Redeemed

Ladies,

As we conclude our study of David, I pray that each of us will be inspired to seek after God, His will for our lives, His blessings on our descendants, and His guidance in the here and now. I want to thank you all for your participation in this study. It has been a great time of discussion, laughter, and growth for me, and I hope it has been for you, too. I do apologize for not posting last week, but I will try to give an adequate summary now. Please feel free to post your comments from this week or from the study as a whole.



Week Five:

We began week five on the mountaintop. We discussed reaching that place in life where you think "ahhh, I've made it, and nothing can touch me now." Just as David may have felt when he decided not to go to battle, we are at a crossroads. At this point, do you have so much confidence in yourself, your ability, your acheivement? Or do you fall to your knees and thank the Lord, who brought you to the mountaintop, for all that He has done? Kay Arthur warns that "no one builds their house on the mountaintop". David was heading for a fall, and fall he did. Wow, as I am writing this, I realize how prideful I am. I realize that, though I haven't built a house on the mountaintop, I have tried to pitch a tent up there. For me it's all about the kids. I (I know this is awful and I ask you all to forgive me) have thought, often, yes too often, that my kids are better behaved than most. I have watched other people parent and thought "I would have handled that better, not differently, better." The Lord is opening my eyes everyday to the contrary. Lord, I pray that you would humble my heart. I pray that you would help me love my kids unconditionally, the way You love me. Lord, I pray for forgiveness for the prideful thoughts and attitudes I have had. Create in me a pure heart, O Lord and renew a steadfast and humble spirit in me.



Day Two we once again studied the crossroads of David's life. He came to certain points that should have stopped him from sinning with Bathsheba, like knowing she was married to one of his vailant men or that she was the granddaughter of one of David's counselors. But David didn't flee from temptation, instead he sent for temptation to come to him. So we all knew that David would sin with Bathsheba, we've heard that story before, but some of us learned to what great lengths David would go to cover up his sin. He had to work hard to get Uriah, Bathsheba's husband, killed. 2 Samuel 11:27 tells us "But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the Lord." Can we ever sin in secret? You might be able to hide it from your neighbors or friends for a time, but the sight of the Lord is another thing entirely.



Day Three brings us to the story that Nathan, the prophet, told David. David is rightly disgusted by the horrible rich man in the story and demands that the man pay a fourfold restitution for his sin. And then the light bulb comes on. Oh, you mean that's me. Yikes. David will surely reap the consequences of his sin in a fourfold judgement. Times like these when I am studying the Scriptures and I see some of the big pieces fall into place, like David's self-righteousness and pride actually leading to his own disciple and humility, that I just think God is so amazing. From the beginning to the end of David's life, God has had a plan, and not just a simple one, a complex, detailed plan that would affect generations and generations. Did God use David's sin to work good for him? For us?



Day Four we read psalm 51. Was anyone else moved by the sincerity of David's words? Verse six says "Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom." Oh, how I want that! I want God to fix the inner, hidden parts where the sin is concieved, so that the outer, in-the-open part will be obedient. I don't want to just seem obedient, I want to be it to the core.



Praise God, Day five talks about grace. For as much as I want to be obedient and submit to God's perfect will, I struggle with the flesh. But, there is grace from God to redeem me when I go astray. David accepted God's grace for his sin. He really knew God. Not just about Him or about His church, David really knew God's character. That is how David could repent of his sin, accept God's grace, and reap the consequences of his sin without becoming bitter.



Week Six

As we began the study of David's children, Amnon, Absalom, and Tamar, I pray for the purity and protection of my children. What a horrible, twisted history David's children suffered through. In 2 Samuel 13 we wondered where the patriarch of this family was. Was he too heartbroken to step in? Was he resigned to these consequences? Yes, God is good but you can also trust that God is going to do what He promises. David was given a fourfold judgement for his sins and sure enough, even though he was a man after God's own heart, the judgement was fulfilled.

Day two is entitled, "Persevering Through Discipline". We could study that topic for months. Scripture teaches us that "those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives." (Hebrews 12:6) Discipline is evidence of love. Discipline is not meant to break us but to "strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet" (Hebrews 12:12,13). God will not give us more than we can bear, however sometimes instead of taking away the load He will strengthen the shoulders on which it rests. We must persevere.

Day Three discusses the deceiver. Satan is real. He is vicious. And he is on the attack. If you are seeking after God with all your heart, then you had better be on the look out. Satan wants to destroy us. He will tempt, twist, and taint whenever possible. Emerse yourself in the word, walk in the Spirit, and pray for protection from the Father.

Day Four we learned that David "honored God's holiness by never murmuring or disputing God's discipline." David seemed to grasp the depth and severity of his sin in a way that I am not sure we understand. He was truly greived, repented, and soaked up the grace of God.

Day Five at the close of David's life, we see him in humble obedience to his Lord. Despite his good idea to build the temple, he obeyed God and allowed his son Solomon to complete the task. Although David worked tirelessly to make preparations for the temple, he released his desires and submitted to God's will.

I pray that at the close of my life I will be in the same position. I pray that I will live in humble obedience, walk boldly in the faith that has been given to me, and love unashamedly the God who created us all.

Thank you for participating in the book study. If you would like to post comments, make suggestions about future studies, or post your own book reviews, please feel free to use this blog as a tool.

Transforming

Ladies,
Thank you all again for making the effort to participate in this study. It does take energy and time, two things we could all use more of! You have all been a blessing to me during this time and I hope and pray that this study is helping you to recognize the anointing of God on your life, to submit to the transforming work that God wants for you, and to accept the redemption and grace He so freely gives.
This week we started our session talking about troubles. Okay, so that is not a particularly fun discussion, but a necessary one. Beth Moore makes the connection between things that start as trouble and grow into sin. For example, financial troubles abound in today's economy. Some of us are scraping the pennies out of the penny jar to make it through the month. But this trouble doesn't become sin until we decide to "borrow" a little money from the petty cash drawer at work. Now, our troubles have become sin. Moore suggests that in times of trouble and disappointment we often are lead into disobedience. In order for God to do that transforming work in us, we MUST be obedient. Scripture tells us that when we take matters into our own hands, or "walk in [our] own counsel" we will end up going backwards. (Jeremiah 7:24) I don't know about you, but backwards is the last place I want to go!
We discussed at length the difference between a faith based on what God does and one based on who He is. For some, when times of devastation come, they can't understand why a good God would allow this, even ordain, this event and they become disillusioned with God because of what He did, or allowed. For others, in times of devastation and heartbreak, they know that God has not promised that we would escape these things but He has promised He will strengthen us, even carry us through. We must have faith in God because He is Holy, unwavering, faithful, loving, masterful. He is righteous, Truth, timeless, Lord of all. For us to demand that God conform to our idea of "good" or "fair", is to demand that God not be God at all.
Day two began with a discussion of reverence. What does reverence look like in practical, physical terms? Moore suggests that Uzzah, David's faithful man, was struck dead by God not just because he touched the ark, but because of an inward attitude toward God that lacked reverence. Through this experience, David is transformed. He is reminded of his God's awesome sovereignty and that to worship Him is a priviledge, not an obligation. God works on our hearts and attitudes first, then the outward behavior falls into to place. Has God taught you any lessons the hard way? On the other side of those lessons, do you feel a new sense of awe and thanksgiving toward God? I do, and I am sure that David did, too.
Day Three is entitled "Dance with All Your Might", referring to the celebration that David experienced when the ark finally returned to Jerusalem in the prescribed way with God's blessings. David is seen here in total abandon, worshipping God with his whole being. He is so overcome with joy, with love, and thanksgiving, he can't hold back. Scripture tells us that Michal, David's wife, despised David in her heart after watching this display. We spent a lot of time discussing how our worship services would be different if we felt like there weren't any Michals in the congregation. David wasn't concerned about her and we should be concerned about those who would judge us for our wholehearted worship of God. Someone asked "in the big scheme of things if God going to care how you worshipped?" I believe the answer is yes. If we worship with others taking the number one place in our thoughts, then who are we truly worshipping? When we feel moved to posture our bodies during worship, we should submit to the Holy Spirit's moving in us, and obey. God wants to do an amazing, transforming work in us, and He wants to start by giving us the courage to be bold for Him, to submit to His Holy Spirit, and to worship Him the way He deserves.
As we discussed, there are some families in our church who are in a season of mourning right now. It is our job to pray them through this season, to encourage, support and love them through this time so that their mourning may turn to dancing. How great is the morning when you wake up and realize that despite the sadness and feeling of loss, God is still good, God is still with you, and by God's power you will make it.
God wants to bless us and through our obedience, reverence and wholehearted worship, He will!

Transformed

Hi Ladies,

Thanks again for your patience with me this morning as we worked through a very challenging topic this week. We started out with a quick review of how David was “Anointed” or chosen for a specific task. And we’ve learned that God wants each of us to accomplish something. For that task, He prepares us, equips us and then gives us direction.

Last week Beth Moore talked about the difference between a “good” plan and a “God” plan. David had a good idea about the ark and celebrating God’s presence. But when Uzzah was struck down, David became angry and fearful.

For our homework this week, Days One and Two discussed how we have been transformed to this point and why we are transformed. Would God place us on this earth to stay in one place, without any growth in our faith, without learning as we go, and without the ability to look back and use our experiences to grow and to share our growth with others? I’m so glad that He never left me, not for one second. God’s transforming work continues daily, whether I want it to or not. He wants to bear fruit, as it states in John 15: 7-8.

So we know that we need to be transformed, and we know that more is on the way. But many times we are pained by the process. Days Three and Four talked about anger and fear, but mostly anger. 2 Samuel 6:5 shows David and everyone that was with him celebrating the Lord. In the middle of the celebration, the oxen stumbled, the ark of God began to fall, and Uzzah tried to catch it. And God struck him down.

What is that about? David was doing God’s work. He was joyful and celebrating God. He was bringing the ark of God back to the center of Jerusalem. He had Nathan’s blessing in his work. What went wrong?

We discussed and then heard from Beth Moore many situations where things seem to be going along just fine and then tragedy strikes, sometimes more than once. We get angry and then are left with questioning God and his reasons. I cannot imagine the pain that is felt when these losses occur, sometimes pain that never completely heals. Pain felt in tragedy will not be forgotten while we are on this earth. Does God still have a plan?

God’s plan is to allow us to have anger for a while, but not forever. He wants us to lay our pain at his feet. And He wants to be changed, transformed, as a result.

Psalm 62:8. “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour our your hearts to him, for God is our refuge”

At the bottom of page 73 in our workbooks, Beth Moore simply states “Sometimes there’s just a bigger plan”. Prior to that she gave the example of the execution of John the Baptist. Here’s the abbreviated version:

What We See – appeared to be John’s worst day
- John the Baptist was imprisoned and then executed by beheading.

What God Sees – must have been John’s greatest moment
- John the Baptist entered Heaven and saw the face of God.

God does NOT want us to hold on to our anger. The toxicity of anger that remains in our heart is a feeding ground for Satan. Satan can take our anger and grow our sin. Beth Moore stated that he could take our “disappointment” and turn it into our “disobedience”. “Sometimes there’s just a bigger plan”

Day Five brought this all together in the healthy fear of God. David received a healthy fear of God the day that Uzzah was struck down. He didn’t run away, he ran TO God. I love these verses at the end of that study:

“You are My treasure.” Deut. 7:6
“Return to me with all your heart.” Joel 2:12

“Sometimes there’s just a bigger plan”. God loves us and wants us back. How will you be transformed today?

Anointed by God

This week we discussed the anointing of David and all that it entails. Our homework began with a basic definition of anointing, which is essentially God enabling us to complete the divine or supernatural task to which He has appointed us. We discussed that our everyday lives lived within the will of God is a divine accomplishment. Sometimes we think too big. We imagine that because we serve a big God that He must only call us to big things. The only problem with that way of thinking is that our definition of "big" is wrong. We have let society tell us what it means to do great things....it means bringing home the biggest paycheck....it means finding the cure for a disease.....it means playing pro-ball...it means starting, running and promoting a company, etc. But the question is How does God define big? Scripture teaches us that the first will be last and the last will be first (Matt 19:30). In God's eyes a big accomplishment is to serve someone so that His love is revealed to them through us. We are the Body of Christ and we were made to work together to serve God, each other, and the world. So, the conclusion is that our tasks may not seem big or flashy to the rest of the world, but Galatians 1:10 says "Do I now persuade men? Or do I seek to please men or God?" It doesn't really matter what the rest of the world says, it matters what God says.
In Day two we studied about opposition to the anointing and how it can come in many forms. We had several people share personal experiences where they felt like Satan was speaking untruths, lies, to them that would prevent them from fulfilling their God-anointed task. We discussed the importance of recognizing God's hand in everything we do but the flip-side of that is also being able to recognize the enemy so we are prepared to do battle. Like David, we must know that the battle we are fighting is the Lord's.
Day Three started with a discussion about being called to a certain position only to experience a brick wall in your path. Priscilla Shirer used the illustration from David's life of being anointed as king at age 15 but having to wait 22 years to see it come to pass. He could be disappointed and allow that disappointment to dictate his attitude, his heart but Scripture tells us he served Saul, tended sheep, and played music in the interim. Instead of taking on the "woe is me" attitude, he accepted God's call and decided to live fully in the moment, learning and preparing for what lay ahead.
Day four is a lesson on the importance of prayer. Because we are children of God, we have the benefit of being able to speak directly to Him and of being able to hear His voice. The only problem with that is that so many of us are so busy that we forget to stop and ask for God's help. I have a five year old son who is so smart. He has a very large vocabulary and I know this because he uses all of his words at least fifteen times a day. By the end of the day my ears are so tired from trying to keep up with him. It's no wonder I have a hard time hearing God speak to me....he can't get a word in! So, we discussed the importance of making prayer time, and quiet time with God a priority. Most of us agreed that it couldn't be scheduled, as was suggested by the study, but that we needed to get there every day.
Day Five's lesson is all about Obedience. I think that word ought to be a proper noun. It deserves respect and significance. I was taught a definition of Obedience as "doing what you're told, when you're told, with the right heart-attitude". In order to achieve all of those things, we must be living in the anointing of God. To Obey requires God's Holy Spirit to fill us, to take over, because our flesh, our human nature will automatically want to kick it off. We don't want to have someone tells us what to do or how to do it. It is God in us that will allow us to be Obedient.
We ended the session with our first video from Beth Moore. She is a powerful speaker, full of passion, wisdom, and humor. If you missed today's session, please borrow the DVD so you can get caught up. You won't want to miss it. Next week we will meet at Kim's. Kathy H will be at Calvary at 8:30 for anyone who wants to follow her there. Hope you have a great time!

Wasn't it great to have everyone there on Thursday? It may have been the only time this summer that the entire group will be together. And what a discussion! It is certainly obvious by the passionate responses to the homework that we all love the Lord. We may not agree on every theological question but we can openly share where we are in our walk with the Lord without fear of insult or injury. For those of you who did share your thoughts and opinions, testimonies and stories, I thank you.
So, Day One's homework definitely caused us all to really consider what we believe, why we believe it, and the Scriptural basis for that belief. I am sure that is part of God's plan for this study, to help us remember that His inspired Word is the only Truth we have to stand on. Whatever your beliefs about election, I think we can all agree that God's plan is sovereign and He intends for us to share the gospel message with everyone. I, for one, am thankful that I don't have all the answers because I would be that much more accountable. In the context of the lesson, election is all about our purpose in life. God created us for a specific purpose. There are some who, after college or mid-life, set off on a voyage of self-discovery to determine their purpose is in life. God has already done that for us....all we have to do is ask Him what it is. He will reveal His plan to us, then, we must submit to it. Granted, we may not be the anointed King of Israel, but our purpose is just as significant as David's.
Day Two helps us to remember patience. As we studied, the time lapse between David's anointing and his installation as king is 22 years. Would we have the patience to wait that long for God to fulfill His will for out lives? All the while, God is preparing David for his life as king. Priscilla Shirer calls us to have a God-consciousness or God-Awareness so that we may more fully live within His will. Even in the mundane, everyday decisions we are encouraged to have a God-aware response. Anyone else challenged by this? Anyone else ready to be changed by this?
In Day Three we realized that God is faithful to complete what He has called us to do. Here is the key: surrender. We have to surrender to God's plan, trust Him, and lean not on our own understanding. How hard is that??? I consider myself pretty smart, okay no laughing!!, I feel capable of handling a lot of situations but God's Word tells me that He knows better, that His ways are not my ways. We must be faithful to release, to let go of the control, and the "I know better" attitude that gets in the way of God's doings.
Day Four, Established by God, really hit home to me. It made me realize that God, who created the entire universe from the stars to the starfish, who established the earth and the planets in their order and spins them on an axis, also created little ole me. The same power and awesomeness, the same creativity and craftmanship, created me to fulfill His divine purposes. Wow! So what am I waiting for???
Positioned for a Purpose, the title of day five, maybe the most common source of questioning in our walk with the Lord. Why would God let this happen? Why is this happening to me? What am I doing here? As we look more closely at David's life, we see that God didn't haphazardly call David to the position of king and David wasn't the only one who benefited from his placement. (Obviously, we're still reading about him!) God used David to reveal and fulfill His divine purposes. Did David know it? Probably not, at least not all the time. Do we know it when God is using us as a conduit to present His grace? How different would we live our lives if we considered every encounter with every person an opportunity to be the conduit of God's love and grace? I don't think I'd recognize myself! And wouldn't the world be a better place for it?!
Ladies, I love spending time with you, but even more than that, I love growing in depth and scope of faith with you. I am praying that the Holy Spirit will work on us so hard during this time that we would be able to see a difference from the beginning of this study to the end. I pray that each of us will be a conduit of God's love and grace and that this time of study will lead us to seek after the Lord each day.

Established by God!

Ladies, Good news.... you are established by God to do the job that is facing you, whether it is mothering, working, taking care of extended family, or all of the above, you have God's power to complete the task. We discussed how David'd roles of son, brother, anointed of God, shepherd, last born, etc, effected the expectations that others had of him. Sometimes these roles are limiting, Jesse, David's father, didn't expect Samuel to bless and anoint his ruddy last born son. He reluctantly presented the boy who was in the field with the family flock and lo and behold, he was the one! We discussed how our history with family, friends, and maybe even in our churches is sometimes limiting because they only hold us to the highest historical precedent. In other words, they tend to expect from us the same old thing we've always done, and nothing more. So what happens when we wake up to the realization that with God's anointing and establishment we can't and won't be or do the same old thing?
We also discussed how God's anointed ones are guaranteed opposition. Having God's blessings rest on us is like a bright red flag to Satan and you can bet that he will be after us. His goal is always to dethrone the Sovereign Lord whether by doubt, insecurity, mistrust, fear, or hate. He wants us to take our focus off of God and put it on ourselves and in an instant we are like Peter sinking in the sea. So how can we resist? Priscilla Shirer suggests that we have a God-conciousness or God-awareness. This is when we filter every thought, word, action, emotion through the lens of God.
So ladies, this week focus on God in all that you do, say and think. Remember that you are anointed for the task at hand and live in such a way that God's establishment is visible to all. Can't wait until next time. Have a great-God week!

Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed

Ladies,
Our first book study session will be on Thursday, June 25. If you are bringing children or are helping babysit, please try to arrive by 8:45 am. I would like to get kids settled in their play groups and content so we can begin our study promptly at 9:00.
For the first session you will need to bring your book, unless I am ordering one for you (in which case, I will have those for you here), something to write with, and your Bible.
This study is exactly that, a study. It will require time, effort, and commitment on your part but it is sure to provide you with the opportunity for spiritual growth, a time of intimate fellowship with God, and a sense of Christian community as you get to know the other group members.
I hope you are all as excited as I am about getting started. Begin praying now for God to remove the distractions, interuptions, and other things that might take your attention away from the study. Pray for the other ladies who will join us and pray for the children and childcare workers, too.
Can't wait to see you all on the 25th!