How to Find Deeper Meaning in the Bible and Achieve Devotional Peace

Why the Bible’s Symbolic Understanding Matters

In today’s world of religion and spirituality, people often connect with the Bible through traditional interpretations that sometimes feel distant or too contradictory to apply. However, by exploring the symbolic meanings within the Bible, we can unlock a deeper, more personal relationship with its words. This approach, guided by texts like Psalm 51:10’s plea for a “pure heart” and Ephesians 4:23’s call for “renewing the mind,” offers a path toward devotional peace and spiritual growth.

In this post, we’ll look at how interpreting the Bible can foster peace and wellbeing, practical ways to start understanding its wording, and a real-life example (my own) of transformative insights gained from scripture. The intention is to show that finding the symbolic meaning within the Bible can bring powerful insights that secure personal and devotional peace.

The Power of Symbolism in the Bible: How It Can Transform Your Belief

The Bible’s rich symbolic language helps it go beyond literal teachings, providing deeper philosophical truths that are for guiding our personal and devotional life. Understanding the language of the Bible’s symbolism enables us to see our own spiritual struggles, values, and aspirations reflected within its words. This approach encourages us to grow spiritually and experience personal transformation through a deeper connection with it.

How to Understand Symbolism in the Bible

Learning to interpret the Bible is valuable for the development of our devotional conversation’s character. Here are a few effective steps, as stated in Isaiah 28:9-12, for identifying and understanding symbolic language in the Bible:

1. Identify Common themes and illustrations: Recognize recurring images and themes in scripture, such as “honey,” which is used to figuratively illustrate the beauty of the philosophy at the Bible’s core. (Prov. 24:13,14; Ps. 119:103)

2. Consider Historical and Cultural Context: The Bible will use, for example, language concerning the context of the ecological and geographical culture of the supposed characters within it, like “manna,” which is and can be found (as it has been documented) in the desert within the middle east. It does, according to researchers and archaeologists, taste like honey. If tasting like “honey,” if we can know what honey symbolizes, what is one, when eating “manna,” actually eating?

3. Reflect on Personal Significance: When you encounter a symbol, such as “honey,” take a moment to reflect on what it is supposed represent within your own devotional journey. This personalized reflection opens up fresh ways to connect with the Bible’s spiritual concepts.

These steps transform the Bible from a static and out-of-date text into a dynamic and evolving work as we gain deeper insights. By understanding its symbols, we connect more deeply with the Bible, inviting its counsel to resonate with us.

How Understanding Ezekiel 18 Changed My Perspective

I am always asked where my doctrinal journey began, and I am always recounting my experience with Ezekiel 18. This chapter reshaped my understanding of personal devotional responsibility, accountability, and justice within the Bible. For example, Ezekiel 18:20 reads, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son…” Herein we are introduced to the concept, despite what popular theology tell us, that each person is accountable for their own actions and experience.

Interpreting this verse symbolically allowed me to move past the idea of “original sin” as a form of inherited fault and instead find the Christian statement of “original sin” to be a narrative deviating from the Bible’s philosophy. This understanding of Ezekiel 18 offered a new, mindful perspective—one where each individual’s relationship with the living God is based on personal accountability rather than inherited guilt. Understanding the language within this verse, I experienced the intended devotional peace and gained the confidence to further explore scripture without the constraints of traditional interpretations.

Applying Symbolic Insights to Daily Life: Practical Tips for Spiritual Growth

Interpreting symbolism in the Bible is more than just an intellectual exercise—it’s a way to invite inward peace into our everyday personal and devotional life. Here’s how to integrate these insights into your routine:

1. Mindful Meditation on Scripture: Choose a verse to reflect on consistently. For instance, Psalm 51:10’s request for a “pure heart” can become a focus, helping you reflect on forgiveness, renewal, and your present level of wellbeing.

2. Slow, Meditative Reading: Don’t just read the Bible. Allow the Bible to read you. Ponder verses like Ephesians 4:23’s call to “renew your mind,” imagining how a renewed mindset could influence your interactions and decisions.

3. Reflective Writing: Writing about passages helps clarify your understanding of them. Don’t worry about being an “expert.” Write down your understanding and personal reflections, noting how these meanings (whether negative or positive) apply to you.

Through these practices, symbolic interpretation becomes a living part of your spiritual routine, offering insights that encourage peace or contentment, wellbeing, and self-awareness.

Embrace The Bible’s Words for Lasting Peace and Transformation

The Bible invites us to engage with it on multiple levels, and its symbolic language is a powerful tool for personal transformation. By embracing these symbols, we move beyond rigid interpretations and engage with the text in a way that’s meaningful and relevant to our lives. As Job 22:21-22 suggests, laying up the Bible’s words within the heart brings peace—a peace that can transform not just our spirituality, but our entire approach to life.

By seeking out the symbolic meanings in the Bible, you can find inward peace, allowing the words of scripture to speak directly to your personal journey and resonate within you in a deeply transformative way.

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Spiritual Sickness: A Call For Devotional Authenticity

In the Bible, Isaiah 40:8 declares, “The word of our God shall stand forever,” implying that the divine message is eternal. Yet, when Isaiah 1:6 states, “From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores,” attention shifts to the spiritual state of a body, not the natural body, but rather a religious body. This passage reveals a deeper symbolism, inviting us to examine our spiritual health in relation to the Bible’s devotional character.

Exposing the Spiritual Illness of the Priesthood

The author of Isaiah isn't critiquing a literal body, but instead the condition of the priesthood. This is evident when Isaiah says, “A people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers,” (Isaiah 1:4) and that “the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint,” (Isaiah 1:5). The text addresses the spiritual leaders, as shown in Isaiah 1:10: “Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom.” The true focus here is on how the error within the priesthood has led to a disconnection with the intended experience within the scriptures.

The error committed by the priesthood is not merely human frailty but represents a corruption of the devotional experience itself. This is further emphasized in Isaiah 59:12-14, which acknowledges the priesthood’s transgressions: “Our transgressions are with us; in transgressing and lying against the LORD, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.”

These words expose a priesthood that strayed from the scriptures, crafting their own laws instead of following the already existing philosophy within the Bible. The deviation is summarized in Isaiah 29:13: “This people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men.” The priesthood’s reliance on handwritten religious laws, crafted from out of their own heart, diverges from the true spirit of the scriptures.

The Strength of Sin: A Religious Crisis

This abuse of religious authority, rooted in the manipulation of religious law, underscores a deeper spiritual illness. The priests, by enforcing man-made doctrines, betray their role as caretakers of the faith. Isaiah reveals this flaw by comparing the priesthood to Sodom and Gomorrah, a symbol of ultimate moral and spiritual decay. Through the lens of scripture, the priesthood is described as sick, bruised, wounded, and untreated. Their error is not just personal but systemic, condemning the entire body of belief they claim to uphold.

This error is further affirmed in the New Testament: “The strength of sin is the law,” (1 Corinthians 15:16). The priesthood’s obsession with justification through religious law is condemned, mirroring the principle in Romans 3:20: “By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight.” The laws created by the priesthood foster oppression and falsehood, further distancing their audiences from the heart of the scriptures.

Healing Through Reason and Devotion

Amidst this spiritual decay, the author of Isaiah offers a path to restoration—not through rigid adherence to religious law, but through reason and devotional clarity. Isaiah 1:17-18 urges a turn towards reason: “Learn to do well… Come now, and let us reason together...” Here, the Bible advocates for growth and development through reasoned thought rather than blind obedience to dogma. This principle is reinforced in Ecclesiastes 7:25: “I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things.”

This shift from rigid religious law to reason invites believers to approach their faith with introspection and critical thought. The priesthood, with its laws and inventions, is likened to Sodom and Gomorrah, corrupting the devotional conversation by prioritizing human-made doctrines over Bible knowledge.

The Eternal Warning for Modern Believers

The condemnation of the ancient priesthood extends to our modern-day religious leaders. If the scriptures are eternal, so too is the warning. The handwritten religions of today risk carrying the same errors of the past, fostering a body of belief that is sick, bruised, and wounded. In inheriting these doctrines, modern believers are exposed to the same spiritual dangers and condemnations.

As every religious conversation is born within this world of human error, the concept of “sin” persists, as Ecclesiastes 7:20 reminds us: “There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.” In this context, the "earth" refers to the religious world, where sin—defined by the legalistic grip of the religious law—dominates. Our natural inclination to “believe” is shaped by the religious structures we inherit, structures that often obscure the true essence of devotional purity.

A Call to Devotional Authenticity

Isaiah’s message is one of healing, but healing requires acknowledgment of illness. Just as the prophet Isaiah declared, “I am undone” (Isaiah 6:5), we too must recognize the ways in which our own devotional practices may be influenced by religious systems that have lost their way. True health, both spiritually and devotionally, comes from breaking away from man-made doctrines and embracing the intended experience and philosophy within the scriptures.

This call to reason and authenticity is the key to transcending the “cave” of religious falsehood, allowing believers to reclaim their devotional conversation in its purest form.

Love: The Highest Form of Intelligence and Growth

Love is more than just a feeling—it's a gateway to higher intelligence. When we practice love, we cultivate emotional and spiritual growth. In contrast, hatred drags us into a state of ignorance and self-destruction.

But what exactly is "hate"? Leviticus 19:17 gives us insight: "Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him." In simple terms, hate involves standing by while others harm themselves—mentally, emotionally, or spiritually.

When you hate, you allow others to continue destructive behaviors without offering help or guidance. Instead of encouraging growth or positive change, you let someone deteriorate in their unhealthy thoughts and actions. This inaction is a form of neglect, even spiritual harm.

The Bible teaches that "the strength of sin is the law" (1 Corinthians 15:56). The religious laws of Moses represented a rigid code of conduct, which—if misinterpreted—could lead to self-condemnation and judgment. Galatians 3:11 reminds us, "No man is justified by the law in the sight of God." Thus, hate can manifest as allowing others to suffer under outdated or unhealthy mental and emotional "laws" they've created for themselves, or follow within the religious world.

When you allow someone to continue on a destructive path, you’re essentially letting them destroy their own self-worth and spiritual health. This is the ultimate form of hatred—not helping them break free from their self-imposed limitations.

In contrast, love is about building up and supporting others. According to 1 Thessalonians 4:9, "Ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another." This is reinforced in 1 Thessalonians 5:11: "Comfort yourselves together, and edify one another."

To love someone is to lift them up, edify their mind, and help them recognize their true value. Love is the act of showing others the path away from self-destruction and toward self-discovery.

When we love, we challenge ourselves to grow by helping others. We increase in personal understanding, discipline, and wisdom. Love forces us to confront our own emotions and experiences, making us more effective in uplifting others.

Loving others isn’t just about them—it’s also about your own growth. As you empathize and help others through their struggles, you deepen your own understanding of life's challenges and how to overcome them. Love is a reminder of where we've been and where we're going.

When you love, you're practicing self-awareness and emotional intelligence. You're making conscious decisions that enhance both your life and the lives of those around you. Love leads to understanding and unity, while hate results in division and loss.

True love doesn't come with expectations or fears. When we love authentically, we enrich our own lives and contribute positively to the world around us. Love leads to clarity of purpose, while hate clouds judgment and leads to misunderstanding.

In the end, the message is simple: just love. Love leads to personal growth, deeper understanding, and a positive influence on those around us. It helps you erase negative patterns and replace them with wisdom. Love is the ultimate key to unlocking your true potential and helping others do the same.

If you're seeking clarity, peace, and purpose, start with love. By doing so, you'll gain personal and devotional growth that not only enhances your life, but also the lives of everyone you encounter.