Do A SOAP Devotion With Me by Ps Jim Jung

Can I encourage you to invest in a daily time with the bible? We encourage a reading method called SOAP (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer). Systematically reading through the bible in a 12 month period allows an interaction with God through each of the 66 books of the bible. Reading the bible reveals the state of our soul and if we’re ready to respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit then healing, focus and prophetic direction comes.

Let me show you one of my recent SOAP devotions to help you see how the Holy Spirit speaks through the bible. One of the chapters I read on that day was Luke 7 where I was struck by the account of Jesus being anointed by a sinful woman.

Title: The most precious thing.

Scripture: Luke 7:47b “…But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love” (NLT)

Observation: The woman knew that her life was a mess and that on the scale of sin she weighed in heavily. Yet her constant flow of tears and the offer of giving the precious oil to anoint Jesus’ feet showed her desperation for the freedom from the life she was living. The Pharisee, full of his own self righteousness couldn’t see his sin, it was covered with religious bigotry and piousness. He didn’t see his need for forgiveness from Jesus – he was ok wasn’t he? Yet the woman knew her sin – she was probably confronted with it every day and when she heard about Jesus she came and wept at his feet – broken, embarrassed, and ashamed. Jesus recognised her repentance and sorrow and forgave her.

The Pharisee was blind to the guest he had in his house and missed the opportunity of a lifetime. If only he had seen Jesus as the woman had seen Jesus, but his opinion of himself assured him of his own sense of righteousness – he didn’t need forgiveness because he didn’t feel he had done anything wrong that needed forgiving.

Application: What fools we are. What a fool am I. So often thinking that my works, my pious attitude, my role, my service, sets me apart from the “really bad” sinners. What folly, what ignorance. The bible reminds me that all have fallen short. The woman gave the most precious thing she owned without a second thought to Jesus because she recognised that he was more precious than this expensive ointment.

I need to fall at Jesus’ feet and with tears wash his feet and seek forgiveness. I don’t want to walk through life like this Pharisee, with a cheap grace cloak – I want to treasure the love and mercy that Christ has afforded to me as the most precious thing I own. Everything else is worthless next to his acceptance, forgiveness and grace.

Prayer: Lord I weep at your feet. I call out for your attention to my needs and continually seek your mercy and forgiveness for my shortcomings. I need your strength and courage to carry on. It is only as I remember the overwhelming forgiveness that you have given to me that I pour out my gratitude to others in like measure of what you gave to me.

Jim Jung