TRULY, I BELIEVE TOGETHER WE CAN MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND THIS YEAR.
IF YOU’VE BEEN HERE BEFORE, WELCOME BACK!
IF YOU ARE NEW, WELCOME! (Newcomers — go to Dee’s homepage, click Bible Study Blog on the top, and then look for this picture, click on it, and it will give you easy directions to participate.)
THOUGH IT IS TRUE NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS TEND TO BE BROKEN,
I THINK THAT IS BECAUSE WE ATTACK THE SYMPTOM AND NOT THE ROOT.
We resolve to spend less, eat less, get less angry.
Or, we resolve to be more like Jesus and give more grace, be more other-centered,
live more simply…
But we seem to break all those resolutions.
MY BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR 2016 IS:
FOR THE NEXT TWO MONTHS I WILL CONCENTRATE ON SOME OF THE LIFE-CHANGING INSIGHTS FROM SCRIPTURE THAT WILBOURNE BRINGS.
WE WILL BEGIN WITH WILBOURNE’S DEFINITION OF A TRUE BELIEVER.
MANY PEOPLE, IF ASKED TO DEFINE WHAT A CHRISTIAN IS,
WOULD TELL YOU IT IS FOLLOWING THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS.
YOU ASK YOURSELF, “WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?” AND TRY TO DO IT.
AND WHILE THAT IS NOT WITHOUT MERIT,
THE FUNDAMENTAL ERROR IS THAT IT ASSUMES CHRIST
IS OUTSIDE OF OURSELVES,
AND THAT LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE MEANS TRYING,
WITH ALL OUR MIGHT, TO DO WHAT HE DID.
THAT APPROACH FAILS, AND LEADS NOT TO JOY,
BUT TO MISERY AND DESPAIR, FOR, A FEW DAYS INTO THE NEW YEAR,
OUR BUDGET, OUR DIET, AND OUR GOOD INTENTIONS HAVE FAILED AGAIN!
WE HAVE NO POWER IN OURSELVES.
WE SIMPLY CANNOT DO IT ALONE.
CONSIDER:
THE WORD CHRISTIAN OCCURS ONLY 3 TIMES IN SCRIPTURE.
THE PHRASE “IN CHRIST” OCCURS AROUND 165 TIMES.
THIS PHRASE BETTER GRASPS THE SECRET.
THIS IS HOW WE ARE GOING TO START THE NEW YEAR RIGHT!
BY CONTEMPLATING THIS MYSTERY,
ALLOWING IT TO SOAK INTO OUR VERY BONES,
AND RAISE US FROM THE DEATH OF TRYING TO DO IT OURSELVES
TO JOYFUL VICTORY IN CHRIST!
WHAT IF THE ONLY RESOLUTION YOU MADE THIS YEAR WAS
TO CONCENTRATE, THROUGH THE DAY, ON KEEPING COMMUNION WITH CHRIST?
I BELIEVE YOU WOULD DISCOVER LUSH FRUIT BEGINNING TO APPEAR
IN YOUR VINEYARD.
YOU WILL NEED PATIENCE, SUCH AS AN ORCHARD KEEPER DOES,
BUT IF YOU PERSIST IN A LONG OBEDIENCE IN THE SAME DIRECTION,
AND AT THE END OF THIS YEAR,
SHOULD THE LORD ALLOW YOU ANOTHER YEAR,
YOU WOULD FIND YOURSELF ON HIGHER GROUND!
I KNOW MOST OF YOU ARE IN OTHER STUDIES, AND I WANT YOU TO DO THEM.
I WILL KEEP THESE STUDIES SHORT, WITH A LITTLE TO DO EACH DAY.
I WILL POST A NEW STUDY EVERY TWO WEEKS.
EACH OF US WILL STUMBLE, BUT WILL FIND STRENGTH FROM ANOTHER
WE WILL PERSIST, AND WE WILL, THROUGH THE MIGHTY POWER OF CHRIST,
AND OUR UNION WITH HIM AND ONE ANOTHER, GET TO HIGHER GROUND.
GIVE A HAND TO THE FAINT,
AND EXHORT ONE ANOTHER TO PRESS ON
TO TRUST NOT IN OUR OWN EFFORTS,
BUT IN CHRIST ALONE.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNRFumI2ch0
Go at your own pace, but I’ve given you bite-sized assignments each day. This way you can keep up with your other studies. If you don’t have other studies, you can spend more time here. Read comments as you feel led.
SUNDAY, NEW YEAR’S DAY, 2017!
1. What stands out to you from the above and why?
MONDAY, JAN 2
2. Read James 4:8
A. What promise is in the first sentence?
B. What, according to the 2nd sentence, is it important to keep short-accounts throughout the day?
C. How does this song from Sara Grove’s illustrate the truth of this passage?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5zkOfSJSn4
TUESDAY, JAN 3
Wilbourne quotes Aristotle who says “the soul never thinks without an image.” So the Word gives us images to show that Christianity, unlike the world religions, does not have a leader who is outside ourselves, but who, through His Spirit, lives in us, bringing rivers of living water welling up in our souls. Two images from the Word that help us begin to grasp this mystery are “the organic life of a plant” and “marriage.” A tree’s roots draw strength from the soil, and a branch draws strength from the vine. They are “one.” In the same way, a husband and a wife become “one.” Both of these metaphors permeate the Song of Songs. Watch the promotional video for my upcoming book, He Calls You Beautiful.
3. Take some time with this:
A. How does the image of a vineyard, or the vine and the branches, give you insight into how you might move to higher ground in 2017?
B. How does the image of marriage give you insight into how you might move to higher ground in 2017?
4. And of course I’d love input into the video! 🙂
WEDNESDAY, JAN 4, 2017!
On a personal note, after this picture below was taken of me and 8 of my 13 grandchildren this Christmas, I thought about how my late husband Steve (born on Jan 4th!) wanted Psalm 128:3 on his tombstone.
(I forgot — but will remedy that on his stone some day!) Whether you have biological, adopted, or spiritual children — our marriage to Chirst, our union with Christ, can make us fruitful vines, helping the next generation to hear of HIs faithfulness and goodness. One day we will all be around His table.
This psalm combines the metaphor of marriage and the vine and has me PONDERING!
Our union and communion with Christ affects not only us, but generations to come.
5. Think about your children, for if we have known the Lord for a few years, we have spiritual children, people we are mentoring, or, you may have biological or adopted children/grandchildren. How does your life impact them? How could you pray for them today, show them Christ’s love, or mentor them?
6. What I pray for you is that each day you will get your soul “happy” in the Lord, as George Mueller put it. When will you “eat,” what will you “eat,” and where will you “eat”? (Planning a routine will help!)
Ponder this:
Thursday and Friday, January 5 and 6
THE TREE AND VINE METAPHORS
Psalm 1 and John 15 are key in helping us grasp communion in Christ. So we will begin 2017 with these pictures — and consider the marriage metaphor another time.
Let’s start with classic Keller on Psalm 1 — an image of a tree planted by rivers of living water — closely related to a branch abiding in the vine. Please listen to this and share your thoughts and comments. It will help you get started on the path toward joy in 2017. If you are running out of time, do it over the weekend!
7. Share your notes or reflections on Keller’s The Search for Happiness.
Saturday, Jan 7
8. What is your take-a-way this week and why?
Sunday, Jan 8
I was quickened when Keller talked about why we are tempted to lie, or to cheat, or to run elsewhere. We seek happiness above holiness, and yet holiness is what leads to happiness. Seek happiness and you lose it, seek holiness, seek righteousness, seek Christ — and happiness gets thrown in. This is like Jonathan Edward’s belief that “True human happiness cannot be found or experienced apart from God’s glory. “Therefore God’s glory and human flourishing are one and the same.” For example, when I refuse forgiveness from my heart, I do so, because I think it will make me happier. But indeed, if instead, I choose God’s glory, and forgive from my heart, to my surprise, I find joy seeping up into my bones. C. S. Lewis famously said the same:
Rankin Wilbourne shares the same in Union with Christ — and also does a wonderful job of showing how throughout the ages this is the secret the saints and the martyrs knew. Holiness is to be sought for it leads to joy and beauty. I am experiencing this. Sometimes I beat myself up that it took me so long to really grasp this — for I don’t have that much life left! Yet I am thankful to see it now and want to mentor younger women to discover it sooner than I did.
9. What thoughts do you have on the above?
10. How did you do in the first week of the new year? (Remember, we are not aiming for perfection but for, what Eugene Peterson calls, “a long obedience in the same direction.” This will lead to fruit in your vineyard. Did you keep shorter accounts with God? Did you draw near to Him? If not, what would He tell you?
MONDAY, JAN 9
Prepare your heart with this from Kim Hill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0DVrTk80Ps
11. Read Psalm 1, remembering that “blessed” is another word for “happy.” What is the main point of this psalm and how will you apply it?
TUESDAY, JAN 10
12. Look at Psalm 1 again
A. You may have already memorized this psalm — if so, review it. If not, or even if you have, choose a verse that quickens you and meditate on it day and night. What did you choose and what reflections do you have?
B. Has the Word become a “delight to you?” If so, why? If not, find heart in knowing it is an acquired taste, and it will be if you persist in a long obedience in the same direction.
WEDNESDAY-FRIDAY JAN 11-13 2017
(On a personal note I am speaking in the prison/hospital in Houston for the rest of the week and covet your prayers!)
Prepare your heart with this from John Michael Talbot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHr7Z7ZS3GE
13. Read John 15:1-5
A. What does Jesus say in verse 1? Meditate on this and share what you see.
B. There is a pattern in John where Jesus differentiates between false shepherds and Himself, the good shepherd. He differentiates between attempting to come to God through others ways and through Him, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Now He says He is the “True vine,” implying we may try to get our sustenance from false vines. Consider ways you have tried to get guidance, help, or sustenance in false ways in 2016. How could this year be different?
C. Why is a branch not able to bear fruit unless it is connected to the vine?
D. Psalm 1 might lead us to believe that all we need to do is meditate — and even this passage might make us think all we need to do is to be in the Word. Yet it is possible to hear the Word and not obey. What does Jesus add in verse 10, and what are the promises in 10 and 11?
E. What similarities do you see between Psalm 1 and John 15?
SATURDAY, JAN 14, 2017
14. What is your take-a-way this week and why?
357 comments
5. Think about your children, for if we have known the Lord for a few years, we have spiritual children, people we are mentoring, or, you may have biological or adopted children/grandchildren. How does your life impact them? How could you pray for them today, show them Christ’s love, or mentor them?
As familiar as 2 Corinthians 5:17 may be to me, I feel a much greater impact of its truth lately—“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” It states as fact that as I am IN Christ, the new, which is Christ, has come in me—the old is gone. And yet I still struggle with my words, my attitudes—and this struggle has frustrated me for so long! But as I really take it in, that HE is in me, that as I stay connected to Him, the Vine—it is not possible for Him in me to produce bad fruit. It challenges me with my words—to let them be His, through me.
My prayer for my children—is simply that they would know His love for them, know their need of Him, trust Him, cling to Him with their life. That in me they see a humble sinner, no greater than them, dependent on God’s mercies and grace for every breath. I want to get better at apologizing when I fail to show His love, modeling the safety that grace provides for our repentance. There is much more in my heart to pray for them– but I’ll stop here- I have some long awaited time I am planning today to be alone with Him for a longer stretch, and I am thankful.
Just had one more quick thought of what I hope my kids see in my spiritual life–the JOY of Christ. That has become more and more important to me lately–sounds silly, but I can tend to be heavy on the teaching, the Word is so important to me–and I want them to know His Word but also know the joy, the peace that comes to us now in knowing Him, but also our promise of eternity. I do talk about Heaven a lot with them-reminding them that He has joy for us here, but this isn’t as good as it gets, this isn’t Home–praise God!
“the JOY of Christ … has become more and more important to me lately-sounds silly”
Doesn’t sound silly, Lizzy…sounds great! In John Ortberg’s book, The Life You’ve Always Wanted, he says “Joy is at the heart of God’s plan for human beings. … Joy is at the heart of God Himself. … I suspect that most of us seriously underestimate God’s capacity for joy. … Jesus came as the Joy-bringer. The joy we see in the happiest child is but a fraction of the joy that resides in the heart of God.”
Nanci–something about your words, and coming from our tender heart–I have tears reading this! I LOVE this: “Jesus came as the Joy-bringer” 🙂
Not silly — so important. When I look at families who have had a high success rate with kids i see, combined with the beauty of holiness, joy and laughter too!
5. Think about your children, for if we have known the Lord for a few years, we have spiritual children, people we are mentoring, or, you may have biological or adopted children/grandchildren. How does your life impact them? How could you pray for them today, show them Christ’s love, or mentor them? I pray that they would know the Love of God, in Christ and abide in Him and be conformed to His image. And I think by sharing my life with them, my struggles, being authentic is a way of mentoring.
6. What I pray for you is that each day you will get your soul “happy” in the Lord, as George Mueller put it. When will you “eat,” what will you “eat,” and where will you “eat”? (Planning a routine will help!) Wow, I do feel like I’m on the receiving end of this prayer because often I am “happy” and don’t even know why! (from a flesh understanding, spiritually I know why!) I mean literally sometimes I will say to myself, “why are you so happy? you have no reason to feel happy!” (from a flesh perspective, then I know in my heart is the because I am in HIM.) This has allowed me to be a testimony to His goodness with others, I experienced this with my trip to the ER last week and getting the lung drained, several people commented on my countenance and that they would never know all that I had wrong with me (physically) and I was able to tell them that I can only remain hopeful and joyful because it is the Lord who gives me joy. So thanks for having this prayer for us, Dee, for us to get our souls “happy in the Lord.” 🙂 Now don’t get me wrong, I have my very low times, I get distressed and discouraged, but overall I’m pressing on and I see that He is leading me to higher ground. (But I don’t want to paint a rosy picture of who I am, I am dust, but He gives life and life abundant.)
Mary E == your testimony is bearing fruit — I love you are asked “Why are you happy? You have no reason to feel happy!” But you do!
Mary e., I just am so struck about what you have said here about being “happy” and don’t even not why (though spiritually you do). I read this last night and can’t stop thinking about it. And then, when you say:
It is so beautiful … that you are showing Christ so clearly that others are astonished. I can imagine this is my mind, though I have never met you. I hear this is your posts and I long to become so close to Christ, that this shows in me as well. One of the verses that encourages us all in this is 2 Corinthians 3:18. “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” Mary e, it is like your face (your spirit) is more “unveiled” than some of us, because you have allowed Christ to transform your suffering into His glory!
Mary, I couldn’t agree more with Diane’s comments…thank you for allowing us to share your journey and witness Christ in you.
Jan. 4th. Pondering Ann Voskamp’s quote. All our brokenness is only healed by union.
Earlier in that chapter of Ann’s book she says, “In shattered places, with broken people, we are most near the broken heart of Christ.”
This paradox – in those broken, confused, messy places of our lives, those places we want to hide and mask, in those very places we can have a healing union with Christ and with each other.
(I want to say more, but am reduced to using my smartphone while my laptop hard rive is being replaced. Grateful that my oldest son is doing that for me!)
1. the more we draw near to HIM the more we are aware of HIS closeness to us….He has never left, we have just become unaware of HIS presence.
2. as we grieve our sin and go to HIM to wash us HE is so faithful to do it. I feel l can not go to vs. 8 without first meditating on 6 and 7. My pride will cut off HIS grace. I must submit to HIM, FLEE from the devil and THEN we are free to come near to HIM.
3. I am listening to a teaching by Piper about Hudson taylor. He keeps talking about a “Kessic” movement. I have no idea what that is but from what I can gather it was a teaching that you must have a new encounter with Holy Spirit in order to fully live under HIS power and not our own. I find it so hard to comprehend our abiding in HIM without the disciplines that lead to such. Of course it is not the quiet time, or the running from evil or the prayer that leads us to become a branch on HIS vine. We are grafted in at the time of salvation…..and yet if we neglect prayer, purity, praise, meditation, reading the word we cut ourselves off from the nourishment that HE wants to give. The two are not mutually exclusive. we can live in grace and super natural power and yet still need to live in the disciplines of abiding. this is such a mystery.
All the prayer and reading and purity in the world can not graft us into the vine and yet once we are grafted in they are the things that lead to our growth. Im rambling, It is just so hard to balance the truth that grace has saved totally and fully and yet it is only through our habits of time with HIM that the peace and growth of that salvation can become real in our lives.
I did post this on the FB page too, but just in case some don’t see it, and she probably won’t be back on here before it, please pray for Mary’s appt. tomorrow at 3!
5. Think about your children, … How does your life impact them? How could you pray for them today, show them Christ’s love, or mentor them?
I’d like to think that I model for them a life in Christ; certainly not to say that I am perfect by any means, but I do work to be authentic and genuine. My children have seen my devotion to and delight in the Lord, my appreciation for and awe of God’s creation, they have witnessed me seeking His strength to repent, to turn from sinful ways of unforgiveness and judgment…they have seen His grace flow upon me.
I pray that my daughters and granddaughter have an overwhelming sense of the Lord’s love for them. To know that they are loved beyond their wildest dreams by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Emmanuel, God with us…and nothing can separate them from His love. I want them to recognize and rejoice in this most precious gift offered. Both of my daughters are believers, but yet I don’t think that they really grasp the depth of the Lord’s love for them.
Nanci–this is beautiful, and want I so want to model for my own: “ they have witnessed me seeking His strength to repent, to turn from sinful ways of unforgiveness and judgment…they have seen His grace flow upon me”
You do, Lizzy…your children are blessed by your presence…you are a lovely, humble, obedient, (etc.) daughter of the King and they witness this every day. Don’t get me wrong, we all “stumble” and “fall,” but how we address or manage this is very telling…they (our children, spouses, significant others, friends, colleagues, etc.) are paying attention to our authenticity (do we “walk the talk”)…you, my dear, are a most excellent example of genuine love, grace, repentance, and humility…?
Prayer so important. I love what Paul Ryan said when challenging about doing somehting instead of just praying. he said “prayer is doing something.”
3. Take some time with this:
A. How does the image of a vineyard, or the vine and the branches, give you insight into how you might move to higher ground in 2017? –
for me when I see this, I get the image that even a vine starts out at the ground leevel, but as it matures and grows it starts climbing up. So for us as God’s children, (the branches) the more we learn and grow, and as we cling to the Lord (the vine) we will grow stronger and reach the higher ground that God has waiting for us.
B. How does the image of marriage give you insight into how you might move to higher ground in 2017? –
When two people start out in a marriage they come together as two separate beings, but working together as a unit makes you stronger and when you bind yourselves together as one you can reach the higher ground easier as long as God is the center of your marriage, again a vine the branches of the man and woman as they combine themselves together will grow up the vine to the higher ground.
4. And of course I’d love input into the video! 🙂 –
loved the video Dee on your new study. It was very calming to me. I can’t wait until it comes out.
Like growing up the vine to higher ground!
2. Read James 4:8
A. What promise is in the first sentence?
That I can come near to God and He will come near to me.
B. What, according to the 2nd sentence, is it important to keep short-accounts throughout the day?
Well, I believe that if I am wanting to draw near Him and enjoy His presence, just an awareness of who He is will point out what is not right in me, and I will want to quickly repent of sin when I become aware of it, so as not to let it come between me and God. I remember when once I read, in John, that God is light….in Him is no darkness at all, and about walking in the light with Him. But, if I choose to sin or to put-off dealing with known sin, I am turning down a different path, one that is darkness, and God cannot go with me down that path, so I have to ‘let go of His hand’ and go alone.
C. How does this song from Sara Groves illustrate the truth of this passage?
I love how she says “I woke up on the wrong side of the bed…” but she can’t pinpoint what’s wrong! Then, she asks, “How is it between us, how is it between us, when did I talk to You last and what has happened since?” She talks about how we can get into “thinking of God now and then”.
The most important thing in my life should be, how are things between me and God?
On Sunday, New Year’s Day, my pastor gave an encouraging message that ties-in with what we’re doing here. The passage was from Matthew 14:22-33, where Peter, because of Jesus, was able to walk on water. Our pastor said that often the focus of this passage is that Peter sank, but he said, stop and think about it; Peter did what was humanly impossible. The application: Live in the confidence of what Jesus can do, not what I can do. In Christ, I can do what I cannot.
And, now Chip Ingram is doing a series about how to change, and he used the “iceberg illustration”, as Dee has here, to explain why we make resolutions and fail because we don’t address the root of the problem, what is below the surface.
Hi again blog sisters! I’ve missed being on here with you 🙂 My son went back to college tonight & I had a huge meltdown after he left…it was too rushed & stressed getting him to the train & I didn’t get my goodbye hug 🙁 Feeling better after a good cry tho! My daughter returns to Boston next Wed, & then I will have more time & order & quiet. I love having them here, yet & get cluttered & cloudy & out of routine! Thinking of the Vine & us being branches…the branch doesn’t have to strive to stay connected, just rest & abide. Yet as Cyndi said, we still need the disciplines of reading His Word, prayer & fellowship to stay close to Him. I pray for balance in doing that so I can rest my soul in Him & draw from Him continually. I pray that my kids see Jesus in me even tho they are not believers & know little about Him. God is big enough to teach them & draw them & reveal Himself to them. I think they see that I’ve remained faithful to God, even tho there has been oppostion & conflict because of my faith. I pray that they see Him & not all my weaknesses & faults. I also want to mentor more spiritual children & will have my eyes open for the opportunities the Lord sends.
Awww Jenny — I can identify with that hard parting scene — how wonderful, though, that you care so much.
Jenny, I understand those goodbyes when a son returns to college….my one son is in PA and we live in OH. It is hard.
7. On Keller’s sermon, the Search for Happiness. The points I most resonated with were: 1. that real happiness is offered by God, and is fundamental, not superficial. 2. Real happiness is what you are, not what happens to you. 3. Real happiness can never be found directly. It is always a by-product of seeking something greater. And 4. Real happiness is something you choose, not something that passively happens to you.
Reflections: I’ve always felt that happiness was overrated. Happiness is not a fruit of the Spirit, but joy is. Maybe it is just semantics, but I think it is an important distinction. The real treasure is joy. Coming from a lifetime of depression, I know that it is too easy to have happiness stolen from you by circumstances. But no one can take the joy of the Lord from you. It is like the everlasting arms, holding you up. The joy of the Lord is your strength. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And for all my sisters on this blog, I pray for you joy.
8. Take away for this week. As I draw near to Jesus Christ and He draws near to me, He heals my brokenness and gives me great and lasting joy.
Good review of Keller’s main points.
5. Think about your children, for if we have known the Lord for a few years, we have spiritual children, people we are mentoring, or, you may have biological or adopted children/grandchildren. How does your life impact them? How could you pray for them today, show them Christ’s love, or mentor them?
This is hard for me because honestly ever since my oldest turned I don’t know how my life has or if it will impact him or my other three though it is up to God which is so sweet! I have been grieving and didn’t really even know it..just this dark cloud seems to be hovering over us. Yet GLory–If He, like wildfire, captures their hearts I know it isn’t all because of or in spite of me. 🙂 . There have been so many years of sowing in scripture and life on life-just as we “walk by the way” and wonder at creation, and confession of my sin before them and repentance. I pray, that despite my failures, and maybe because of them perhaps, they see Him in me-That as He rips off more scales they see Him not me and His power in me. Christ my life. and I agree with Lizzy-His Joy in me..Laughter and joy and when hard times come-which is every day for us-that they would see a confident trust in Him and a deeper joy growing. I pray most importantly that they would find their delight in Him. I ask God to hold back satan from my oldest two and protect my youngest two from his deceitful whispers.
Sorry this is so long..I have to go.
And I pray with you!
Oh Rebecca I hear your pain and I know the Lord does too. I can only in a feeble effort try to encourage you as the pain is real the digging in deeper to Him is what brings that Joy during this most painful trial of watching and waiting as things play out with our children. I always have my own walk to look back on to see the different road I took and then to have seen the h and of God so beautifully orchestrate things to draw me back in a way of truly KNOWING HIM as in all my church attendance growing up and even my church attendance as an adult that knowledge had not gone from my head to my heart. The peace of knowing the Lord knows exactly where our kids are brings me comfort.
Rebecca, I pray with you for your children as I pray for my daughter. There are times of deep discouragement when my daughter obviously is refusing to see the hand of God in her life. Oh how I wish she would just turn to God and experience Him like no other! Psalm 1 is so fundamental in true joy springing up from within! I pray this for our children, prodigal or not. Love yah!
So good Bing — best thing we can do it pray.
Thank you for your Christmas card — fun to see your family. And your kind generosity.
Bing, Liz and Dee-thank you so! This is His sweet well here!
7. Highlights of Keller’s message:
* Deep underneath the care and the sorrow is enough mirth to set a kingdom on fire. It’s always there.
* Happiness can never be gotten directly. It is the by-product of seeking something more than happiness.
*Jesus was a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief – but never in despair.
* The message of the Bible is – The Great King becomes your father.
* You get sadder and happier at the same time as a Christian
I loved Keller’s analogy of the gospel to a musical instrument, when he asked if we know how to “play” the gospel, to rehearse it’s beauties……that that “playing” and listening releases the happiness, the hope that overcomes even the deep sadnesses of this life.
And so we rehearse this beautiful gospel all along the way, in storm or peaceful skies.
the longer I’m a mom the more I realize that the best thing I can do for my kids is to be happy. I live in the grace and peace that only a relationship the HIM gives. To let go of perfectionism. to let go of my need to be appriciated and noticed. to let go of my need for THEM to live up to my standards. When I am free from trying to earn Gods favor I free everyone else from trying to earn mine.
I have started a prayer list to help me stay focused during prayer. I will sit with HIM every morning, every evening. sometimes for 10 min. sometimes for over an hour depending on the demands for the day. I am also making 3/5 cards with prayers and bible vs. around the house to remind me to turn my eyes to HIM all throughout hte day.
Great, Cindy — may God empower you in a long obedience in the same direction!
Cyndi,
Loved this:
“When i am free from trying to earn God’s favor, i free everyone else from trying to earn mine.”
Keller notes
the tree planted by water. the roots have access to water ALL the time. circumstanses change all around us but REAL happyness is found INSIDE you not in what happens to you..happiness is found in in who you are.
something has been planted inside of us. a Christian is a tree, we have been planted in the power of CHRIST.
the tree hurts, it does not always bear fruit and yet the leaf never withers. we are joyful even when we are in deep distress.
We hurt, and if we pretend not to we are very unhealthy and dishonest with ourselves.
because we are in a hard time we have to draw deeper down. we have to pull from the bottom and we find just how deep HIS love runs. It is in times of deep trial that we NEED to go deep to find HIS joy.
We find joy IN the pain, the joy does not take the pain. deep underneath our circumstances God is there.
the person who is happy is the one who stops trying so hard to be happy. seek FIRST HIS kingdom and HIS rightousness….and the happiness will be a biproduct of this search.
make our number one priority to serve God.
happiness is not something you get, its something you CHOOSE!
His delight is in the message of the BIble as your rule for life….the gospel message, not the “rules”.
I am finding that the more I am in His Word, the more at peace I am. Also, I am feeling more that he is my friend who I can talk to rather than a “higher power”. What a great feeling. Makes me want to be more and more in His Word. Also, my joy and happiness is increasing.
Love this: more a friend I can talk to than a higher power
Also, my joy and happiness is increasing.
7. Share your notes or reflections on Keller’s The Search for Happiness. I had no idea when I answered #6 that this was what the Keller sermon would be about! Sadly, the only note I took were in my head because I listened while laying on the couch with my eyes closed most of the time! Oh I can so clearly see my life in this message. I spent years and years being a Christian and thinking that by following the rules, God owed me happiness (so ultimately is was happiness I was seeking) and I was miserable much of the time. Thankfully He did not leave me there but has transformed my whole understanding (renewed my mind) of His relationship to me and mine to Him and that in pursuing Him, happiness follows. Not a glib, happy-go-luckey, always a smile on your face happiness, but a deep, abiding joy in the midst of even the most dreadful circumstances. It’s funny, when I have bad news (like today) I don’t love for another Christian to say to me “give thanks in all things! Rejoice!” (It’s like the Bible says in Proverbs 25:20 “Like one who takes off a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar on soda, is he who sings songs to a troubled heart.” And yet the Lord can lead me to do just that, thank Him and praise Him in all circumstances, but it comes from a place of deep abiding, not a superficial “cheer up.” That’s what Keller is talking about, where the tree’s roots are. The tree can be terribly afflicted and not be putting forth fruit even, but still it’s leaves remain green because of where it’s roots are.
Mary–THIS is why you are my go-to example for me to share with my kids–ALL the time! Actually, just 2 days ago, I was talking about you, and how the JOY of the Lord is truly your strength–and I said “she’s not a candy-coating/denial of hard kind of happy–it’s REAL, in the face of fire but trusting only in Jesus kind of happy–and that is proof that when you are His, NOTHING can separate you from Him!”
So thankful for the gift of you–of seeing Christ IN you. I love this: “ Not a glib, happy-go-luckey, always a smile on your face happiness, but a deep, abiding joy in the midst of even the most dreadful circumstances.”
Mary — I so agree with Lizzy’s praise of you.
Mary e, I’m with Lizzy on this one. You amaze me. I have always heard of people who are sick in the hospital and someone goes in to visit to encourage the sick but they come out more encouraged themselves! You do that to me!!! God bless you!
Mary I lose the connections here so often and am sorry to hear you heard something bad but agree with Lizzy and Diane you are such an example of the amazing grace the Lord provides during the trials that you face! You bring Glory to His Name!
Liz, I’m sorry. I don’t always post things on here (Lizzy posts them for me on the FB page, cause I also have never done FB) but my oncologist says the cancer is progressing, despite the nice drop in tumor marker that I had after the testosterone. I had 1.25 liters of fluid pulled off my left lung a week and a half ago and there is more building up there now and also there appears to be “soft tissue” (likely tumor) pressing on my right kidney, causing hydronephrosis. She wants to move me on to stronger treatment (that also causes worse side effects- drop in white and red blood cells- ASAP (as soon as they get insurance approval. I’m praying for wisdom and discernment for all of this, it is not at all what I was hoping for (of course) but I know that because so many are lifting me up in prayer, I have experienced His joy and peace in the midst of this.
I HATE CANCER — not the way things were meant to be, yet somehow God is allowing it and we know He will do all things well in His time. But I hate this for you and we are with you in prayer, dear Mary.
https://youtu.be/z2ZBCUQieUI
Mary,
Heres a link to the song. (Hooe it works. Im not goid at doingbthisxfrom my phone.)
Mary, I am with Dee-I hate this for you also!! Your life and trust in Him through this most horrid valley is overflowing to us all here.
Oh Mary, I have been thinking about you and wondering how things went. I pray for you all the time, that the Lord will heal your body completely and that you will feel His presence in your life. I’m so, so sorry that you are going through this. I, like Dee, HATE HATE cancer. I will continue to pray for you and that you hear from the Lord, on what path He has chosen for you. We serve a might God, one that can heal even when others think it’s hopeless. Miracles are real and I believe he is working in your life. So glad I go to meet you in Ohio.
Mary here I am late again. I am so sorry for this news. I do not do FB either so thank you for posting here. I will pray for wisdom and discernment for you. Lord You are the giver of wisdom and discernment and Mary is seeking it from You. Thank You for the joy and the peace You provide Her in the midst of this battle. I pray all the more grace that she needs as she walks in this place and we Thank you for the grace You give when we need it, just as we need it. It truly is amazing. Show Mary Your Glory and Keep her eyes on You. In Jesus Name Amen
Mary,
Thank you for this post, for He truly is our stream in this desert.
Mary,
May He give you songs in the night. Music that matches and reflects your soul and also has a strong element of our true and living hope.
Audrey Assad has a beautiful song called “Show Me” (on youtube) that does this for me. Wish i could bring my guitar to your house and sing it for you today. Youtube will have to suffice.
🙂 Thanks Nila. I’ll see if I can google her song and find a video of it.
Nila-We would love for you to bless us with your guitar and voice..can you do one on You Tube and give us a link? 🙂 No pressure..just a thought. :)))
Nila, what a beautiful, poignant song by Aubrey Assad! Tears! Sometimes we just need to cry and learn to die. Lord, have mercy on Mary we pray! Be beside her in her suffering.
“And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. for whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?” (Luke 9: 23-25)
Just listened to it, Nila! BEAUTIFUL. Thanks for that.
Nila — just watched that song. What a perfect lament.
Mary, your roots run deep. You feel deeply with truth deeper still. All is well with your soul and it brightens our faces to see such witness. You said it well:The tree can be terribly afflicted and not be putting forth fruit even, but still it’s leaves remain green because of where it’s roots are.
Dee I really liked your video. It has such a nice flow to it and actually have watched a few times to see the connections.
A. How does the image of a vineyard, or the vine and the branches, give you insight into how you might move to higher ground in 2017? it shows me I need to stay connected In Him to produce the good fruit. The fruit produced on my own is bitter. I need to come out of self sufficiency and make Him my all sufficiency.
B. How does the image of marriage give you insight into how you might move to higher ground in 2017? when we are married to Him as one I in Him and He in Me. That is something we need to have to bear fruit. Just like an earthly marriage it requires spending time communicating, yielding ourselves to Him. Walking equally yoked. finding pleasure in Him.
Thanks, Liz. Good applications!
Kellers sermon was excellent. I listened to it twice and will probably listen again. The Lord has had me camped in Psalm 119 and I just see this lesson this week as such a confirmation along with some other confirmations I am camped just where I need to be!!!!!
Classic Keller indeed! I love how Tim puts Psalm 1 in a very practical way. I took copious notes but will try to streamline it here.
His 4 points:
1. Happiness is possible. He mentioned 4 different people a. Those who think happiness is natural b. those who think it is unachievable c. those who migrate between the 2 ideas d. those who understand the Bible as in Psalm 1.
2. Happiness is fundamental and not superficial. Happiness cannot be based on externals.
Real happiness is under you, inside you, where your roots are
Never in what happens to you but in what you are
Two men look out through prison bars one saw mud and the other saw stars-the difference? In the men
Christians, we are not chaff but a tree
Like a tree affected by affliction but leaf does not wither. It is subject to seasons but its leaves never wither because it is planted by the river bank and its roots has an unremitting supply of water that it draws from.
3. Happiness can never be found directly; it is a by-product of seeking something else other than happiness.
Seek God first and His righteousness. Happiness should never be our highest priority.
4. Happiness is not something that happens to you; it is what you choose.
Where you “sit” is where you belong. What are your fundamental allegiances? Which piper do you dance to?
Delight in the word of the Lord. What is the river bank? It is God’s Word!
His prayer, my prayer:
Keep our leaves green, Lord. When drought of circumstances come, let us sink deeply into the ground of your Word and experience you as we commune and unite with you.
Ernema,
Wonderful and helpful summary of Keller’s message.
Amen to this prayer.
Listening to Keller-oh…and he explains so well what I cannot. God has helped me see something in my grieving this past year-and it is okay to grieve! I am seeing how satan can come and pepper in condemnation. There is a difference between being downcast because of condemnation or truly grieving as Proverbs said, a foolish child grieves a mom’s heart. So I am excited that God has shown that to me. He encouraged me to continue to press into Him in His word. There are so many times my heart jumps when being in His Word…when He quickens me-It IS Home..His Word IS living and active and He is in me-AND NOTHING I HAVE DONE. This heart ache can suck the life out of me and I can wither but when I dig my roots in deep His joy wells up underneath the pain.
Of course really just ‘life’ circumstances beyond my children blow into my life every day-often at work..and it is easy to be up at night worrying about “what might happen”..but then He comforts me again that He is bigger than this and even if the worst does happen..I am not bound to circumstance in my life-which are temporary in light of eternity, I am bound to Him living eternally with Him NOW. Yes He cares about my circumstances-He loves me and cares about me but cares even more deeply for my happiness in Him. I loved this from keller that Droughts in life-bad seasons are opportunities to draw near and let go and dig my roots in deeper..underneath the pain I am experiencing Him more-He is my Joy.
Rebecca, all I can say is WOW. After the first sentence I was ready to start the copy/paste process to quote what jumped out at me here but by the end I gave up, realizing I’d just be copying your entire comment. We all have different struggles here and yet we can encourage each other in the same truths that sustains us all.
Mary e-YOU encourage me so. And I am completely horrible with putting my thoughts into words. You are amazing at that. 🙂
I love this Rebecca “I am not bound to circumstance in my life-which are temporary in light of eternity, I am bound to Him living eternally with Him NOW.”
Rebecca — I’m so very thankful for this revelation to You from His Spirit overcoming the enemy’s cruel lies.
7. Share your notes or reflections on Keller’s The Search for Happiness.
Is your happiness on the surface and driven by earthly things, or is your happiness deeply rooted and fundamental to your being? Deeply rooted means you rely on Him for your happiness, not the waves of our earthly lives.
?
1. What stands out to you from the above and why?
1) that a new study will be posted every two weeks (so I didn’t completely miss this lesson)
2) “WHAT IF THE ONLY RESOLUTION YOU MADE THIS YEAR WAS TO CONCENTRATE, THROUGH THE DAY, ON KEEPING COMMUNION WITH CHRIST?” WOW! (and no danger of me having other resolutions!), AND
3) “THE WORD CHRISTIAN OCCURS ONLY 3 TIMES IN SCRIPTURE.
THE PHRASE “IN CHRIST” OCCURS AROUND 165 TIMES.” I didn’t realize that the word “Christian” was even mentioned that many times! Moreover, there are powerful implications of the phrase “in Christ.” Just thinking what a difference it could make if I replace the word “Christian” in my thinking and speaking with the phrase “in Christ.” I know some people have replaced “Christian” with “Jesus-followers.” That hasn’t rolled off my tongue easily, but maybe that’s okay — since it also places Jesus outside of me. I like “in Christ” better. Will catch up with reading comments later. (Mary E — continuing to pray for you)
Renee — glad every two weeks is a blessing for you.
Did you watch the Audrey Assad song Show Me Nile posted? Such a good lament.
Wasn’t that a lovely song??
2. Read James 4:8
A. What promise is in the first sentence? He will draw near to us when we draw hear to him. i.e., I don’t have to sit around wishful thinking that He will be closer 🙂
B. What, according to the 2nd sentence, is it important to keep short-accounts throughout the day? I’m having a hard time seeing the answer clearly, but the “cleanse your hands” part jumps out at me because I’m wondering how I got sick again. Hands get dirty in normal day-to-day interactions. If I don’t wash my hands regularly and the “right” way, I get sick. I can get exposed to illness without hanging out with people who are obviously ill. Likewise, I get sick spiritually if I don’t remain in Him, seek cleansing from Him. I need cleansing even if I don’t participate in some things that people would label as more overt sins. Anyhow, the illness comparison helps this soak in even though James doesn’t seem to be talking about illness.
Dee, I LOVE the promotional video for your book — and now I’m really gonna be chomping at the bit waiting for it to come out!
YAY!
7. Notes on the Sermon
This is one I keep on my ipod and I go back to often–always need this reminder! Here is a condensed version of my notes–I like the last 2 principles most.
What does the Bible tell us about the issue of happiness? Am I fundamentally happy, if not, how come?
4 principles:
1. Happiness is possible—As we grow up we learn that life is hard—but we tend to think if we’re good enough, if we don’t mess up, we’ll be happy, and then we see happiness isn’t easy. Yet the Bible says happiness is possible. Why do so few have it? We seek it wrongly.
2. Happiness from God is fundamental, not superficial. Not a light-heartedness all the time. A joy that is permanent, overwhelming and stimulated by suffering. Like a tree—subject to seasons, not always fruitful or blossoming. Yet, this tree is planted on the riverbank, with access to water. Water that is present in heat and drought. We make the mistake of looking to our circumstances for happiness. But real happiness is found where our roots are. A Christian is planted and rooted into something other than herself, rooted into God.
3. Happiness can never be found directly—it is always and only a by-product of seeking something else more than happiness. Hunger and thirst for something more than happiness. If I seek righteousness more than happiness, I’ll get both. If I seek happiness more than righteousness, I’ll get neither. The one who seeks happiness is never happy. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. As long as you make something else your trust—you will never be happy. Why do we sometimes lie, cheat, break standards—because for most of us, the normal habit is to say we believe in principles like honesty—but we put above all else the desire to be happy. So we are willing to give up our principles if it threatens our happiness. The Bible says we will never find happiness by seeking it as our top priority. The anxiety will kill us. God is committed to my happiness, but if I come to Him to make me happy, I am coming to a false god. I must come to Him because He made me, He owns me. Come to Him without conditions—forget happiness and say ‘I owe You everything, You owe me nothing’. The test—what happens in the bad seasons? Do I question Him? then, did I go to Him to get happiness? My first priority is to serve Him. Happiness is a by-product.
4. Happiness is a choice. Find out who you belong to. I need to recognize that if I am not fundamentally happy, then I am still sitting in some other seat than God’s lap, I have allowed something else besides God to own me. Yes, there are disappointments, suffering, pain, tears—but not despair. If I am not just hurting, but totally destroyed–then I must turn away from things that have me by the heart, by the mind, these other things that “own” me. But if my delight is truly in the Law of the Lord, and I meditate it day and night–then I see the central message of the Bible, which is that my God is my Father. I am the Prodigal Son who returns to the Father, ready to serve Him as King, knowing all I owe Him–but the King, my Father, throws me a party! To delight, day and night, in the Word, in Christ–this keeps me alive, no matter the heat.
“Then I am sitting in someone else’s seat than God’s lap”
Memorable
Lizzy, I SO loved #2. AND I too loved “Then I am sitting in some other seat than God’s lap.” That really cuts to the quick fast which is what I need when I am experiencing sadness..Who or what am I allowing to own me besides God? SO SO good.
Thank you all for your wonderful comments & applications. Dear Mary E. my heart goes out to you, & may the Lord continue to be your Strength & Song & comfort & joy! I loved Tim Keller’s sermon & needed the reminder of Ps 1. I love that blessedness & happiness are one & the same, & that as we stay rooted in Christ & abide in Him, we will be blessed! I need to continually instruct my heart with the Truth of God’s word, & delight myself in Him, then He gives me the desires of my heart & His joy.” Rooted in something outside of myself…rooted in Christ…I have been planted”. I didn’t plant myself, but God planted me in His family & I belong there. Nothing can take that away! 🙂 How quickly I can be blinded to this truth; Holy Spirit open our eyes to see You in all our circumstances & to rest in You! One of my favorite verses from Ps 116 is “Be at rest once more O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you”. Dee I really enjoyed the video of your book & can’t wait to read it!
Thanks, Jenny!
Jenny, I like this:
“I didn’t plant myself, but God planted me in His family & I belong there.”
9. What thoughts do you have on the above?
I love this too (what Keller said)! I love that if you just do one thing (seek Him) you are “rewarded” with many things! It’s funny, I’m such a “how many things can I accomplish at once” type of person that this seems like a “value” to me!! I really believe it too, because I can see inklings of it happening to me; like if I can just give in fully, I will see the real end result which will be true peace and happiness. I really want this for my husband too. I am praying for this for him.
10. How did you do in the first week of the new year? (Remember, we are not aiming for perfection but for, what Eugene Peterson calls, “a long obedience in the same direction.” This will lead to fruit in your vineyard. Did you keep shorter accounts with God? Did you draw near to Him? If not, what would He tell you?
I have added another short study to my list of things to do because it was a bible plan that showed up for me to do in my bible app. It is on evangelism! I often wonder, Dee, do you “guys” get together and decide to all focus on the same piece of our faith at one time? Like some “calendar of liturgy?!” you have been speaking of evangelizing and now my bible app is bringing it up! I felt like I needed to spend a few days camped there, so now I am a busy girl with reading the Bible and completing studies! There is this blog, my Daniel fast reading, and now this short study. I love it!! Unfortunately, I have yet to write my first letter….that will be today! I am going to spend my lunch time reading the book of Daniel (this is new). Maybe my new study (only a few days) will be at night. That sounds like a good time to do it. Onward Christian Soldiers!!
LOVE THIS DETERMINATION, LAURA!
WE “GUYS” DO GET TOGETHER WITH THE SPIRIT! 🙂
I too love your determination Laura!! 😉
?
9. What thoughts do you have on the above?
I’m combining my take away from last week with my answer here. Reading this from Edwards, “True human happiness cannot be found or experienced apart from God’s glory”, and the sermon from Keller, and Wilbourne’s message…all are emphasizing to me how utterly dependent I am for Christ. He is my only hope–for life, for healing, for heart transformation. And truly, apart from Him I can do nothing–nothing to change myself, nothing to make myself happy, nothing to save myself. But there is some effort–I must go to Him,not other sources– draw near, abide. But what I love, is that I don’t have to just grasp for the hem of His garment because He made His home IN me! Oh, I do so long for holiness, for I want to please Him, I want to live in unity with His Spirit in me–and it is only possible through dependent abiding.
I just read an article by Sinclair Ferguson on the Union with the Trinity–I liked this: “Significantly, Jesus does not require believers to do a dozen things—but only to believe and to love. For it is the realization of the reality and magnitude of this union with God the Trinity through union with Christ that transforms the thinking, feeling, willing, loving, and, consequently, the actions of the believer. In this union, the Father prunes the branches of the vine to bear more fruit. In this same union, the Son keeps all those the Father has given Him.”
Believe, love, abide–that is what I was created for, to live on the Vine–and apart from it, there is no Life. I do find too, that by His great grace, the more I spend abiding, the more I long for it, the more I notice when my roots begin to run dry and I need to return again, abide, depend.
Thank you, sisters, for your wonderful sermon notes. I began taking notes for about the first 20 minutes, but then needed to finish listening later in the day and without my sermon notebook in hand.
Tim Keller’s sermon is filled with reminders of Who we should trust for our provision. It is mind-blowing that in the most difficult challenges of life, this is when our “roots” are able to draw into the extreme depths for additional needed sustenance. Dear Mary, I am witnessing this through you; I see Him in you. I continue to pray for your complete healing; I also pray for continued strength and resilience against the taunts of the evil one.
Lastly, in my devotional reading today, it states “In my Presence deep sorrow can coexist with even deeper Joy.”. Wow…isn’t this right what we’re talking about? (Jesus Always, January 8)…crazy how the message is provided in multiple ways to reiterate the point.
It is amazing how He coordinates things like that, Naci! (your devotional with the Keller message and discussion here.)
9. What thoughts do you have on the above? Well, that it’s so true and counter to our thinking that in the pursuit of happiness you end up miserable but in the pursuit of Christ you gain happiness. Also that, like you, I’m sorry it seems that I have discovered much of this near what is likely the ending of my life, rather than early-on as a Believer. I’m guessing that might be the norm, unfortunately and I’m glad to see women here who are pursing Him with possibly much time left on this earth!
10. How did you do in the first week of the new year? (Remember, we are not aiming for perfection but for, what Eugene Peterson calls, “a long obedience in the same direction.” This will lead to fruit in your vineyard. Did you keep shorter accounts with God? Did you draw near to Him? If not, what would He tell you? I’ve had much focused, set-aside time with Him and I think kept pretty short accounts I think. There have been some incidents where I really needed to follow the Spirits leading before opening my mouth. ?
I agree with Renee that the 2 week study suits me. I feel like a slow learner but I have been meditating on the James passage to draw near to him and He will draw near to you. This week has been a blessed time of drawing near, worshiping in song and meditating on His word. My song of praise has been Great is His Faithfulness.
Drawing near gives me true peace in spite of circumstances that could be described as utter unhappiness. I am experiencing the concept of Christ in me-it says so much. Keller’s sermon gives me much food for thought. each of your sermon notes were helpful, and I related to your description, Lizzy. It’s a blessing to know we are where we belong, in God’s lap!
Yes, there are disappointments and even suffering, yet joy is being right where we belong:meditating, absorbing, applying the truth and being obedient.
Nila, I loved the song of Audrey Assad’s. Mary, you are an inspiration as you accept God’s will. I am praying along with you. Our bodies let us down, but Christ lifts us up.
11. Read Psalm 1, remembering that “blessed” is another word for “happy.” What is the main point of this psalm and how will you apply it?
Although I have memorized this Psalm before using the ESV, I found the message version made me laugh out loud! Eugene Peterson; too funny!
“How well God must like you— you don’t hang out at Sin Saloon, you don’t slink along Dead-End Road, you don’t go to Smart-Mouth College. Instead you thrill to GOD ’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom.
You’re not at all like the wicked, who are mere windblown dust— Without defense in court, unfit company for innocent people.
GOD charts the road you take. The road they take is Skid Row.”
Psalm 1:1-6 MSG
http://bible.com/97/psa.1.1-6.msg
I think the idea here is to want to do right for God in our hearts. Key word here is want. It is for us to follow His law (the Word), and we will benefit in the end times. If we choose our own path, then we won’t have the same reward as others who have chosen well.
I try to apply this Psalm in my life, but oh! How human am I! I eat too much, drink too much, yell too much, complain too much…need I go on? A small comfort is that Paul said those very words, and he was a saint. I suppose the part of the Psalm that is truly key is the “….focus on His Word both day and night…” bit. That is something I am reaching higher for in this new year. Blog in the morning, Daniel at noontime, and devotional study at supper time! Kind of like that old song…
Laura,
Thanks for posting The Message version! Love your candor and honesty, Laura. And i know that old song you alluded to at the end. Sing it with my dad 🙂
We become what we think about. What i rehearse in my mind is what comes out of my mouth, is what fuels my actions.
In the 70s there was an acronym:
GIGO: Garbage In, Garbage Out
Laura, what a good idea to establish three intentional meals from God’s word each day.
Carolyn Leaf has written a book about the human brain that is fascinating. She is a Christian and has done research on the human brain for many years. She talks about what the washing of the word of God does physiologically in our brain!
Oh Nila! I am very interested in that book you mentioned. I think I will order it to read ?. I just thought the Message said it brilliantly! Love GIGO too!
Nila EXCELLENT book by Caroline Leaf.
Thank you also for sharing that beautiful song
Dee, I have an idea about the new way we are using the blog. Could you put some sort of heavy weighted line within the posts as a demarcation between the first week and second week posts? That way, when we go to the second week, we can scroll to the posts quickly to read.
Laura — I don’t quiet understand what you are asking — it sounds like something the tech guys could do. Could you try again to explain it to me?
So you know how we have posts from everyone each day? At the end of the first week (people can post up until 12am on Saturday) and then have a line go across the page so that when Sunday begins we know where to scroll to for the second weeks beginning posts. Like this:
Last saturday post
-———————————————————————————–
Sunday posts begin
i just think it might be easier to find newer posts that way.
I wonder if you could just look at the dates?
I’m a little hesitant to pay to change things, but I’ll ask if it is a problem for others in my next post.
9. What thoughts do you have on the above?
God’s glory and human flourishing is one and the same. Jonathan Edwards
Look for yourself and you will find loneliness and despair. But look for Christ and you will find Him and everything else. C.S. Lewis
Looking for Christ in my circumstances will be a discipline for me but I am grateful, He can be found! Here is one of my favorite passages in Acts: 24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’
10. How did you do in the first week of the new year? (Remember, we are not aiming for perfection but for, what Eugene Peterson calls, “a long obedience in the same direction.” This will lead to fruit in your vineyard. Did you keep shorter accounts with God? Did you draw near to Him? If not, what would He tell you?
It is taking conscious effort to “look for Christ”. I forget daily, if not hourly or sooner. I tend to try to manipulate my circumstances. But during times when I consciously “look for Him”, He is always there. Example: I heard from my sister-in-law they are moving to a new house (complete with picture!). Her husband retired and they want to be closer to their kids. My natural man reared its ugly envious head. Then I started feeling sorry for myself. I have to consciously pray about my feelings, talked it over with God, asked myself how I can honor Him in my response and in a span of a short time, my heart changed into thanksgiving for my sister-in-law and her family and sincerely sent a congrats E-mail. And her response warmed my heart as she shared her excitement about the move. Thank you, Lord!
9. What thoughts do you have on the above?
My focus on the Lord, our relationship, Christ in me…this is the “sweet spot” of life. Bad things will happen, suffering is a consequence of this being a fallen world, thank You, Lord, that the joy in my heart is rooted in You and is greater than my circumstances. I pray that I can remember this always; in the darkest moments in life as well as the most glorious; may my loves remain ordered as they should be with the Lord being first and foremost.
11. What is the main point of this psalm and how will you apply it?
I think that the main point of Psalm 1 is that there is one ultimate choice to be made, whether I will live my life on the path of the Lord or the path of the world. The “path of the Lord” (in obedience to the will of God) does not guarantee life will be one continuous “picnic,” free of suffering, ill tidings, and/or hardships, nor does it mean that I will not stumble and/or falter and need to repent. What it does mean is that the strength of the Lord, His provision, His sustenance, His love and care is mine; He is for me and nothing, no thing, can separate me from His love and redeeming power…He is my Light shining in the darkness and in the light…I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine.
9. What thoughts do you have on the above?
I love the above thoughts, “Seek happiness and you lose it, seek holiness, seek righteousness, seek Christ — and happiness gets thrown in.” “Look for yourself and you will find loneliness and despair. But look for Christ and you will find Him and everything else.” (C.S. Lewis) They remind me of Luke 9:23, 24 which I am working at memorizing. “And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” Denying oneself and taking up our cross daily means, among other things, turning away from our own desires (our own happiness) to seek holiness, to seek Christ. This is a very difficult thing to do because our default is to seek our own pleasure. We have to continually refocus ourselves on Christ or we naturally want what leads away from Christ.
11. Read Psalm 1, remembering that “blessed” is another word for “happy.” What is the main point of this psalm and how will you apply it?
When we delight in the Lord’s Word (Jesus AND Scripture) and put our focus continually on Him throughout the day our roots grow deep in the Living Water. So when the storms come, we have our lives anchored on the Rock (Jesus) and we won’t come crashing down, though the strong winds blow. That does not mean we will not lament, will not weep and be confused. It means we have an unshakeable rope to cling to, a cave to hide in, a sure Hope to believe in. Jesus has rescued us and WILL rescue us. Ultimately our leaf will not wither and will be prosper because our treasure is in Him.
Just a HEAD’S UP for those who have not read ahead a bit: Dee is speaking in the prison/hospital in Houston later this week and covets our prayers. Oh, Dee, we pray for safety and the Holy Spirit’s power as you minister this week.
Yes, Praying!
Thanks so much, dear Diane!
12. Look at Psalm 1 again
A. You may have already memorized this psalm — if so, review it. If not, or even if you have, choose a verse that quickens you and meditate on it day and night. What did you choose and what reflections do you have? I think I like verse 6: “For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.” (NASB) I looked at the Living Translation of that and it says, “The Lord watches over all the plans and paths of the Godly man…” I need that. He is watching over my plans and paths. Will see a urologist tomorrow about the hydronephrosis of my right kidney (they think there is tumor pressing on it) and I need His hand in it all.
B. Has the Word become a “delight to you?” If so, why? If not, find heart in knowing it is an acquired taste, and it will be if you persist in a long obedience in the same direction. It is a delight to me, because it’s His love story to me but, like Wilbourne says in Unity With Christ, we all go through the “doldrums” sometimes. Not every day does it (the Word) jump off the page at me and speak to me in a huge way, but I’m sure thankful for those experiences….and we press on and press in even when it’s not jumping off the page! I’m guessing that in a marriage not everyday is this huge, intense romance but you still love each other in the dull times and that is where deep love is truly proven. What’s great about interacting in this setting is that there is always bound to be someone who is not in the doldrums and has a wonderful insight to share with the rest of us! 🙂
As I learn that the more I focus on HIM the less I focus on me the more at peace I am. Lily has had some friend drama this week (can i just say how much I HATE jr. high) and she asked me to homeschool her. Of course I am not going to pull her home because of a little drama at school but I know how BIG things feel in 8th grade so we spent HOURS talking and praying and walking her through forgiving her “friends”. I found myself speaking truth from this blog to her….you can not forgive in your own power, she must believe that God lives inside of you and will give you the power she needs to forgive.
Psalm 91 has been spoken to me in 6 different ways this week…its amazing what happens when we really start listening. My goal for Jan. is to Memorize psalm 91 vs.1,2,4,9-12,14-16.
Junior HIgh surely can be mean. With a godly mother coaching, I pray it will build Lily’s character. But it is hard!
My friend Twila who has memorized so many books finds memorizing whole paragraphs easier than assorted verses. Just a thought.
The reason I have chosen to memorize just a specific person is because I’m personalizing the whole thing. So when it says things like he will save me from the Fowler’s snare I am putting in “He will protect me from the middle school bully….or when it says I will not be afraid of the pestilence… I am putting in I will not be afraid of menopause lol 🙂
9. Thoughts. God is seamless, not broken into compartments. He is not yes in one Place and no in another, though we sometimes think so in our limited view. He has always been about a love relationship with us, where He loves us just because, and wants us to choose to love Him primarily to love Him just because. Not because He can make us happy or healthy or wealthy, but because we have seen Him and fallen in love with Him. It is not about having a pain free life. It is about loving Him in our pain, sharing it with Him and finding in Him all we need, just because He is.
10. How did I do this first week? There have been pitfalls, detours and obstacles, but those don’t change who He is. The song from Kim Hill is a favorite. She has another titled You are still Holy:
Holy, You are still holy. Even when the darkness surrounds my life
sovereign, You are still sovereign. Even when confusion has blinded my eyes
Lord, I don’t deserve Your kind affection when my unbelief has kept me from Your touch
i want my life to be a pure reflection of Your love
so I come into Your chamber and I dance at Your feet Lord
You are my savior, and I’m at Your mercy
all that has been in my life up to now, it belongs to You
Holy, You are still holy. Even though I don’t understand Your ways
sovereign, You are still sovereign even when my circumstances don’t change
Lord, I don’t deserve Your tender patience when my when my unbelief has kept me from Your truth
i want my life to be a sweet devotion to You
so I come into Your chamber and I dance at Your feet Lord
You are my savior and I’m at Your mercy
all that has been in my life up till now, it belongs to You. I belong to you…..
Good thoughts, Mary. Love that song by Kim.
5. Think about your children, for if we have known the Lord for a few years, we have spiritual children, people we are mentoring, or, you may have biological or adopted children/grandchildren. How does your life impact them? How could you pray for them today, show them Christ’s love, or mentor them? – Wow, I have all these children. I have 2 boys of my own, 3 stepsons, 2 granddaughters and 4 grandsons. My two boys are Christian but sadly are not active. Kyle came back from Afghanistan broken and believing that he has done too many bad things to be accepted in church, but not because I haven’t told him that is the furthest thing from the truth. I pray for him to find a great young lady who will love him for him and the sins he has committed just as Jesus has done for all of us. My other sons, just don’t attend, yet they all know the Lord, but one of my stepsons is married to a girl who does not believe in God any longer. She does not fault us at all, and when things are going wrong I say “I know you don’t believe in God, but I’m going to pray” and she just says ok. I am also a mentor at church for women and have been assigned a young girl that I’m waiting for her to contact me, which is how our church does it. My husband and I are also Life Group leaders so we have a group of 9 a mix of men, women, couples and singles, that we try to lead. I pray often for all my kids and their wives or significant others, that their hearts soften and are open to be led back to the Lord. I pray for our group and just try to live a life that is pleasing to God, but do I fall short most times. Our group knows that what is said in our group, can be said openly and without judgement and that makes me feel good, that we have our own little family within a big church and God is in the center of all of it.
6. What I pray for you is that each day you will get your soul “happy” in the Lord, as George Mueller put it. When will you “eat,” what will you “eat,” and where will you “eat”? (Planning a routine will help!) – I love this, this is somethine we have discussed in our Life Group, what routines do we all have to stay connected with Christ throughout our days, weeks and months. Some get up early for their quiet time to read God’s Word and start their day off with Jesus. For me, I am up at 5:15 just to start getting ready for work, that I just cannot get up any earlier, so I pray as I get ready and as I drive my 45 minute drive, I hook up my phone to my car radio, turn on Pandora and sing praise songs all the way to work. Once at work, I am able to listen to music and I will switch between various Christian singers, to Christian talk programs, so I’m constantly surrounded by Jesus. This wil help me stay focused and singing when I can brings me joy. We all seem to have different ways we are fed and that’s ok, there is more than one way, and there is various times throughout the day to eat.
Cyndi; I remember when my daughter was in 8th grade….such a challenge! I pray that the Lord gives you wisdom, & surrounds your girl with loving godly friends! Laura, I keep meaning to ask if you are in a branch of the military? The background in your pic looks like US Coast Guard? My son is a Coastie 🙂 What is the main point of Ps 1 & how can I apply it? Being rooted in the ways & laws of the Lord will make me blessed & happy. Listening, obeying, receiving. I need to be doing all 3 daily. the 2 verses that quickened me were; 2nd part of vs 3…..”ready to bring forth its fruit in season”. I thought of Coast Guard motto, “Semper paratus” which means “Always Ready”. In order to be ready for action when the call comes, we need to be training in righteousness & keeping spiritually fit”, dwelling in Him daily & letting Him teach us! Lord, I want to be ready so You can send me out when You choose! The other verse was vs 6….”For the Lord knows & is fully acquainted with the way of the righteous” (Amplified),……Just touches my heart to think that He truly knows me & is “acquainted with all my ways”…what Peace that can bring if I can really receive it 🙂 Mary E. praying that Urology appt goes well tomorrow & that you know His Peace, no matter what xxx
This is my 5th time through Junior High ! You think I would be better at it by now!!!! I think I’m just warn out…11 years is to long to have a jr. High she girl living in your home 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Cyndi-she girl-lol! 🙂 🙂
7. Share your notes or reflections on Keller’s The Search for Happiness. – WOW what a great message and so timely in the world we live in today. So many people today think that the world and everyone in it owes them a good and happy life. There is only one way to get that happy life and that is to seek out Jesus and find out how we are to live our life. I love how Tim Keller made it more aware to me that like the tree rooted in the ground by the water, I too can be rooted in the Living Water and have life all the time, no matter what my circumstances may be at a given time, I can continue to grow and live and not wither under the heat. My happiness is not around me, but it is in me and is there if I reach down and grasp it. I need to pass this one on to our Life Group. So many hurting souls in this world that can come alive, if they plant themselves by the Water.
7. Notes from Dr. Timothy Keller’s sermon “The Search for Happiness” (Yes I was one of those who was behind and worked on it over the weekend — and a little bit on Monday)
Even though our ancestors had few or no economic choices like we do, few or no political freedoms like we do, though they had no vacations, no health benefits, had short life expectancy, let’s ask ourselves “Are we happier than they were?” In fact, if you read the journals and diaries of our ancestors, do you see as much self-pity, boredom, meaninglessness, or do you see as much despair? Nobody could make a case that we are any happier than they were, but you could make a very, very good case that they were happier than we are.
The Bible has always said what makes you happy or unhappy – the issues that make you happy or unhappy are profoundly cosmic and spiritual and have been unchanged for millenia.
What does the Bible tell us about the issue of happiness. All of the psychology, sociology, urban planning, political science, biochemistry – What are they all about? We are not happy!
We have read Psalm 1 many times. It is a very famous psalm. If we know the Biblical principles of happiness, why are we still unhappy? Psalm 1 is the gatekeeper for the entire book of Psalms and may even be for the entire Bible. Its principles are extremely basic to everything in the psalter, and everything in the Bible.
FOUR PRINCIPLES KELLER DRAWS OUT OF THIS TEXT THAT ADDRESS THE ISSUE AS TO WHY PEOPLE ARE HAPPY OR UNHAPPY.
1. Happiness is possible. Blessed means joyful. We start out thinking happiness is natural in life. Yes, of course , there are unhappy people, but they must have screwed up. Our parents lead us to believe that if I am good enough, if I’m smart enough, if I work hard enough, then happiness is natural. As time goes on, we migrate. As we experience more and more of life, we begin to realize that happiness it not anywhere near as easy as we thought. We realize that most of the most successful people, experienced people, gifted people are the most cynical. Life is more like the Shakespearean play Hamlet than it is like Much Ado About Nothing. We start out thinking happiness is natural, but we end up thinking happiness is unachievable. Basically we have four kinds of people:
(1) Those that think happiness is natural.
(2) Those who think happiness is unachievable.
(3) Those in the middle who are migrating from (1) to (2).
(4) Those who understand what the Bible says: Happiness is possible.
Inquiring minds ask, “If happiness is possible, why do so few people have it?” The answer from the Bible is that people seek it wrongly.
2. Happiness offered by God is a fundamental happiness, not a superficial happiness.
Psalm 1 tells us that the happy man, the Godly man, is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and its leaf does not wither. The first major mistake that we make is we try to find our happiness in circumstances. The Bible tells us that, if we try to seek happiness in externals, we will screw up, because real happiness is found inside of you, where your roots are. Happiness never consists in what happens to you, but in what you are. Keller quoted the old couplet: “Two men looked out through prison bars – one saw mud, the other stars.” The difference is in the men. We tend to be like a tree that is not planted near the stream, a tree that is completely dependent on what comes from outside, not what we draw from the inside.
A Christian is someone who has been planted and is rooted into something beside him or herself. That is why the Bible talks about the new birth. We have been rooted into God. Now there is power and outlook. Now there is an understanding that wasn’t there before. The tree experiences affliction. It hurts. It doesn’t always bear fruit, yet its leaf never withers.
I Peter 1:6. Peter says “You rejoice in Him though you are now in great heaviness.” There are two present tenses in that statement. You are in deep joy even though you are in absolute deep distress. It doesn’t mean that a Christian who is hit by some terrible tragedy should smile and praise God and not let it get to you. Not only is that radically un-Biblical, but it is unbelievably unhealthy. That is not peace; it is brainwashing. We are not supposed to be lighthearted all the time. We are talking about a joy that is permanent, and is overwhelming and is overlapping, and is actually stimulated by tragic circumstances. Brought about not by controlling your environment, but by controlling your allegiances.
3. Happiness can never be found directly or gotten directly. It is always and only a by-product of seeking something else more than happiness. Bible never says “Blessed is the one who seeks blessedness.” Never, never! If you seek righteousness more than happiness, you will get both. If you seek happiness more than righteousness, you’ll get neither. The person who is happy is the one who has stopped trying so hard to be happy and who sat down and said, “what am I really living for?”
We say we believe in principles like honesty and integrity, etc., but we tend to make exceptions, because we have made happiness our top priority. Why is it you cheat or lie. Why do you sometimes break your standards? It is because you have made one principle that is over all the other principles, and that is “I’ve got to be happy.”
The only way to come to God rightly is to come without conditions, and say “forget happiness, I owe you everything.”
4. Happiness is a choice. So why don’t we have it? (A) Because we look for it in circumstances. (B) Because we got after it directly and we make it non-negotiable. We have to find out who we belong to. At some point you have to see that something besides God owns you. Other things own you. There is a difference between wanting something and having it own you. Even if you are a Christian, saying I believe all these things, you can still be operating in the old way. If you are not profoundly happy, then you are still sitting in some other seat than God’s lap!
Deanna — you always have such great notes.
11. Read Psalm 1, remembering that “blessed” is another word for “happy.” What is the main point of this psalm and how will you apply it?
I did this question and read Psalm 1 Sunday morning before church and He was stirring me..then God had our Pastor teach in Matthew 21:18-22:14 and The fig tree that withered relates to Psalm 1. He SO fit the pieces together in my heart. I was so moved at how God did this I wrote an email to my pastor to encourage him. I think our pastors really need to hear how their sermons are impacting us. His often does.
It was about how the figs were with leaves but there was no fruit and there should be fruit. The pharisees and saducees were walking around as if they had fruit but they didn’t. They were looking the part rather than living the part. Bottom line their roots weren’t rooted in God but they thought they were and they didn’t want Him they wanted their idols but fooled themselves and everyone around them into thinking they did want Him. Jesus gives 3 parables that I thought were amazing contrasting hearts that wanted him and hearts that didn’t.
So the bottom line in Psalm 1 is that, well first of all I think it is a picture of Jesus-but how I can apply it is to push my roots deeper into Him via His word-meditating day and night-savoring Him, delighting in Him..Delighting in His Word is delighting in Him.
3. Take some time with this:
A. How does the image of a vineyard, or the vine and the branches, give you insight into how you might move to higher ground in 2017?
I’m very behind, and having trouble typing with my two bruised, swollen fingers! I won’t move to higher ground by scraping and pulling myself up there. Not by trying harder. Only by remaining close to Jesus, abiding in His love, sitting in His shade; then, when He calls me to come out and go with Him on the heights, He will take me to higher ground.
B. How does the image of marriage give you insight into how you might move to higher ground in 2017?
I suppose the way is that the husband and the wife, because they are one, have the same desire to move in the same direction, and help each other get there with encouragement and support. I don’t know this truth in my marriage, though, as I often feel pulled down and away from the Lord by my husband. It can be something like a TV show he’s watching that he finds entertaining but that disturbs me.
4. And of course I’d love input into the video!
Loved it and wouldn’t change a thing.
OH..I have to tell you a story and I will stop! 🙂 I have so sensed His presence..for example, Sunday, often when satan attacks, after church I pulled into the garage to listen to Audrey Assad’s testimony..it is WONDERFUL..it is 22 minutes long and I thought if I just sit here and listen, no one will bother me. :))) Anyway, my husband opened the door after about 10 minutes and said anxiously, “aren’t you supposed to take Drew to the birthday party? We’ve been looking for you.” There really wasn’t a start time to the party and I knew we could leave after I watched the testimony, but they were in a hurry..SO I became frustrated for having time for myself for 22 minutes straight is unheard of, and instantly this still small voice said, “Don’t let the devil get a foothold.” I saw my sin was crouching at my door and mastering it is turning from it and turning to God…God knew I was going to get angry and He stepped in to rescue me-oh so I turned..not as fast as I wanted to but after cooling off I turned. :))
Great story!! Proud of you.
Those little victories add up to proven character over the long haul! Praising you with Him for this victory!