Digging Deep | Scripture Journaling

(Note: This was written yesterday)

Welcome to the first installment of Digging Deep for 2017 on the last day of January! In honor of a new year I thought it might be fun to have an updated graphic!

Digging Deep | Worship and Service

Happy Thanksgiving Friends. Well, in three more days that is. I had planned to post this last week while I was at the library until I realized that I left my notes at home. Oops! So here we are today.

Digging Deep | Write It Down

Hello Friends! I realize this months post for Digging Deep is a week late, but better late than never right? Actually, this month snuck up on me, and I realized it on the fifth and didn't have my thoughts ready to write. I was getting my thoughts together but then Working man got sick and we all know plans change when the husband is home. Hehe!

Digging Deep | Infertility Lessons from Hannah

People love to have someone else to relate to, especially in difficult situations in life. We want to know how other people cope with hurt, suffer through disappointment, and respond to people who make insensitive comments. I don't know how many times I have read the story of Hannah (found in I Samuel 1) but back in April I was having a particularly hard time with not having children. I took time to really meditate, study, and write down some lessons on Infertility from the life of Hannah. Studying how she lived, breathed, struggled, and overcomed infertility is someone I want to relate to, to model.



Infertility Lessons from the Life of Hannah

For better understanding, take a few minutes and read the first chapter of I Samuel.

Her Label /vs.2/ The first thing we are told about Hannah is that she is barren, broken, infertile. That was what she was known for: Hannah, wife of Elkanah, has no children. Talk about a stereotype!

Blessing of a Godly Husband /vs.3-4/ Hannah was barren but she was blessed with a godly husband, he went yearly and made sacrifices for his family. And Hannah held a special spot in Elkanah's heart, despite her barrenness. He loved her for who she was, not what she could and couldn't give him. This was particularly convicting to me because I too have a godly husband who loves me despite our not having a family yet.

God Closed the Womb /vs.5/ The Lord was the one who closed up Hannah's womb. Why? What was His purpose? Why has he not given us children, He is the Giver of Life? I don't know the answer to these questions, but I struggle asking them.

Ridicule May Come /vs. 6/ Hannah was provoked by Penninah, Elkanah's other wife. Ridiculed for what the Lord had done in Hannah's life, to Hannah's body.

Weeping is Ok /vs.7,10/ Hannah wept. She was hurting. Hannah knew grief. The Lord showed me in these verses that this was a read burden that Hannah carried, and it was made evident every month. And it isn't mentioned anywhere that her crying and her grief were wrong.

Hannah Lived with Heaviness /vs.10/ The Bible tells us that Hannah was in bitterness of soul. What a graphic picture. The bitterness was great heaviness, dicontentedness of her whole being. I know that feeling. You don't want to face the world, people, church, life. You ache and want to weep because there is no small life growing in you.

Pray, and Never Stop /vs. 10/ Hannah prayed. She wept at Jesus' feet. He felt her hurt, He bore her pain and shame of barrenness. Infertility was a great disgrace to women during Bible times, but the strangest thing is no matter what a women tried to help her barrenness, God is the only one who could give life. They couldn't change their barrenness.

Keep Your Promises /vs. 11/ Hannah promised the Lord if He would grant her request she would raise and give the child to Him.

Her Sorrow was Evident /vs. 15/ When Eil saw Hannah in the tabernacle He mistook her for being drunk. But she explained that she was a woman of a sorrowful spirit. {Sorrowful- servere, grievious sorrow} Spirit is life, so her life was a life of severely grievious sorrow.

Pour it All Out to the Lord /vs. 15/ Hannah poured out her soul. She spilled forth her desire, her very breath to the Lord while she poured her tears.

Be Faithful /vs. 16/ Hannah told Eli she wasn't a daughter of Satan, she was a faithful daughter of God. She was striving for holiness and well pleasing to God. Her barrenness wasn't a result of a disobedient life, she was walking with the Lord.

God Hears /vs. 17/ God heard her. And He hears me ever time I pour out my grief to Him. He is the Comforter.

/vs. 18/ When she heard from God she was no longer sad and kept her promise to the Lord. But do you think she took times to stop and thank God the blessed miracle of that son? I want to think she did. She only had Samuel home for a few years before he was taken to the tabernacle to serve with Eli. But guess what? The Lord blessed that faithfulness and promise kept, He gave Hannah five more children (I Sam. 2:21)

These truths from the life of Hannah were just what I needed on that day I was struggling in April. The Lord knew. I had been reading straight through my Bible and that morning when I opened to read I was to start the book of Samuel. The truth? I thought about skipping those chapters that day, I just didn't feel like being reminded of more infertility. But I didn't, I read the assigned passage and then I wept at God's timing. He knows, He feels our hurts, He hears the questions we are asked, and He answered Hannah. Be faithful! Keep hope!

Digging Deep | Ephesians Study

Hello and welcome to the newest installment of the Digging Deep Series! This month I am sharing with you a way to study Ephesians, or any book of the Bible for that matter.

Digging Deep | Wise Women Meditations

Welcome! I know this is a week and one day late, but with the holiday and being away I got a little behind on my schedule. Today I'll finish talking about the Wise Woman and ways that she manages. The last two areas I chose to cover are: Manager of her man and a Manager of her time.

Digging Deep in the Word

Happy Wednesday morning friends! About two weeks ago my friend Sandy @ Creating Kilter e-mailed me and asked if I would be interested in doing a linked-up post on my personal Bible Study. She was asking one of our other college friends Anna, over at Grace Happening ,to do the same. So today's post is how I dig in the Word of God.

Adventures In a Beautiful Life

Recently I started a study in my devotions on some Christian character traits with evidence from the Bible. The first one I am working on is Godliness. So for this study I wrote down all the passages that have the word godliness or some form of it (godly). Then the days that I do the study I do one passage at a time, there may be more than one verse in the context that uses the word godliness so they get done together. It has been a real blessing to me. The first day was especially a great day, it kind of set the goal of godliness in the believer's life.

I Tim. 2:2-3

"For kings, and for all that are in authority;

that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life

in all godliness and honesty.

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior."

I don't know about you but I want to live a life that is acceptable to the Lord. And as I began to study this passage (technically vs.1-3) the Lord pointed some great things out to me. I'll just write here what I wrote in my notes on the study. I hope they are as much a blessing to you as they were to me.
The word Godliness is the Greek means to Worship, to respect.
This passage speaks of a life that's good and acceptable to the Lord. Good here means beautiful, valuable. I want my life to be beautiful and valuable to the Lord. Doesn't everyone want a beautiful life? This life is a quiet, peaceable, godly, honest life. And this life should be our goal.
One way it is obtained found in verses 1-2, these Essential elements of Prayer:
1. Supplications - to make request, to beg
2. Prayers - worship, to earnestly pray with a wish
3. Intercessions - an interview, to confer withh or entreat
4. Giving of Thanks- gratitude,actively grateful, to bring well-favor on
...be made for all men, including those leaders with authority in our life. These four elements of prayer I believe lead to a godly life of peace and quiet. A beautiful life.

Top 10 Blessings from God that you will never Express Enough Gratittude For

Day 5 - Top Ten

Rom. 11:33-36

1.Salvation

Full and free, complete

 

2.The Word of God

Wisdom for every need

 

3. My Family

They are not perfect

but He saw fit to place me in one where

I would know him and serve Him with them.

 

4. My Beloved

I had dreamed of marrying a man my whole life

and had prayed, unknowing, many years.

I couldn't have picked a man so perfect for me,

only God could.

 

5. My Church

Many changes have taken place over the almost 2 years we've been here,

but the things I've learned and

the people I've met and fellowshipped with

have impacted my life.

 

6. Godly Parents

They were so invaluable to my life,

in shaping me for Christ,

Equipping me to follow His Will,

and teaching me to trust Him for all my needs.

 

7. God's Promises of Provision

He never fails,

whether it was college bills, emotional needs,

housing, work, food for family,

safety on mission fields.

He always provided on time.

 

8. The Hard Times

It's never easy to thank God in the hard times

but looking back I know each trial was for my good,

each trouble taught me lessons I needed to learn,

each hard time the Lord was there to Sustain me.

 

9. The Promise of Heaven

A new body,

A place that will permanently be home,

And I.Will.See. Christ.

I will see His wounds for me and praise Him for all eternity.

 

10. Ministries I have been involved in

Even in the seemingly short years of my life I have

been blessed to be involved in so much.

From behind the scenes ministries to the up front

visible ones.

And each one has taught me something different

and spurred me on to new.

To Serve is a Privilege.

 

Lovely Books

To say I like books would be an understatement.

I’ve always liked them, used to get in trouble for reading to much.

Since moving down south I saw a book at the library about a woman who escaped

From the FDLS - the Mormon radical group.

Since I wrote my comparative Religions class in college about Mormonism

I thought it would be interesting to read.

So I finally got around to checking it out from the library.

I was reading it, and got about half way through but it was too much.

I just wasn’t comfortable reading about all their messed up ways

And the Holy Spirit kept pricking my heart as I read.

I knew I had to quit reading it.

I hate not finishing a book.

But I laid it aside.

While I was in Bible college taking classes on teaching,

I loved the class about teaching reading - one of our assignments was to read children’s books.

And there was a series of books recommended for

Middle School age children that I have collected over the last few years.

I didn’t read them before I started collecting because they were recommended.

My sister knows what they are,

I let her borrow them to read them, but she gave them back,

Let’s just say that they are definitely different.

So I had this series that my sister gave back to me,

I wanted to read them and see what they were all about,

I had read the first book but decided to read it again.

Easy reading- I finished the book in a day.

And I determined it was kinda creepy and sad,

And despite the intriguing mystery I didn’t like it.

I looked up the series and author in Wikipedia.

The series was classified as Gothic type.

I hadn’t known that.

 They were recommended at Bible college.

I decided not to read the other books in the series.

The whole time I was reading these books a song kept coming to my mind.

It’s not just a song,

It’s a Scripture song of Philippians 4:8.

“Finally, brethren,

whatsoever things are true,

Whatsoever things are honest,

Whatsoever things are just,

Whatsoever things are pure,

Whatsoever things are lovely,

Whatsoever things are of good report;

If there be any virtue, and if there be any praise,

THINK ON THESE THINGS.”

It’s hard to read when the Lord is sending this song over and over through your mind.

I couldn’t get over three of those traits:

Pure : Innocent, clean, modest

(in the children’s book there was basically reference to possible incest, the relative was going to marry the 14 year old to inherit the fortune)

Lovely: Friendly, acceptable

As a believer, there is a Friend who is always with us. Would I read this outloud to Him?

He knows what you are reading anyway

Good Report: Reputable, well spoken of

Well, the series was well spoken of at college, but I don’t think it would be something

The Lord would recommend. Death, morbid destruction, scary people.

Nope, nothing I want my children to read.

I just thought I would share something the Lord specifically spoke to me about.

I’m so thankful for the prompting and reprimand of the Holy Spirit.

I don’t want to do things that sadden Him.

I need to focus on lovely, pure things.

And just for those who are wondering,

I’m reading A Gown of Spanish Lace

By Janette Oke, I forgot how good,

And pure it is.

A lovely book.

Sweet to The Soul

Proverbs 16:24

"Pleasant words are as an honeycomb,

sweet to the soul,

and health to the bones."

I want my words to be sweet and healthy to my husband and everyone I speak to. They need to be that way to everyone, but especially those closest to us. In order to do that I must speak pleasant words.

Pleasant means- agreeable, delight, something of grace or beauty.

Wow! My mouth can keep me from being a woman of grace a beauty.

There are seven Scriptural references to the word no-am(Hebrew for pleasant)
Ps. 27:4 - used to describe the Lord’s beauty
Ps. 90:17 - also used to describe the Lord but we are to put it on and be showing it.
Prov. 3:17 - the way of wisdom is pleasantness
Prov. 15:26 - pleasant words come from one who is pure or striving to be pure. It’s a choice to                                      speak pleasant words and live pure.
Prov. 16:24 - our text
Zech. 11:7, 10 - a rod called beauty used to correct the sheep/ the poor of the flock.
I must speak pleasant words, that wouldn’t be words:
That degrade
Complain
Are critical
That argue
Are sarcastic
Are dirty/hurtful

Pleasant words are something sweet that can be relished. Speak words that would warm the heart when remembered.

This Day

“This is the day which the LORD hath made;

We will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Psalm 118:24

Today - “this is the day”

The Lord Planned It - “the LORD hath made;”

A Purposed Attempt - “we will”

Rejoice - To spin around ( under the influence of any violent emotion) Think spinning around with joy in a big meadow, like Maria on Sound of Music.

Be Glad - cheer up, joy, be merry



I think we look right past another meaning of this verse. We automatically think, “ Be thankful and happy God gave you another day!” But what is we looked differently:

This day was created and planned by the Lord - that means today is in the Divine planner - everything in it He planned. Our job is to make a purposed attempt to be joyful and giddy (if you would) of the day and the plans thereof. But I don’t think it’s a once a day, do-this-every-morning thing. It’s ongoing though out the day. What if we replaced the word “in” with “throughout” and “it” with “the day”. Boy, would that change everything!

“This is the day which the LORD hath made;

We will rejoice and be glad in it (throughout the day).”

We are continually rejoicing and being giddy because the plans that unfold for the day are God’s plans! Yes, even that flopped supper. Just laugh about it and do your best to fix it.

So, throughout this day, rejoice in His planning.

A Titus 2 Woman

 

As I was studying Titus chapter two the other day I decided to search out some of the words. What interesting things I found.

 

There is an example for the aged (older) women to set:

 

• Holiness - reverent, to be proper, suitable, or sacred
• Not False Accusers (Greek: Diabalos) - Devil, Traduce (to be very critical)
• Not given to much wine- Not enslaved or given to alcohol
• Teachers of good things - a teach of right, virtue

Then Paul goes on to tell what these women are to impart to the younger generation:

• Soberness - a disciplines, self-controlled sound mind
• Love their Husbands - this love is a fondness, affectionate love, to be a friend of her man. 
• Love their Children - the same kind of love: fondness, maternal, and to be a friend
• Discreetness - Sound in mind, self-controlled feelings
• Chaste - Properly, clean, innocent, modest
• Keepers at Home - a guard, stayer at home
• Good - well, properly beautiful, valuable and virtuous 
• Obedient to husband - submit yourself to, put under, from the Greek word tasso meaning to arrange into an orderly manner
• Not Blasphemous - so their life doesn’t defame, rail on or speak evil of the Lord.

 

Some of these things I knew and others I forgot, but some others I hadn’t realized. I may not be one of the aged women, but I do have girls younger than me that I spend time with and what I do (my actions) will teach them more than my words.

 

Do we live our lives in a sacred suitable manner that is pleasing to Christ? How is my level of criticalness? Am I teaching right things, that which is virtuous?

 

I found it interesting that the love mentioned is: to be fond of, like preferring to be with those people above anyone else, and to be a friend of them. Then comes the discreetness, boy oh boy self-controlled feelings! That doesn’t always doesn’t happen easily for a girl.

 

Teaching the younger to be good, properly beautiful stuck out to me. Properly beautiful, to me I think the Lord was meaning beauty radiating on the outside from what is within the heart. Not ornamental beauty and what we can do to make ourselves look pretty. If we are beautiful inside, we’ll be beautiful outside.

 

Then the last thing that stuck out to me was the part about obedient to husband. I knew it meant submissive and I knew that meant giving up your own will. You must deny yourself and be put under another. The blessings of such are great. But it was the root word in Greek that got me. This word means To arrange in an orderly manner, this submission is all part of God’s divine order for the home. He knows that brings the greatest peace. And it’s a blessing to see it mentioned here.

 

I hope this was as big of a blessing to you as it was to me. And maybe it will inspire you to dig into His word and find these things for yourself, along with the requirements for a Titus 2 man.

 

Just Be Who God Wants You To Be!

I was reading in my devotional book, A Woman From God's Perspective by Anna Mary Byler, and came across a quote she had from A. W. Tozer and thought it was really good.

"When we surrender ourselves to God's meekness, we will not care what
people will think of us, as long as God is pleased.
Than what we are will be everything;
what we appear will take its place far down the scale of interest for us.
Apart from sin we have nothing of which
to be ashamed."

Since I mentioned my devotional book, I thought I would put a plug in for other devotionals. Devotional books should not replace the reading of the Word for yourself, but they are a nice accompaniment. A while back I mentioned the book Being a Girl Who Serves, by Shannon Kubiak Primicerio and what a phenomenal book it was. My sister just recently finished reading it and also said that it was amazing. About 2 months ago I also found her other two devotional books for girls, God Called a Girl and Being a Girl Who Loves. I haven't had a chance to read them yet, though Liv is reading the latter. Not every writer you will read will right right on with you, you need to have discernment as you read these books, because they are just the ideas of a person, not the inspired Word. I just thought I would put a little word out there about what an encouragement a good devotional book can add to your quiet time with God.

Being A Girl Who Serves Notes

The following are points taken from a book that I recently read that was an encouragement to me, Being a Girl Who Serves by Shannon Kubiak Primicerio. I will put a disclaimer in and say that I don’t agree with everything she says and she doesn’t use the right Bible version but in all it was a really good book and help me put some things back in line.

• True servant hood is a lifestyle and a lifelong commitment. A servant who trusts their master is always going to be more willing to serve.
• Life becomes exciting when we dare to take risks that count for something.
• What are we risking out lives for? Because everything in life is a risk. Be sure that in the risks you take you aren’t rash in your decisions. It’s little steps of obedience that prepare you for bigger ones. The places God asks us to go and the things He asks us to do may not always be earth shattering but they will make an impact.
• God uses those who are out there moving and searching because they have no plans of their own.
• God gives us talents and gifts to use to serve Him, not lie dormant. He has a purpose for the things He made you good at.
• Insecurity is a form of pride- dwelling on what we can or cannot do or what people will think of us.
• Sometimes we are called to serve in places that make us uncomfortable, and pride keeps us from doing God’s will.
• Many times it’s what we don’t want to do that God has for us. Don’t refuse to stoop and have God force you to stoop!
• So many hope they have to courage to die for Christ but they won’t even live for Him now.
• Mary and Martha both had a servants heart. Take times to be still and know God rather than rushing around like a maniac. Great peace and joy come from sitting at His feet. Before you can serve you must sit. Forget about everything and everyone and spend time with Christ.
• How often do we look for someone to serve? Three things a servant of God should do when serving: 1). Call them by name, 2). Put them at ease, 3). Give them a place of belonging.

Several Ways to Make Yourself Miserable

These were in a devotional book by Elisabeth Elliot, Keep a Quiet Heart.

1. Count your troubles, name them one by one- at the breakfast table, if anybody will isten, or as soon as possible thereafter.
2. Worry every day about something. Don't let yourself get out of practice. It won't add a cubit to your stature but it mught burn a few calories.
3. Pity yourself. If you do this enough, nobody else will have to do it for you.
4. Devise clever by decent ways to serve God and mammon. After all, a man's gotta live.
5. Mike it your business to find out what the Joneses are buying this year and where they're going. Try to do them at least one better even if you hvae to take out another loan to do it.
6. Stay away from absolutes. It's what's right for you that matters. Be your own person and don't allow yourself to get hung up on what other expect of you.
7. Make sure you get your rights. Never mind other people's. You have your life to live, they have theirs.
8. Don't fall into any compassion traps - the sort of situation where people can walk all over you. If you get too involved in other people's troubles, you may neglect your own.
9. Don't let Bible reading and prayer get in the way of what's really relevant - things like TV and newspapers. Invisible things are eternal. You want to stick with the visible ones - they're where it's at now.