1 Samuel is such a rich book; take your time in it and enjoy it!
Every time I read the account of Hannah, I am humbled by her attitude and unwillingness to lash back at her rival. Can you imagine having to share your husband with another woman? How about with one who hates you and takes every opportunity to be nasty to you - not just behind your back, but to your face? And this didn't just happen once. Notice verse 7 (chapter 1): "It happened year after year..." (NASB)
Year after year! Can you imagine enduring that? Would you endure that?
There is no evidence that Hannah ever lashed back at Peninnah. Instead there is evidence she ran to the LORD - verse 10, "She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly."
Like I said, I'm humbled by her attitude and unwillingness to lash back. I have to admit that I don't think I would put up with the verbal abuse year after year. I am amazed and challenged by Hannah. What an example for us as women! Run to the LORD instead of running off at the mouth (to put it bluntly!).
Let's make that one of our resolutions for the year.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Ruth 1-4
Ruth 1-4
I'm a little late in posting this, but if you have never done a study on the concept of 'kinsman redeemer', I HIGHLY encourage you to do one. Precept Ministries (precept.org) has an excellent kinsman redeemer study and it is only 3 lessons! So you can do it!!
Here's a promo on the study from their website:
If you were a slave, who would buy your freedom? If you had an enemy, who would come to your defense? In the Old Testament, this buyer-defender known as a "kinsman - redeemer" was usually a close relative. If you're a believer, you already have one -- Jesus Christ! This rich study shows how Jesus both bought us (redeemer) and advocates (defends) for us, offering us an opportunity to rebuild our broken lives.
I did this study a couple years ago and it was fantastic!
I'm a little late in posting this, but if you have never done a study on the concept of 'kinsman redeemer', I HIGHLY encourage you to do one. Precept Ministries (precept.org) has an excellent kinsman redeemer study and it is only 3 lessons! So you can do it!!
Here's a promo on the study from their website:
If you were a slave, who would buy your freedom? If you had an enemy, who would come to your defense? In the Old Testament, this buyer-defender known as a "kinsman - redeemer" was usually a close relative. If you're a believer, you already have one -- Jesus Christ! This rich study shows how Jesus both bought us (redeemer) and advocates (defends) for us, offering us an opportunity to rebuild our broken lives.
I did this study a couple years ago and it was fantastic!
Sunday, March 25, 2012
The Real and The Unreal
A friend of mine shared this with me and gave me permission to post it on our blog. Hope you enjoy her insights as much as I did!
I have been very blessed this week as I prepared for our Ladies Bible study on Acts 12 about Peter's release from prison. I was interested in all the ways the real did not seem real, the unreal seemed to be so important.
Examples
Peter thinks he is seeing a vision as the angel walks him out of the prison when in fact, it was a very real experience.
Peter thinks he is seeing a vision as the angel walks him out of the prison when in fact, it was a very real experience.
The believers accuse Rhoda, the servant girl, as being "mad" or crazy, when in fact, she is reporting the truth
The believers were praying for Peter, but when he showed up, they said it wasn't really Peter, it was his angel!
Herod believes the soldiers are at fault for Peter's release, so he orders their death.
Herod believes the people when they say that his voice is the voice of a god -- and he dies for not giving God the glory.
It's a whole chapter with "unreal" situations; but in v.24, we are told that the Word of God grew and multiplied.
So, that brings me to my reading in Joshua 9 where what appears real is not true. The princes of Israel believe that the dry and moldy bread of the Gibeonites is truly from their long journey - pure deception. They believe the word of the Gibeonites that they came from a far country, when in fact, they were neighbors. They claimed their sandals and garments had become worn from the long journey. They were liars and were acting out of fear - the fear of being conquered by Israel. They ended up being slaves - losers of freedom. V.14 says that Joshua and his leaders asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord.
Challenge for me is to be careful -- most of the time things are not as they appear. I can't let myself be ruled by emotions, reactions to what I see.
Just as Israel should have sought the counsel of the LORD before covenanting with the Gibeonites, so we, too, need to seek God's counsel, advice, direction in all we do lest we be deceived by the enemy of our souls.
How are y'all doing?
I apologize for how long it has been since I last posted about our reading. To be honest, I got behind in the reading, but I'm caught up now, so I hope to get back to posting.
How are you all doing with reading through the Bible? I hope you are hanging in there! The last few books we have been through can seem long, boring, dry, and perhaps even irrelevant to us today, but let me assure you God's Word is never irrelevant!
If you have gotten behind in your reading, like I did, hang in there! Don't give up and quit. Maybe some days you can read a little more and catch up, maybe it will take you longer than a year to read through the Bible. That's okay! Remember: the point is to be in God's Word and let it conform you more and more to the image of Christ.
So how about dropping me a message and letting me know where you are at with your reading. And let me know how I can pray for you and encourage you as you persevere in reading.
How are you all doing with reading through the Bible? I hope you are hanging in there! The last few books we have been through can seem long, boring, dry, and perhaps even irrelevant to us today, but let me assure you God's Word is never irrelevant!
If you have gotten behind in your reading, like I did, hang in there! Don't give up and quit. Maybe some days you can read a little more and catch up, maybe it will take you longer than a year to read through the Bible. That's okay! Remember: the point is to be in God's Word and let it conform you more and more to the image of Christ.
So how about dropping me a message and letting me know where you are at with your reading. And let me know how I can pray for you and encourage you as you persevere in reading.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
A Different Spirit
"But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it." - Numbers 14:24
You are all very familiar with this historical account - God instructs Moses to send spies throughout Canaan to see what the land is like. I think God is desiring to 'rev up' the people about the land He is about to give them. Numbers 13 tells us it was the season of the first ripe grapes. They cut down a single cluster of grapes and carried it on a pole between two of them. Seriously?! A single cluster of grapes has to be carried on a pole between two of them! I don't know about you, but that would get me a little more than exicted and 'revved up' for what the rest of the land must be like! Plus, God had promised to give the land to them!
And yet, as you know the rest of the story, 2 say 'go', 10 say 'no'. And the whole congregation of Israel aligns with the 10 negative voices; they grumble against Moses and decide it would be better if they returned to Egypt (slavery and starvation versus freedom and mammoth grapes - you'd think that decision would be a no-brainer).
This isn't the first time the nation of Israel has been grumbling, complaining, unhappy, dissatisfied, and whining since leaving Egypt. They just can't seem to keep their eyes focused on God - who He is, what He has done for them, what He promises to do for them, etc. Their vision is short-sighted, on the 'here and now'.
"But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it."
There is someone who had his eyes fixed in the right place! He has a different spirit! He follows God fully! He isn't consumed and controlled by a spirit of dissatisfaction, a spirit of complaining & grumbling, a self-centered spirit. He keeps his eyes on God - who He is, what He has done for them, and what He promises to do for them, and follows God fully.
Oh, that I would have that different spirit and follow God fully! But, to be honest, too often I am controlled by a spirit of dissatisfaction, a spirit of grumbling & complaining, and a self-centered spirit. I forget who God is, what He has done for me, and what He promises to do for me, and I don't follow Him fully.
Numbers 14:24 has really convicted me, challenged me, and 'revved me up' to follow hard after God into the good land that He has promised to me...maybe not physical land like Canaan, but He has promised me good land spiritually, with incredible fruit...it's mine for the taking!
How about you? What kind of spirit do you have?
You are all very familiar with this historical account - God instructs Moses to send spies throughout Canaan to see what the land is like. I think God is desiring to 'rev up' the people about the land He is about to give them. Numbers 13 tells us it was the season of the first ripe grapes. They cut down a single cluster of grapes and carried it on a pole between two of them. Seriously?! A single cluster of grapes has to be carried on a pole between two of them! I don't know about you, but that would get me a little more than exicted and 'revved up' for what the rest of the land must be like! Plus, God had promised to give the land to them!
And yet, as you know the rest of the story, 2 say 'go', 10 say 'no'. And the whole congregation of Israel aligns with the 10 negative voices; they grumble against Moses and decide it would be better if they returned to Egypt (slavery and starvation versus freedom and mammoth grapes - you'd think that decision would be a no-brainer).
This isn't the first time the nation of Israel has been grumbling, complaining, unhappy, dissatisfied, and whining since leaving Egypt. They just can't seem to keep their eyes focused on God - who He is, what He has done for them, what He promises to do for them, etc. Their vision is short-sighted, on the 'here and now'.
"But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it."
There is someone who had his eyes fixed in the right place! He has a different spirit! He follows God fully! He isn't consumed and controlled by a spirit of dissatisfaction, a spirit of complaining & grumbling, a self-centered spirit. He keeps his eyes on God - who He is, what He has done for them, and what He promises to do for them, and follows God fully.
Oh, that I would have that different spirit and follow God fully! But, to be honest, too often I am controlled by a spirit of dissatisfaction, a spirit of grumbling & complaining, and a self-centered spirit. I forget who God is, what He has done for me, and what He promises to do for me, and I don't follow Him fully.
Numbers 14:24 has really convicted me, challenged me, and 'revved me up' to follow hard after God into the good land that He has promised to me...maybe not physical land like Canaan, but He has promised me good land spiritually, with incredible fruit...it's mine for the taking!
How about you? What kind of spirit do you have?
Friday, February 17, 2012
Consider Listening Instead of Reading
As we work our way through Leviticus, I know it can be tough to read and stay focused! If this is true for you, feel free to consider listening to Leviticus, instead of reading it!
If you don't have an audio Bible, go to Biblegateway.com. On the left hand side, click on the audio Bibles link. Then you can choose which version you want to listen to. I like the NIV for listening (although I read New American Standard, or English Standard!).
Then you need to choose a 'reader'. I like the Flash Player Read by Dramatized.
This is a fantastic way to still be in God's Word! When I'm working in the kitchen, I like to set my laptop on the counter while baking, doing dishes, etc. and listen to God's Word. It is a good way to redeem your time and make the most of it!
So whether you are reading or listening, enjoy your time in God's Word!
If you don't have an audio Bible, go to Biblegateway.com. On the left hand side, click on the audio Bibles link. Then you can choose which version you want to listen to. I like the NIV for listening (although I read New American Standard, or English Standard!).
Then you need to choose a 'reader'. I like the Flash Player Read by Dramatized.
This is a fantastic way to still be in God's Word! When I'm working in the kitchen, I like to set my laptop on the counter while baking, doing dishes, etc. and listen to God's Word. It is a good way to redeem your time and make the most of it!
So whether you are reading or listening, enjoy your time in God's Word!
Thursday, February 9, 2012
We are moving into a portion of the OT that can be a bit 'dry' to read! This is oftentimes where people give up on reading through the Bible. Hang in there! Stick with it! God still has important things to say to us through His Word.
Again, don't feel like you have to stick with the reading schedule. If it works better for you to finish reading Exodus all at one time, then finish reading Exodus all at one time! That is actually how I will probably read Leviticus - I'll take a part of a Saturday or a Sunday and read the whole book in one sitting. The key is to be reading God's word and become more Christ-like as a result; you don't want to fall into a rut where you are merely reading to stick with a schedule and be able to mark it off your 'to do' list.
As I've been reading this portion of Exodus, I am so thankful, and grateful to Christ for His freeing work on the cross, that we no longer live under the Law. I don't think I could have done it! And isn't that the whole point of the Law! (Galatians 3:23-26)To show us that we can't live that way, we need a Savior, One who will redeem us from our futile way of life.
That said, I believe there are still aspects of the Law we need to take very seriously. One of them is from Exodus 22:18 - you shall not permit a sorceress to live. God is very clear many places in His Word that we are to have no other gods before Him, that we are not to look for guidance and direction from any other source than from Him.
For those of you who are familiar with The Steps to Freedom in Christ, this is the first step - Counterfeit vs. Real. Any time we seek guidance from a source other than God Himself, we are opening a door, giving a foothold in our life, to Satan. Many of us have read our horoscopes at one time or another, some have played with Ouija boards, magic eight balls, or tarot cards, etc. All of these are examples of counterfeit forms of guidance which have their source in Satan and the occult, and which need to be renounced as false. Even if you participated in these things as a game or a joke, they need to be renounced. If you would like more information on this, please feel free to contact me.
Exodus 23:1 - six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest...
The older I get, the more I realize how important this is for my life. For one thing, I don't have the endless energy I used to have and I need a 'down' day to be ready for the other 6 days! But this is a principle that God Himself modeled for us when He created six days and rested on the seventh. "The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath" by Mark Buchanan is an excellent book. Mr. Buchanan says, "Most of us feel utterly ransacked. We are waylaid by endless demands and stifling routines. Even our vacations have a panicky, task-like edge to them. 'If I only had more time,' is the mantra of our age. But is this the real problem? What we've really lost is the 'rest of God - the rest God bestows and, with it, that part of Himself we can know only through stillness.'"
If you aren't already practicing a Sabbath day, let me encourage you to give it a try! I don't think you'll want to give it up once you get into the habit!
Again, don't feel like you have to stick with the reading schedule. If it works better for you to finish reading Exodus all at one time, then finish reading Exodus all at one time! That is actually how I will probably read Leviticus - I'll take a part of a Saturday or a Sunday and read the whole book in one sitting. The key is to be reading God's word and become more Christ-like as a result; you don't want to fall into a rut where you are merely reading to stick with a schedule and be able to mark it off your 'to do' list.
As I've been reading this portion of Exodus, I am so thankful, and grateful to Christ for His freeing work on the cross, that we no longer live under the Law. I don't think I could have done it! And isn't that the whole point of the Law! (Galatians 3:23-26)To show us that we can't live that way, we need a Savior, One who will redeem us from our futile way of life.
That said, I believe there are still aspects of the Law we need to take very seriously. One of them is from Exodus 22:18 - you shall not permit a sorceress to live. God is very clear many places in His Word that we are to have no other gods before Him, that we are not to look for guidance and direction from any other source than from Him.
For those of you who are familiar with The Steps to Freedom in Christ, this is the first step - Counterfeit vs. Real. Any time we seek guidance from a source other than God Himself, we are opening a door, giving a foothold in our life, to Satan. Many of us have read our horoscopes at one time or another, some have played with Ouija boards, magic eight balls, or tarot cards, etc. All of these are examples of counterfeit forms of guidance which have their source in Satan and the occult, and which need to be renounced as false. Even if you participated in these things as a game or a joke, they need to be renounced. If you would like more information on this, please feel free to contact me.
Exodus 23:1 - six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest...
The older I get, the more I realize how important this is for my life. For one thing, I don't have the endless energy I used to have and I need a 'down' day to be ready for the other 6 days! But this is a principle that God Himself modeled for us when He created six days and rested on the seventh. "The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath" by Mark Buchanan is an excellent book. Mr. Buchanan says, "Most of us feel utterly ransacked. We are waylaid by endless demands and stifling routines. Even our vacations have a panicky, task-like edge to them. 'If I only had more time,' is the mantra of our age. But is this the real problem? What we've really lost is the 'rest of God - the rest God bestows and, with it, that part of Himself we can know only through stillness.'"
If you aren't already practicing a Sabbath day, let me encourage you to give it a try! I don't think you'll want to give it up once you get into the habit!
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