I am currently starting the fourth week of an online Bible study based on the book Living So That: Making Faith-Filled Choices in the Midst of a Messy Life by Wendy Blight. I was drawn to the study because of the title. When I first saw it, I thought, Living so that what? Where's the rest of the title? I now realize that the title was referring to those verses in the Bible that have the words so that in them.
The book has five chapters, each split into five parts and having a memory verse tied to the topic of that chapter. In the study, we are doing one chapter a week, and can split up the five readings for the week however we want to. I choose to read them on weekdays right after breakfast so that I start each work day with some time spent in God's Word.
Chapter One is "Jesus Came So That," and the memory verse is John 3:16. I figured, I know that verse in two languages. I got this. I didn't figure I would have any trouble with that week because I already knew why Jesus came. However, doing the readings throughout the week helped this fact to sink in like it never really had before. It's one thing to know that I am free from the punishment my sins deserve, and another entirely to internalize that. Each section of each chapter ends with the "so that" statement from that chapter to finish, and as the week went on, the way I finished the statement became less general and more personal.
I figured Chapter Two, "God Spoke So That," might prove a bit more challenging. While 2 Timothy 3:16-17, the memory verses for that chapter, is something I know, those verses are a more recent acquisition in my Biblical memory bank. As I figured, this chapter prompted me to really take a hard look at myself and analyze where I was spiritually. The third section of this chapter deals with the parable of the sower. While I had read this story many times before, I had never taken the time to really break it down. One activity in this section was to dissect this story and describe the heart represented by each of the different types of soil. There was also the question "Do you think the 'soil' of our hearts can be changed?" Both of these things prompted me to look at myself and think about what type of soil I am, and what type of soil I may have been in the past. I believe that the "soil" of our hearts can change because I've seen it in my own life. My heart may be good soil now, but I know that it has been rocky and thorny in the past.
I found it interesting that we studied this section during Holy Week, and wondered if the pairing would help provide added insights. I was not disappointed. My church has a Garden of Gethsemane prayer vigil that begins at 7:00 on the evening of Maundy Thursday and ends at 7:00 the morning of Good Friday. Church members can sign up for one-hour shifts throughout the night to pray so that Jesus will not be alone. I signed up for the 6:00-7:00 shift on Friday morning, and since that is when I've been reading the book, I took it with me. I found that I was much more able to focus in the silent sanctuary. One of the passages in Section Five was Ephesians 6:10-18, which deals with putting on the full armor of God. We were asked to write down the six pieces of armor and analyze how we use each piece in our lives. I enjoyed digging deeper into this passage and prayerfully considering how I can use the armor of God to help me in my daily life.
The title of Chapter Three was "Pray So That," and before reading it, I thought my prayer life was good. I had moved from just praying at meals, church and bedtime to praying whenever I thought of something I needed to pray about. If I saw someone on Facebook asking for prayers, I would pray immediately rather than waiting until a specific time. I figured the memory verse, Hebrews 4:16, would be my only challenge since it was unfamiliar to me. Boy, was I wrong.
In the chapter, it talked about praying without ceasing, which to me meant being willing to pray whenever and wherever the mood struck me. I thought I had that down, but as I studied the chapter, I realized I was wrong. I would pray when I was happy, when I was sad, when I was thinking about someone who needed prayers and even whenever I thought about my future. However, I realized as I studied that I wasn't praying when I was mad, which, let's face it, happens more often than I care to admit. This fact really sunk in Thursday as I drove home from work. It had been a long and frustrating day and I was quite happy to be done with it, but since I was in a bad mood, everyone on the roadway that wasn't driving properly was annoying me to no end. Then I felt God nudging me to give up my frustration to Him, so I did. I ranted and raged and poured all my frustration out, and you know what, I started to feel better. The frustrating circumstances didn't change, but my view of them did.
I can't wait to see what changes are in store for me in these last two weeks of the study.
The book has five chapters, each split into five parts and having a memory verse tied to the topic of that chapter. In the study, we are doing one chapter a week, and can split up the five readings for the week however we want to. I choose to read them on weekdays right after breakfast so that I start each work day with some time spent in God's Word.
Chapter One is "Jesus Came So That," and the memory verse is John 3:16. I figured, I know that verse in two languages. I got this. I didn't figure I would have any trouble with that week because I already knew why Jesus came. However, doing the readings throughout the week helped this fact to sink in like it never really had before. It's one thing to know that I am free from the punishment my sins deserve, and another entirely to internalize that. Each section of each chapter ends with the "so that" statement from that chapter to finish, and as the week went on, the way I finished the statement became less general and more personal.
I figured Chapter Two, "God Spoke So That," might prove a bit more challenging. While 2 Timothy 3:16-17, the memory verses for that chapter, is something I know, those verses are a more recent acquisition in my Biblical memory bank. As I figured, this chapter prompted me to really take a hard look at myself and analyze where I was spiritually. The third section of this chapter deals with the parable of the sower. While I had read this story many times before, I had never taken the time to really break it down. One activity in this section was to dissect this story and describe the heart represented by each of the different types of soil. There was also the question "Do you think the 'soil' of our hearts can be changed?" Both of these things prompted me to look at myself and think about what type of soil I am, and what type of soil I may have been in the past. I believe that the "soil" of our hearts can change because I've seen it in my own life. My heart may be good soil now, but I know that it has been rocky and thorny in the past.
I found it interesting that we studied this section during Holy Week, and wondered if the pairing would help provide added insights. I was not disappointed. My church has a Garden of Gethsemane prayer vigil that begins at 7:00 on the evening of Maundy Thursday and ends at 7:00 the morning of Good Friday. Church members can sign up for one-hour shifts throughout the night to pray so that Jesus will not be alone. I signed up for the 6:00-7:00 shift on Friday morning, and since that is when I've been reading the book, I took it with me. I found that I was much more able to focus in the silent sanctuary. One of the passages in Section Five was Ephesians 6:10-18, which deals with putting on the full armor of God. We were asked to write down the six pieces of armor and analyze how we use each piece in our lives. I enjoyed digging deeper into this passage and prayerfully considering how I can use the armor of God to help me in my daily life.
The title of Chapter Three was "Pray So That," and before reading it, I thought my prayer life was good. I had moved from just praying at meals, church and bedtime to praying whenever I thought of something I needed to pray about. If I saw someone on Facebook asking for prayers, I would pray immediately rather than waiting until a specific time. I figured the memory verse, Hebrews 4:16, would be my only challenge since it was unfamiliar to me. Boy, was I wrong.
In the chapter, it talked about praying without ceasing, which to me meant being willing to pray whenever and wherever the mood struck me. I thought I had that down, but as I studied the chapter, I realized I was wrong. I would pray when I was happy, when I was sad, when I was thinking about someone who needed prayers and even whenever I thought about my future. However, I realized as I studied that I wasn't praying when I was mad, which, let's face it, happens more often than I care to admit. This fact really sunk in Thursday as I drove home from work. It had been a long and frustrating day and I was quite happy to be done with it, but since I was in a bad mood, everyone on the roadway that wasn't driving properly was annoying me to no end. Then I felt God nudging me to give up my frustration to Him, so I did. I ranted and raged and poured all my frustration out, and you know what, I started to feel better. The frustrating circumstances didn't change, but my view of them did.
I can't wait to see what changes are in store for me in these last two weeks of the study.
Amy, God is changing and transforming you in a mighty way! I enjoyed reading how this study has been a blessing to you. Thank you for sharing! Natalie ( Proverbs 31 Ministries OBS Team)
ReplyDeleteAmy, isn't it such an encouragement to your spirit when God sheds understanding in your heart? I love that you continue to desire to learn and grow and allow God to change you. I'm so glad you shared your thoughts here!
ReplyDeleteMissy (Proverbs 31 OBS Volunteer)
Amy, I love when God provides fresh insights to us through our study times! It's such an encouragement that you long to be changed and to learn and grow. Thank you so much for sharing your heart here.
ReplyDeleteMissy (Proverbs 31 Ministries OBS Volunteer)