Sure, you
know how to read, but are you reading with a method? Read with purpose and
purpose to read.
June’s Awakening, Day 5
I
applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the
heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind! Ecclesiastes
1:13 NIV
They
read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so
that the people understood what was being read. They stood where they were and
read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day,
and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God. Nehemiah
8:8; 9:3 NIV
You
study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal
life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to
come to me to have life. John 5:39–40 NIV
Until
I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to
teaching. 1 Timothy 4:13 NIV
Reading any nonfiction book should
be undertaken with a purpose and methodology employed. There are three intrinsic
rules and three extrinsic rules that you should always follow. The first
intrinsic rule is to understand what you’re reading—what is the author
saying, no more and no less. Secondly, we need to properly interpret the
information in its proper context—what does the author mean, no more and no
less. The third and final intrinsic rule is to evaluate the
information—has the author been clear and precise, does the information appear
to be logical and reasonable, is there additional information elsewhere (within
the text and other sources) to solidify the assertions and conclusions of the
author, is the author a reputable and reliable source, and do you believe the
information to be true or do you disagree?
After you have gone through the
three intrinsic rules in their order, then you need to follow the three
extrinsic rules for final evaluation and confirmation of the information. The
first extrinsic rule is experience—does what we have read confirm or
contradict what we know from our already ingrained knowledge base and life
experiences. This takes much discernment, for if we are starting with wrong ingrained
information it takes exponentially more information to counteract and replace
the wrong information with the correct information. Obviously, it is much
easier if you learn correct information initially, than if you’ve been told
wrong, learned wrong, and currently are thinking wrong, and the longer those
incorrect ingrained patterns of thinking have been there, the harder they are
to correct into the truth. The second extrinsic rule is to read other books
and information on the same topic—the more information you can gather and
assimilate, the more likely you are to end up with the most likely correct mode
of thinking. Yet this too, can often be flawed and lead you astray. You must
pick your sources wisely and sometimes need to search and think outside of the
standard. The conventional mode of thinking does not always make it right, and
new information always sheds new light on what we formerly understood. Finally,
live discussion with others brings varied and often unique viewpoints to
bear on the subject and can be a means to reevaluate your own thoughts. Once
you are certain about the information, then it is time to solidify it in your
mind and begin the application of the information, including any transformation
that should entail.
We have discussed the verbal or
written book and lastly we will now briefly look at the nonverbal book, which
is the entire world around us. This may be the least recognized, but possibly
the most important source of information. It entails the true observation of
reality in people, nature, events, and actions. God’s created order of things
speaks volumes if we will intently observe. It requires a reverent observation
first, and second, to love what you sense. Do so, and you will certainly learn
from all that you take in.
As you spiritually mature, one of
the most important areas of study should become the study of yourself. You
should continually be studying and evaluating your relationship with God and
others, the things that control you, your emotions toward yourself and others
and why, your likes and dislikes and why, your strengths and weaknesses, how
you can become the most effective and productive, and what all this teaches
about yourself. Knowing yourself better will help you to know and understand
God better and vice versa.
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