The "SOAP" method of bible study

The "SOAP" method often is presented as a way to engage children with bible stuff. But as emphasized by Paul (1 Corinthians 3:2, KJV),

I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

For those of us struggling with deeper doctrinal "meat" and in need of spiritual reset, the simplicity of "milk" might be exactly what we need. The SOAP method offers an attractive path.

The idea is to first find a short piece of scripture or verse. Here is a good resource for that: https://dailyverses.net/

After settling upon a short piece of scripture, write down (or discuss with others) the following four concepts:

• Scripture: write down (or read aloud) the piece of scripture
• Observation: what is God trying to communicate through that piece of scripture?
• Application: how does that piece of scripture apply to my life?
• Prayer: form a short prayer based upon that piece of scripture

This method offers a great approach for solo or group bible study. It works well for children and adults. And it allows us to refocus spiritually when we feel ourselves staying from God's path.

The writing on the wall

Chapter 5 of Daniel contains the famous incident of "the writing on the wall," which is the origination of that famous phrase. In that chapter, Belshazzar, king of Babylon, throws a party during which, in an attempt to escalate the hijinks of the party, he requests drinking vessels from the Jerusalem Temple.

In response, a mysterious hand emerges to write a cryptic message on the wall. Belshazzar summons Daniel to interpret the message. Needless to say, the interpretation is not good news for Belshazzar!

I find myself especially struck by a particular part of Daniel's interpretation. Daniel is explaining to Belshazzar that his father, Nebuchadnezzar, found himself punished by God for his own disobedience and arrogance. Daniel then says (verse 22, KJV),

And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this.

It's easy to shake our heads at Belshazzar, but how often do we fall into that same trap. After all, we have an entire bible full of stories like Nebuchadnezzar's. We should know better, yet we still behave disobediently and arrogantly!

Peter emphasizes a similar point (2 Peter 2, KJV),

After they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

Yikes! While many parts of the bible are meant to provide comfort, these are not those types of passages. Rather, these passages are designed to chastise and bring about humble repentance. Let us take that message to heart in our prayers.

Waiting on God

In Habakkuk 2:3 (KJV), God says,

The vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

We all experience those times when we feel like we can't "hear" God. We all have times when our prayers feel like they're evaporating over our heads, never reaching an audience, and never receiving a response. What is taking God so long?

But, of course, we must realize that God does not operate according to our humanly concepts of space and time. As stated in Psalm 40:3 (KJV),

For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.

And again, in Peter 3:8 (KJV),

One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

Back to Habakkuk, let us pay close attention when God says, "Wait for it; because it will surely come." Let us pray for the faith necessary to believe that statement. And let us wait on God.

But after they had rest...

The book of Nehemiah (and it's companion Ezra) focus on the Jewish people rebuilding the temple after returning from exile. Without digging into all of the historical details here, let us focus on Chapter 9, where Nehemiah is pleading to God for forgiveness for the entire nation. In verse 28 (KJV), he says,

But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the land of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies.

This is a summary of the Jewish peoples' dealings with God, but it's also a very accurate summary of our dealings with God. How many times do we plead with God for relief from some trouble? And then when he provides that relief, how many times do we once again become spiritually lax? And then the whole cycle repeats, with God again providing relief, and us again letting our guard down.

I wish it were easy to break that cycle. Even Paul, in his many letters, hints at the difficulty of breaking that cycle. I certainly don't have wise thoughts on how to break the cycle. Perhaps the main lesson is this: God is very merciful, and we need to be grateful for that mercy. Because we don't seem to deserve it.

The battle is not yours, but God's

Returning to 2 Chronicles, chapter 20 finds Judah being attacked by several of its neighbors. King Jehoshaphat assembles the people, and, rather than trying to concoct some scheme himself, he instead appeals to God's protection. In verse 9 (KJV), he prays, 

If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.

God's answer (verses 15-17, KJV) reads,

Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's. To morrow go ye down against them ... Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you ... for the Lord will be with you.

When we're confronted with trouble, it's so easy to rest on our own schemes, or find our own solutions. Instead, Jehoshaphat turns directly to God, not with clever words or deep philosophy, but rather with faith. (Note Jehoshaphat's confident wording: though wilt hear and help.) Let us learn from Jehoshaphat's example!

Because thou hast ... not relied on the Lord

2 Chronicles 15 mentions that the heart of Asa, king of Judah, was "perfect all his days." Yet that same chapter also hints that, under Asa's reign, some paganism remained (verse 17). So the word "perfect," in that chapter, certainly means something far short of God's perfect standard, as the subsequent chapter appears to indicate.

Turning then to chapter 16, we see that, once confronted with political and military threats, Asa shows signs of spiritual weakness. Rather than relying on God's protection, he instead turns to join forces with Syria. A prophet then comes to Asa, chastising him for not relying on God (verse 7). And the prophet reminds Asa of other times when Asa correctly put his trust in God, and God, in turn, delivered Judah from trouble (verse 8, KJV),

Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the Lord, he delivered them into thine hand.

The prophet then warns that, because of Asa's misplaced faith, trouble will ensue (verse 9, KJV),

Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.

Evidently, Asa did not learn his lesson. He soon acquires a foot disease, but (verse 12, KJV),

...in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians.

The overarching theme was that Asa was placing his trust in earthly sources, when his first consultation should have been with God. The whole narrative is disturbing because, circling back to chapter 15, Asa's heart is described as "perfect," but, even so, sin crept in.

So what does this mean for those of us who definitely fall far short of "perfect"? It means that, first, we must make a better effort to consult God whenever confronted with trouble. Second, it means that, when we inevitably slip, we must appeal to God's abundant mercy, and turn back to his protection.

Cause me to hear ... in the morning

In the morning, when we first awake, we can set our days upon spiritual paths by saying a quick prayer. (In fact, trouble seems to start quickly when we neglect this!)

Psalm 143:8 (KJV) contains a wonderful, easy-to-memorize prayer that is perfect for a brief morning prayer. It reads,

Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

If the Shakespearean English of the KJV feels a bit stiff, here is the same verse in the NLT,

Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.

Try memorizing this and reciting it first thing in the morning. Try that for, say, a week, and see how it sets your path!

Take the water of life freely

Revelation 22:17 (KJV) finishes the prophecy of Jesus' second coming by saying

Let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

The amazing word here is "freely," a word which holds importance for our prayers. When we pray, we don't need to bring anything to God. Certainly not material possessions, but also not some lame claim to have obeyed his commandments.

Rather, we just come as ourselves. Full of sin, but also full of thirst for his righteousness. And never lose sight of how important this "water of life" is. As Jesus says in John 4:14 (KJV),

Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

I will not let thee go, except thou bless me

Chapter 32 of Genesis recounts the mysterious time when Jacob wrestled throughout the night with God. It's a dense passage, with many important spiritual implications.

But I'd like to focus on what Jacob says to God at daybreak, when God is getting ready to leave. Jacob says (verse 26, KJV),

I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

But, wait! Doesn't Jacob's tone seem a little rude? He doesn't say "please." In fact, he's physically holding onto God. Yet, God still honors the request, and certainly not because Jacob is righteous. In fact, most of Jacob's behaviors up until this point involve deception of some form or another.

Yet despite Jacob's unrighteousness, and despite his apparent rudeness, God honors Jacob's request. Jesus speeks of a similar theme in Luke 11 and Luke 18. In both of those chapters, Jesus tells parables of people who repeatedly, and annoyingly, makes requests. Yet, in both passages, those requests are honored.

I believe the message is that, when we make requests of God, we need not concern ourselves with decorum. After all, standards of "etiquette" are created by humans, not God. And we need not even pretend to be righteous. We're not. Rather, we must make our requests in faith, and with a full reliance on God's providence.

Tempted to turn back

In Numbers 13, the Israelites are struggling with their journey to their new land. Although God provides food, water, and guidance, conditions in the desert are unpleasant, and the inhabitants of the land to be conquered appear intimidating. The Israelites face strong temptations to return to Egypt. In Numbers 14:4 (KJV), the people say,

Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.

In the Old Testament, Egypt represents the literal place from which the Israelites left. But it also represents our former lives before following God. The journey can be difficult, and we are often tempted to "return to Egypt." But let us pray for strength to press forward. As Jesus says in Revelation 3:5 (KJV),

He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life.

It's not too late

Joel 12:13 is a very famous verse, but let's first focus on the verse that comes before it. Verse 12 (KJV) reads,

Now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.

God is telling us to confess our sins, whatever they might be, right now. The fasting-weeping-mourning part means that our repentance should be honest and heartfelt. We should feel legitimate shame, sorrow, and embarrassment for breaking his commandments. That opportunity is available to us right now, and we should take that opportunity.

The next verse, the famous one (verse 13, KJV), builds upon the previous verse to clarify how we should (and should not) show remorse. It reads,

Rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God.

We should not "rend our garments" or engage in some other kind of outward show. Rather, our remorse should be inward. Our heart should ache for sinning.

These two verses, so simple yet so powerful, express how God views true repentance.

Guided by the Bible

Two sections of the gospel of Luke speak to the importance of basing our spiritual growth on the bible itself.

The first, appearing in Luke 24, tells the story of Jesus making a post-resurrection appearance to two of his disciples on the road to Emmaus. While concealing his identity so that they cannot recognize him, Jesus proceeds to explain the meaning of his life, death, and resurrection. First, it is noteworthy that Jesus is willing to teach just two people. We should find that encouraging, because if he is willing to reach out to such a small audience, he also must be willing to speak to our hearts.

But another noteworthy aspect of the "road to Emmaus" in the way in which Jesus chooses to teach. Verse 27 (KJV) reads

And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

Surely Jesus could have conjured up new doctrine, if he wanted. But instead, he teaches from "all the scriptures."

Now, turn to Luke 16, where Jesus tells the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. In a truly horrifying story, Jesus tells of a rich man who, following his death, is condemned to an eternity of suffering. The man begs Abraham to allow him to return to earth so that he can warn his relatives. Abraham refuses saying (verse 31, KJV)

If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

"Moses and the prophets," of course, refers to the biblical writings. The main point is that, in both the "road to Emmaus" and "Lazarus and the rich man," Jesus refers to the importance of biblical writings. Therefore, let us use the bible as the primary guide for our prayers and spiritual growth.

Go, and sin no more

In John 8, the religious leaders and lawyers brought to Jesus a woman accused of breaking Jewish law. The most famous line from that episode is undoubtedly Jesus' challenge (John 8:7, KJV),

He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

The religious leaders and lawyers, recognizing their own guilt, file away, leaving just Jesus and the woman. After a brief exchange, Jesus lets her know that she is forgiven. He then sends her away with the command (John 8:11, KJV),

Go, and sin no more.

Each word here is crucial. First, "Go" implies that she should get on with her life. The "and" indicates that getting on with her life comes with another requirement. And that, of course, is to leave her sinful lifestyle.

We all know the process of repentance. We know the words required to confess our sins. But let us not ignore the other part of repentance: Sin no more. That does not mean that we'll achieve sinless perfection going forward. But it does mean that a crucial part of repentance is a firm commitment to leave our sinful lifestyles.

Rise and pray

In Luke 22, Jesus prays on the Mount of Olives. When finished, he returns to his disciples and finds them ... sleeping! Jesus' response might seem somewhat out of place (Luke 22:46, KJV),

Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.

Immediately after this quote, Jesus is arrested. So what "temptation" are we talking about?

As with most of Jesus' sayings, the intended audience is far broader than simply those who happen to be with him at the time. Indeed, this line seems to be a warning to all of us. Jesus likely isn't speaking negatively of sleep, because elsewhere (e.g., Matthew 26:45) Jesus actually advises his disciples to continue in their rest.

Rather, "sleep" likely references any slothful, unhealthy behavior. Jesus is telling us that the antidote to temptation and sin is really quite simple: stop what you're doing and pray!