Live the Word Bible Studies

Welcome to Live the Word

I'm happy you have visited this site, where my goal since 2001 has been to help people all over the world understand and then apply the word of God in their lives. If you look on the right hand side of this blog site, you will see the name of each book in the New Testament, where you will find what I call a devotional commentary for every verse in those books. My goal was not to do a technical study, but rather a practical one that presented not only insights, but also questions and recommendations to help you apply or live the word. I have now published those studies in book form, but it's time to expand my work with something new (pictured here are two of my commentary covers, and they are all available in paper or Kindle format through Amazon).

Once I completed the New Testament, I wanted to continue my Live the Word series but wasn't sure how. For several years, I had the idea to develop a Purpose Study Bible, similar to others on the market like The Spirit-Filled Bible, The Leadership Bible, The African Bible, and The Student Bible. Each one of those incorporates insights about a particular topic right in the Bible itself, providing a convenient and easy-to-use commentary. I have been teaching on the topics of purpose, creativity, goal setting, time management, and faith since 1991, and have gained insight and often taught about or written about those topics from a biblical perspective.

For the remainder of my days, I want to share what I have learned with my readers on these five topics I have labeled the five Gold Mine Principles, and this format seems like an economical way to do so (since I'm not ready to undertake publishing a Bible) and a good next step for the Live the Word series. This particular study began with Genesis and is moving in an orderly fashion through the rest of the Old Testament. Should I live long enough, I'll finish the Old Testament and then move on to the New.

I also want to learn from my readers, so I invite you to post comments to supplement, adjust, or augment what I have written. My goal, however, isn't to make us all experts on what the Bible has to say about purpose or creativity or goals or faith, but rather to help us become people of purpose, for as Jesus said, "Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them" (John 13:17). That's why my commentaries are called Live the Word, for that is what we are expected to do once we know it.

I hope you enjoy reading these studies as much as I enjoy writing them, and I hope you will be an active participant by sharing your own insight and testimonies. Thank you, and may the Lord bless the reading and study of His word!

Purpose Study Bible 297: Bold Prayers

Samson was busy with his purpose duties, which involved harassing the Philistines who were doing the same to God's people. When he was done, we read this:

Because he was very thirsty, he cried out to the Lord, “You have given your servant this great victory. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?” Then God opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned and he revived (Judges 15:18-19).

We see that Samson knew God was his source of strength and victory, but then prayed that God would give him what he needed (water) to replenish his strength. God immediately heard his request and acted on his behalf, once again bringing forth water from an unlikely source. 

This is reminiscent of what Jesus said: "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it" (John 14:13-14). The context for Jesus' promise is that His followers will do greater things than He did and can pray for whatever they need to get the job done. That is exactly what Samson did and God responded.

Your job isn't just to pray, it's to get answers to your prayers so you can be fruitful in your creative purpose. Are you praying bold prayers? Do you know what you need to be productive in God's will and are you then asking for it? Are you fearful of going too far or asking for too much and thus not going far enough?

God isn't threatened or offended by bold, aggressive prayers as long as they are focused on doing His will in the service of others. So ask Him for what you need today and then watch Him provide the refreshment required to get your job done.

Purpose Study Bible 296: A Creative Genius

Samson was an unusual man who came up with some equally unusual strategies to carry out his purpose of avenging his people in their war against the Philistines:

Samson said to them, “This time I have a right to get even with the Philistines; I will really harm them.” So he went out and caught three hundred foxes and tied them tail to tail in pairs. He then fastened a torch to every pair of tails, lit the torches and let the foxes loose in the standing grain of the Philistines. He burned up the shocks and standing grain, together with the vineyards and olive groves (Judges 15:3-5).

Samson also enjoyed producing riddles and poems like, "With a donkey’s jawbone I have made donkeys of them. With a donkey’s jawbone I have killed a thousand men” (Judges 15:16). The role of the Spirit's presence in his life wasn't only to make him strong, it was also to make him creative—and the same is true for you.

Every day, you express creativity in how you organize your day and time, how you solve problems, how you talk by stringing words together that make sense, how you raise your children, and how you order and structure your work. All that indicates you are a creative genius. Perhaps you never thought of it like that, but if you have been that creative and didn't think much of it, how much more could you create if you acknowledge and accept your creative tendencies as God-given?

What creativity do you regularly express that you don't consider creative, it's simply who you are and what you do? What creative expression(s) do you know you have but haven't spent any time or energy developing? What can you do to take your creativity more seriously and make it a conscious expression of who God made you to be?

You are a creative person and the Spirit's presence in your life will only make you more so. The goal is to bring your creativity out from your unconscious self to be a part of who you see yourself to be to help you do what God created you to do.

Purpose Study Bible 295: Ordinary Things

Some of the incidents in Samson's life are unusual, bizarre even, but they must have a spiritual lesson or else God's Spirit would not have included their accounts. For example, when the Philistines tried to restrain Samson on one occasion, "the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him" (Judges 15:14) and he broke free. Then,

He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, reached out his hand and took it, and killed a thousand men with it (Judges 15:15).

What can we possibly learn from this? One thing is that God uses ordinary, sometimes small or insignificant things to accomplish His purpose when they are used in the power of His might. David used a small stone to bring down Goliath. Jesus used five loaves and two fish to feed a multitude. And Paul wrote, "God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe" (1 Corinthians 1:21).

What do you have access to that seems small to you but if surrendered to the power of the Spirit could do great things? Is it a sewing machine? Your tool box? Your gift of encouragement? Your home? Your use of words? The lesson of the jawbone is that God will use the ordinary to do the extraordinary "so that your faith [and the faith of others] might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power" (1 Corinthians 2:5).

It's time to look around and in you to see what you have and who you are as you fulfill your creative purpose. When you find those things, allow the Spirit to empower you so you can be like Samson and do a lot with a little, do something great with something seemingly simple or insignificant.

Purpose Study Bible 294: In The Power of The Spirit

We see a consistent pattern in Samson's life as described in these three verses:

"The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him . . ." (Judges 14:6).

"Then the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him" (Judges 14:19).

"The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him" (Judges 15:14).

The Spirit did not come to make Samson feel better or give him revelation. The Spirit came to help him fulfill his purpose, which was to confront and defeat the Philistines. Of course, Samson is a type of Jesus who also operated in the same power (but without the moral and character flaws): "Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside" (Luke 4:14).

Today the Spirit does not randomly come upon a few like in Samson's or Jesus' day, but is freely given to all who have surrendered their lives to Christ: "He anointed us and set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come" (1 Corinthians 1:21-22). Paul explained how he was able to do what he did when he wrote, "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power" (1 Corinthians 2:4).

Paul fulfilled his purpose to the Gentiles in the Spirit's power and you will fulfill your purpose in the same way: "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen" (Ephesians 3:20-21).

"Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good" (1 Corinthians 12:7). Where is the Spirit's power most evident in who you are or what you do? In other words, what does God's Spirit empower you to do? Work with children? Write poetry? Organize events? Provide hospitality?

Samson is a perfect example of a flawed man whom God used in spite of himself. How much more will He now use you who have the Spirit in you, not only to empower you but also to conform you to the image of Christ and give you the thoughts of God.

Purpose Study Bible 293: Sweetness

In the last study, we saw that Samson killed a lion with his bare hands but told no one of his feat because, for him, it was not a big deal. Then we read,

Some time later, when he went back to marry her, he turned aside to look at the lion’s carcass, and in it he saw a swarm of bees and some honey. He scooped out the honey with his hands and ate as he went along. When he rejoined his parents, he gave them some, and they too ate it. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the lion’s carcass (Judges 14:8-9).

In a sense, the lion was part of Samson's testimony of who he was when the Spirit empowered him. Then he went back to it and, to his surprise, it contained a source of sustenance and enjoyment not only for him but for others. The same is true for you.

You have already wrestled lions, so to speak, by overcoming life's challenges. Now when you commemorate those episodes, there can be something sweet for you to use to fuel your creative purpose. For example, you lost your job or were betrayed in a relationship, but you went on to start a thriving company of your own or you wrote poetry about your breakup. Your lion of the past has honey for today, and God doesn't want you to ignore it but to use it as a resource that continues to fuel your present success.

What lions have you wrestled and overcome in the power God gives? Are those wrestling matches now part of your repertoire of stories you use to inspire yourself and others? What other "sweetness" can you extract from your past that at the time seemed anything but sweet?

Remember, what you do in the Lord may not seem special to you because for you it was simple, a part of who God made you to be—like Samson's lion. But your lions played an important role in your development so you want to give them a place of honor in your trophy showcase of testimonies.

Purpose Study Bible 292: Second Nature

We saw in the previous study that Samson came upon a lion and proceeded to tear it to pieces with his bare hands! Then he rejoined his parents and they continued their journey:

The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he told neither his father nor his mother what he had done (Judges 14:6).

What is remarkable in this verse is that Samson didn't tell his parents what he had done when he next saw them. Perhaps he had blood or lion fur on his clothing, but his parents were afraid to ask where he had been and what he had been doing!

The point is that Samson didn't tell his parents because for him, killing a lion was nothing special. it was part of who he was, or who he became, when the Spirit of the Lord came on him. And there is an aspect or activity of your life that you don't talk about much as well. It's that part which is so second nature that you see no need to draw attention to it. It's simply part of who you are and is all, as the saying goes, in a day's work.

What do you do that others observe or learn about and are impressed or moved but you not so much? What does the Spirit of God help you do, which may or may not be part of your role in a church? For example, do you regularly cook, build, sing, speak, or create with ease? Where could your testimony of what flows naturally from you to do be an encouragement to and for others? Pay attention to what you do best and then see how you can do even more of it, for the Spirit wants to use you in a mighty way, just like He did Samson.

Purpose Study Bible 291: Normal

We have already established that Samson was an unusual fellow and this story is the evidence thereof:

Samson went down to Timnah together with his father and mother. As they approached the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion came roaring toward him. The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat (Judges 14:5-6).

Samson tore a lion apart with his bare hands. Can you imagine the strength, ferocity, and courage required to do that? The writer compared it to tearing apart a young goat, which would still be an impressive feat for a normal person. But Samson was anything but 'normal,' especially when the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. Then he could perform acts of strength that defied the 'norm.' The same can be said of you: You are not 'normal.'

You have passions, likes, dislikes, gifts, talents, and tendencies that set you apart from everyone else. The best word to describe you is unique. And when the Spirit of God activates and empowers those aspects of your being, you can do more than you or others thought possible. People observe and admire your productivity, patience, creativity, strength, or work that to them seems superhuman, but to you, it simply feels 'normal.'

What does 'normal' look like for you? What do you take for granted that others admire and compliment you for? What do you do that sets you apart from others due to the Spirit's presence in your life, ministry, or work? The answers to those questions are good indicators of your creative purpose, of which Samson is an unusual but relevant role model to emulate.

Purpose Study Bible 290: God Can Use You As You Are

The Bible skips over the early years of Samson's life, telling us only that "he grew and the Lord blessed him, and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him" (Judges 13:24-25). What followed is a story that is difficult to grasp, for Samson became interested in a Philistine woman, much to his parents' chagrin. But fortunately, the writer provided us with insight into the situation:

His parents did not know that this was from the Lord, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines; for at that time they were ruling over Israel (Judges 14:4).

God was busy "blessing" Samson while He was also working through his motivations and interests to direct him into his creative purpose. God was capable of "dealing" with the Philistines Himself, but He wanted to use Samson and all his quirks and imperfections to achieve His objective.

If God can use Samson, He can use you despite your flaws, weaknesses, and personality. What's more, you can have confidence, faith even, that God is working with and for you even if you can't sense or see His hand. Paul explained this best when he wrote, "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us" (2 Corinthians 4:7).

Is your focus on your jar of clay or His all-surpassing power? Have you excused yourself from some aspect of God's service even though He hasn't dismissed you? Have you done this because you think "there's no way God can use me in the state I am in"? What else can you learn about your own purpose quest from Samson's example?

God knows you and still wants to use you. The less likely of a candidate you are, the more glory God will get when the job is done. Stop second-guessing God as to who and how He made you and what He wants you to do. Get busy being a Samson in your world, for God has indeed blessed you and is stirring something in you—just like He did for Samson.

Purpose Study Bible 289: You Won't Die

Samson's parents offered a sacrifice to God after they received instructions concerning their son's purpose when this happened:

And the Lord did an amazing thing while Manoah and his wife watched: As the flame blazed up from the altar toward heaven, the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame. Seeing this, Manoah and his wife fell with their faces to the ground. . . . “We are doomed to die!” he said to his wife. “We have seen God!” (Judges 13:19-22).

God also showed up in fire when Gideon made his sacrifice as we saw in Judges 6. In both cases, Gideon and then Manoah thought they were going to die when they saw the fiery manifestation of God.

When you are dealing with matters of creative purpose, you're encountering God face to face. You're receiving your earthly instructions from your heavenly headquarters, and it can be a frightening thing. Usually your purpose is more than you can fathom and you don't see how you can possibly handle your assignment. In Samson's case, he had a godly mother whose reasoning put their God meeting in proper perspective:

But his wife answered, “If the Lord had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and grain offering from our hands, nor shown us all these things or now told us this" (Judges 13:23).

Where has your thinking limited or dismissed the magnificent truth that you also have had face-to-face encounters with God? When have you assumed God is against you when He is really for you? What has God shown you to do that seems too spectacular or overwhelming to you? Where has your thinking been more like Manoah's (fear) than his wife's (rational faith)?

God isn't out to get you; He's out to bless you, and His confirming signs are proof of His presence and power. Don't run from Him, but run to Him, for the same presence that revealed His will for your life will also empower you to fulfill it.

Purpose Study Bible 288: You Wouldn't Understand

When Samson's parents were seeking the Lord for clarity on their son's purpose, they asked what seemed like a simple question:

Then Manoah inquired of the angel of the Lord, “What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?” He replied, “Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding” (Judges 13:17-18).

The angel refused to answer, saying that it didn't matter because they wouldn't understand it anyway! He was quick to give them the information they needed concerning Samson, but withheld anything more than that. 

Samson's father tried to turn their encounter into a theological discussion about God and His name, but God was having none of it. The same tendency exists in all of us, but God is less interested in imparting information about Himself than He is about His will for our lives. And obviously, God wasn't interested in them honoring Him when His word about Samson came to pass.

Centuries later, Daniel would have visions about things to come, but finally concluded, "I, Daniel, was worn out. I lay exhausted for several days. Then I got up and went about the king’s business. I was appalled by the vision; it was beyond understanding" (Daniel 8:27). In other words, Daniel went back to work because what God had shown him was incomprehensible.

What is your tendency, to learn more about God or to learn more about His will for your life? Can you accept that there's much you can't understand about God and His ways, including the end times, spiritual gifts, and the Holy Spirit? Are you diligently seeking to find what He wants you to know about the creative purpose He has for your life and the lives of those for whom you have responsibility? Your objective should not be to find out all you can about God but to find out all you can about yourself and how you fit into His redemptive plan for creation.