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 141: How He Speaks

Numbers 7 contains a long and tedious list of the offerings that the tribes brought to the tabernacle when it was erected and dedicated. At the very end of the chapter, we read

When Moses entered the tent of meeting to speak with the Lord, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the atonement cover on the ark of the covenant law. In this way the Lord spoke to him (Numbers 7:89).

"This is the way He spoke to him" is the phrase we want to focus on, for God is a great communicator and He is able to talk to His people in various ways. This concept makes many people nervous because they believe it's too easy to miss His voice or that He just doesn't "speak" except through His word. However, He can speak through others, those who know Him or don't, through circumstances, through His word, and through the "still small voice" in someone's heart.

The point is that He individualizes His communication and it's important for you to identify over time how He has chosen to speak to you. Of course, what He imparts will never be contrary to biblical principles, yet there are daily life decisions on which He can communicate to you His will and wisdom. Do you believe God speaks to you? How does He choose to speak to you? Is it through your finances? Through Bible study? From the pulpit? From a certain life situation through which He reveals His lessons and wisdom? What do you do when you think you have heard from Him? Do you have faith or are you fearful and thus require Him to confirm His "word" to you again and again? If you want to find and fulfill your purpose, you will need to "hear" what God is showing you, having faith that He is willing and able to communicate with you just like He did to Moses.

Purpose Study Bible 140: Get-To, Not Have-To

There is one more lesson we need to examine before we are finished with the Nazirite vow. After they cut their hair, the person completing the vow would do the following:

“‘After the Nazirite has shaved off the hair that symbolizes their dedication, the priest is to place in their hands a boiled shoulder of the ram, and one thick loaf and one thin loaf from the basket, both made without yeast. The priest shall then wave these before the Lord as a wave offering; they are holy and belong to the priest, together with the breast that was waved and the thigh that was presented. After that, the Nazirite may drink wine'" (Numbers 6:19-20).

Most of the peace offering that was brought already belonged to the priest (the breast and the thigh) which represented the strongest parts of the ram. In addition to this, the Nazirite was to take the shoulder along with some unleavened bread, and wave it before the Lord. It was almost as if the Nazirite was saying, "Here I am, Lord. I'm standing before you and I'm waving to you, asking that you acknowledge and accept my presence and the purpose of my vow."

What's more, the additional portion being waved was to indicate that the person who vowed was willing to go beyond what was usually expected of someone who was bringing a sacrifice. They were "all in" and were serving the Lord not with an I-have-to attitude, but rather with an I-get-to-and-choose-to demeanor.

How about you? Are you all-in where your purpose and creativity are concerned? Are you doing the minimum or are you going beyond the ordinary to the extraordinary? What can you do today to go beyond the minimum to present a wave offering to the Lord to show Him your commitment to His will and purpose for your life?

The Nazirite instructions end with this: "‘This is the law of the Nazirite who vows offerings to the Lord in accordance with their dedication, in addition to whatever else they can afford. They must fulfill the vows they have made, according to the law of the Nazirite'" (Numbers 6:21). This once again shows that Nazirites could use their own discretion according to their means to determine what they were going to offer as a sacrifice to God (there was room for freewill offerings). As you consider your service on God's behalf, be extravagant and not frugal as you offer your gifts, time, and talent to the Lord.

Purpose Study Bible 139: Time For A Haircut

We're not done looking at the Nazirite vow and what it can teach us as people of purpose and creativity. We have seen that those who took the vow were not permitted to partake of any grape products, could not cut their hair, or come in contact with anything that had died—not even family—for as long as their vow was in effect. Once their vow expired, they were to appear before the priest at the tent of meeting to offer sacrifices. Then there was one more requirement:

“Then at the entrance to the tent of meeting, the Nazirite must shave off the hair that symbolizes their dedication. They are to take the hair and put it in the fire that is under the sacrifice of the fellowship offering" (Numbers 6:18).

If you remember, we had seen in earlier studies that a burnt offering was not consumed by the priest; it was totally and completely burned by fire, symbolic that the offering was for God and God alone. No human being derived any benefit from the burnt offering sacrifice. Also, we saw that the hair that was not to be cut represented the inner workings of God in a person's life. They were to come forth and grow as God designed and no one was to try and shape that inner life—gifts, insight, creativity, purpose—according to their wishes. It was all God's doing. Then all that person's identity as represented by their hair was to be burned in a fire for it was to be expressed and devoted to God and God alone. Their hair actually became a burnt offering unto the Lord.

Are you happy with your "hair"—that part of you that was God's idea over which you had no say or control? Have you dedicated your growth and all that is part of who you are to the Lord? Are you giving as much of your creativity and purpose as you can to God's work under His direction? What more can you do to be a good Nazirite who is totally and completely dedicated to the Lord and His service?

Purpose Study Bible 138: Total Commitment

Let's continue with our examination of the Nazirite vow and apply its lessons to our quest for purpose and productivity with this third lesson.

‘Throughout the period of their dedication to the Lord, the Nazirite must not go near a dead body. Even if their own father or mother or brother or sister dies, they must not make themselves ceremonially unclean on account of them, because the symbol of their dedication to God is on their head. Throughout the period of their dedication, they are consecrated to the Lord" (Numbers 6:6-8).

The Nazirite was to avoid anything related to death at all costs, even if that death took place in their own family. Obviously, this was an indication of how seriously the vow-er was to take their dedication or separation to the Lord. They were to allow nothing to interfere with their commitment to God and His purpose. They were to protect and reserve the best of who they were for the Lord so they could carry out His will.

Of course, Jesus explained this kind of commitment in His teaching and it wasn't simply to be a vow of dedication that involved a short amount of time. It represented total commitment to the cause of Christ. He said things like, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead" (Matthew 8:22); “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:26); and “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me" (Luke 18:22).

What is it in your life that takes you away from total dedication? What keeps you from being consumed by your purpose and creativity? Is it work? money? family? relationships? entertainment or sports? video games? your hobby? There may even be good or noble things that would be right for others but not for you, for they take away from your focus on serving God with all your heart and strength. Ask God to show you if there are things like that in your life and then also ask His help so you can serve Him with an undivided heart.

Purpose Study Bible 137: No Haircuts

In the last study, we looked at the first stipulation for anyone taking a voluntary Nazirite vow, and that was they were forbidden to eat any grapes or grape byproducts. The next rule was concerning their hair:

‘During the entire period of their Nazirite vow, no razor may be used on their head. They must be holy until the period of their dedication to the Lord is over; they must let their hair grow long" (Numbers 6:5).

Samson, the most well-known Nazirite in the Bible, was commanded never to cut his hair and when he did, he lost the "secret' of his strength. What's the symbolism behind this aspect of the vow?

When you think about it, you have nothing at all to do with your hair in its natural state. After it grows, whether quickly or slowly, you are free to shape, color, comb, cover, or cut it anyway you choose, but when it first appears, it is the texture, color, and quantity that are unique to you. When the Nazirites took their vow, they promised to allow who they were to emerge without trying to alter or fashion it in any way. What came from within them as an act of God was to remain as it was. They were totally and completely dedicated to the Lord during the period of their vow and what came "out of them" was deemed to be the will of God.

And now you can be a Nazirite when you vow not to touch what comes out of you according to God's will. Your creativity, purpose, and good works are just like your hair. You can shape them once they emerge but you have nothing to do with how quickly they come forth or what they look like. That's up to the Lord. Are you happy with who God made you to be, content with your gifts, personality, creativity, and purpose? Are you allowing them to emerge freely before you try to reshape or even hide them under some protective shield or artificial cover? If you allow your inner being to grow and develop as God sees fit and then emerge in ways unique to you, you will have a secret strength just like Samson or any Nazirite, and that secret is simply being who God made you to be—no more but certainly no less.

Purpose Study Bible 136: No Grapes

After the initial census from which the book derives its name, Numbers moves on to describe what needed to happen to cleanse people who sinned until chapter six when the rules for something called a Nazirite vow were established:

The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of dedication to the Lord as a Nazirite, they must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or other fermented drink. They must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins. As long as they remain under their Nazirite vow, they must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins" (Numbers 6:1-4).

The most famous Nazirite was Samson, who was one for life, and it seems that the Apostle Paul also took the vow in Acts 21. Why would a Nazirite have to abstain from grape products for the duration of the vow? Commentators' opinions and reasons vary and include to avoid drunkenness, to abstain from the foods of the land (the spies brought back a giant cluster of fruit from the Promised Land), to stay away from the fertility rites of the locals (grapes represent fruitfulness), and to obey God for no special reason except that He said to abstain.

My own sense is that the grapes, which are a fruit rich in natural sugar, could be used to sustain someone and give them natural energy or that wine could dull their senses. A doctor who treated patients through a regimen of natural means and fasting once reported he could sustain patients who were ill and could not eat other foods by simply having them eat grapes. Since this is a study about purpose and creativity, let me give you my opinion.

The man or woman who has dedicated themselves to God's purpose has to rely solely on the power of God's presence for the energy they need to complete their work. They are totally dedicated to God's purpose in their lives. They are neither to deaden their senses through entertainment or other distractions nor supplement or dissipate the Spirit's energy through frivolous activities. The joy of expressing God's will through their purpose and creative gifts is enough to strengthen them for the task.

Are you a Nazirite? Have you devoted yourself to God's purpose or are you a part-time person of purpose? Have you dedicated your creative abilities to God, making them available to Him, or do you rent them out to the highest bidder—or ignore their development? In the next few studies, we will look at other things the Nazirite had to do to separate themselves for God's exclusive use, but for now, consider how completely you have set yourself apart to God's will for your life.

Purpose Study Bible 135: Organized

Last week, we looked at the population of the nation as they were going through the Wilderness. God was able to care for them all in desert conditions but there still had to be order and discipline for the people to survive and thrive:

"The Israelites are to set up their tents by divisions, each of them in their own camp under their standard. The Levites, however, are to set up their tents around the tabernacle of the covenant law so that my wrath will not fall on the Israelite community. The Levites are to be responsible for the care of the tabernacle of the covenant law" (Numbers 1:54-56).

No matter how creative you are or what your purpose is, you will eventually have to pay attention to how you are going to organize your work so you can keep track of what you have and create more. Notice that the Levites, who had no land inheritance, were to camp around the tabernacle where God's presence was manifest, making that the priority for them. The others were given their directions of how to camp and set up their tents in Numbers 2, but the Lord was to be at the center of their very existence.

How are you organizational skills? Are you spending a lot of time looking for things you can't find? Do you have a system to capture creative ideas? How are you managing your time? Do you have clear priorities that guide you through your days and weeks? Do you pray for wisdom so you can expand your world and do more of what you were created to do? What can you do to improve?

God is ready to give you plenty of insight into how to structure your world but only if you are interested. Otherwise, much of your creativity will go to waste and the endless possibilities of your effectiveness will be lost.

Purpose Study Bible 134: BIG

It's time we move into the book of Numbers in this series, and we begin by taking a look at the census the Lord directed Moses and Aaron to take. When it was finished, we read

"All the Israelites twenty years old or more who were able to serve in Israel’s army were counted according to their families. The total number was 603,550" (Numbers 1:45-46).

Therefore, the total number of people had to number into the millions when accounting for children and spouses. Keep in mind that the nation had not moved into the Promised Land yet; they were still in the Wilderness. God was able to care for that many people who were living in tents and on the move whenever He ordered them to go.

The point is that God is a good administrator and provider. He knows how to organize and manage. What's more, God doesn't need to keep something small but can oversee something BIG and use you to help Him do so. In fact, God may want you to fulfill your purpose and creativity by establishing something significant that is beyond your ability to conceive or handle right now. When you face that possibility, the answer isn't to work to keep your world small but to increase your capacity to do and be more than you are today.

Proverbs 14:28 states, "A large population is a king’s glory, but without subjects a prince is ruined." Are you afraid of BIG? Are you willing for God to use you to do something bigger than you had first imagined? To see how you feel about BIG, add a zero to what you are now doing. If you have written 10 books, what would it take to write 100? If you oversee ten sales people in your company, what would it take to have 100? If you have painted 15 pictures, could you do 150?

All those are BIG steps, but God is a BIG God, and while BIG may intimidate you, BIG is no different than small for Him. Perhaps it's time to face the size of your God-assigned potential and learn to trust Him for the BIG deal He has in mind for you.

Purpose Study Bible 133: Vows

Leviticus describes many mandatory offerings, regulating their exact execution. The last chapter, however, shifts from compulsory worship to the concept of freewill vows:

"The Lord said to Moses, ^'Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If anyone makes a special vow to dedicate a person to the Lord by giving the equivalent value . . .'" (Leviticus 27:1-2).

The chapter then goes on to talk about vows that involved animals, houses, inheritance, and non-family land, and then concludes with illicit vows—things people had no right to vow because the Lord already owned those things (or people). A vow was and is sort of like worship on credit, promising God that the vow-er will do something in the future if God will do something now. You've probably said something like, "God, if You get me out of this mess, I promise to serve You forever." You meant it when you said it, but sometimes when the pressure's off, you can relax and not be as zealous as you were when you made the promise.

This Purpose Study Bible series specifically focuses on purpose and creativity, so what can Leviticus 27 teach us about those? First, we all tend to promise beyond what we can deliver, so we should be careful about what we promise God we will do. Second, He's not a bill collector who's going to show up and demand payment of your promise, but He does expect you to follow through in some way on your commitment. If your promise eyes were bigger than your fulfillment stomach and you made a commitment you can't keep, you shouldn't just ignore it but seek to renegotiate the terms. In other words, don't treat God like a forgetful fool, but revisit the matter with Him and do what you can with what you have.

Finally, realize that God welcomes freewill offerings of what you will do for Him, using the gifts and calling He bestowed on you. You aren't only God's servant but also His partner and friend, and partners and friends do things willingly, not just because they are commanded to do so.

Have you ever vowed to do God's will no matter what? Have you sought your purpose, promising to fulfill it, only to now be bogged down with life and thus unable to follow through? Is the extent of your service to God only what He tells you to do and not something that's in your heart to freely give Him? The answer is not to ever vow or to refuse to acknowledge you did make one, but to be mindful that you are God's partner. God is listening when we vow, so we need to keep in mind what we said, even if we only deliver on a part of it in the long run.

Purpose Study Bible 132: The Favor of God

As Leviticus comes to a close, the Lord summarized the blessings if the people obeyed but also the problems if they did not. Let's examine some of the blessings in this study:

“I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you. You will still be eating last year’s harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new. I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you. I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people. I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians; I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high" (Leviticus 26:9-13).

Here is a summary of the blessings: 1) fruitfulness and increase; 2) all the promised blessings of the covenant will be in effect; 3) abundance; and 4) God will dwell and walk among His people, accessible to their needs. God also reminds His people that He brought them out of Egypt, walking "with heads held high." In other words, they will draw strength and joy as they reflected on their glorious history of God's acts on their behalf.

When you are obedient to God's assigned purpose, you should have tangible evidence of God's favor. Are you experiencing the favor of God? Can you be specific? Are you experiencing increase in your work or spiritual life? Do you pray with boldness, claiming the promises of the New Covenant? Are the blessings of God overtaking you? Do you sense God's presence? Is He walking "among" you as Jesus is depicted doing in the early chapters of Revelation, evaluating your walk and work? And are you exalting in God's goodness as represented by your history and testimony? Are you reviewing and repeating your history for others so they too can be encouraged by God's faithfulness?