jehovah as Israel's light

(Hint: Do the different meanings give you any ideas? Why might the author have used BOTH words, lamp and light?)

Online or in your own Bible, look back over the previous chapters to answer as many of the following questions as you can. (Hint: Check the first chapter or the verses just preceding the passage, headings, footnotes, and/or other notations.)

Sample Answers...

  • Who wrote it?
    Unknown; possibly King David
  • To whom was it written?
    The Psalms were songs, poems, and prayers written to God
  • When was it written?
  • Where was it written?
  • Why was it written?
    As a meditation or prayer relating to the Law of God; possibly to instruct children, using the acrostic structure to help them remember.
  • Other facts
    Ps 119 is an acrostic poem; the verses of each stanza begin with the same letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

You can learn even more by looking in a Bible commentary. Or try looking up key words in a concordance to find other scriptures where the word is used.

Commentaries are tools that give you some background information about the scripture, such as its author and the historical setting, as well as their interpretation of the passage. They are helpful to give you a broader picture of the passage, but should be used AFTER studying the passage for yourself! Then compare your insight to what you learn from the commentary.

Concordances allow you to see how a particular word is used in other places in the Bible, giving you a more complete idea of God's view of a particular topic. We want to build our beliefs on the "whole counsel of God" not just one or two verses. Concordances are also helpful if you want to find a particular scripture, but can only remember a word or two!

#3—Write it!

On your WordStudy Sheet, tell in your own words what you think each verse means. Use the information you gathered above to guide you as you think through each verse.

Sample Answers...

102: God teaches His laws to us Himself, and when He teaches us it is easier to obey!

103: God's words are sweet to our souls and spirits, just like honey is sweet to our mouths. His words are not hard to receive, but a treat!

104: As I study God's precepts (His commandments or statutes), I will grow to love them. The more I study the right way — and receive the blessings from learning about God, the more the wrong way will not appeal to me.

105: God's word gives light in 2 ways: it is a lamp for the very place where I am (a lamp or candle gives light just to its immediate area), and it is also the light for my future (Light: daybreak, dawn, light of day, etc.).

#4—Apply it!

Now that you have an idea what the verses are saying, how could they apply to you? On your WordStudy Sheet write what you think each verse could mean in your life. Is there something you should do? Or something you need to change? Get "up-close-and-personal" as you think about it!

Sample Answer...

It is important to study God's Word. If I ask Him, He will teach me Himself! (See Luke 24:7 - how awesome to have Jesus as our teacher!) His Word is so important that I need to make time to study it. When I do, I will find that it is "sweet" to me, and I will desire it all the more! By being diligent in learning about God through His Word, I will know the right way to go every day and also to find God's direction for my life.

#5—Pray!

Ask God to help you do the things you learned about in today's study. Be specific! When we pray specifically, God answers specifically!

#6—Share it!

Share your study with your parents or your teacher and get their feedback on your conclusions.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.