Rhythms of Grace | Friday, Week 4

Return to your designated place of solitude.

As you read Psalm 8, pray for insight from the Holy Spirit.

Reflect upon what the psalmist is saying in this psalm.

How might this psalm relate to Genesis 1 & 2?

What stands out to you?

The final step in the interpretive process is applying it for today. It’s been said, “Application focuses the truth of God’s Word to specific, life-related situations.” Some suggest application is everything involved in taking the text from what it meant to what it means. 
 
Application can happen a few different ways. Sometimes, we find ourselves going through a certain situation and we want to know what the Bible has to say about it. Is COVID-19 the consequences of God’s judgment upon the earth? Other times, the Scriptures prepare us for something we have yet to encounter or experience. If I implant a computer chip in my wrist, will I be receiving the mark of the beast? 
 
You can see why applying the Bible to our lives is extremely important. In the book of James 1:22, he writes, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” 
 
During the interpretive process we need to determine three things to help apply the Scriptures to our lives: 1. What did the writer originally mean? 2. What is the principle from what the writer originally meant? 3 How does this principle apply to situations we encounter today?
 
For example, obeying the command not to covet a neighbor’s wife or house remains as timely today as it did when Moses received it on Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:17). But this verse also prohibits coveting a neighbor’s manservant, maidservant, ox, or donkey. Those who live in a more urban setting shouldn’t ignore the rest of what Moses received, but instead apply the principle of covetousness to relevant possessions.
 
Applying the Scriptures to our lives is a bit like landing a flying plane. Every part of the flight process is crucial, but if you cannot successfully land the plane, all the work was done in vain.