Bible Study: Psalm 139

Ends and beginnings have a way of stirring all of us. But if you’re ‘stuck’ in life or if you struggle with shame or not seeing your worth, or if you are at the end of your rope –or the end of yourself with nothing to cling to, you may not know how to pull THROUGH those transitions. If that is you, I ask you to please check this out.

I’ve always heard that Psalm 139 was the greatest Psalm but I didn’t understand why. –That is until it carried me through the hardest season of my life. This video is a line by line study of this chapter (along with a mixture of prayer, poetry, testimony, and reflections about oysters that also became significant to me during this time.) I want nothing more than for you to feel ‘relief’ so that you can truly have a ‘Happy’ NEW year, and to ‘SEE’ things a little differently. After all, 2020 = PERFECT vision. May we all be blessed enough to receive. There are a LOT of notes because I have to write them out first. So you can basically see the written version of this video, with links, here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1u_LTKci3rgTOk3lIg96s4o9CNKu4rQaD

When You're Not Connecting With Your Bible

A friend recently shared a testimony and a struggle she’d been having reading scripture and feeling disconnected when reading the Word. She felt guilty because she was supposed to be a woman of faith and yet she felt completely lost in her study time. It was a very discouraging experience for her.

Her testimony was that for Lent she was going to get up earlier so that she could spend more time in the Word. She tried some different translations and a version that she usually didn’t care for ended up being the solution.

She posted this on Facebook and others that were reading her post were encouraged by knowing that they weren’t alone. They too were struggling and shared the same disappointment.

This happens to all of us from time to time. Especially when you’re just starting out. Her experience reminded me of this piece of scripture, and I’d like to share it with you. I’d also like to share some other things that have helped me when I feel disconnected in my own time reading the Bible.

I’m going to go through this passage in its entirety first, then go through it again line by line and share some things that stand out.

This section has a really flashy title too called ‘Philip and the Ethiopian’ Acts 8:26 – 40

26Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 

²⁷ So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian^[a] eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 

²⁸ and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 

²⁹ The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

³⁰ Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

³¹ “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

³² This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, 
    and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,     so he did not open his mouth. 
³³ In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
    Who can speak of his descendants?
    For his life was taken from the earth.”^[b]

³⁴ The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 

³⁵ Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. 

³⁶ As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” 

^{37 IS A MISSING VERSE -} [^[a]And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”]

 ^[c]38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 

³⁹ When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 

⁴⁰ Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

Now verse by verse so that I can pick out the things I’d like to show you.

26Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” Philip is traveling alone

²⁷ So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian^[a] eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, So you have Philip the prophet or interpreter, crossing paths with the Eunuch who has considerable rank. –AND he’s on his way home from church!  

²⁸ and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. So you have the Eunuch making good use of his quiet time. Both of them are traveling solo and well, sometimes life, even the faith-filled one, feels like a lonely road, now doesn’t it?

²⁹ The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”  Shouldn’t we all be that sensitive to the Holy Spirit and not tied down with all our plans to be too busy. I mean really, if you’re on your way somewhere and you get a tug to check something out or talk to someone, will you be inclined to do it? Or do you have too much to do?” Here it looks like Philip just has to be in ear shot.

³⁰ Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. Maybe Philip just needed to be close enough to hear what was happening, because once he did, he’d jump right in. haha. But I like that Philip is the one giving some room to the struggle. Initiating the talk. “Do you understand what you are reading?”

³¹ The Eunuch replies “How can I,” “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. I can't tell you how relieved I was to read that the first time. Hallelujah, even in the Bible they weren’t able to understand it! 😉-- we're not alone!! But after the cat’s out of the bag, the Eunuch asks Philip to come talk. They have fellowship, discussion. They end up reading on in the Bible, and it whets the appetite for more.

³²  Verse 32 to reads This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: (Remember it was from Isaiah)

Now in your Bible, most of you should have a column that lists other verses off to the side. This is to cross reference sections where similar verses or passages appear that have more information about what you’re reading.  So, if your Bible has this, look at Acts Chapter 8:32-33 and off to the side you should see Isaiah 53:7-8 listed. If you go there, you should see a similar verse. Sometimes the other references will have different content, but it may help you with what you’re reading.

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, We are going through the motions, be it church, reading, etc.  Not feeling connected yet thinking that simply because we’re doing it, it’s enough.
    and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, (too still)
    so he did not open his mouth. There are so many ways this verse gets me when I read it, but how many of us are struggling, but we just don’t say a word.
³³ In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
    Who can speak of his descendants?
    For his life was taken from the earth.”^[b] Pointing back to Jesus. –The gospel!

³⁴ The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?”  - I have to wonder if the Eunuch would have asked his question here if Philip didn’t already get him talking about a challenge earlier on.  –But Philip set the stage by giving him a safe environment, already discussing challenges.

³⁵ Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.  We’ll talk more about commentary in a minute, but my commentary on this verse in my Bible says that when we share the Gospel with others, we should start with where the other person’s concerns are focused. We see Philip doing just that. Picking up where the Eunuch is reading. But also, Philip is talking to him about the Gospel. How can we work that into our conversations? After all, it’s the Gospel that gets people fired up. It’s what saves. It’s what heals.

³⁶ As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?”  - Seriously – let’s talk about hungry. I’m a little on the goofy side but when I see this, I just envision him walking by a mud puddle. “Quick, let’s get baptized, right here!” Then flopping down in the road. It may have even looked like that. Haha. Something tells me it was more graceful. ;)

But have you ever been so hungry that you couldn’t wait? You had to eat something, no matter what it was, right then?

--So hungry that you’ll get up earlier to read more, so hungry that you’ll take the time to try a few translations if you need to. So fired up that you have to share your testimony right then! It just can’t wait. –If you haven’t felt that. I want you to consider if you’re like the lamb--  too quiet. Too still.  

–This guy didn’t talk about getting baptized until he talked about his struggle and got some Jesus in it. The same with my friend and her testimony. –The same with me.

³⁷ IS A MISSING VERSE –

[^[a]And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”] This is important because I am putting a lot of emphasis on being hungry here. According to scripture, all you need to be saved is to believe in him as your Lord. Then just like that you’re forgiven and accepted.

I am adding the hunger part because there is so much more to the personal relationship that you can have with Jesus. –On earth, as it is in heaven.

 ^[c]38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. –But isn’t it getting a good Word, the work of the Holy Spirit? It’s what ignites that hunger and makes us accept the call. –or get baptized, even if it is in the middle of the road?

³⁹ When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again but went on his way rejoicing. Wait- what, he disappeared just like that?  Who knows if he vanished or if the Holy Spirit just led Philip to another location and they got to say bye. Scripture doesn’t tell us that. But I know that it’s our human nature to want to hold on to things. If this meal is good, we’ll make it again. If we like this thing, we want to own it. If we meet someone we like, we want to be friends forever. Especially if there is some significance. But as soon as what was needed was done, they were separated. Both back on their way to their journey.

– Maybe you can Meditate on that today and consider some other reasons why-- or perhaps some things or people you’re trying to hold on to.

This verse says the Eunuch walked away rejoicing. Yet how many times, would you and I be like “I can’t believe he just left me in the middle of the road like that.”

Then months or years later, we’d still be like: “He doesn’t call me. He never writes…” 

How does that minister to you?

⁴⁰ Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea. –At the end of the day we all have a job to do, and we have somewhere to be.

That concludes the part of the passage, but you and I have somewhere to be too. I can’t guess all of the struggles that you might have with scripture, but I can tell you that I have my own share of them. Here are some things that have helped me. –Please feel free to comment on the things that help you.

-       Just like my friend, trying other translations. It’s an honorable thing to want to stick to the King James and understand it. –But if it doesn’t make any sense to you, it’s not going to make you want to read it. 

o   NIV or NASB are fairly easy translations to understand.

o   LIFEWAY – You can make an afternoon to go sit on the floor and open any Bible there to compare translations and read the same chapter in each.

o   Browse online at Bible Gateway, Bible Hub or Bible Study Tools.

o   YouVersion Bible for your phone. Each of those will allow you to read all of the translations.

Other tools are:

-       Commentary, this is the history behind passages. It explains the times, significance, things you might not know ‘behind the scenes.' The sites that I just mentioned have commentary available on the sites for free. Or while you are searching for a new Bible, you can look for a Bible that includes it. Like the Life Application Bible, which is what I use. You can still pick from one of the main translations. The only caveat there is that in order to include extra words, the font is much smaller. You may have to buy a much larger font, which can make the right book pretty heavy.

-       Concordance – This is like an index of words, listing all of the verses where each word is included.

-       Dictionaries also help. You can look up the definition, origin, root words in Greek and Hebrew.

-       But my favorite tool is what we see here fellowship. Philip sat down and explained it to him. You and I all see different parts. We’re interested in different things, and so we’ll study different pieces. Some really great conversations happen around questions from the text in the Bible and our own personal challenges. In fact, I too benefited greatly from a study group. It is where I discovered the Bible that I just mentioned and it transformed the way that I read it. If you can’t attend the small group at your church, find out where your friends go and attend another church’s studies if you need to. –Or lead one during your lunch break, at home or in your personal time.

-       Other things that help too are:

-       Setting aside enough time (whether that's earlier or later or somewhere mid-day) so that you can try another translation if you need to, look something else up, etc.

-       Removing distractions

-       Getting a notebook or a word document and writing line by line. Take each line of the Chapter you're reading, write one verse, then look into it with the tools that I mentioned above. You can also rewrite it into your own words. Then do the next. (I got that from the SEED study by Priscilla Shirer-- HUGE help!)

     When a whole chapter doesn't really stand out, look for one thing that strikes you, like a weird phrase or a repetitive word and start there.  (Here's an online Word counter. copy/paste text.) Know that there’s a difference in reading a passage to check it off versus reading to know the details.

-       Ask in Prayer – Ephesians 3:20 says Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. – Ask God to give you a love for his Word, a love for prayer, a love for others.

I hope that some of these tips help you. I’d love to hear the things that have helped you because I too struggle in this area from time to time.  Just like we see in this chapter- We don't know the precise location of either man on their journey, just the same, where ever we are in ours and no matter our rank, our how much faith we have, we all need a friend and a little help on the way!

Finally, I’d like to end with a challenge for you- Go on a treasure hunt!

I mentioned a missing verse earlier from 8:37. There are actually more of them in the Bible. I also talked about the reference verse off to the side in the column of your Bible.  Having something specific to look up is another way to get “into, interested” in the Bible. So, I challenge you this week, to go through and find out about the missing verses, then mark every one of them in your Bible. Or if you’re already reading something else, when you go through it, check out those reference verses on the side. Read what they have to say.

What every you do or where ever you start, I pray that it whets your appetite and ignites a new hunger for the Word.

Down Below | Jonah Part 4

The Prophet Jonah Before the Walls of Nineveh
by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn

In my last post, I gave a little bit more information about Jonah “before he got on the boat”. We also looked at a few examples of what running might look like in our own lives. Then I noticed something else in verse 5.

“But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep.”

In other words, he withdrew.

Sometimes when you feel a storm be it a mood or an actual change. Don’t you have the tendency to withdraw? Some go to the bar. Some, like Jonah, return to their bed and try to sleep through it and some lose themselves in the tasks that we described in the last post.

Sometimes when you’re going through something, don’t you just want to get to the bottom of it? You withdraw from all other activities to analyze ‘this thing’. You're on a mission. You’re not trying to withdraw; you’re actually trying really hard to be present. –The purest and present self that you can be. “You just gotta get this thing worked out first…”

Let me quickly add that I don’t think all withdrawing is bad. Jesus went away on a mountain. A caterpillar goes away to transform into a butterfly. Good things come out of retreating.

But you need to be careful here because 1 Peter 5:8 also says “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” I do believe that you are more susceptible to spiritual attack when you remain isolated or withdrawn because;

When you’re alone, your story becomes the only one that you hear. -And let’s be honest, sometimes the story inside our head is a little out of focus. So, our responses to the situation get a little skewed as well. We need some interaction to help keep us from slipping too deeply into "our version".

But also, in that place of being withdrawn, you’re usually worn out. Whether or not you’re asleep or simply want to be. The first half of the verse in Peter says “Be alert and sober-minded.” When you’re weary, you’re not “alert”. You can even experience a little drunkenness from a lack of sleep. Then there’s sobriety from any “helpers” we might consider to “take the edge off.” When you’re not fully rested and “sober”, you’re exacerbating that “thought problem” and your emotional responses to it.

We see examples of Jonah's heightened emotions and exhaustion between these pages. It is assumed by other commentators that Jonah might have feared the Assyrians rising back up to overtake Israel. We know that in Chapter 4 he displays anger at the Lord for showing mercy to them. This is most likely because he had "stewed" in his frustration and fear of them for so long. Any of us can admit that happens more when we're alone. Whether or not he had wanted to die when decided to go overboard, he had convinced himself that suicide might be "the only way out" of his misery because running and isolation didn't work!

Whether or not you think that's true, it is what happens next.

"Jonah and the Whale Bible Story" by Dennis McGeary

So I ask you to consider, if you feel the need to withdraw for any reason but particularly during a storm, could you be running from something as well? If so, try to identify any fear(s), especially if you can’t stop what you're doing, and then ask yourself why that might be important. Jot it down.

This is kind of a sidebar but it's an important one. Sometimes this thought process can become an obsession or an addiction. You might not know how you get there. You might not see any way out. You might choose to steep yourselves in scriptures trying to combat it. While that must be better- is it really? 

I am not saying that scripture doesn't have power. The Bible plainly tells us to meditate on His Word and that scripture IS our greatest weapon of defense. I learned what I am getting ready to tell you by being in this place and meditating on scripture. So YES, there is power in it but also hear this with your heart-

If you're allowing a thing to isolate you or to control your moods and thoughts; and if even the scriptures that you meditate on have to be about your problem, you're getting sideswiped by something else and it is called worry.

When you give something else that much power over you, it can become an idol [limiting your view of God] and inadvertently, you can let it devour you. 

Pastor Fred Michaux of City Life church said: "You will never have dominion of any appetite of your body until you make fasting a regular part of your diet". If you've gone, like Jonah, down into the deepest part of your storm, I challenge you to fast from that place and come up for air and out into the light. Practice putting it down.

Aside from that, just because you’re running / withdrawing, doesn’t mean that it’s only affecting you. -No matter what you might tell yourself. Look around you and then back at Jonah. The men were throwing stuff off the boat while Jonah was asleep because his resistance turned pure chaos. Ahem, calamity. The point is, it's likely that everyone around you is affected by what you're going through, even if they’re not sure yet what it is or that you have something to do with it. 

***

Storms don’t always look like the message in Jonah. Sometimes we’re homesick. Sometimes our parenting skills reveal to us that we don’t know all that we think that we do. Sometimes we need to have a conversation with our spouse or maybe there’s sickness, adultery or addiction. Storms come in a variety of ways but perhaps our responses are really kind of the same. Even when we try to justify that we’re not on a boat and haven’t fled the country.

The storm comes to reveal what we’re afraid of and sometimes it takes something that we hate to reveal it. But keep in mind that Jonah was challenged with delivering the truth. Is it also possible that some of your own “truths” need to be a little challenged here as well?  

Everyone in this picture; the Assyrians, the men in the boat and Jonah needed a different perspective about God. Could He really be -even bigger- than what our view and "allowances" make of him too? After all, isn't that why we sometimes think that we can take things into our own hands? -And don't storms often come and clear the air?

And yes, there's more.

[To be Continued]

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The Part To Remember During A Storm | Jonah Part 2

We are members of BridgePoint and this past week our Pastor gave a sermon on Psalm 42. This Psalm isn't about Jonah but part of it sounds like what Jonah described in Jonah Chapter 2. Infact Psalm 42:7 and Jonah 2:3 are almost identical.

"-Panting, thirsting, eating tears... and people saying where is your God?" 

It goes on...

"Deep calls to the deep, your breakers and waves have swept over me..." “Why so downcast Oh my soul?!"

It was a beautiful message and chapter. It seemed like a perfect note to tape down in my Jonah collection. Here's a link to the series on Chains. To hear this message, click on the sermon for week 3. It's about worry and depression.

I don't want to give the entire message away but Eric (the Pastor) points out 3 things that you can do in your storm. Having gotten to the other side of this thing, I can agree. These 3 things were eye opening to me as well and got me through my storm.

The first was to Remember - Make it a point to remember good times with the Lord. -When you knew he was present, when you knew he spoke to you, when you knew something happened and somehow it just had to be Him! Remembering might not sound like a big deal but you and I can barely remember what we had for breakfast or what happened yesterday. How much harder is it to remember a still small voice?

So when I told you in my last post to journal, I meant it.  There have been times, even since I began journaling myself, that I forget or I begin to doubt again. -Then I look back at the blog and I'm like.... hmmm, I can't doubt that. He was there every step of the way.  

If this activity makes you uncomfortable, check out some of my notes about journaling. Also, the Bible clearly shows examples of making it a point to remember. When we do communion, "it is in remembrance of me". We see it in feasts like one in the book of Esther; it was to remind the Jews about their deliverance. When people or towns were renamed after certain milestones, or when His people set up alters and stones- All of it, is so that they remember and so that others learn and know.

Whatever method of remembrance works for you, please begin it. You might not feel like you have anything to remember yet, but start looking. You will get something. Even as this Psalmist states in Psalm 42 "these things I remember as I pour out my soul..."  It sounds so much like that song "Because He lives, I can face tomorrow..."

Nothing else will encourage you in a stormy season, like knowing that God was with YOU- has been and is still with you. You will need that reminder in a season whether it's now or later. Don't go any further without it.

Eric goes on to point out two more key things from this passage that will help you in a storm. I won't share them here because you might just need to hear it for yourself. Yet I can say that he is right. Those two things pointed out first in the scripture, also helped me in my season.

But you know I remember when I didn't have faith. I remember when I thought to myself "how on earth is a God that I don't even see or hear, supposed to be personal".

But I sat in that pew on Sunday and this passage, felt like it looked back at a Jonah season and blew a kiss to so many things that I learned; and am still learning. There was even a song that is played at the end, "Satisfied In You (Psalm 42) by The Sing Team" and I have been craving singing scripture and that dern guitar in my closet still calls my name, this song was another kiss, at me.

Then at the end there was a testimony from my Pastor's wife (which won't be included in the sermon) but it was so tender and beautiful and real. And it kissed the storms that we have in marriage and this "Power of a Praying Wife" study that we're doing on the side. Their testimony also reminded me that our "busyness" and our "insecurities" are sometimes blinding to the ways that we can reach out to our neighbors. Our head tells us one scenario, meanwhile another one is taking place that you can be a part of.  And another kiss was blown…

I know that part might not make sense to you. There were so many things that just seemed to marry together in a moment. True yes, they seem all about me and a place that I was in with the Lord. -But the Lord is also all about you and he will use everything in your life that you're willing to give him and then he will touch you in it. -Be it the storm or the kiss, if you let him. He is there. Every.single.time.

On Sunday, I was in the presence of it again. -Something real. People that were real, not perfect. Not glorifying storms but instead the great big God- that walks out on to the water and calls into our deep. In moments of brokenness, he comes down to sinners like us and loves us anyway…

If you’re in that storm. Come out to meet him in it [sermon and chapter] and be ready to take notes. Replace what you remember.

I pray that it whets your appetite for something more than tears and that tomorrow, you come back for a little more.

Bridgepoint @ 11:00am

10487 Harcum Rd. Gloucester, VA

(FAQ)

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Our Suffering and Our Calling

In hindsight it is always so surprising how we process concepts, even in regards to faith. For example, when the church shares messages on how “having God in your life makes things better”, the smallness of our minds can't compute it so it translates to "Getting faith will make your problems disappear". Um, nope. -Not a chance!

I'd almost venture to say that as you develop your faith, your problems might even get harder because then you're called to respond in a Godly way. And then the ante is upped again.

We also seem to wait to discover “our calling” before we step out in faith or to start sharing... But again another opposite is that we must step out, in order to discover. 

This message (link below) is a good one. It’s about our suffering and our calling. One of the highlights is in how we all process our suffering through our own belief system.  If you believe in God, then take your suffering to the Word of God. And what it speaks to you personally is your ministry. BOOM!

If you’re in a suffering season or a trial (or perhaps the next one that you’re in) don’t rely on yourself to reason it. (I’ve just given you two examples where we get it backwards.) Take it first in prayer and ask for the good Lord to open your eyes. Then take your trial to the bible. Search for scripture (either online or in a concordance) about your type of storm. Read the commentary to understand why certain things were and were not used. (That’s often where the nuggets are.)Then journal out your questions and what you feel scripture is speaking to you!  -Your “ah-has” are your testimony, your witness and your steps to obedience.

There is no better connector to God than your obedience to what he wants you to do. There is no better “disconnector” in your relationship to God than your disobedience. (Even if it is only obedience delayed).

I’m praying with you and for you in your season!  God speak!

http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/mini-bible-college/listen/the-storms-of-life-the-word-and-the-witness-511919.html

Tuesday Challenge #26 | Writing

Just this morning I realized that Tuesday of this week had already come and gone. Now Thursday, I was pretty sure that I was just going to skip this week's challenge since it was so close to the weekend.

Later in the morning I read the Upper Room Devotion. I thought it might be fun to write a post for the bulletin. If only I could reduce one of my posts from the average of 2500 words to the 250 requirements. **ha**

I looked up the requirements and sat down to draw one out but couldn't finished before I had to get ready for work. Then tonight as I brushed my teeth, I thought of another possible "short one". It occurred to me that it might also be a good challenge for someone else.

Hey, so if you want to dabble in writing or meditating on the word and you're just not sure where to start, or if you have experienced one of those little "ah-has" you'd like to share; consider writing a post for the devotional booklet.  :)


I just love this week's verse and I hope it's a blessing to you as well. :)

My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer. -Psalm 45:1



Do you have a testimony about this challenge or a suggestion for another one? I'd love to hear it! Comment here!

What's this about? | Other challenges

Picture Credit [then modified]: Superbwallpapers.com

Tuesday Challenge # 14 | Scripture

This week's challenge: This week take a moment to SOAK in the word!  That's right, SOAK!  This is a method used by Women Living Well Ministries.

How to Use the SOAK Method to Study Scripture:

S – Write out the scripture that speaks to you from the passage.

(I actually find that writing out the whole scripture helps me absorb more of the passage.)

O – Write down one or two observations from the passage.

A – Write down one or two applications from the passage.

K – Kneel and Pray over what you learned from today’s passage.

Formerly known as the soap method. (K for Kneel replaced the P for Prayer.)

Scripture for the week: Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. -Psalm 86:11

Do you have a testimony about this challenge or a suggestion for another one? I'd love to hear it! Comment here!

What's this about? | Other challenges

Picture Credit [then modified]: http://www.superbwallpapers.com/nature/sunrise-over-the-mountains-14501/

A little I.O.U. to the BIG guy!

I've got a testimony that I've been sitting on and I just need to come clean with it! Oddly enough, it's not a bad one. It's a great one! I've just been worried that it will come across like I am trying to boast about myself instead of glorifying God. But I don't only want to talk about how I see God help me in the storm. I want to talk about those radical ah-has that got my attention!

In 2012 I shared my first testimony. In 2013 I changed my life to focus only on family and God. I also started writing as a bi-product of that. On a June day, I posted a prayer. I felt strange as I did it but I had made a challenge for myself with God that I would accept every opportunity to pray out loud for a year in hopes to overcome my fear of doing it. I felt like this post was just another variation of that challenge. So, I accepted. One of the many lines of that prayer included "show me one new thing that I miss in my every other day".

It took me two weeks to write about it but THAT VERY SAME DAY the motor in my 4Runner blew. It might not sound like such a great God testimony at first but hang in there.

ALL of the events of that day really spoke to me. I had such a feeling of his nearness. True joy & true peace. A calmness, unlike me, that just covered me. Everyone that was involved seem to have the same phrase "never seen that before" which just made me tune in that much more to my earlier prayer and what he might be doing. Little things also made me see how he provided during the storm.

As it turns out replacing/repairing the motor in that year 4Runner is double-triple what I anticipated it to be. We weren't in a position to buy a car or even fix this one. From the moment it broke, I knew that God was going to have to be involved in the solution. But he met my need along the way at every junction.

It actually took a few months for us to decide what to do. So August comes along. We still don't have any money. A relative offers to help but really can't do more than what the motor costs and the 4Runner needed more work before this issue. We're not sure which direction to go. We look for cars that might match that allowance but sadly, even though it's a lot of money to me, we couldn't seem to find a vehicle that matched what we had to give.

I once heard Joyce Meyer talk about a bracelet that she gave away. It was a foreign concept to me that God might want me to give up a "thing" that belong to me in order to make someone else happy [or even to give him glory]. I mean sure it's easy to give up old clothes and broken dishes especially when someone else needs them. But why would he want me to give up something I liked; something I loved and was even given or blessed with? I mean I did "earn" it, right? Funny how we think that...

But something else that she said resonated with me even more. She said that God told her "Once I tell you to give something away, it no longer belongs to you, and if you keep it after that, it will never give you joy"

I never considered myself to be a "things" kind of person. However, some memories of my childhood were harder than others. We moved a lot and so we never kept anything. We didn’t have much money and so what we did have was usually second hand if we didn’t go without. -Not that there is any shame in that but because of that, a pair of diamond earrings that I had made me feel special.

Not only that they were sentimental. I know that I received them as a blessing from God but I also received them from a person that I deeply love.

Then one day on my knees in prayer over this situation, I was considering things that I might have to sell. These earrings suddenly came to mind. It will sound ridiculous but I sat in my closet and sobbed. Not over having to get rid of things but it almost felt more like a sob of repentance for storing some kind of worth [maybe even my own] or value in things. The moment was brief and when it was over, I just knew that they had to go.

I tried to sell them but even with the rising cost of gold, I couldn't even get a third of what they were worth. Because they were special; what I was offered monetarily just wasn't enough to justify my getting rid of them even if it was just a contribution toward my issue.

But Malachi 3:10 just kept circling.

So again, in prayer I asked God what he was trying to get me to see. I just kept feeling like I needed to give them up for God. I remembered that story from Joyce. I thought about holding onto them and then possibly losing them later. Then I would be without the obedience and possibly still without the earrings. I can't explain the urgency that I felt but I needed to be free of them at once. Maybe because I simply didn't trust myself to not try to dictate who he wanted to have them.

So, I wrote two letters. One to my preacher and one to the "recipient" [if my preacher felt like it was appropriate]. The letter to my preacher contained my explanation and I am going to share one paragraph from it below:

"I am in a real place of need now. Not just monetarily but spiritually and even physically. I want to be in alignment with God more than anything else. I feel like this was just one more stone that needed to be plucked loose. (pun intended) I am thankful that I don’t need “things” to feel special anymore. I am also thankful that much like the two coins, he accepts what we have. The world might not buy what we have to sell but if it’s the only treasure that we have and if we give it to him; he not only accepts it but he can do more with it than the world ever could!"

My letter to the other person contained a testimony about something that I was given and a promise that I felt from God because of it. (Ask me about it sometime and I will share it with you.) I met my preacher on the corner and gave him a box with the two letters.

Meanwhile, family offered to help us find something newer than what we'd been looking for. I cringed but following my husband's lead, I went along. I prayed for God to give me an answer. I didn't want anyone going into debt on our behalf or even paying for that kind of expense. When we came to the first van, we opened the back and tears just started pouring from my eyes. ...It sounds silly, I know.  -But there was the same "nearness" in the tears.

If that wasn't enough when we sat at the table the salesman, JJ, tried to close the deal. I just couldn't commit. When he asked why, I explained about our truck and how family would have to help. We didn't technically have any money to give him right then. Then in one of those "Godly & coincidental" kind of ways the salesman (whom we've never met before) started giving a testimony about how God helped him in a real time of need and he used the generosity of others to bless him. Then he just kept repeating, "If someone wants to bless you, you should let them." I was still crying... just so much more by this point.

I know that someone on the other side of this screen is thinking "Of course he'd say that, he's trying to sell you a car!" But you'd have to have been there. My husband who, if the truth be told, is not really sure how he feels about God and who is also a man that is usually pretty itchy about talking to people. And yet, this same husband was chillin' at the table like he had all day to sit there with a car salesman. Seriously, we were there over an hour just talking about God. Not only that I am crying like a fool and JJ is practically preaching. It was a surreal moment. I mean can you just try to picture this for a second!?!

When JJ asks why I am still crying if someone wants to bless me... Colin just shakes his head and says my wife likes to hear people talking about good things! (And boy do I. Can somebody puh-lease tell me a testimony about blessings!!)

Even so, things were moving so fast. We needed to step back for a moment. I needed to pray and there were some other vans that we wanted to look at. So we stopped at a few dealerships on the way home.

In the next day or two, I got a phone call at work and thought it was a salesman for a van but it turns out that it was our youth pastor. We laughed about how I thought he was trying to sell me something. Then he asked if we were looking. I explained the situation. He asked if I'd like him to post an anonymous ministry need on his Facebook page. It felt a little weird but I said sure. I'd actually had peace since the motor went out and I had peace now too.

The next day when my youth pastor called to tell me that a family had a car that they wanted to donate, I really wasn't surprised but all I could muster up was "wow"... I was literally speechless. I mean what do you say to that other than Thank You God! -And thank you Ed and please, oh please, THANK THAT FAMILY!

This conversation is a little hard for me to figure out how to have with my husband. He doesn't know Ed or this family and this element of faith is a new area for both of us.  ...I know that it's a God thing but how on earth will I be able to convince him that I'd rather have the car. But it's too late. My husband and the relative have already found a van that they wanted to get.

I could have pushed the issue but while I may not always act it, I do feel a tremendous amount of respect for my husband and I do want to also respect his wishes. In this scenario, I feel like God has plainly met a need and revealed himself in it in either outcome. I try to talk to Colin but truthfully, the timing for this discussion is just never right. I blurt it out but can't possibly connect all of the dots in just a few moments. (In fact it has taken me 2 years to get it spelled out here.)

It ends up that we go with the Van. I call Ed and tell him to bless another family with the car and he has a perfect family in mind. (Gosh I wish that I could've been there when Ed told them the news!)

Now before you start trying to rationalize all of this; go back and read the prayer when I discovered my 4Runner was broken. "I want a running vehicle. Heck, a new car is just fine. I boldly ask for it. Why not?" - Did he not give me both! You can credit my family with one but how do you explain the other? Does his word not say "Come Boldy" and to ask for ALL THINGS.

But aside from that, I prayed for some other stuff even BEFORE the truck messed up. Read the last two paragraphs of the original prayer.

"If it's my rules that destroy my visibility, take me back to infancy. When I was so fresh from you, that I was not aware of my own desire. Did I then know, where I came from? Reduce me to tears and no other form of words. To be satisfied with what you give instead of what I want. -When I had no choice but to see what only you set before me. Even then, I am sure that I could not retain all of you but would I be able to see more? 

Prepare my heart God so that I can see, then show me at least one new thing that I miss in my every other day. Make this day new. Find me worthy of your secrets. My heart so longs to know more."

I mean "Reduce me to tears" and "Return me to infancy" -what does that even mean???? Don't feel weird. I had no idea either. I thought it was odd when I said it. But I have discovered that it was my heart [or my spirit man] asking to unlearn things that were holding me back in my faith. So that he could teach me what he wanted me to know about him instead.

If you know me at all, you know that I've become a crier. I might have cried at other points in my life. Maybe even all through my life. Truthfully, I can't remember how often. But I can tell you that during the last two years I have been a wet mess. (A good mess but a wet one! And literally choked up "as no other form of words") And as much as I want to explain it, I simply cannot tell you how I know that all of this crying is a God thing but I know that he is working in me with every.single.tear that falls!

When I told my preacher that I wanted my heart to be right with God, to give up superficial special things in order to right me.... Well he answered that too and made me see how insecure that I was. Gosh and I know that sometimes I might even portray the faithful life as only a struggle and maybe even condemn myself too much but I know that I know THAT I KNOW that God is with me now! And he promises to right ALL my paths that aren't straight!!!

And even still, I know that someone else saying, well if this is God and he did this for you why hasn't he done this for me or for anyone else that I know. Let me just tell you how much I have struggled with giving this testimony. For that reason...! In fact I have struggled more over this than giving up the earrings.

I don't know where you are in your life right now. But I once took an Experiencing God study. In this study there is a moment that is referred to as a "Crisis of Belief". In January 2013, I hit mine. I didn’t feel like my life was fitting quite right. I knew that it was finally time to stop going with the flow of life. I needed to pull over so that God could really do some work in me.

I started this strange little blogging/prayer/testimony thing. I actually had no idea what a blog even was or why exactly [at first] that I was writing. But it was my way of listening. I started changing some habits. –Wrestling with a few others! But documenting every piece of it helped me see his hand in my life. And any little thing that I felt like God was telling me to do; I really tried to be sure to do them. 

I want to say that it's about obedience but it's so much more than that. It's about the desire behind your motives in your relationship with God. Anyone can be obedient. The things that you are doing, are you doing them because you have to or because you want to?

If you take anything away from this at all, do not let it be anything related to the prosperity gospel. If you think that I am telling you that coming into faith suddenly means you get the presents. TRUST me when I tell you, that is not true!! Heck, follow the lives of Joseph, Job, Jeremiah or countless others to confirm that! 

In fact if you want to know the truth, I was paying my full tithes and working in the church and my motor still blew and I still could not afford to fix it. Bad & hard things happen to faithful people! BUT God was able to show me something else in that hardship that I had been blind to! He provides what we need in our absences. I assure you that if you're struggling, God will meet you in that struggle.

Confess your issues and the status of your relationship with him. Accept him as your Lord so that you can hear his replies. Believe for once that he might just be able to reveal himself to you and then ask him to help you be obedient. But when he answers BE SURE to GIVE HIM THE GLORY!

Acquiring faith is hard work and some serious dedication. But when I rearranged my life to know him, he met me at every level that I sought him. He continues to do so.

I implore you to do the same! Please Believe!

Go backs

1. It's not only your obedience but your delight in being obedient.
2. I see God more during the act of obedience or after than I do before my obedience. When he reveals himself, it makes it easier to trust him again later. So obedience is not just about completing tasks but rather building faith. 
3. Be specific & be bold in prayer!
4. Do not get stuck on the thing that I gave. If this seems boastful to you, I can totally tell you some areas that God is working with me now where giving for me is hard. Let's talk about it. 
5. It is not about the monetary value of things. Sometimes it's about what the thing represents in your life. Or he might even ask us to give up things that don't make any sense to us because it will mean a whole lot to someone else. You may never get the answer as to why you had to give it but if you were obedient, I guarantee you will see his hand somewhere else, look for it!
6. The way that I received the earrings surprised me. The van and the car surprised me and I have had other similar situations both great and small where he continues to surprise me. If God does something once, Trust that he can do it again! 
7. 'It' is never yours or ours, we are just stewards. When God blesses you with something, see if you can use it in a way to share a testimony OR bless others with it and also include with a word of encouragement about their relationship with God [giving him glory]? When you have to give it up, will you give him glory once again?
8. If you're not sure how to have a testimony about it, set a reminder. Try to write down as many of the details as you possibly can because you might forget some of those details later. If you can't complete it, it might not be time. If it keeps coming to your heart, he might have more for you to know. Keep collecting details until it is finished. Then you will know that it's his timing!

Photo credit: http://lovethispic.com