Suffering, Part 3

In our Bible Study this week, we looked at the life of Peter.  The author showed the way Peter matured between his life with Jesus, living and learning with him, and the end of his life as he wrote I & 2 Peter.  He grew and matured through the suffering his life was filled with.  The life that God had for him and the life that Peter chose to walk. There was so much depth to the authors writing.  So much understanding and truth he taught us through looking at the Greek words spoken between Jesus and Peter and then later in Peter's writing. They are still settling into me and I can't wait to learn further in class tomorrow.

We looked at the footprints story.  You've heard it, I'm sure.  Where the man is looking back on his life and asks the Lord why there were times when he was walking alone.  The Lord responds that those were the times when the man was carried.  In this study we saw how Jesus leaves us footprints as an example to follow.  Footprints that we not only follow, but that we actually walk in.  They are drawn by the master, sketched out for all to follow.  As an example to follow.  Then the details the magnificent art, is filled in by the master painter that is individual to all our lives.

The thing that has sunk into me the deepest is a verse we had to break down.  The question was:
"By means of observation of the text, list 10 - 15 things from 1 Peter 2:21-25 which Jesus did for His redeemed or else are true about Him."

and the verse:

Fore you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His woulds you are healed.  For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls."

He suffered on my behalf,
He left me an example to followed,
He called me to suffer,
He left me His steps,
He committed no sin,
He did not lie,
He was reviled,
He didn't revile in return,
He did not threaten,
He entrusted Himself to God,
He bore my sins on His cross,
I can die to sin because of this,
I can live righteously because of this,
His wounds healed me,
I will stray,
God will guard me and bring me back



A verse full of things He, Jesus, did for me.  He did these things for me while suffering.  They are the footprints, the example that He left for me on how to suffer.  They are an example to look to in times of suffering.  Today they are a picture of what He went through for me.  How can I be anything but humbled and amazed?  How can I not fall at His feet and worship?  How can I not have faith that if He did these things for me while in so much suffering, that He will go walk me through, lead me through, guide me through any suffering He might ask of me.

This journey of learning continues...

More Thoughts on Suffering...

We've continued through a few more classes since the last post on my current Wednesday AM Bible Study.  It continues to keep me thinking, praying and honestly, struggling, through the topic.  Suffering brings joy.  Suffering brings depth.  Suffering brings dependency.  Suffering is promised to us.  We are promised all through out the New Testament that we will suffer.  We are also promised that "He who began a good work in us, will complete it," "I will never leave you or forsake you," "I am your refuge and strength."

What I have concluded, when this suffering comes, God will still be God.  God will be there, right there with me.  I will grow, be dependent and have joy.

As I fear what suffering that will come my way, I cling to this verse:

Psalms 31:9
"But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, 'You are my God.' "

In all things I can trust in the Lord.  In suffering, in hard times I can cry out "You are my God!" because He is my God.  Isn't that amazing.

Let the learning continue...

Bible Study Thoughts

We have just started a new book in our Women's Bible Study on Wednesday mornings.  It's called The Cup and The Glory.  It's an intense study.  It's on suffering.  The study was chosen to line up with Easter, to help us prepare our hearts to worship God in a deeper way as we focus on the death and resurrection of Jesus.  It's a mind boggling, soul focusing, and all around challenging study.  and... I'm only two chapters in.

I just read the chapter on "the cup." With the reference taken from Mark 10 when James and John ask to be seated next to Christ in glory.  Jesus replies, "You do not know what you are asking for.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink..."  The author then goes on to explain what the cup is.  It's a cup of suffering.  Of refining.  Of growth.  A time that makes us more like Christ.  It followed the chapter on the wilderness, which is defined as a time of what appears to be the absence of the presence of the Lord.  A time when we think He is not with us.  The Holy Spirit is always with us.  But there are times of suffering when we just don't see it.  These are times given to us from our Lord, our Savior meant to grow us, to refine us, to make us more like Him.

Those times are our cups.  The cups given to us from Him.  Where He might remove things from our lives in order that we look to Him more.  These are times of suffering, we are even to ask for. Or at least that's what I think so far.  I have more to study and questions to answer before I understand this more.

I'm left in a stupor.. a haze perhaps, over this idea.  I know this to be true.  We are promised times of trials and of suffering all throughout the New Testament.  God promises to never leave us or forsake us in these times.  To refine us.  I look forward to understanding this more.  To knowing how to pray about this.  To God shaping my heart through this Bible Study to be more like Him and to understand suffering more.

It is a great study, one that leaves me pondering and thinking...

I won't leave you hanging on this one.  I will take you all along with me as I learn about this.  Hopefully once a week as I learn more!

Prayer

Prayer seems to be a common theme running through my life lately.  I've been reading the book Transforming Prayer recently and it's began changing my prayer life.  The main theme is "Seeking the face of God, not the hand of God."  The author refers to it as worship based prayer.  Striving to seek God's heart and plan for all our requests. Praying out of His word and not just off our grocery list of needs.  Honestly, I'm struggling through it.  Seeing just how much more I need to be in His Word.  Realizing how often I go to Him with requests and how little time I spend worshiping Him.

We had a workshop at church based on the book and it's been very helpful.  So wonderful to struggle through it with the ladies in the church.  We have each other to "practice" with and to learn more with.  We are all seeing how rich it is to pray God's word back to Him.  To really focus on asking His will, not just what we would like.

One thing it's left me thinking on quite often is how I'm teaching Thomas and Benjamin to pray.  I'm doing it through example now, but Thomas is old enough to be taught how to pray.  With him I want to focus on worshiping God, have that be his foundation, praising God for who He is.  Then, thanking God.  Requests will come, they come so naturally.  As I've been thinking through this, I came across this quote on Piper's blog:

J. C. Ryle:

Prayer is, of all habits, the one which we recollect the longest. Many a grey-headed man could tell you how his mother used to make him pray in the days of his childhood. Other things have passed away from his mind perhaps. The church where he was taken to worship, the minister whom he heard preach, the companions who used to play with him — all these, it may be, have passed from his memory, and left no mark behind. But you will often find it is far different with his first prayers. He will often be able to tell you where he knelt, and what he was taught to say, and even how his mother looked all the while. It will come up as fresh before his mind’s eye as if it was but yesterday.

J. C. Ryle, The Upper Room, chapter 16.

I love how the Holy Spirit just places things in our paths.  Truths to think on and apply.  Just a great reminder that how I teach my boys to pray is vitally important!!  Thankful for the reminder of the importance of what I do and don't teach them!  

Before I leave this post, I have to end with this wonderful verse.  A theme for the book and a reminder tucked away in my heart and prayers:

When You said, “Seek My face,”
My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”

Psalms 27:8

[Y]ou don't really know a person until you know what moves him most deeply. It makes no sense to say that we know God when we are not acquainted with his strongest desire and with the goal that guides all his actions. But if we don't know him, then we can't worship him and we can't imitate him. In other words, if we are to be faithful children of our heavenly Father who worship him and imitate him as we ought, then we must answer [this question]."
-Pastor Jon Piper, http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/the-biggest-question-in-the-universe

Such a great reminder for me today over on the desiring God blog.  You see, our women's retreat this year was so good.  A great time of remembering how great our God is and to really have a relationship with Him, we have to know Him.  If we want to know what He wants for our life, we have to know who He is.  When we pray for others, we have to know the one that we can pray for and give peace beyond all understanding.  I was reminded of what an amazing and awesome God we serve and there is so much about Him that I don't remember half the time or even know.  If I truly knew Him like I should, how would I be able to do anything other than worship Him with every step I took.  My prayers would be more specific, more personal and worship more heart felt.  That is my goal between this year and next, to get to know the Lord, my God in a truer and deeper way.

So off I go to dig deep into His Word and enjoy the book Desiring God, by none other than Jon Piper.

The Darkness and The Glory

I am in the middle of a wonderful, challenging and eye-opening Bible Study with the women at my church. It's more difficult and "school-like" then some we've done in the past. It requires thinking and discernment.

We are looking at Christ's death on the cross in a deeper way than most of us ever have. We are truly seeing how much He suffered. I walk away from each lesson and each time of study thinking, "He did that for me?"

There is so much in the study I am still processing, but have a few things I'd love to share.

Christ showed grace in the midst of His suffering. He was being tormented physically and spiritually and He showed grace. Not just once. Three times. He asked John to look after His mother. He cried out for grace for the crowd as they spat at Him and hurled insults. He comforted the thief and extended salvation to him. A thief that moment earlier had also been insulting and taunting Him. In the midst of immense pain and grief at that moment and knowing what was to come, He chose to show grace. I'm pretty sure if my kids asked a question after I stubbed my toe I wouldn't show them grace.

He took this cup, the penalty for my sins, because I couldn't. I am totally and incapable of saving myself. He is the only one that could do this. He died for my sins. I could not bare that. He took on the wrath of God for not only me, but for all the elect.

Because Christ did this, I get to be in the presence of God for all of eternity! That my friends in an indescribable gift.

So much more. I'm trying to put into words that make sense what else I am learning.

I am so thankful to our teacher for helping us sort all of this out. For challenging us to find the answers for ourselves. She is truly teaching us how to study God's Word.

Precepts for Personal Devotions

Yesterday at Mom's Group I had the opportunity to share my testimony again. Last time I shared it was at Titus 2, which was a larger group and a mixed group of age ranges. That time was a little less scary than yesterday morning. Yesterday, I had to share with girls my age and girls that are my friends. The message I had to share was hard. It was a personal part of my testimony and what I learned from it was something that applies to all of us. It was humbling, but yet so rewarding. As I began to share I was so thankful that God had made those few months so hard. Not only because He grew me, but because as a result, I was able to share the lesson and hopefully encourage those ladies there.

You see I spoke on Abiding in Christ. At first, that doesn't sound so bad, but when you really study it and see what it means, it is profoundly convicting. Abiding is a constant, on going, continual process. It's not just perusing you Bible as you find the time. It's going deep into God's Word, so that you have a remaining and abiding relationship with Him. You can not remain in God and He in you if you are not constantly learning about Him. The Bible says several times that if you don't abide Him, not only will you not bear fruit, but you aren't saved. Abiding is evidence of salvation. I had to humbly share this with my fellow mom's and admit that I hadn't been abiding with Christ. I was walking weakly and superficially with my Savior. How could I do that with the Lord who saved me? As God worked in my heart and upheld me ever so faithfully I realized how much more I needed to know Him. In the past few weeks, that has turned from a need to a deep desire.

I called on the mom's to get to know their Savior in a deeper way. To abide in Him. We talked about how that is so important not only for us as individuals, but also as mom's. Our church provides us with so many opportunities to grow and we all need to make every effort to be there. After I shared, Tiffany followed up with some advice on what to do for daily devotions. It was so helpful and so practical. That's really what I wanted to share with all of you. She found an acrostic of the word PRECEPTS providing us with 8 different ideas we can meditate on as we are doing our daily reading. I hope you all can benefit from them just as I hope to.

P - is there a PRAYER to pray?

R - is there a REASON to praise Him?

E - Is there an ERROR in this passage I need to avoid?

C - Is there a COMMAND to obey?

E - is there an EXAMPLE to follow?

P - is there a PROMISE to claim?

T - Is there a TRUTH to believe?

S - Is there a SIN to confess?

So basically, you keep these 8 questions in mind as you are reading through a passage and pull out one or two things to meditate on and apply to your life. It's simply, but has so much potential to be profound. We will hopefully fill the prick and be changed. It's a great way to find something and to keep us focused in our reading. The goal is to walk away everyday from reading our Bible a little changed and knowing our Lord better.