Our own Elizabeth wrote:
I have noticed lately how often I lay in bed at the end of the day and feel guilt. Over words said or left unsaid. Actions I could have taken but didn’t, others I regret taking. But the Gospel has washed away all guilt. Perfect love casts out all fear. I have not only been pardoned, but have been given the gift, a new identity. I am no longer a guilty child, but beloved, though broken, I am His beloved.
This is gospel transformation happening. This is intimacy with God. This is God singing “love songs” to Elizabeth in the night.
Yet Elizabeth would be just as quick to tell you that it is elusive. The gospel is such amazing news that we believe it, and then we don’t. We are like a woman picking petals of a daisy, saying, “He loves me. He loves me not.”
At the end of one message we heard on Job this last Lent, Tim Keller astonishingly says: “My main problem is that I don’t really believe to the core that God loves me.” We look at our lives, our “failing Lents,” and see darkness and think, How could He love me? And when we doubt His love, we feel naked, and want to cover ourselves somehow, so we go back to works righteousness, finding our identity in our success in our ministry, mothering, or marriage. Or we go running to our idols, trying to take the pain away.
In a conversation I had with a good friend named Machelle this week, she said, “Rules are a quick fix — the gospel takes a lifetime.”
In another conversation with a woman who has just been through Idol Lies she said, “We see our idols now — but we all want a formula to solve it!” Oh — so true — we want a formula, a quick fix. But the gospel takes a lifetime.
The one thing we can do is behold Christ and His great love, for beholding is becoming. Being in awe of Christ melts our hearts and helps us trust His love. This week we will behold some of the “love songs,” in Isaiah.
Sunday/Monday: Ice-breaker
1. What stood out to you from the above and why?
2. What idol are you running to now most frequently? What is it that you doubt about Christ that keeps you running to this idol?
BIBLE STUDY: MONDAY-WEDNESDAY (Take two or three questions a day.)
He uses every earthly picture of intimacy that we know, and says that He loves us better. He is the Friend who is closer than a brother, He is the Husband who will never forsake us, He is the Father who stands with open arms, and He is the Mother who cannot forget her baby.
Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the
child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!
Isaiah 49:14-16 (NIV)
When Johnny was two, he unlocked the door and got outside. We lived on a lake and it was early morning. I ran all over the neighborhood in my nightgown, pounding on doors, asking them to help me, crying, praying, scanning the lake, and falling in a thankful heap when a neighbor brought him home on his shoulders. When Johnny was six and some older boys held him underwater at the pool, I became a lionness, charging them, tearing at them.
To think, God loves me more than that.
3. If you are a mother, or have a child in your life to whom you feel knit, share a time when you were ready to do anything to rescue him, no matter how embarrassing or how dangerous. Or when a parent did the same for you.
4. Read Isaiah 49:13-16
A. In verse 13, what does the Lord tell all of creation to do and why?
B. In verse 14, how are God’s people feeling?
C. What word picture is painted in verse 15? What spiritual, physical, and emotional factors make it difficult for a mother to forget her nursing baby?
D. In the end of verse 14, who may forget — and who will never forget? What does this mean to you.
E. Why, according to verse 16, will God not forget us? Can you see the gospel in this? Explain.
For your Maker is your husband
Isaiah 54:5
Many of our bloggers have been forsaken by a husband. There is no greater earthly picture of intimacy than marriage, and therefore enormous pain (which God shows he understands in Malachi) than being forsaken by a spouse. But we have One who will never leave us or forsake us.
In the following picture, we have an earthly image of a young bride who felt the reproach of being abandoned. This echoes Hosea where God does have Hosea withdraw from Gomer for a period to bring her to her senses. God does discipline us for our good, but only for a season. He will always be waiting with open arms. For He is our husband, one who will never break his vows.
6. Read Isaiah 54:4-8
A. What negative emotions is God going to wipe away, according to verse 4?
B. How does He identify Himself in verse 5? (Was there ever a husband like this?)
C. Describe his emotions toward us in verses 6 through 8?
D. How do you see both the truth and mercy of the gospel in this passage?
E. In what ways do you need to repent before Him? Write them here and let him have compassion on you.
A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
Isaiah 42:3
I have told this story in The God of All Comfort, so I will summarize it. My eldest son, J. R. and his girlfriend, Diane, led my mother to Christ the Easter that she was 93. The following September she seemed to be close to death. I asked the Lord to allow me to be with her when it happened. Amazingly, I was. It was three in the morning when I arrived, taking the baton from my sister Sally, who had been at her side. Mother was suffering. Terribly. I couldn’t handle it. I was pacing, crying out to God. I told Him, “Steve was strong in the faith, he could take this, but my little mother is just four months old in the faith. You said, “a bruised reed you would not break.” At five in the morning, Fran, a Christian nurse came in. She was supposed in at six, but God woke her up and told her to come. I lamented to her and said, “I don’t understand why God is putting her through this.”
Fran assessed the situation and said, “Your mother is afraid to die.”
“No! She’s a Christian now. She knows she’s forgiven.”
“We all have our doubts — and she’s just a baby.”
Fran leaned down next to my mother and repeated the truth of the gospel to her. “Mrs Brown. Don’t be afraid. Your sin has been paid in full. Jesus is waiting for you with open arms.”
Suddenly my mother looked up, smiled, and was gone.
What solved her problem? The Gospel.
7. Read Isaiah 42:3
I’ve often wondered where the saying, “God will not give you more than you can bear” came from. I think this is it. He knows our frame, He know what we can take, and He is filled with compassion. How does this minister to you right now?
Luci Shaw once told me of this verse, “It’s for the left-brained person (Come, let us reason together) and the right-brained (A word picture: Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”) We all need to drum the gospel into our hearts.
Steve and I sent this verse out our first Christmas as Christians. We offended people, for they didn’t think “their sins were as scarlet.”
Part of the solution to our problems is realizing how sinful and helpless we are. We are more depraved than we could imagine.
Yet — more loved than we dared hope.”
8. How might this aspect of the gospel help you today?
Thursday-Friday: Sermon: Link
9. What are your notes?
Saturday:
10. What’s your take-a-way and why?
308 comments
1. What stood out to you from the above and why?
I loved the words from our own Elizabeth, and what struck me the most were the words “love songs”. Oh, I love the love songs Jesus has sung over me as I have lain in my bed without sleep so many nights. When I cannot shut off the worries and fears, turning to Him in prayer and reciting Scripture have been so much comfort. Life is hard, but we have a Hope that Nothing can take away.
Lamentations 3:19-25
19 Remember my affliction and my wanderings,
the wormwood and the gall!
20 My soul continually remembers it
and is bowed down within me.
21 But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.
Diane,
Thanks so much for sharing-in your pain you are clinging to Him, like Jesus..This stuck out to me:
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.
I have always honed in on v.22 and 23 yet I see something new around those verses-The response to resting in His steadfast love and mercy: “The Lord is my portion, therefore I will hope in Him.” The Lord is good to those who WAIT for Him, to the soul who seeks him.
God surprised me this morning through you Diane. 🙂 Praise Him. I am so glad you are here in our fellowship.
some of my long favorite verses Diane, so good– and the one that most says YOU to me, is 21 “But this I call to mind,and therefore I have hope…” I have watched you in your long storm–you cry out the pain and without fail, you turn back to the truth. You have had SO much turmoil, and YET, you call to mind His truths and that is the reason for your hope–such an example to me.
Good to put the whole lament — so often we just see the conclusion.
1. What stood out to you from the above and why?
I had a hard time picking one thing! This is a powerful post.
Two things stuck out. What Elizabeth said- she is broken but beloved yet finds it elusive-hard to believe. Oh I can identify. Yet Elizabeth’s example of how God pounds the Gospel in deeper by singing love songs to her reminding her that she is broken but beloved is beautiful. Even in my unbelief He comes-This is love-this is the Gospel-but when He comes I want to be receptive and let Him speak deep into my heart.
Also what Machelle said-Rules are a quick fix — the gospel takes a lifetime. OH HOW TRUE!! It is so easy to think a barometer of where I am at with God is by what I have or haven’t done. The opposite is true-As I let the Gospel ruminate deeper in-in the middle of struggling with belief-He helps me rest in His sacrifice/Love and only then can I let go of works righteousness. Yet I am not ‘there yet’ and I still don’t fully ‘get it’ because I still so easily doubt His love when I daily see my selfish heart!! When I feel naked I can pull back in unbelief! Yet, at the same time this is the friction of His hands shaping my clay-this is where He wants me-He is stripping me. I think as He strips me and shapes my faith-as I walk in the truth that His blood is enough, works flow from that. I won’t be wondering what more I need to ‘do’, or what I am not ‘doing’..
“as I walk in the truth that His blood is enough, works flow from that. I won’t be wondering what more I need to ‘do’, or what I am not ‘doing’..”
This stood out to me from you Rebecca, I had to go and look at one of my notes from todays sermon:
“A heart of compassion for the fallen world is a natural by-product of believing that Jesus loves me.”
Our speaker was a missionary who has spent a lot of his ministry in Haiti, he had a powerful message from James 2 for us about faith & works.
oooooh…so good Chris- ““A heart of compassion for the fallen world is a natural by-product of believing that Jesus loves me.” -oh this is good.
We are broken but His beloved-it is really really hard to judge others and not have compassion-even if the brokenness in others is caused by something they did to themselves-how can we pound them when we are so messed up ourselves-yet He loves us so so much He willingly died for us.
Chris is back! Hurrah.
Bless you Dee!
this is so real Rebecca–I SO identify “When I feel naked I can pull back in unbelief!” and yet, you always let Him draw you near, He is refining you into such beauty
Elizabeth-you are such a balm my sweet friend! 🙂 I know this sounds crazy-while I am confident in my identity in Him at the same time when I find myself struggling with thoughts and attitudes daily I think two things-1. God, I AM truly a mess! yet I am so grateful this mess is One with You.
“I AM truly a mess! yet I am so grateful this mess is One with You.” hearing a song in there dear friend!
Elizabeth, 🙂 I am afraid if you heard any of the songs I have written you would be thankful I am not a song writer!! 🙂
Oh this post! SO TIMELY-SO OF GOD. And oh how I love this “place”-this fellowship we have here! We had a wonderful retreat led by Dr. Derek Thomas, incredible teaching on suffering, hope, the Gospel. As he spoke a bit on Heaven last night, I felt this tension in me–and I asked the Lord all night to show me what it was because my whole life I have been homesick for Heaven, longed for it. This morning at church, I prayed during the offertory and fresh tears fell down my face. He showed me my tension, my heaviness last night was this feeling that I haven’t done my parenting job “well enough” for my standards–my kids weren’t where I wanted them to be yet–like I wanted them to be in a better place, or me to have done better before seeing Him face to face. OH. SO. NOT. THE. GOSPEL. I closed my eyes and my family worried as tears just fell down, but He gave me this image–standing strong, and holding one in each arm–they are His before mine, He has them. This is not about what I can do for them–it is His work, they are His. Such basic truths I seem to need to re-learn every day.
Then we sang this song: “Laden with guilt”
1. Laden with guilt and full of fears,
I fly to Thee, my Lord,
And not a glimpse of hope appears,
But in Thy written Word
The volumes of my Father’s grace
Does all my griefs assuage
Here I behold my Savior’s face
In every page.
2. This is the field where, hidden, lies
The pearl of price unknown
That merchant is divinely wise
Who makes the pearl his own
Here consecrated water flows
To quench my thirst of sin
Here the fair tree of knowledge grows,
No danger dwells within.
3. This is the judge that ends the strife,
Where wit and reason fail
My guide to everlasting life
Through all this gloomy vale
Oh may Thy counsels, mighty God,
My roving feet command,
Nor I forsake the happy road
That leads to Thy right hand.
Elizabeth, your post brought tears!! This is so timely and so where I am right now..I sense Him in your post and in Dee’s post this week, and in you..Grateful..
“They are His before mine, He has them”
Yes, yes, and it is such a relief.
I am glad for the timing and the message of this retreat for you dear Elizabeth.
“He gave me this image–standing strong, and holding one in each arm–they are His before mine, He has them” Elizabeth, this is a powerful visual, I can see how healing it would be…what a special gift from God to your heart!!!
Elizabeth, so glad to hear that the retreat was helpful and hopeful! Breaking away from the normal routine some times opens our eyes and hearts to new things…so glad you were able to go!
Rhonda–your prayer was the last I read of the blog before heading into the retreat–and I truly felt blessed by it the whole time. I did not know what the topic would be–but as he spoke on suffering and the Gospel, I just felt His presence so close.
So very glad He was near….!!!
He’s holding you in the storm, dear Elizabeth — and I’m so thankful.
I found the song intriguing, Elizabeth. I found a version of this song online. Is this the one you sang?
http://indeliblegrace.bandcamp.com/track/laden-with-guilt-and-full-of-fear-feat-sandra-mccracken
I like how the song tells us to turn to Scripture where we find the Father’s grace and the Savior’s face.
Diane–you are so good at finding things! Yes, that’s the one, love Sandra McCracken’s voice on that song.
What stood out to you from the above and why?
That the peace the gospel brings is elusive, we have to keep clinging to it & abiding in it.
It is so hard to rest in it somehow. We wish we could manufacture it, it seems to me, apart from Christ.
I see my own pride and stubborn independence in this, at bottom I wish I didn’t need to be needy. I don’t want it to take a lifetime, I want what I need now.
What a lot of yuck is under that rock in my heart.
What idol are you running to now most frequently?
Since I am eating a cake pop as I read this, my idol is my old stand by of comfort : {
How much I have surrendered in my life to this false friend.
What is it that you doubt about Christ that keeps you running to this idol?
I guess I must doubt that I can find Him as satisfying in this moment as I do the cake pop.
oh Chris, how I have missed you! Always digging deep, honest with real pain
This is so me, Chris. “I wish I didn’t need to be so needy. … I want it now”. I so appreciate your bold honesty.
This echoes my heart, Chris “ I see my own pride and stubborn independence in this, at bottom I wish I didn’t need to be needy. I don’t want it to take a lifetime, I want what I need now.”
What stood out to you from the above and why?
First I see the title, Love Songs for a (recovering) Idolater!! This statement stood out to me….it is an oxymoron of sorts!!! How can it be, so mind boggling? I love all the references to Hosea; I look forward to hearing the conversation surrounding that section of scripture.
Secondly, I see “the gospel takes a lifetime”…We actually talked about this idea at our church this morning…our pastor said (and I agree) that in his church experience the emphasis was on salvation and how the gospel relates to that particular moment in time but didn’t carry much weight beyond. I have often described it like this. I was guilty of a crime, at salvation Jesus came and paid my bond. In my world of conditionings, it pretty much stopped right there. I walked out of the prison with Him and He smiled and said…”Okay, kid…your on your own”…then I tried to live my Christian life from that point (still somewhat ashamed, guilty for what I had done and the fact of Him having to step into the mess) in my understanding, it was my responsibility to live righteous from there on out! I had no realization of sanctification or transformation (no one even talked about the Holy Spirit and His indwelling). I was told, “now, Jesus lives in your heart” to which I responded…”okay”…not having a clue what that really meant (practically). I was never told that the Holy Spirit was resident in me for the purpose of helping me to be transformed for the duration of my life, He was my teacher! Honestly, we didn’t talk about the Holy Spirit (He was a bit too scary!). So my understanding was that Jesus had paid my bond…and said…”you are on your own”…but that wasn’t TRUE, there was a lot more to the story.
He didn’t mean for us to walk outside the prison and part ways….No, No, No! He said, “I’m taking you home with me, I want to provide you a place to live, I want to meet your needs, I want to clean you up, I want to teach you, I want to give you understanding, guidance, love, comfort, nurture and the ability to choose a new life! It was then that I realized that I wasn’t carrying the death and burial and resurrection into the totality of my life, I was fixated back at the moment of salvation but I didn’t know what to do with it from there!
In this quandary He says, I am everything you need and it isn’t a bother or an inconvenience for me, I want to do this for you (I LOVE YOU CHILD!)….it is my absolute JOY (not only to free you but to give you life and life abundant)! You will never be alone…I am your resident counselor! This is MUSIC TO THE EARS OF A RECOVERING IDOLATOR FOR SURE!
2. What idol are you running to now most frequently? What is it that you doubt about Christ that keeps you running to this idol? I too still battle the food comfort…it is (perceived) as a “legal” idol for Christians! HA! More acceptable than other more overt idols…I feel like He wants me to be conscientious about this because in actuality it is a health issue (and He loves me and His desire is for my good). It isn’t from legalism….but a simple reminder of the quality of life that He longs for me to have. Food is an easy go to item…I want to always seek my comfort in HIM!
LOVE this Rhonda “.No, No, No! He said, “I’m taking you home with me”
Love you heart so much-
Sounds like you are in a great church, Rhonda!
Yes, I am so grateful!
I have to add a verse to this post….this verse spoke volumes to me during the time I was processing these ideas…so poignant and so true to my effort of self righteousness.
Galatians 3:3 – Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?
(My paraphrase) After receiving salvation by the Spirit (freedom of the bondage of prison)…are you gonna try to do the rest of your life through self striving (trying to create a life for myself and trying to pay my own way)?
Your prison imagery is powerful, Rhonda. Your picture that after salvation most Christian think (consciously or unconsciously) that they are “on their own” so good to ponder. As someone involved in leading others in the church, I think using this imagery may be helpful to helping others see that they are not on their own that they need to run to Jesus, lean on Jesus and learn from Him how to live. Jesus often spoke in pictures (parables). Thank you for giving me this one.
Rhonda,
I agree with Diane about the prison imagery being powerful.
I really resonate with the comfort/food issue thing. I have inflammation issues and my health suffers when I eat the things I like best, the things that want to enslave me. When I eat sweets & carbs I begin to crave them and soon find myself in their clutches.
I don’t want my god to be my stomach.
The ever present temptation makes it harder to avoid, I agree it is seen a a ‘legal’ sin. But I know I look to food for more than it is meant to be. I promise myself I am going to eat with thanksgiving and slowly, but I fail…..sigh
I hear you Chris. I have to be careful with blood sugars and cholesterol (diabetes and heart issues are prevalent in our family). What I am learning to do is to enjoy the beautiful GOOD foods…some times I have associated “good” foods with blandness. However, when wholesome foods are prepared with care they are pretty incredible! I often think of what I would eat if I was going to an upscale restaurant (sizes and quality) when I have that perspective, I eat feeling “valued”…I know that may sound silly but to me it is a helpful thought! I feel so much better when I am cognizant of my food intake…in the long run that overrides any struggle of feeling deprived! HA! However, I know there is a balance and I only have so much time to focus on this issue in life, I can do my part (in wisdom) but God’s grace covers this too! He is a festive God, the scripture tell us that…so, I too want to honor that aspect of my being (considering I am created in His image)! It is all a balance!
That doesn’t sound silly at all, I think I know exactly what you mean. When I take time to shop for and prepare healthy beautiful food, when I feel worth taking the time and effort it works well, and I don’t feel deprived.
But then there always seems to be so many reasons to celebrate, so many pulls to eating the wrong things for the wrong reasons, and mindless eating as I am doing something else, or in trying to be frugal I sometimes am reluctant to shop for the best choices.
Balance is hard to find sometimes!
“so many reasons to celebrate”…no truer statement! Ha! I find this to be true in my life too! I suppose that is a good thing for us in one regard…a struggle in another! HA!
Rhonda,
Your answer to #1. is one of the best descriptions of the gospel I have ever read and living the Christian life. Seriously!
Rhonda’s explaning the gospel that way helped me too.
Thank you Susan and Joyce, I remember when God gave me that visual…it was an “Aha” moment for me! I was so stuck at salvation…I didn’t even really know what I had been given…so amazing to look back at that time now and see how utterly confusion and paralyzed I was. Not having the whole picture was debilitating for me! Try, try, try…and continually fail…
Rhonda, great insights on our lifetime walk with Christ.
1. What stood out to you from the above and why?
“The gospel is such amazing news that we believe it, and then we don’t. We are like a woman picking petals of a daisy, saying, “He loves me. He loves me not.”
“Elusiveness” struck me…thinking about the mountain peaks and valleys of faith/belief. There are times when I am so very aware of the Lord’s presence, so sure of His love, mercy, justice, etc….I feel enveloped in love…and then there are other times when the Lord’s presence seems rather far and remote, I am distracted and lacking focus. I fully realize that this isn’t the Lord drifting from me, but just the opposite, I drifting from Him.
2. What idol are you running to now most frequently? What is it that you doubt about Christ that keeps you running to this idol?
Of late it seems more that of control…
I think to a large degree it is a form of security…I think that if I can maintain a certain semblance of control that things will be secure…I won’t be hurt and loved ones won’t be hurt by others. I know, silly thought. I guess I knew that control was an occasional idol, but I didn’t fully realize to what extent until I noticed myself recently making a sideways comment…I thought, oh my gosh, this is a control idol rearing its ugly head!
For those of you praying for Jay, he developed veno-occlusive disease (VOD); it is a complication of the transplant. Jay is very sick and was transferred to pediatric ICU late last week; he will be in the PICU until his symptoms are under control. Treatment for the VOD has begun; data shows that it is effective in 30-50% of cases.
Father, we pray for little Jay. We ask You to move ever nearer to him and his family at this time. I pray that they will feel the support of our prayers and that You will cup them in Your gentle hands. I pray that this treatment will be helpful and that you will give him a much needed reprieve and newness of life.
Nancy–I do so relate to this “I think that if I can maintain a certain semblance of control that things will be secure”–so my default.
Praying now for Jay, and poor Bridget and Travis–just unimaginable what they have been going through
So sorry for this news about Jay. We keep him before the Lord.
So sorry to hear about little Jay’s serious complications. Oh, my. I will pray.
Oh Nanci my heart aches for Jay and especially for his parents, I am praying now for them that they will trust and not doubt, that they will have a deep peace, and that the body of Christ will love and support them well.
I wanted share in the congratulations on your new granddaughter, she is just beautiful.
Thanks, Chris!
Jay’s suffering has been so intense; so sorry to hear of this setback. Praying…
Praying for little Jay, Nanci…..I am so sorry for this set back…poor little guy
This week’s words are so powerful! Speaks to where God is prompting me in my growth. Every day I have to remind myself the I am Beloved. A few years ago after reading THE LIFE OF THE BELOVED by Henri Nouwen and then hearing a meditation on it. The wonderful word stayed in my heart. I use it often when ministering to others saying “remember you are God’s Beloved”. Sometimes I want to “get the gospel” so that life becomes easier (like Jesus fixes everything). But in reality living a Gospel life requires attention, surrender, acceptance, discipline, prayer, fellowship with other Christians, study. It is constantly fluid as well as, glorious, rewarding, satisfying, energizing, a never ending adventure with the lover of my soul. And I have to remind myself I won’t arrive in this life.
The idol that I am focused on…..is approval and I am trying to replace it with healthy boundaries. I cannot experience the joy of being beloved if I am exhausted and overextended pleasing everyone. Sounds great……execution harder :).
I haven’t read the Nouwen book Sarahsal — thanks for recommending it!
How timely…about being a mother and God being the ultimate husband, never abandoning me like I have felt over and over again from my earthly husband. I already listened to the sermon. Was feeling very worn so I just downloaded the sermon, closed my eyes, and listened. It was very good.
I’m so glad it ministered to you, Krista.
Hi Dawn, I meant to respond to your post from last week…
“My 27 year old unmarried son just told us that his girlfriend is pregnant…with twins. I never wanted or expected any of my sons to have children out of wedlock. These will be our first grandchildren and while I absolutely couldn’t wait for grandkids this isn’t the way I would have chosen.”…
dear blog sister, I can truly say I know likely the thoughts and emotions you are feeling right now. When you are told something entirely unexpected and absolutely life-changing from your child it is shocking, numbing… This was my husband and my January 26 experience when our unmarried daughter announced totally unexpectedly that she was expecting. We took the stance that we loved her, would support her, but would not be enabling or overbearing. We were disappointed yet accepting that this was a turn that her life would take and there would be detours for other plans. I can tell you that bending to the side of grace was best…our “family” bond has deepened ten-fold and that precious little girl is a true blessing from God. Life has many twists and turns…I am thankful that God is in control and completely trustworthy. I’ll be praying for all involved in your similar situation…take good care, Dawn.
Thank you so much Nanci for your encouraging words. We had only met this girl once before this announcement, so we don’t know what to expect from all this. If I can be assured of being in the children’s lives it would be easier to handle. As you say we have to trust God for the outcome.
I just want to quickly thank you all for the prayers for my child–and I do want to clarify that this is not a life-threatening diagnosis. It’s not something I want my child to have–and I have cried more than I can say. But, I did feel the Lord speak strongly to me of this area of sin in my life. I run the path of worst-case scenario all the way to a crippling fear.
He has brought me through years of marital pain where I imagined the ultimate worst outcome; through health trials that have yet to manifest to my most dreaded picture. But now both my children–one deep in spiritual struggle, the other in a very different uncontrollable, undeserved struggle–so painful to sit and watch, unable to fix ANYthing.
My control idol has been screaming the past few days. I have run down that path of fear, because–I think that if I can just prepare myself for the worst, and swallow that bitter pill, then ‘I can handle anything’ What is that?? OH it hit me hard this weekend–my always-prepare-well-trained-girl-scout-self, has still been trying to rely on my own ‘preparedness’ instead of Christ alone. We stayed in Romans all weekend and I was so struck by the truth–we are, I AM, IN CHRIST. There is no condemnation for me–no performance necessary. I am in Him, His alone, and oh, I open my arms and run back home.
Oh Elizabeth-oh oh oh-this is so me… “I have run down that path of fear, because–I think that if I can just prepare myself for the worst, and swallow that bitter pill, then ‘I can handle anything’ What is that??” “Relying on my own preparedness instead of Christ alone.”
Love how you applied the Gospel-“I AM IN CHRIST”…”NO CONDEMNATION, NO PERFORMANCE NECESSARY.” and then this: “I am in Him, HIS ALONE and I open my arms and run back home.”
“my always-prepare-well-trained-girl-scout-self”….that is hysterical! 🙂 But what a great description of “control”!
As someone who also has a control idol, I can SO relate to your path of fear analogy, Elizabeth.
It is so much harder to rest and trust when it is your child that is suffering or rebelling.
We would gladly take the trial they are in upon ourselves as their parents if we could.
There is such comfort in remembering that that is just what God has done for us, through Christ.
Surely He is right now bearing your grief and carrying your sorrows dear Elizabeth.
Chris–these 2 lines are some of the most profound things you’ve written (which says a lot!)”We would gladly take the trial they are in upon ourselves as their parents if we could.There is such comfort in remembering that that is just what God has done for us, through Christ.”–OH, how your words just helped me grasp the Cross deeper–I have been thinking so much on what all I would do…and YES, He has taken MY trial on the Cross–wow. This is rich. Your deep deep suffering has made you oh so wise. And full of compassion. Thank you dear Chris, so thankful you are ‘back’.
It stands out as a truth that I don’t believe with everything that I am that GOD LOVES ME. So many things over the years have used that phrase it is almost a cliche and yet as I relinquish myself to Him he loves me and I get a glimpse of it. O want to grasp it, hold on to it, not dilute it with my failures and others expectations. There is nothing I can do and nothing I can’t do that diminishes HIS love for me.
I run to my idol of approval and o do so because I have never thought of myself as good enough, which I’m not anyway, only the blood of Christ reconciles . But each times I glimpse the massiveness of God s love I want to get on my knees and worship Him with total abandonment
Sherry, in reference to your thoughts on the phrase “God loves me”…yet “So many things over the years have used that phrase it is almost a cliche”.
I too had that same experience…and then I allowed myself to process God’s love through two totally different words. I began to think of His beauty and His goodness…and when I started looking at my life through those words, rather than the cliche phrase of “God loves me”…it led me to a deep meaningful place of thanksgiving and I began to feel His love! If we stop and look around at all God’s goodness and beauty…it really communicates His love with a different kind of voice. I know the conditionings that you are talking about (the numbness because of the cliches), some times finding a different word set can open our hearts to new and refreshing understandings of wonderful and true concepts like “the love of God”.
NOTICING the beauty around me and NOTICING His goodness in my life has made me feel His love (like nothing else)! Maybe that substitute wording would be helpful for you too, it was a great realization for me…just had to share!!!
Sherry — this is so good. This indeed is gospel transformation.
Sherry, “But each times I glimpse the massiveness of God s love I want to get on my knees and worship Him with total abandonment.” -Love this..
This week’s posts have already left me breathless. Your honesty and vulnerability are very moving. So much of what you have already written speak my story as well.
1. What stood out to you from the above and why? The image of the woman picking pedals off the daisy, “He loves me, He loves me not”. T. Keller’s quote, “My main problem is that I don’t really believe to the core that God loves me”. These two speak to me and my lifelong problem with honestly believing that God loves me. Rhonda’s post speaks to my soul. I can for some reason believe that He died for me along with the rest of humanity. But the idea that He loves me every single day with joy and delight. That can be a struggle for me.
“And when we doubt his love, we feel naked and want to cover ourselves somehow, so we go back to works righteousness, finding our identity in our success in our ministry, mothering or marriage”. That is what the world teaches us. If we want to be loved, we must do something to earn that love and do it well.
“Rules are a quick fix – the gospel takes a lifetime”. I generally like rules. I like knowing the boundaries. Rules call for obedience but often unthinking obedience. Obedience to not get into trouble. The gospel calls for a relationship and the obedience that comes from this relationship is based on mutual love (God for me and me for God) and that requires an act of my will. To trust Him even when I don’t see the way.
I have not read “Idol Lies” yet so I can’t comment on #2. I have heard parts of Dee’s discussion on Midday Connection and with the posts here, I can get an idea of idols. But I do want to do the study.
Jill, this idea of “I can for some reason believe that He died for me along with the rest of humanity” is so familiar to me too. I remember this feeling, it was like going to a kids birthday party and everyone getting the token goody bag! When in reality…God knows us as individuals, He meets us where we are…we are not a MASS of humanity to Him…my goody bag is very personal and yours is too! 🙂 He loves us sister, He love us!
1. What stood out to you from the above and why? The gospel is such amazing news that we believe it, and then we don’t. We are like a woman picking petals of a daisy, saying, “He loves me. He loves me not.” When I read this, I just thought “Yes, that is it, of course!”
Why doesn’t it stick?!! Intellectually I would at all times say I believe that God loves me that much, but then I find myself running around acting as if I don’t believe it.
2. What idol are you running to now most frequently? What is it that you doubt about Christ that keeps you running to this idol?
I still think the idol I keep running to most is “approval by others.” I found myself in that situation a couple of times last week, and then I was going around grumbling under my breath, “When am I going to learn?” and “I’m never going to do this again!” It seems incredible that I must not believe that Christ loves me completely, but that has to be the reason I behave this way.
Deanna, I can definitely relate to this part of your post…”I found myself in that situation a couple of times last week, and then I was going around grumbling under my breath, ‘When am I going to learn?” and “I’m never going to do this again!'”
Actually, I’m laughing because a few weeks ago, I did the smae thing. I sought out “approval” in a situation and I found myself asking the same questions (while pounding my forehead with my fist)HA! It is like a cyclical nightmare! HA! I’m learning but still occasionally try to beat on that same sealed door! So I can definitely empathize with you.
This might sounds weird but I think God created us with weakness (like bending to idols) Because we are designed to be in a symbiotic relationship with Him. God wants us to “need Him every hour”. We look for ease in our lives but we are designed to be dependent on God in all things which means we should be involved in life in a way that requires dependence on Him.
So, I’m in bed reading, chapter 3 of “the Sacred Echo” by Margaret Feinberg and come across this…just have to share it…
“He (John the Baptist) had banked his life, ministry, everything, on delivering the news that the much awaited One had arrived. Yet even after experiencing the ultimate baptism, doubt–the kind that makes you question everything you believe–still surfaced in John’s heart.”
how fitting for this week’s study…
Oh, my, what a powerful quote about John the Baptist yet somehow it is comforting that “doubt–the kind that makes you question everything you believe–still surfaced in John’s heart.” It is comforting because I have been there, and have felt like such a failure because my doubts were so fierce. It is powerful to note that Jesus did not rebuke John for his doubt, but gently reminded John that Jesus was the Messiah. I also note, however, that Jesus did not spring John from prison, but that John was beheaded there on the whim of an angry woman whom John had confronted for her adultery. Life is hard, and things may turn out badly on this earth, but God is still God. He has the bigger picture that we don’t see fully now.
Such a good illustration, Nanci. I think the time we are most prone to the enemy’s whisper, “He doesn’t really love you” is when we are suffering. It was when John the Baptist was in prison awaiting death that the enemy went after him…
Nanci, such a good book on prayer and listening!!! 🙂
1. What stood out to you from the above and why?
That gospel transformation takes time and intimacy with God is sometimes elusive. Waiting makes me nervous, like maybe I’m doing something wrong and that’s why I’m not seeing results.
2. What idol are you running to now most frequently?
Acceptance and approval.
What is it that you doubt about Christ that keeps you running to this idol?
That he’s going to fill me up emotionally. I feel depressed and anxious when I’m not feeling approved by those around me. It just increases as I wait.
Wow — so many of you are saying the same thing — may the Spirit of God help us to believe the love we saw at Calvary. Each of us. Oh God for today.
2. What idol are you running to now most frequently? What is it that you doubt about Christ that keeps you running to this idol?
Love this question. It is Comfort. When I run to my comfort idol I am not trusting that Jesus is my comfort-Isaiah 66:13. God compares himself to a mother caring for her child-when I think of that bond I can relate being a mom yet God loves me more!
I think of Jesus on the Cross loaded with compassion telling John to care for Mary.
This is what I have learned since we have had all these things happen recently-Having my life in order is like home, it brings comfort. When that order is interrupted and I am uncomfortable, I begin to worry-these things become a mountain. When I do that I am placing these things as more important than Him and I do that because I forget that He is all sufficient!! I think of Matthew 6:31-34: “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
2. What idol are you running to now most frequently? What is it that you doubt about Christ that keeps you running to this idol?
I think I answered this above with my control issues! I was thinking more on this, how I want to figure out what’s ahead so I can prepare myself…Elisabeth Elliot says this: “If the worst thing that can possibly happen does happen, as I have experienced in my life a couple of times, I can stand here and assure you that the grace is going to be there when you need it. However, the grace is not given for imaginations.” The last sentence is one Dee has quoted too—I always need that reminder. I see a link too, to the Israelites wanting to store up manna—in the same way, I want to ‘store up’ peace—but He is my DAILY bread, He gives me only enough grace, only enough peace, enough strength, food, for today, because He wants me to come back every day—in utter dependence.
Love this Elisabeth Eliot quote and SO TRUE! “the grace is not given for imaginations” only as we really need it. How we need to keep going back to the well DAILY for that Living Water!
The element of the text that stood out to me this morning was the quotation from Michelle: Rules are a quick fix–the gospel takes a lifetime. Wow. Yes. I get mad at myself because don’t “have it down” yet. I’ve been part of a Christian family all of my life, and I’ve been a steadfast believer in my own heart since my late teens. I feel like I should be doing the right things, saying the right things, no longer feeling some of the very low feelings that find their way in. I should be strong and vocal and active in service. I should be joy-filled! And I am…most of the time. But many days, I look at what I am not and what I wish to be, and I feel defeated.
The idol of perfectionism is a problem for me. I also set my motherhood as an idol from time to time, but I am more likely to turn to Christ on that one. I guess I forget that Christ loves my children more than I ever could. He sees them as he intended them to be: still growing and learning. I see them as the result of MY efforts. Totally wrong and quite silly, but the notion is hard to lay to rest.
So good and honest, Erica.
Thank you for your vulnerability Erica…trying to maintain that idol of perfection can be so heavy, I know! I am learning that embracing my imperfections can be gift…for me, it has allowed me to have better and more true relationships! 🙂
3. If you are a mother, or have a child in your life to whom you feel knit, share a time when you were ready to do anything to rescue him, no matter how embarrassing or how dangerous. Or when a parent did the same for you.
I know that I cannot even put words to the emotions behind this memory. We got the call my son was born at 2 am. We frantically bought airline tickets (one way because you have no idea what’s ahead) and got a rental car to ride from airport to the hospital. Maybe 12 hours after that call, we finally saw him. The case worker was saying something about drugs, problems…I kept hearing all kinds of horrible sentences, and then she said ‘so we will set up protective services to take…’ meaning that because things were so bad, ‘not what we signed up for’ she assumed we would now ‘walk away’? I looked at her and just said “that is my child” with this un-like me fearless and fierce mother-bear kind of feeling, that has only grown. I remember thinking that if the birth mother did not sign, I would go in and just take him, and run. I had seen a window in the room, our families on all sides are filled with lawyers…I was thinking through ALL of this in seconds, because all that mattered was that he is mine. I cry writing that. I still do every time I tell the story—the deep, deep, love is so over-whelming and beyond me. The other day this child reminded me that God loves him even more than I do and I thought yes, of course—so hard for me to imagine that it’s possible to love more than I do, but yes…and perfectly. And He loves me that much more too.
Thanks for sharing that memory, elizabeth. It helps me to know you better and what you went through (and go through). We have friends who adopted but went through difficulties because of the emotional states of the biological parents, not being sure for a year whether or not the adoption would be approved. It was very traumatic, but that child is dearly, fiercely loved for sure, as yours is.
Love this story. Wish I had a video of “That is my child.” God put that love in your heart.
Love your story…I, too, am an adoptive mother. And have seen my “Mama Bear” come out! I love the reminder of God loves my child more than I do. It was a promise I clung to during my kids’ rebelliousteen years.
Elizabeth, I love your heart to heart of your adoption of your son.
3. If you are a mother, or have a child in your life to whom you feel knit, share a time when you were ready to do anything to rescue him, no matter how embarrassing or how dangerous. Or when a parent did the same for you.
This is what is happening to me with my daughter Krista right now. She has been hurt and abandoned by her husband and I am a lioness (or a mother bear) who can hardly restrain myself from tearing her husband limb from limb in my desire to protect her and bring justice.
You are so in the midst of this!
Diane and Krista, I am so sorry for the hurt and abandonment that you are feeling right now…Lord, comfort my sisters and remind them of Your advocacy. Thank you for Diane’s protective heart and for using this to show Krista her love…bind up the wounds and embrace them with Your comforting arms.
3. If you are a mother, or have a child in your life to whom you feel knit, share a time when you were ready to do anything to rescue him, no matter how embarrassing or how dangerous. Or when a parent did the same for you.
This is what is happening to me with my daughter Krista right now. She has been hurt and abandoned by her husband and I am a lioness (or a mother bear) who can hardly restrain myself from tearing her husband limb from limb in my desire to protect her and bring justice. It is really hard to not take matters into my own hands. My control idol rears its ugly head almost constantly. The only thing which calms me down is to constantly return to His face in prayer and Scripture study. I cry to the Lord, sometimes reassured that He hears me and sometimes not so sure. When I am not so sure and doubts pound in my head like stormy surf, I rehearse God’s faithfulness in the past – not just His faithfulness to me for sometimes that is not enough, sometimes I must remember His faithfulness to people in the Bible and to others I know who have come through fiery trials and come out the other side still trusting in God. As Keller says, doctrine is important. I have to pound what I know about God from Scripture deeply into my brain and make it practical in my life for it is the rope I cling to in the midst of the raging storm.
D. In the end of verse 14, who may forget — and who will never forget? What does this mean to you?
Even though a mother can forget, on occasion from mental distress, yet God will NEVER FORGET. A mother may be imperfect and can fail, but God never does. This is profound to me. I once knew a mother who suffered from mental distress and did not bond with her child. The family had to have someone with her all the time to make sure she was OK and did not harm herself or her baby. But through prayer, counselling and loving support, she is alright now, is lovingly caring for her child and has just had another baby whom she loves dearly. It was sad and difficult, but she is healed. However, God NEVER forsakes us. There is no way we can be forsaken or harmed by God. His heart is always for us.
E. Why, according to verse 16, will God not forget us? Can you see the gospel in this? Explain.
Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.
The words “engraved you on the palms of my hands” can mean to be “cut into” the palms of the hands and the feet. There is definitely a gospel picture here of Jesus engraving us in his hands and feet with the nails that were driven into his hand and feet at the crucifixion. Wow! I never really saw the depths of this verse before!
Even after the resurrection the scars on his hands and feet were still there as constant reminders of us and the sacrifice He paid. This should really make us shout for joy as vs. 13 recommends. We are weak and wounded sinner, but he rescued us at great personal price, because of His great love for us.
This reminds me of a song (well several songs really but I will just give you the first verse of one of them):
How deep the Father’s love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That he should give his only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns his face away
That wounds, which mar the Chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory
Diane–this is one of my favorites–so glad you posted it and I will meditate on it today-how deep His love is
3. If you are a mother, or have a child in your life to whom you feel knit, share a time when you were ready to do anything to rescue him, no matter how embarrassing or how dangerous.
When my oldest was in 1st grade (or grade 1 for my Canadian friends) he kept telling me that there were some boys that picked on him during recess and even though I had 3 other kids at home (4, 2, and 1) I packed them up everyday, drove to the school and watched my son at recess. I was ready to march out there and tell those boys off if I saw anything amiss. Fortunately, it never happened.
Well, first…I have to say that Isaiah 49 and Isaiah 54 have been light to me in seasons of immense darkness. I actually have an old cassette player and I recorded (myself) reading Isaiah 49…I would play this every morning as I got dressed for work. I suppose I could have listened to the passage on my mp3 Bible and received the content; however, there was something very healing and necessary about reading it MYSELF (ALOUD), more sensory involvement! I could hear my own voice, the inflections, the emotion and the emphasis…that was very important to me…
3. If you are a mother, or have a child in your life to whom you feel knit, share a time when you were ready to do anything to rescue him, no matter how embarrassing or how dangerous. Or when a parent did the same for you.
Well, I am not a mother but I do have a story concerning one of my nephews, as a matter of fact, I shared it with him just the other day (and we both laughed!) We were at a kid’s event and he was just a little guy. He was mixed in and horsing around with a group of older kids (they were a couple of years older, the age of his brother), he was accustomed to interacting with them; however, this day I saw one of the older kids roughing him up (pretty intensely). I watched for a minute and then it was like a volcano erupted. I marched towards them with direct precision and proceeded to have a loud and direct conversation with the older boy. To this day (grown up now), I think he still perceives me to be a “bear”! Ha! I can only put up with that stuff so long!!!
4. Read Isaiah 49:13-16
A. In verse 13, what does the Lord tell all of creation to do and why? Shout, rejoice and burst into song!!! Because the Lord is compassionate and comforting to those who are afflicted!
B. In verse 14, how are God’s people feeling? Forsaken and forgotten
C. What word picture is painted in verse 15? What spiritual, physical, and emotional factors make it difficult for a mother to forget her nursing baby? The word picture is a mother nursing her newborn baby. Well, I imagine a newborn would be hard to forget simply because of the cries! Also, I can imagine that carrying a child (in such a personal way) for 9 months creates a physical, emotional and spiritual bond! This child is a product of a mutual bond and ones self, I would think that this alone would make it difficult to forget a child!
D. In the end of verse 14, who may forget — and who will never forget? What does this mean to you. This verse helps me to put things in perspective. Having certain expectations of humanity can be very painful at times, expecting that the nurture etc…would come naturally…however, being able to see God’s character in the midst of fallible humanity and understanding that HE WILL NEVER FORGET ME…I think it is His grace filled message to a broken world system…He doesn’t forget ANYONE in His comforting abilities!
E. Why, according to verse 16, will God not forget us? Can you see the gospel in this? Explain. We are engraved on His hands. I see the gospel in that His hands and feet were pierced…leaving marks (Thomas saw them)….these marks are a constant reminder of US (as individuals) as His children. He doesn’t forget or forsake!
If you are a mother, or have a child in your life to whom you feel knit, share a time when you were ready to do anything to rescue him, no matter how embarrassing or how dangerous. Or when a parent did the same for you.
Honestly this question opened a floodgate of failure memories to me. I had to stop thinking about them.
In verse 13, what does the Lord tell all of creation to do and why?
The understanding that God see our suffering, he comforts and has compassion on his afflicted ones, should bring forth rejoicing from creation.
In verse 14, how are God’s people feeling?
Forgotten & forsaken
What word picture is painted in verse 15?
The tender picture of a nursing mother
What spiritual, physical, and emotional factors make it difficult for a mother to forget her nursing baby?
I was youngest in my family, I had never been around babies, I didn’t really long for them like other little girls did. I preferred animals, horses & dogs. When I became pregnant at 16 I was nervous about being a mom. I was really scared that I would not know what to do and even that I wouldn’t like my baby. When Josh was born I was overwhelmed with love for him. I wanted everyone to leave us alone together, I was bonded instantly to him in a way I had not imagined possible. That unexpected rush of love and caring has always made it hard for me to hear of mothers who abandon or even harm their newborns. My emotions were so powerful, I can not imagine anyone being able to override those mothering instincts.
In the end of verse 14, who may forget — and who will never forget? What does this mean to you.
People may forget, human love may fail, I may fail, I will fail, but God never will, he has ME engraved on the palms of his hands, Amazing Love, unmerited favor, I am worth something to him.
Thanks for hanging on, despite the floodgate of memories.
Love the memory you shared of Josh. Wow. You were just a baby yourself.
LOVE the passion you have for your children Chris, and this story of Josh–I can picture you, so full of love.
Chris, you were just a baby (wow)…what a story of courage and motherly love!!!
Sunday/Monday: Ice-breaker
1. What stood out to you from the above and why? – Elizabeth’s reminder is so good. To remind myself I am forgiven of all the things I said or did but shouldn’t or that I should have said or done but didn’t. I need to remember this but take it a step further and do something about it. I need to rely on God to help me get thru those times. When needing to say something I need to seek The Lord and ask him to lift me up thru it and give me the words I need to say so it is accepted by the other as not demeaning but accountability and to help me not say accusing things. I need so much help in this area lately that I need to make this a priority to seek Him in all things before I do or say anything.
2. What idol are you running to now most frequently? What is it that you doubt about Christ that keeps you running to this idol? – For me lately it is fear of confrontation if that is an Idol. I do not like confrontation to begin with and yet there are things I need to say to my husband but fear the defensiveness I get when I talk about the issue. I guess what I doubt would be that God would not be able to soften my words so my husband doesn’t think I’m picking on him or my stepson but that I’m just trying to get “us” back on track to a more relaxed and stress free relationship.
Julie–I will pray right now for your situation with your husband–I can imagine there must be so much emotion and sensitivity. Praying for wisdom with words and timing, for your husband to hear and understand your heart, and for peace.
4. Read Isaiah 49:13-16
A. In verse 13, what does the Lord tell all of creation to do and why?
SING! Because the Lord comforts and has compassion on His own!
B. In verse 14, how are God’s people feeling?
Forgotten, alone, lost in the wilderness.
C. What word picture is painted in verse 15? What spiritual, physical, and emotional factors make it difficult for a mother to forget her nursing baby?
I saw an Imax movie on a recent field trip with one of my kids. It was on the polar bear—and there was a clip of the mama bear with her 2 cubs, in a desperate situation where they were growing very hungry and malnourished because of the climate (my brain is foggy on the details as I was watching kindergarteners!), but then they show the mama bear, growing weak and thinner, but still nursing her 2 cubs at one time. There is a God-given instinct in a mother’s heart, I believe through all of nature that even super-cedes biology—where we will put their needs before our own. Babies are created utterly dependent upon their mother in every possible way.
D. In the end of verse 14, who may forget — and who will never forget? What does this mean to you.
As hard as it is to imagine, He says a mother may forget—but the Lord will NEVER forget me. Oh there is much weight in these words for me. I have heard stories of being literally ‘forgotten’ different times as a baby, being the youngest of many, I guess it happens. But the feeling of being ‘forget-able’ is one that the enemy planted in me in my young years. To let the Truth sink in that NO, I am not forgettable, and never ever have I been forgotten by the One—the Love that Will Not Let Me Go (a song that’s been running through my heart since starting this lesson!)
E. Why, according to verse 16, will God not forget us? Can you see the gospel in this? Explain.
I am written on His hands. One His hands, ever before Him, He is reminded of us—the same hands that are nailed to the Cross because of my sin. Even then, at the Cross, my name is still before Him—and His compassion for me
3. If you are a mother, or have a child in your life to whom you feel knit, share a time when you were ready to do anything to rescue him, no matter how embarrassing or how dangerous. Or when a parent did the same for you. – For me it would have to be Kyle. After my divorce Kyle was very angry at me but I believe it was meant for his dad but I was the parent there to last out at. I took him to many counseling sessions, was there when he got arrested as a juvenile for stealing and was there to lift him up from all of that. His anger got to be more than I could handle and I was having to care of Justin my youngest at the same time. I tried everything. Speaking to the devil that was in him to come out to more counseling sessions to reviewing a home I could send him to to get help. But in the end what I did was give him over to The Lord to take care of. I cried out to Him that I can’t do this anymore and that you Lord need to deal with him now. I was there still for him as a mom and did what I needed to do as a mom for an underaged child but that was all. Nothing more. He eventually joined the Army and realized what he did and how he acted to the point of apologizing to me. I can see again today that the enemy has a hold on him and I need to do again what I did in the past and give him over to God to handle and just pray, pray and pray some more for him to hear the voice of The Lord and feel his presence, peace and comfort.
Oh Julie…so hard. I’m praying for Kyle.
me too, praying for Kyle, and for Laure’s son Joshua
I need to do again what I did in the past — oh, isn’t that our process?!
1. What stood out to you from the above and why?
Everything! This morning after completing devotions God gave me Is:43 vs 1 and 4.
I was calling out Him name. Of course crying out how I need His love. To receive love and give love. That God loves me no matter what.
His presence is what I require.
The name of Jesus! Yeshua! There is something just so beautiful about that name and how it frees me.
This morning I was just crying Jesus I need you!
Your love.
To be loved and to love.
Sometimes in my life I get frozen emotionally and I just cut off from the others and the world
Self-preservation but it does not work.
I need Jesus too much for that to happen.
2. What idol are you running to now most frequently? What is it that you doubt about Christ that keeps you running to this idol?
That I am strong enough.
That I don’t need Jesus or maybe it is b/c I just simply cannot grasp His love for me or His care of me.
Emotional pain and garbage can be an idol.
But
God washes me clean with His words and the Precious Holy Spirit comforts and holds me.
It is fear that is my idol -doubt, despair and dread- but God is setting me free by the reading of His word.
Fear that I will not be loved or that I am not loveable but God reassures me His word that He loves me no matter what.
I wrote this a while back
Sometimes when I worship – I dance in the spirit-
Waiting sometimes is sitting quietly
with arms raised
Sometimes it is dancing, shouting
Dancing throughout my house
Sometimes it is crying with tears
Streaming down my/your face
Sometimes it is wandering
Touching, putting things down
Putting things in place
Hiding
Taking them out again
Cautiously checking
The feet become restless
Again to dance
To have hands raised up
To have movement in the morning
In the stillness, In the quietness
With arms raised
I embrace the quiet dance of waiting
Written by
Mellany
Mellany…thank you for sharing your lyrical creation with us! “I embrace the quiet dance of waiting”…waiting is a quiet dance for sure what a beautiful way to express that concept!
I agree with Rhonda — love your lyrical dance
I found an interesting article today that spoke to me and might be helpful for many of us going through “affliction”. It is about Joseph in Egypt bearing fruit during his affliction.
Here is a few lines:
“I want God to END my affliction, and then I want to be fruitful in the beautiful land I imagined would be God’s best for His children. However, like Joseph, I am powerless to end whatever troubles plague me, and I get impatient waiting for God to move. It is in those moments that I wrestle with God, “How can I do what You have called me to do in THESE circumstances?!”
“Once I calm down and take an objective look at Scripture, it finally hits me that no one in Scripture seems to be very fruitful EXCEPT in the land of their affliction. In fact, you can argue from Scripture that suffering, affliction, and death to self are essential to God’s plan for fruitfulness in His children.
John 12:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”
Here is the link:
http://www.theologyforwomen.org/2013/04/fruitful-in-land-of-my-affliction.html
WOW Diane. This brought tears. I follow this blog but don’t always read it and missed this one–it’s SO fitting. “God has a plan to bear fruit in our lives not just despite the affliction and struggles we wish would leave our lives but through those very struggles, using them as the actual conduit for this fruitfulness.”
Thank you so much for sharing,I’m printing it for reference. I seem to so easily forget these truths.
Diane, what a great article. Fruitful IN affliction. Such a hard but comforting concept to grasp…some times I think I have seen “affliction” as wasted time! But truly the scripture shows us that this idea is not true! Thank you for sharing this with us…great thoughts to consider!
Elizabeth introduced me to this blog and I too recommend it!
Thank you Diane.
I read this yesterday, and the timing was powerful.
John 12:24 is a verse that came to me at a time of huge struggle one night while we were in the hospital.
One of our pastors had said, in a most loving way, to me that day about our unbelievable trial “this is not about you”, as I had a rare opportunity to sleep that night (I never slept longer than 4 hours in the hospital) I was exhausted and stricken, I laid down not trying to think at all, hoping not to think but just be able to fall asleep, John 12:24 came clearly and loudly into my mind. I am still hoping to unpack all that this is meant to mean.
I am listening to classical music on Pandora and just as I finished posting this ‘Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing’ began to play.
I am having a tearful time this morning
Chris, thanks so much for your words of encouragement. There is much to ponder about John 12:24. I went right to “Come Thou Fount of every blessing” by Fernando Ortega. It is so powerful. So sorry you are struggling. Press into Him. He will meet you there, my friend.
From Scotty Smith’s blog today on Gospel Coalition, I especially appreciated the 2nd sentence here: “Oh, the arrogant pride of thinking that by our “good parenting” we can take credit for what you alone graciously do in the lives of our children. Oh, the arrogant unbelief of assuming that by our “bad parenting” we forever limit what you will be able to accomplish in the future.”
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/scottysmith/2013/04/15/a-prayer-for-parenting-by-grace-and-faith-not-fear-and-pride/
Thanks for this, Elizabeth. I appreciated the prayer offered on the blog – for parents and grandparents.
3. If you are a mother, or have a child in your life to whom you feel knit, share a time when you were ready to do anything to rescue him, no matter how embarrassing or how dangerous. Or when a parent did the same for you.
When my son was about 2 he hid from me in a department store. I was frantically running around screaming for people to lock the doors (it was a store that all doors opened to the street and he was precocious enough to get them open). How embarrassing to think back, but I was truly afraid. He ended up being under a clothing rack! Bad child!
I have had at least one of these events with each of my four kids. It is an awful feeling to think you might have lost your child. I think of the commercial about “life alert,” where the mom has lost her child and the kid pushes the button and gets a representative from the company on the phone. She calls the mom and guides her to the boy. It makes me nearly cry everytime!
3. If you are a mother, or have a child in your life to whom you feel knit, share a time when you were ready to do anything to rescue him, no matter how embarrassing or how dangerous. Or when a parent did the same for you.
When my younger daughter, Wendy, was 4 years old, we went to visit my sister-in-law’s family in Long Island, NY. They wanted to take our family to a huge flea market that was held on the Roosevelt Race Track. There were at least 9 in our party, and we were sort of scattered out as we wound our way through the tables of vendors. At one point I had looked back and had seen Wendy with her Aunt Yvonne, but later I looked back and Wendy was nowhere to be seen!! Panicked, I ran back to Yvonne and learned that she hadn’t realized that we were depending on her to watch Wendy, and she had no clue. I began dashing through the crowd (against the grain, of course)trying to locate her. Thankfully Wendy had remembered our standard instructions in case she ever got separated from us: STAND STILL, LET US FIND YOU! After about 5 minutes we did find her – whew!!
Now both of my daughters are in their 40s. Three years ago my older daughter, Karen, went through a bout with cervical cancer. At the beginning of her illness, one of the tests she had to have was a PET scan. Radioactive material was injected into her, and she was going to have to sit all alone in a room for at least an hour before the scan could be performed. Knowing she was emotionally fragile at that time, I couldn’t bear the thought of her sitting there all alone. I asked if I could be in the room with her to keep her company. They said I could, even though there was some slight risk with the radiation, and I believe I recall having to sign a waiver. They did say I wasn’t the first mother to make such a request!! She ended up doing chemo and radiation simultaneously. So far, Praise God, all of Karen’s follow-up tests have shown no signs of cancer, and I have shown no signs of ill effects.
Deanna, the story about sitting with your daughter is so sweet…a beautiful act of love for sure! So wonderful to hear the good health report!!!
Love these portraits of a mother’s love Deanna
4. Read Isaiah 49:13-16
A. In verse 13, what does the Lord tell all of creation to do and why? Shout for joy, rejoice, burst into song.
B. In verse 14, how are God’s people feeling? They are feeling forsaken.
C. What word picture is painted in verse 15? The sweet, secure image of a mother nursing her baby.
What spiritual, physical, and emotional factors make it difficult for a mother to forget her nursing baby? There are all of those kinds of bonds that develop between the mother and baby. Nursing is an intensely intimate experience in all those ways.
D. In the end of verse 14, who may forget — and who will never forget? What does this mean to you. God will never forget me, will protect me and sustain me.
4. Read Isaiah 49:13-16
A. In verse 13, what does the Lord tell all of creation to do and why?
Shout and sing for joy because the Lord will comfort and has compassion for us.
B. In verse 14, how are God’s people feeling?
They are feeling (like I do now) that the Lord has forgotten them.
C. What word picture is painted in verse 15? What spiritual, physical, and emotional factors make it difficult for a mother to forget her nursing baby?
The picture is the mother nurturing her baby. Well, when I nursed my babies I felt connected to them as I have never felt connected to anyone before. Especially the first. Maybe that’s why it is so hard to let them go. They don’t remember that connection as I do. The bond was both physical and emotional; I’m not really sure it was spiritual though. Not at the time? Now I think it means more to me than it did then, spiritually that is.
D. In the end of verse 14, who may forget — and who will never forget? What does this mean to you.
The mother may forget, but not the Lord.
E. Why, according to verse 16, will God not forget us? Can you see the gospel in this? Explain.
He will not forget because it is “engraved in his palms.” I don’t get the “walls before me” bit though. Yes the gospel is there the nails in His palms. Does it mean that we put up walls and He will still always be there for us? I can see that.
6. Read Isaiah 54:4-8
A. What negative emotions is God going to wipe away, according to verse 4? Shame, disgrace, humiliation
B. How does He identify Himself in verse 5? (Was there ever a husband like this?) Your Maker, the LORD Almighty, the Holy One of Israel, your Redeemer; God of all the earth
C. Describe his emotions toward us in verses 6 through 8? deep compassion, everlasting kindness, I will have compassion on you
D. How do you see both the truth and mercy of the gospel in this passage?
The truth is there was “shame and reproach” and “For a brief moment I abandoned you”, truth says “In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment”.
His mercy is seen in these phrases, “you will not be put to shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated”, “You will forget the shame of your youth”, “I will remember no more the reproach”, “The LORD will call you back”, “I will bring you back”, “I will have compassion on you”
E. In what ways do you need to repent before Him? Write them here and let him have compassion on you.
I need to repent of doubt and selling God short in my actions and attitudes…He is able and I need to remember this…
1. What stood out to you from the above, and why?
“At the end of one message we heard on Job this last Lent, Tim Keller astonishingly says: “My main problem is that I don’t really believe to the core that God loves me.” We look at our lives, our “failing Lents,” and see darkness and think, How could He love me? And when we doubt His love, we feel naked, and want to cover ourselves somehow, so we go back to works righteousness, finding our identity in our success in our ministry, mothering, or marriage. Or we go running to our idols, trying to take the pain away.”
Even though God has shown his love in innumerable ways, it seems incredible that He could keep on loving me. Sure, he could do that one-time thing; rescue me from my past sins, but to commit to the long haul? And yet He has given so many glimpses in daily (and lifetime) mercies of His faithfulness. Somehow my slow grasp of sanctification doesn’t seem to faze Him, although it does me.
2. What idol are you running to now most frequently? What is it that you doubt about Christ that keeps you running to this idol?
Probably my comfort idol. For me that would be burying myself in books – too much of a good thing! What do I doubt? Perhaps that Christ can meet me in the dailyness of life and use me the way I am.
Could he commit to the long haul? Love these honest doubts expressed that echo in our hearts. And yes, we know the answer is yes!
Diane2-loved this “it seems incredible that He could keep on loving me”–amazing Love, how can it be?!
1. What stood out to you from the above and why?
First – the picture of the woman lying awake in the night…how many (most) nights that is me…my thoughts anxiously jumping from one thing to the next…fears, worrying, and it seems that the enemy loves to attack in the dark hours of the night…whispering guilt and condemnation and bringing to mind past mistakes.
My dad shared with me the other night how he couldn’t sleep because of all he had on his mind. I found myself telling him the story of how when Peter got out of the boat to walk on the water to Jesus, he was doing okay until he started looking around at the waves. Then he began to sink. I told my dad it would be helpful if he read some Scripture before going to bed or prayed to get his eyes back onto Jesus and off of his circumstances. I realized I was preaching to myself as much as to him.
Second – “the gospel is such amazing news that we believe it, and then we don’t.” Yes – I do the “He loves me, He loves me not” thing all the time. I well remember the sermon where Keller said he struggles to believe at his very core that God loves him. To live in His love in a constant state is elusive…just when I think I’ve grasped that He loves me, it slips away and the doubt begins to creep back in.
Remember in the beginning when I always was getting you and Elizabeth mixed up? You can see why!
Susan–LOVE LOVE this truth you spoke to your Dad ” he was doing okay until he started looking around at the waves”–oh how I need to remember that! So much wisdom He has instilled in you–and how He is using you to minister to your Mom and Dad, just amazes me.
Susan, in this post I hear you saying…”DON’T LOOK DOWN, DON’T LOOK DOWN”…thank you for encouraging your dad and through those words encouraging us!
Susan- “To live in His love in a constant state is elusive…just when I think I’ve grasped that He loves me, it slips away and the doubt begins to creep back in.” -oh how I can relate-it is daily, minute by minute. Just love your heart Susan.
Susan, how is your mom doing with the idea of selling the house? Praying that you will have fruitful spiritual conversation with her, that you will be assured that she has trusted Christ.
6. Read Isaiah 54:4-8
A. What negative emotions is God going to wipe away, according to verse 4?
Shame, disgrace or dishonor
B. How does He identify Himself in verse 5? (Was there ever a husband like this?)
Maker, husband, Lord of hosts, Holy One of Israel, your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth
It is interesting that there are so many titles for God piled on top of each other in this verse, as if to emphasize the seriousness of who God is, who it is who is our husband, our holy, pure kinsman-redeemer, and avenger.
C. Describe his emotions toward us in verses 6 through 8?
Great compassion, everlasting love, overflowing anger for a moment
I was a bit shocked to think about God’s anger toward me. It is like my brain did not want to contemplate that God might have some justifiable anger toward me. Anger is always portrayed in my head as a negative emotions, even though I know it is sometimes justifiable, eg. in the case of injustice. To think of God’s justifiable anger at me for my sin is difficult to contemplate because anger, especially God’s anger scares me. Yet I deserve it. I must face up to the fact that daily I deserve His anger. Yet I believe that Jesus took that justifiable anger upon Himself when he hung on the Cross and that is why He cried out “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me.”
So, the anger that I deserve was carried for me upon Jesus’ shoulder, and what I get now is compassion, the type of deep love that comes from a place deeper still than a mother feels for her child (that word compassion comes from the word for “womb”), and an everlasting love and faithfulness.
7. Read Isaiah 42:3
I’ve often wondered where the saying, “God will not give you more than you can bear” came from. I think this is it. He knows our frame, He know what we can take, and He is filled with compassion. How does this minister to you right now?
That is such a beautiful story about your mother’s passing, Dee. How trusting God allowed her to surrender herself to Him in death. Over and over again, as I have walked in this dark valley, I have felt that I have reached the end of my ability to cope, fears almost drowning me. Recently, I had reached such a point again and struggled for days, close to the breaking point, crying out to the Lord. In one such moment, God put His hand on me and said, “You know the truth of my crucifixion, but you need to remember the power of My Resurrection.” That same power that changed the disciples from fearful hiding into bold proclaimers of the truth of the gospel is MINE. Once again, God touched me and gave me the power to go on, to hope, to trust. He gave me a strength that is not my own but His power to face whatever came.
2Ti 1:7
for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Phl 3:10
that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
I need His power daily, and He gives it, as I turn to Him and lean in on Him for the power of His Resurrection in the midst of sharing His Sufferings. As an article I read yesterday says,
“God has a plan to bear fruit in our lives not just despite the affliction and struggles we wish would leave our lives but through those very struggles, using them as the actual conduit for this fruitfulness. God uses the hardest parts of the story of believer after believer in Scripture to bear beautiful fruit for His name. This is His calling card.“
Love how you keep speaking the truth and pressing in during this trial Diane (and Krista)
What a rich and beautiful study this week! Thank you for all these pictures. And all His word! So great!
We have a boy! Isaiah will be his first name which means God saves. 🙂 very soon we will have an official court date before the judge but as of now no one can change their mind. It is all legally binding forever! Thank you all for prayers and encouragement traveling this journey with us! Love you all!
Beautiful name! Praise the Lord!
Oh Angela…congratulations! I love that name…so beautiful and so thoughtful! I know you are overjoyed! 🙂
ANGELA! HALLELUJAH! HOW EXCITING. THIS IS ALSO SUCH A PICTURE OF GOD’S LOVE FOR US — YOUR LOVE FOR LITTLE MAN — REJOICING IT IS PERMANENT!
ISAIAH. PERFECT.
“We have a boy!” Welcome Isaiah! What a gift it is to share in the welcoming home of this little man we have prayed so long for! Rejoicing with you all, Angela!
Praise God Angela!!! Yeah! Rejoicing with you! Love his name. 🙂
Angela, What wonderful news! We thank God for such a gift! Love that he is named Isaiah — especially when we are studying in Isaiah this week. So timely! 🙂
Angela,
Such wonderful exciting news…so thankful that God has placed this little man in your family to be loved and cherished – many blessings to you all!
Rejoicing with you Angela, how is Isaiah reacting to the news?
Praying right now for a deep feeling of security to grow in him and for God to knit your family together in love.
Congratulations, Angela…may the Lord’s blessings continue to flow over your family!
Angela that is so wonderful!!! I am so happy for your family and perfect name for little man!!!
Congratulations, Angela!
Congratulations – what wonderful news for all of you!
8. How might this aspect of the gospel help you today?
Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.
If we don’t really see ourselves as sinners, then we don’t need God’s rescue, God’s forgiveness. We are “just fine, thank you very much”.
As a lifelong member of a Christian family, taught the Scriptures from childhood and a lifelong “striver to please”, I can frequently convince myself that I don’t really have any sins to confess. Like the rich young ruler, “all these have I kept from my youth up”. I can be so proud of myself, even while feeling humble. Yeck, the heart is so deceitful.
As I read the passage in Isaiah 54:8 where God says, “8 In overflowing anger for a moment I hid my face from you,” it was like a slap across the face. What? God is angry with me? I thought God loved me! Ah¸ yes! He does love me, but not because I deserve it. He died for me to take God’s anger away. Yet, even today, daily, I deserve His anger. I am proud, lazy, critical, fearful, and on and on, my list of sins of thought, if not of deed, could go on. God’s anger? Yes, I deserve it, and He actually feels anger toward my sinfulness. But then, He loved me so much that He forgave – incredible, amazing, awesome.
love your humility Diane, but oh how I am praying you continue to feel His deep, deep love for you amidst your terribly trying storms
3. If you are a mother, or have a child in your life to whom you feel knit, share a time when you were ready to do anything to rescue him, no matter how embarrassing or how dangerous. Or when a parent did the same for you.
4. Read Isaiah 49:13-16
A. In verse 13, what does the Lord tell all of creation to do and why?
To shout for Joy, rejoice and burst into song because God comforts His people and has compassion on those who are afflicted.
B. In verse 14, how are God’s people feeling?
Abandoned and forgotten by Him.
C. What word picture is painted in verse 15? What spiritual, physical, and emotional factors make it difficult for a mother to forget her nursing baby?
The word picture is a baby at a mother’s breast and the beautiful, sacrificial love and bond that is there-hard to explain but our babies are a part of us mom’s and our love goes so deep and is unconditional and sacrificial. How could we ever forget? Yet because we are in a fallen world there are those of us who do.
4. D. In the end of verse 14, who may forget — and who will never forget? What does this mean to you.
A mother may forget but God will NEVER forget. This means God will never ever ‘forget’..When I think of ‘forget’ I think of neglectful which is the opposite of “mindful”. I looked up “mindful” and loved the synonyms. God is constantly, like a stream, aware of every second of our day-of every fiber in us. He isn’t merely just aware but He is attentive, careful, heedful, regardful, and thoughtful.
I think of how imperfect I am as a parent-how finite and how I can’t really know and see my boys hearts, yet He can and He is mindful of them.
Also, I think of my dad and how when they got a divorce I felt abandoned-my dad’s intent wasn’t to hurt us it was that he forgot and believed a lie back in the 70’s that we would be okay if he pursued his comfort idol. I felt as if my security, my foundation had been ripped apart and my dad who is my rescuer did the opposite-I felt abandoned. This is what made it hard for me for so many years to see God like a mother-mindful, attentive, thoughtful, nurturing and desiring to be intimately close with me-and when I fail He will never leave me!
I can’t help but compare myself to Beth-who struggled after she was adopted to trust that Steve and Dee really did love her and wouldn’t abandon her. It’s almost as if she tested them which is what I did with God. At first in the honeymoon time I sensed Him strongly-and clung to Him, but over time I acted out as Beth did-I would close up and back away from God with every failure-with every doubt that He could love a wretch like me-but like Steve and Dee, God came to me and didn’t wait for me to get my act together and love Him first-He was so long suffering with me-for over 20 years! These past 3-4 years have been a deep well to me-He led me out of the wilderness and to Dee’s blog and had me really deeply gaze at Him on the cross and see His willingness to sacrifice everything He is for me for He is intensely jealously passionate for me. So He took me out of the cleft and took me deeper in-YET I HAVEN’T GONE INTO THE DEEPER WATERS YET! Hard to imagine but He wants to take me higher with Him. I am getting more and more glimpses of what an expulsive power of a new affection means, and am growing more confident-yet humbled also that He won’t forsake me when I fail. 🙂 As Elizabeth said-I am broken, but His beloved. How I need to be reminded of His love daily.
This is rich Rebecca, from closing up and backing away, to trusting and going higher in confident humility.
I agree with Chris — so insightful, Rebecca.
Rebecca–the last paragraph, especially beautiful-oh how your heart radiates of His beauty–truly!
Rebecca, you are so loved. This weeks serman should help you to see how much God loves you….I couldn’t wait to hear it!
E. Why, according to verse 16, will God not forget us? Can you see the gospel in this? Explain.
He has engraved me on the palms of His hands! The same wrists I nailed to the cross. This totally blows me away-the mere fact that He hung on the cross because He is passionate for His shulamite girl- to cover her forever with His comfort, His compassion, His righteousness-His name-to draw her out into the wild places of His love and take her higher with Him-the shulamite girl who nailed Him to the cross.
What negative emotions is God going to wipe away, according to verse 4?
Shame & reproach
How does He identify Himself in verse 5? As our Maker
(Was there ever a husband like this?)
I have wanted my husband to be this, to ‘make’ me whole, I was sure if he would just say the right things to me I would feel good enough, loved, worthwhile. I was placing impossible expectations on him, expecting from him what I can only receive from Christ.
Describe his emotions toward us in verses 6 through 8?
He is angry, but then tender, with deep compassion and everlasting kindness. For God to say his compassion is deep struck me, God the creator of heaven and earth’s system of measure must be beyond our puny minds to imagine. For God to say his compassion is deep must mean something beyond our comprehension.
How do you see both the truth and mercy of the gospel in this passage?
That God is so righteously angry about our sin that we deserve to be totally ashamed and utterly abandoned, but because of his deep compassion he instead heaped the reproach and shame we deserve on Christ turning away from Him so that we can forget our shame and experience his everlasting kindness.
Oh may this sink in deep today, and again tomorrow and again and again and again.
All of this is wonderful Chris, but what struck me was this: “For God to say his compassion is deep must mean something beyond our comprehension.” -Yes..I agree-haven’t really thought about His deep compassion being a mystery but it is. And by faith (that He gives) we can rest in it-and that is a daily thing! 🙂
Chris, I love your answer to the last question!
Chris–I started to copy and realized Rebecca had the same words strike her in your post “For God to say his compassion is deep must mean something beyond our comprehension.” Your suffering is beyond my imagination and yet He is bringing such beauty in you–and a depth that teaches me more of Him. So thankful you press through and stay with us here–oh how He uses you in my life, Chris–such godly wisdom
In what ways do you need to repent before Him? Write them here and let him have compassion on you.
Oh Father, I repent of my self centeredness, that keeps me from being a light to others, my worries of how I look physically and how what I have to say sounds to them that so often keeps me seeking solitude. I don’t want to fear anyone but you, apart from you I can do nothing, when I am bound up in approval fears I am apart from you, please Father supply what I need to overcome this in me everyday. Teach me how to bring glory to you through my weaknesses. Let me draw infinite security and identity from who I am in you.
I repent of looking to your gift of food and abundance to fill me up in ways it isn’t meant to. I don’t want to have my stomach be my god, that is disgusting to me. I long to walk in obedience in this area of my life, pull hard on me when I step out of the light, I want to be sensitive to the voice of my Shepherd and feel anxious when step out of the way.
I have no power without you to do anything real and lasting about my sin, draw me, sustain me, grant that this be true repentance please Lord, change me as you have promised to do please Lord.
Please Lord let your goodness and mercy wash over me in a way that overcomes, a way that makes me really really know that you care for me. I want to believe that I am your beloved.
In Jesus name amen
Oh Chris… “in a way that overcomes, a way that makes me really really know that you care for me. I want to believe that I am your beloved”….You are Chris!
E. Why, according to verse 16, will God not forget us? Can you see the gospel in this? Explain. I had some problems understanding this verse. At first I was reading it to mean God had carved our names into his hands — leaving a permanent record in scars on His hands. I didn’t like this image, because I have long pictured myself being held securely in the palm of His hand (and didn’t want scars there to diminish my comfort!!). However, upon reading it more, I am changing my mind. Now I believe it means God shaped us in His hands (sometimes we have said sculpting or molding, but carving fits right in there.) I am watching with interest for thoughts from the rest of you.
6. Read Isaiah 54:4-8
A. What negative emotions is God going to wipe away, according to verse 4?
The shame of our youth or the reproach of widowhood. Two chapters common to life are mentioned here. No matter what stage we are in, God has us covered and will wipe away the tears caused in that particular period of our lives.
B. How does He identify Himself in verse 5? (Was there ever a husband like this?) He is husband, maker, Lord Almighty, Holy One of Israel, Redeemer, God of all earth. No, never was there a husband like this!!
C. Describe his emotions toward us in verses 6 through 8?
He would hide Himself from us temporarily — for our own good. (Gee, if you are going through that, it doesn’t feel like it is for our own good!!) His emotions are described as everlasting kidness and compassion.
D. How do you see both the truth and mercy of the gospel in this passage? It rings clear like the truth –we have experiences like those described (shame and reproach, in particular). The mercy of the gospel shines through: “The Lord will call you back….” We are redeemed, and we are comforted in our life experiences.
E. In what ways do you need to repent before Him? Write them here and let him have compassion on you. I need to repent for behaving as if I do not believe I have been redeemed, for lack of trust and dependence on Him. I need to repent of worry, kicking and rebelling, and trying to “save myself” and relying on my own strength alone. I need to repent of being more concerned about trying to please other mortals than in trying to please God. Don’t get me started, Dee, there is seemingly no end to the things of which I could repent!!
Deanna–love your heart in “E”…”repent of worry, kicking and rebelling, and trying to “save myself” and relying on my own strength alone”–I relate