Number 11!

This year, I have made a renewed effort to memorize scripture. I am becoming increasingly aware of how important this is in my daily struggle with sin!

And, as if God is rewarding me or patting me on the back, the verses I have memorized have come up in various situations around me. For example, last Sunday at our Small Group meeting, the person leading the discussion was referencing a scripture, but was not able to find it. But, I recognized the verse he was looking for and realized it was in 2nd Peter, not 1st! I was able to help him find it and move on with his thoughts. It just feels good to know I am able to use what I am memorizing!

So, here are the scriptures I have memorized so far:

Psalm 25:4-5
Isaiah 55:2
Isaiah 55:10-11
John 16:33
Psalm 119:11
1John 5:14-15
Joshua 1:8
Psalm 51:10
Psalm 62:5-6
2Peter1:5-8 (I learned this in two sections)

And now, on to number 11!

Phillipians 2:3-4
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

I will share later what my memory system is, but for now, I will just challenge you to think about work on memorizing scripture. As Psalm 119:11 says: I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. It works!

Meeting God as Adonai

As I continued my study of the names of God in God, Pass By Me: Seeing God's Glory through His Names, Titles, and Descriptions, by Casandra Martin, I met God as Adonai. I will recap some of the things I learned about Adonai from my time of study and the thoughts that came out of it.

• Adonai comes from the root word adon which in Hebrew means lord or master. By adding the suffix -ai, it changes it from the use of earthly kings or masters to uniquely the name of God.
• Adonai is plural, like Elohim, describing the triune nature of God.
• Adonai is translated as Lord in English.
• In the New Testiment, Lord is translated from the Greek word, Kurios, which means basically the same thing as Adonai.
• God is our Master and we should submit to his will for our lives. This is different from a slave as we know it because we willingly give up our "freedom" to submit to God and in doing so, our life improves greatly. I think that we as Americans don't like to submit our freedom or our control in any way. I struggle with submitting to God's will for this very reason. I like to be in control of my life and the idea of not knowing what is comeing or where I am going is uncomfortable to me. And yet, God has my best interest at heart, even if that is not the way I want my life to go at the moment.
• When trying to learn how to submit to God, we need only to look at the example Christ lived for us. God showed us what was important to Him by becoming a servant himself. It is not easy, nor is it comfortable, to imitate Christ. Yet, it truly will enhance our lives and it is the only way we will truly be in relationship with God. Not that our actions in themselves establish that relationship, but true faith and submission to God's will prompts such a servant lifestyle.

This week, I am trying to figure out how to listen for God's will in my life. Where is God leading me? What does my Master want me to do? How am I going to carry out His tasks for me even when it takes me out of my comfort zone?

How about you? How do you know what God's will is for your life?

My other posts from this study:
Elohim

An Introduction to Elohim

I recently came across the Exemplify Blog where they have the "Kettle Club" that challenges you to make a commitment to have some quiet time or devotional time before you sit down to blog...either read blogs or write on your own. This challenge really spoke to me because my time is so scarce right now and I have not been getting my quiet time in since having Austin. However, I have still managed to check out blogs and publish an occasional post on my blog. Something is wrong with this picture! So, I decided to take the challenge.

With the exception of one day, I have met this challenge. Now, that does not mean that I got my quiet time in every day, but on the days that I did not, I did not even check my email much less blog. (Except for one day...oops!)

This has really been a blessing for me! I have started back on my daily scripture memorization and went back to start going over the study that our Ladies' Bible Study has been going through this quarter. I had gotten the book, but had not done the lessons due to time issues when Austin was first born. Then, I just felt like I got behind. The study is called God, Pass By Me: Seeing God's Glory through His Names, Titles, and Descriptions, by Casandra Martin.

The first section is on the name Elohim which means "God" or "deity." It is the name used in Genesis 1 when God is creating the earth and everything on it. It establishes God's role as creator right off the bat. Here are some of the things I learned or what stood out from this study this week:

• God created everything for my benefit! Creation was made for me to enjoy or to sustain me! He thought everything out in order to provide for me.
• Elohim is plural, indicating three or more. This introduces the concept of the Trinity right away, also. It indicates that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit were all involved in the creation. This is especially apparent in Genesis 1:26 where God says, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness..." God is all three, and yet He is the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit individually as well. This is still a confusing concept, but I understand better after this study.
• God took special care in creating me. He only spoke and everything else was created, but he molded man with his hands and breathed life into him with his own Spirit! We were made in His image to try to be more like Him. This convicted me that I am not doing enough to strive to be more like Him.
• The study also looked at the potter and clay analogy found in Jeremiah 18. I had always heard about God being the potter and us the clay, but what was different in this verse than what I had heard is that the clay was not turning out the way it was originally intended, so the potter decided to mold it into something else. It really struck me that if I am not turning out the way I should, God can mold me into something else. He won't just discard me!

I realized anew that God created me for a purpose and any time that is spent not working towards that purpose is wasted! I need to recommit daily to strive towards God's will for my life. It has also made me examine how I spend my time. Is that television show really worth watching? Should I really read that book? Is that how I should spend my money...on things that will distract me from God? I am not saying I am going to go overboard, but it has really made me start re-examining how I utilize my time and energy.

Create in me a pure heart, O God (Elohim), and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalms 51:10

Daily Devotional: Delighting in the Law

I have been pretty lax in my quiet time, lately. You may have noticed that there have not been any daily devotional posts lately (and then again, maybe you have not noticed). I had temporarily stopped going through Knowing and Loving the Bible because I had started the Beth Moore study on the Psalms of Ascent. However, I just have not been able to get myself into the study. Maybe it was because I had built it up too much in my mind. Maybe it was because the last study I did (Walking by Faith) was so great for me that this one just could not stand up with it. I don't know. I was pretty excited because I had heard so much great stuff about Beth Moore studies. But, this one just was not for me right now. I will probably still try another one again later.

But, this morning, I went back to Knowing and Loving the Bible. The lesson this morning opened with just what I needed. I was instructed to meditate on Psalm 19 and write down what I learned. The verses that stuck out to me were verses 7-11.

7 The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.

8 The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.

9 The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure
and altogether righteous.

10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.

11 By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.

That is in much contrast to how I think I have looked at the Bible and God's instructions to me. That would go a little more like this:

The law of the Lord is hard, I can not possibly keep it.

The statutes of the Lord are demanding, I don't know how to do them.

The precepts of the Lord are boring, I fall asleep reading them.

The commands of the Lord are tedious, I get tired of trying to keep up with them all.- I mean, I get most of them. It is the little ones that are harder for me to remember and follow through with...

You get the picture. I have thought of God's Word as more of what I do than who I am; what I am passionate about; what I live for. But what Psalm 19 says is that God's law is perfect and it will revive my soul, even if it is hard. His statues are trustworthy, not demanding; they make me wise. The precepts are right and will bring me joy, not fatigue. His commands for me are radiant, not tedious, giving me light to walk by.

God gave me the Bible to be my help and guide. It is my promise of a better future with Him. By keeping these commands, I am not completing my chore list, I am being warned and prepared for a reward!

I want to look at my Christian walk with more joy and less complacency. I want to be excited when I sit down to read the Bible, not just checking something off of my to-do list for the day.

God, help me to be passionate about your Word. Help me to be joyous about my Christian walk. Help me to appreciate this gift you have given me through your Word!

Too Many Memes?

I have noticed that I have been posting a lot of memes lately and not as much random thoughts from myself. When I started this blog, I wanted an outlet for my thoughts and what was going on in my life. However, somewhere along the way, I got caught up in the meme frenzy. There are so many memes out there for every day, it is crazy!

Don't get me wrong! I am not in any way saying that memes are bad. Just the opposite. I have had a lot of fun doing them. But, I want to cut back a little and get a little closer to home. So, I will still be doing memes, but I will also try to post about what is going on with us again.

On that note, I was so excited that our Thursday morning Ladies Bible Study started back up this morning. We are doing a study by Beth Moore called, Stepping Up. It is a study of the ascent Psalms, #120-134. It spends two days on each Psalm.

I have never done one of her studies, but I have heard so many people rave about how wonderful they are. I have been wanting to do one and here is my chance! I will keep you updated on how it is going.

Psalm 119 Devotional Study

Psalm 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Gimel

17 Do good to your servant, and I will live;
I will obey your word.

18 Open my eyes that I may see
wonderful things in your law.

19 I am a stranger on earth;
do not hide your commands from me.

20 My soul is consumed with longing
for your laws at all times.

21 You rebuke the arrogant, who are cursed
and who stray from your commands.

22 Remove from me scorn and contempt,
for I keep your statutes.

23 Though rulers sit together and slander me,
your servant will meditate on your decrees.

24 Your statutes are my delight;
they are my counselors.

Two things jumped out at me in these verses. First, was in verse 18. I would like to make this my prayer at the beginning of each Bible study I do, whether in a group or in my quiet time.

God, show me the wonderful things in your word. Open my eyes to what you have for me today.


The second thing that stuck out to me was in verse 24. "Your statutes are my delight; they are my counselors." When I have a decision to make, or something comes up in my life, I will pray about it. But, how many times will I go to God's word to see what he has to say about it there? Unfortunately, not very often.

While I am not saying that God cannot audibly speak to me to guide me in my decisions, it has not happened to me yet. I have found that God will use other people around me or his word to communicate what he wants to say. Isaiah 55:11 says,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

God gave us the scriptures so that he can communicate to us. He communicates who he is; who we are; how we should live; encouraging words; words to keep us on track; words to get us back on track...the list goes on and on. The Psalmist says that those words are his counsel. I need to commit to looking in God's word and using it to guide me in decisions I need to make.

You can find previous parts of the Psalm 119 Devotional Study here:

Part 4- Beth
Part 3- Alepha
Part 2- Overview
Part 1- The Idea

Psalm 119 Devotional Study

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Psalm 119:11

This morning, I read the second section of Psalm 119, "Beth." I said in my last post that I was going to try to figure out what the sections and titles in the Psalm are. However, my husband, as intelligent as he is, already knew and posted the answer in the comments on it. For those of you who did not get to read it, each section title is a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Each section, in Hebrew, is eight lines, each of which starts with that particular letter. It is basically a very large acrostic!

Beth

9 How can a young man keep his way pure?
By living according to your word.

10 I seek you with all my heart;
do not let me stray from your commands.

11 I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.

12 Praise be to you, O LORD;
teach me your decrees.

13 With my lips I recount
all the laws that come from your mouth.

14 I rejoice in following your statutes
as one rejoices in great riches.

15 I meditate on your precepts
and consider your ways.

16 I delight in your decrees;
I will not neglect your word.

Basically, the Psalmist, thought by some to possibly be Ezra, the priest, asks the question, how do I live a pure life? Then, he answers the question, stating you have to "live according to (God's) word." He spends the next 7 line/verses telling how he does that.

• He seeks God wholly, asking for help not to fail.
• He memorizes God's word, so that he will not sin.
• He praises God and asks him to teach him.
• He recites God's word.
• He rejoices in God's word as he would riches.
• He meditates on God's word.
• He delights in God's laws and vows to not neglect it.

Wow! How many of those things do I do? How about you? While I try to obey, I sometimes think of God's commands and the example Christ gave as a burden or chore. Instead, I should be rejoicing in them! Delighting in them! Do I neglect God's word? I have for a long time. I am striving to change that now. I still slip, but I am doing better. How about you? Are you up to the Psalm 119 Challenge?

This seems like a guide for a study time. Begin by seeking God and asking for his help. Then work on scriptures I am memorizing. Then, praise God and ask him to teach me in my devotional time. Read the word out loud. Rejoice in the treasures that God has showed me in his word. Meditate on what I have learned. Delight in that and vow not to neglect God's word. How powerful would that be? I think I will try that during my next study time.

Psalm 119 Devotional Study and Scripture Memorization

This morning, for my devotional time, I read the first section of Psalm 119- Aleph. (I am planning on looking to see if I can find what the title divisions mean.)

Aleph

1 Blessed are they whose ways are blameless,
who walk according to the law of the LORD.

2 Blessed are they who keep his statutes
and seek him with all their heart.

3 They do nothing wrong;
they walk in his ways.

4 You have laid down precepts
that are to be fully obeyed.

5 Oh, that my ways were steadfast
in obeying your decrees!

6 Then I would not be put to shame
when I consider all your commands.

7 I will praise you with an upright heart
as I learn your righteous laws.

8 I will obey your decrees;
do not utterly forsake me.

It seemed to me that the section was broken into three parts. First, verses 1-3 talk about those who obey God's word and are blessed because of it. Then, in verses 4-5 state that God has given us precepts that are to be obeyed. The Psalmist wishes he obeyed those precepts constantly. It wraps up with verses 6-8 stating how things would be different if he did steadfastly obey God.

The thing that jumped out to me in this passage is verse 6:

Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands.

I feel that way when I study the Bible. It is like a mirror, or a magnifying glass into my life. It points out to me all of the things I do or don't do that I should. It shows me my heart and how it measures up to the godly-or ungodly- people in the Bible.

I don't want to be put to shame when I read the Bible. I want to be encouraged to continue running the race with endurance, not scolded for taking my place on the sidelines. For this to happen, I need to strive to live every day in accordance to God's will and commit myself to knowing fully what that will is.

This brings me to my new scripture I am memorizing. This one is a little longer, so it will probably take me a while. It is Isaiah 55:10-11

10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

How rich is that?! God has a specific purpose for the words he spoke in the Bible and He will continue to work towards that purpose until it is achieved! If I only search for it, God will show me his will. Thank you God! This reminds me of a Casting Crowns song, The Word is Alive. I will leave you today with their song.

Psalm 119 Overview

Psalm 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

I sat down this morning to read Psalm 119 in it's entirety. One thing continued to jump out at me. It was the Psalmist's longing for God's law; God's word. He thought it was eternally important.

Verse 20: My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times.

and again

Verse 72: The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.

or here

Verse 97: Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.

I don't know that I yearn for God's word like this. I mean, I know it is important, but wow, to long for it, to think of it as more precious than gold, to meditate on it all day long? There I have a long way to go.

The word should sustain us through thick and thin; through good times and bad times; from morning to evening. I should be meditating on it.

But, I don't have my Bible with me while I am walking through the hospital at work. And I can't look at it while I am driving. To this, the Psalmist says,

I will never forget your precepts for by them you have preserved my life. (verse 93)

and

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (verse 11)

By memorizing God's word, we can have it with us all of the time. We can pull it up during times of struggle, temptation, joy, and need. It can help us keep from sinning! That is powerful stuff! I know I have heard this before, but something about reading through this Psalm and hearing over and over again how the Psalmist wants to understand, obey, and remember God's word, it just hit home.

I hope this has been inspirational to you, because it has been for me. Join me as I spend the next few weeks digging deeper into each of the sections of Psalm 119.

Psalm 119 Devotional Study

I am starting a devotional study on Psalm 119. It is packed full of references to studying and memorizing God's word, and since that is my theme for the year, I wanted to study it deeper.

My theme verse from it is going to be verse 11: I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. In order to do this, you must do two things. First, you must read the Word. Read it in a way that more than just skims, but to really dig in to see what it has to say to you.

Secondly, you must retain it. I think this can be done in two levels. I think just knowing what it is saying in general and having an idea where to find that is one level. That is where a lot of people start, and unfortunately, where a lot of us stop- me included until recently. There is nothing wrong with this level. It covers a large range of topics that can help guide us in our daily lives. But, when you get into a predicament, it helps to have more than a general knowledge. It helps to know exactly what God promises in that matter. This is where you need the second level where you find the passages that really speak to your heart and life and memorize them so you can recall them when you need them...that you might not sin.

God commands us to do this. He explains to us why we need to do this. Yet, still we resist so many times! Join me as I delve into Psalm 119 to learn about study and memorization. I am going to begin by just reading the Psalm through, not focusing on individual pieces, but just getting a feel for what it is about. I will be posting about my thoughts on it on Sunday. If you would like to join me on this journey in God's word, check back Sunday to see what I found and to share what you discovered.

Tips for Bible Study

I am really looking for great tips to enhance my Bible study time. I came across this post on Rahab's Thread that had a great suggestion about 3 questions to ask during a Bible study. In the post, Elle states,

Questions are useful because they are an effective tool for learning about something or someone. Based on that preliminary information, the person must then decide how to respond to the information. The three question method of Bible study is effective because asking questions about a passage of Scripture helps place the information into your brain, serves as a prompt to apply the truth to your life, and causes you to remember both the information and truth beyond lunch.

She provides three questions to use in any Bible study.

1. What is this passage about? At first, that seems too simple, but then I realized that the Bible often uses things we are familiar with to teach us a lesson. This is often the case with parables, but often occurs other places. For example, Isaiah 55:2 (the scripture I am working on memorizing right now and am getting close to mastering) states,

Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.

Is that talking about food? Is it saying that we need to literally eat a balanced diet of fruits and vegetables? I don't think so. It is talking about putting holy things into our lives. Spending our time, energy, and money on things that will enhance our spiritual health. So, we need to look at what it is really talking about below the surface. Maybe it is cut and dry, but maybe it is not.

2. What do I learn from this passage? Is there something that you have not seen before? Does this relate to some other passage you have read that you did not notice before? Did something just jump out at you? For example in the passage mentioned above, I learned that if we focus on the type of things Christ teaches/emphasized (like the fruits of the spirit or the "whatever is" verse) I will be more satisfied. But, if I keep "ingesting" things of the world, I will always hunger for more. Elle elaborates greatly on this question. Definitely check out what she has to say about it.

3. What will I apply from this passage to my life? Wow! This is where the rubber meets the road. If we only read for knowledge, we are reading in vain. Likewise, if we only study principles without knowing God's word, it is in vain. Now, I am not saying that either of these things in and of themselves are bad. I am actually saying the opposite. Both of them are important.

So, you need to take what you learned in question 2 and state specifically (not just watch better television, but stop watching that specific show) what you will change in your life, or what you will keep doing.

I will definitely be putting these questions to use in my study time. Check out Elle's entire post here. It is well worth your time.

What do you find helpful in your Bible study times? Are there any tips that you have heard that you would like to share? Please let me know!

How balanced is my diet?

This year, I am committing to memorizing scripture. I would like to invite you to join me. The scripture I am working on now is Isaiah 55:2. In the NIV, it states:


Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.

I like the way the New Living Translation puts it:

Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength?
Why pay for food that does you no good?
Listen to me, and you will eat what is good.
You will enjoy the finest food.

In the Message, it says:

Why do you spend your money on junk food,
your hard-earned cash on cotton candy?
Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best,
fill yourself with only the finest.

How true is this! How many times do we focus our time...energy...money on things that are not uplifting, encouraging and please God? If Christ truly is the center of my life, I need to ingest only the things that will help me grow in Him.

Now, I am not saying that I have to give up everything except studying the Bible. But, I do need to take a good look at the way I spend my time, energy and money and ask myself if it is junk food, or fruit.

What scriptures are you memorizing?

Daily Devotional- What's in Your Circle?

At church, I am participating in a Ladies Bible Class on Philippians taught by Karen, the wife of one of our ministers. Last night, the class was very eye-opening. We are in the first chapter and there were two things that really stood out to me.
First, in verses 15-18, Paul is talking about the motives of people who were preaching the gospel. Some were doing it so the gospel could be spread. Others, however, were doing it to try to make trouble for Paul. Even so, Paul was excited that the gospel was being spread. Paul was not concerned with their motives. That was not his problem. It says in I Samuel 16:7

But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

What this tells me is that I don't need to be worrying about anyone but my motives and God's plan. Something I knew, but always a good reminder.

The other thing that stood out to me was pretty powerful. We started discussing what kind of things we were hearing about how Paul was feeling at this point. I mean, he had gone through so many struggles, including being shipwrecked, beat, put under house arrest, chained to another person 24/7. Even so, he was using words like eager, hopeful, rejoicing, confident. How was he able to remain so positive?

Then we started talking about what it means to be "egocentric." Dictionary.com says it is having or regarding the self or the individual as the center of all things; having little or no regard for interests, beliefs, or attitudes other than one's own.

What kind of attributes come from being egocentric? Complaining...Never being satisfied...Emptiness... Paul was the exact opposite of egocentric! Christ was the center of his life. Christ was his life. Christ was the reward of his life. Christ was the beginning and the end goal of his life. Christ was the inspiration of his life. Christ is life.

Then the bombshell hit. She asked, "What is the center of your life?" Wow! Is if family? Is it me? Is it comfort? She pushed further telling us to look at our schedules... our date book... how we spend our time. That should tell us what we are focused on. Not that the things we do are necessarily bad. But what is motivating that? I mean, sure, we need to take care of our families, our jobs, ourselves. But, are we doing it as a service to God? Because God wants us to? Because God loves us and sacrificed for us? Or is it because we want the credit, or the satisfaction?

I am going to strive to become more Christ-centered. I want to serve others because of Christ. I want Christ to be my life. Christ to be my reward. Christ to be the beginning and end of my life. Christ to be the inspiration of my life. Because, Christ is life!

Whoever knew all of that was in Philippians?

Sunday Seven and Other Stuff

I have hardly been home in the past few days. I have been so behind in EVERYTHING! My laundry is half-done, my house is totally cluttered, and my blogging is way behind. So, I am going to try to catch up with the blogging in one post. Here goes nothing...


I have had some great devotional insights the past couple of days, but not the time to write them down. First, is a quote from Martin Luther. (If you don't know who that is, look here.) I read this in Knowing and Loving the Bible.

The devil is a greater rascal than you think he is. You do as yet not know what sort of fellow he is and what a desperate rogue you are. His definite design is to get you tired of the Word and in this way to draw you away from it. This is his aim.

Wow! What a successful way to draw you away from God. The Bible is our connection to God, and if we lose touch with the Bible, we lose touch with God. And how simple is it? I find I have to really focus on concentrating on the Bible. It is easy for me to get distracted or lose interest. In today's society, we are so inundated with special effects and in-your-face everything, that it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking the Bible is boring. I have to be on the watch for this temptation in my life.

Second, my devotional today was talking about the Bible being a mirror. It said the Bible can, "give us a clear view of reality, the truth in any situation." I have been afraid to look too closely at the mirror for fear that it will show me something I don't want to see. I think that all too often, I have been like the man in James 1 who looks at himself in the mirror and then forgets what he saw as soon as he walks away. I read something profound in the Bible, but fail to take that with me into my everyday life. I leave the reality that the Bible shows there and return to my reality. The one I see with my own eyes. The one I can understand on my own. God has given me such an amazing gift in the Bible and I only use it on my terms in my own time. I want to dedicate myself to gazing intently into the mirror God has given me and then taking those images with me wherever I go, so that I will always know what truth really is.

The final thought I want to leave you with today is from the sermon this morning. Eric, our preacher, taught out of Micah 6 this morning. It is talking about God bringing a case against us. He talks about all that He has done for us and asks how He has failed us. in verse 3, he states, "My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me." Then He goes on to list the things he did for them. That led me to thinking about all of the blessings God has given me. I have been so focused on what He did not do this year, that I have missed a lot of the things he has done. Cue my Sunday 7 for this week:

1. The amazing friends God has given us. They have been there for us this year to help us financially, emotionally, and spiritually!

2. Road crews- We had snow again last night and the road crews got out early enough this morning that we were able to make it in for church. Which brings up the next blessing:

3. Eric Wilson- Our preacher who gives amazing lessons. I have really needed to hear the sermons he has given over the past few weeks!

4. My husband- This may be a blessing I am continually thankful for. He is so generous with his time. He spent today helping some friends paint their basement so the wife (who is pregnant) did not have to do it.

5. Examples- One of the college students at our church spoke today about his experience in Africa the past few months. It was very challenging and uplifting to here him talk about how this experience has changed him and opened his eyes to the important things in life.

6. The flexibility of my job- I have really enjoyed having the opportunity to make my own schedule for work. It has really reduced the stress in my life.

7. The ladies Bible class on Wednesday nights- We are studying Philippians and so far, it has been a wonderful experience.


I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!

Daily Devotional- Yada

I have been struggling with the concept of having a relationship with God instead of just intellectually knowing about Him. I found an interesting quote in Knowing & Loving the Bible today.

What does it mean to know God? The Hebrew word translated know is yada and implies an experience of the reality of His presence. Marvin Wilson, in his book Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith, says, "In Hebrew thought, to 'know' something was to experience it, rather than merely to intellectualize it. To 'know' someone was to share an intimate personal relationship with that one. Thus the Hebrew verb yada, 'to know,' means to encounter, experience, and share in an intimate way."

Wow! That is exactly what I have been chewing on in my brain. How do I find that? The author goes on to say that this yada is found in quite time alone with God and His Word. Yep. That is where I get hung up. I sit down to read or study, but there are always distractions around. In the morning, I have things to get done to get ready for work, the cats are hungry and running around getting on things they should not, etc. In the evening, I have to get dinner, I want to spend time with Andrew catching up on our days, and by bed time, I am tired. I have to pick a time and place that works well for my quite time.

So, help me out. Do you get have a daily quiet time? When do you work it in? Where to you go? I would really like to know. So, either post about it on your blog and leave the link to it in my comments, or just tell me in the comments. In the meantime, I will just keep plugging away at it.

Daily Devotional: Habits

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to pick up bad habits, but how hard it is to develop good habits? I am finding this to be so as I am trying to establish a daily Bible study routine. There seems to be so many things that get in my way of studying each day. You may have noticed that I have not posted a Daily Devotional for quite a while. This is because I have somewhat fallen off the study wagon as of late. However, today, I am making a fresh start.

This morning, I reopened the book I began a while back entitled Knowing and Loving the Bible. Today's entry was talking about how your relationship with God is directly proportional with how much you love your Bible. When I think about the time period when I fell in love with Andrew, I spent as much time with him as possible. Just about everything I did, he was a part of. All of the things about Andrew that I fell in love with would not have mattered if I was not around him.

The way we fall in love with God is by falling in love with His Word. God communicates with us through His Word. He teaches us through His Word. He reveals Himself to us through His Word. He comforts us through His Word. He encourages us through His Word. By truly seeking Him in His Word, we can develop a personal relationship with Him.

Now, I am not saying that God can't use other means to reach us, because I have experienced those other ways in my life. Friends have said just the right thing at the right time. I have attended conferences that had to have been planned with me in mind. I have come across quotes that were spoken straight at me. God does use many avenues to reach us. But, I believe that the main way God speaks to us is through His Word.

I want to fall in love with the Bible. I want to immerse myself in His words. I want to find myself in those words. I hope you will have the desire for the same.

Daily Devotional- 1 out of 10

Tonight, as I was reading my lesson from Walking by Faith, I was convicted by the author's discussion on gratefulness. I was reading from Luke17 about the 10 lepers that Jesus healed and the 1 that came back to thank him. She asked the question, "Does your response toward life's difficulties better match with the nine lepers or with the one who returned to thank Jesus?" The answer was easy- I have always been quick to ask God for help when I needed it; I always have believed He has the power to change things. But, when He does give that help, I have often taken it for granted and not allowed His working in my life to prompt me to act or change in any way. I think I have always just assumed that if I had faith, nothing could touch me.
I have to ask myself the question- if He had saved Sydney, and she were here with me today-healthy- would I be sitting here, writing about my journey to discover Him? I think the answer would be, no. I think I would have been like the nine who, were thankful that they were healed, but were to eager to go on with their lives to take the time to "throw themselves at Jesus' feet."

I want to commit to trying to be like the 1 leper. That when God moves in my life- whether in good times or bad- to be thankful for His presence there; to throw myself at His feet in thankfulness for all He has done for me; to allow him to prompt action and change in my life.
I miss Sydney tremendously, but I am thankful that God is using this time to guide me to Him.

Daily Devotional- Through the Thorns

One of the perks of being able to stay at home a few days a week is that I am now able to participate in the Ladies Bible Class on Thursday mornings. We are studying the book Walking By Faith, by Jennifer Rothschild. I missed the first week because I was still working, so last week was my first time there. I ordered the book and got it in the mail this week. Yesterday, instead of doing my normal daily quiet time, I worked on catching up for today's study. Nothing really jumped out at me that I wanted to blog about. Maybe it was because we had discussed it already last week. Maybe it was because I was focusing on "just getting through." I don't know. But, this morning, as I got up to finish before the study, I found a nugget. We are talking about "Following the Leader" and I was reading 2 Chronicles 12:7-8. Jennifer states something that I have been struggling with a lot lately.
"Sometimes God delivers us through the thorns instead of from them. Why? So His grace can grow there and His strength can sustain us there. And so we can learn how to travel in tandem with Him. Remember, Paul's thorn was Gods showcase, and a thorn is never a platform for spotlighting ourselves."
Wow! I am still hurting, and I still miss Sydney, and I don't know why He did not save her, but I can see it! God is seeing me through this. He is using this tragedy in our lives to grow me. I wish this was not how it happened, but I am thankful that God is going to use this. It is hard for me to think that something is "worth" losing her. But, God wants to be more important than anything! That includes work, home, Andrew, and, yes, even Sydney. I am not there yet, but I am working on it. Take time today to see how is God seeing you through your thorns.

Daily Devotional

Wow! Two days in a row! Today's section in Knowing and Loving the Bible was entitled The Story of Your Life. It was talking about how God uses our lives to tell a story to others. The only way he can weave our story is for us to form a relationship with him through the scriptures. It is through the scriptures that He molds us into what He wants us to be.
Two things stuck out to me today. First, was when she asked how I would describe my "adventure with the Bible" up to this point. I would have to say a sporadic acquaintance. I have tried many times to read it regularly, but have always failed. And, instead of digging deep as you would with a close friend, I have merely skimmed the surface, looking for the "obvious black and white" that I love so much. Instead, I need to worry, not about how much I am getting read, but about what I am getting from what I am reading.
The second thing that stuck out to me was habit the author has gotten into. She picks a word and a verse for a year and strives to learn more about it. For example, one year, the verse was Proverbs 3:5- Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Her word was trust and she spent the year learning about trust. She said she learned that Trust stands for Total Reliance Under Stress and Trial. Another year, her verse was Lamentations 3:21-24 and her word was hope. She said she learned that hope stands for Holding On with Patient Expectation. I think that I will look into having a verse and word for next year. (I think this year will be spent just trying to get into the habit of studying.)
I pray that God will help you find a way to know Him better so I can see the story He will tell through you!

Daily Devotional

Well, I was gone over the weekend and did not do my quiet time. So, today, I picked back up where I left off. I read the first day of the book Knowing and Loving the Bible by Catherine Martin. It was entitled "The Invitation to the Divine Romance" and talked about God wanting to be in relationship with us. I have always heard people talk about a personal relationship with God, but have never really experienced that myself. However, just like last time, I prayed to God as I sat down for my quiet time, that He would open my heart to hear His voice through His word. And, just like last time, I feel like He showed me a new promise.
The author was talking about one of the verses that meant so much to her in her early relationship with God. Jeremiah 31:3 says, "I have loved you with an everlasting love." I looked this verse up to see the entire context, and felt that God was speaking to me. Verses 2-6 talk about God restoring Israel if they can just "survive the sword." It was a reminder to me that if we can persevere through this difficult time, God will restore us as well. In this desert (vs. 2) that I am in, God is showing Himself to me. There is going to be an end to this pain- in heaven- but until then, God will be there to comfort us in our pain and sorrow. Thank you God for reminding me of this!