This past Thursday the Thursday Ladies met once again to study I Samuel using '
After God's Heart ' by Myrna Alexander as a guide . As I studied and read I just wasn't "feeling" the study. Usually I get very excited studying the Bible, especially the Old Testament. I knew at least one of the ladies would have something to share that would be insightful and thought that would have to do this week.
I thought about this as I set the table the night before the luncheon, and I prayed yet again that God would bring just the right ladies to the table and they would be uplifted & encouraged , as I know I am when we gather round His word.
It was not until I went to bed the thought came to me ( of course, why didn't I go to bed before 3:00 a.m. ? ) the key to King Saul's rage and repeated attempts to kill David, and also his own son, was that Saul was consumed by jealousy & rebellion. The two go hand in hand . I thought about the many instances in my half-century plus lifetime that jealousy & rebellion reared their ugly heads and wreaked havoc and ruin in not only the lives of those under the merciless tyranny of these sins, but also the path of destruction they left in the lives of their families and friends. Jealousy and rebellion ... Satan's downfall, Cain's downfall ,Saul's downfall, and on & on. I know I have succumbed to their lies with woeful consequences. "
jealousy : Unpleasant fear ,suspicion, resentment, arising from mistrust of another, grudging envy " Webster's Collegiate Dictionary
We ladies began to discuss this as we continued on in the study , and I thank God and praise Him for how He reveals Himself to us in simple stories of long ago tragedies , knowing if we read them, think about them, ask for His wisdom & discernment regarding them, He will honor us with His truth. Unfortunately, His truth is often uncomfortable, convicting, and if we accept His word as truth, we are obligated to act upon it. God's word is an inconvenient truth. This causes many to turn away. Please God, may I never turn away from Your ways and Your wisdom when You've revealed it to me through Your word.
If you've never read the stories in the Old testament about the kings and prophets, you've been missing out. If you prefer plain American English ( is this an oxymoron ? ) then read a paraphrase. It is so worth it. There really is nothing new under the sun and if you enjoy ongoing dramas on t.v. with murder, intrigue, romance, heroism, valor, war, scandal...well, you ain't read or seen nothing yet until you read the Old Testament !
Anyway... we had one of the best studies ever, and these ladies are so encouraging & uplifting I am thanking God all the more for them and for His word ! "
A godly perspective transfers to present circumstances what God has taught us in the past ." & " For a problem to be met correctly , the challenge of Scripture is to confront the difficulty with a divine perspective in the strength of the Lord." Myrna Alexander
"But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart , do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth... for where jealousy and selfish ambition exist there is disorder and every evil thing." James 3 : 14, 16
9 comments:
This was a great post to read this chilly Sunday morning.
What a lovely group of ladies and your table setting is so pretty and comforting. It is so nice to study the Bible together and learn from one another.
Have a nice Sunday and a great week.
FlowerLady
Old Testament a storehouse of insight and knowledge - I also relish delving into what our Lord shares with us.
My small group is studying a book on pain and suffering - cheery topic eh? Based loosely on Job - written by Tullian Tchividjian "Glorious Ruin"
really good for me so far - never any wasted time with scripture is there?
That looked like an absolutely delightful luncheon. Bet all the ladies enjoyed it immensely. Everything looked great. Susan
I'm pondering that statement, "God's Word is an inconvenient truth."
Rebellion sure does like to raise it's ugly head...
You've probably heard this: the OT is the NT concealed, and the NT is the OT revealed. I hate to hear people say that the OT is not relevant today, and that they only study the NT. When you study both, they both start making more sense. I envy your having a regular group of women to study and discuss God's word. Wish I lived closer and could ask to join this sweet group. We've just begun to visit a new church regularly. Perhaps this will be a good future plan if I can meet some like-minded women.
Great post. King Saul, a very interesting man and example. Reading about him always makes me sad for his children.
Such a lovely post! That table setting is beautiful.
Your table looks lovely, Kathy. It sounds like your Bible study group is and was a blessing to you. I think it is wonderful that you have each other to study together and exchange ideas and inspiration.
Kathy, Thank you so much for this. It is true, I seem to get a new insight every time I study these old old stories! We are studying the covenants now. Bless you.
I used to be in a Beth Moore bible study and just loved it. The old testament made so much sense when she explained it.
Love all of your pinecone teacups and such. And the cheese ball...perfect! My Aunt used to make a cheese ball like that.
Cindy Bee
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