Devotions on F.I.R.E. Year OneSample

For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel (Ezra 7:10).

Does your Bible study method include studying the Word, employing what you’ve learned, and teaching others?

I have devised my F.I.R.E. method--which stands for familiarity, interpretation, relationship, and employment--from my study of the Bible. As a scribe, Ezra would be familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures because of reading and rereading them. Moreover, he carefully exegeted the Bible to understand its meaning. In order to grasp the broader implications of the Scriptures, he would have looked at the wider context of the passage under study. He concludes the process by employing or applying what he has learned. James writes, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). We should daily strive to do the same!

Employment Point: Prepare your hearts to study and employ God’s Word.