We can't pick and choose when, where, and how God uses His power.  In this first lesson in the 6th week of Jonah:  Navigating a Life Interrupted by Priscilla Shirer, we are reminded that Jonah did not initially disobey God because He did not know God, but because he DID know God.  Jonah had considered the people of Nineveh as his enemies.  He knew that God would respond graciously to to the Ninevites if they turned back to God.  Jonah didn't want the Ninevites to experience God's grace.  Jonah wanted them to experience calamity.  While this might seem harsh, I doubt many, if any, of us have escaped the shackles of jealousy when it comes to our "enemies."  Think about it.  Is there someone in your life who experienced God's grace when you thought they didn't deserve it?

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 Jonah:  Navigating a Life Interrupted by Priscilla Shirer (Final Short Summary)

God's too big for us to control.  You can't pick and choose which of God's attributes you want to see displayed and when and where you want to experience them.  You can't play games with God and expect to win. - Priscilla Shirer

I often pray for the opportunity to experience God's sovereign power.  I want to experience His power when I pray for a loved one to be healed, when I pray for a friend to get the job she has worked hard to get, when I pray for safety for my children, and so forth.  I shouldn't be disappointed when my sovereign God uses His power the way He wants to use it, even if that means He uses it in a way that I don't like.

However . . . we are human so anger, jealousy, and resentment are something we deal with from time to time, maybe even on a regular basis.  In day of this week, Priscilla gave us a list of attributes of God, then she asked us to circle the two that others see least in us.  Whoa!  That was a real eye-opener.  After looking at that list and then focusing on the two attributes I least display in my life, I felt like a heartless meany.  Priscilla goes on to remind us that for the attributes of God to find a home in our hearts, we must rely on the Holy Spirit. 

The fruit of God's Spirit can only be realized in the life of someone who is consistently yielding to the Spirit's work in his or her life.  In other words, the inclination of our flesh will always pull in the opposite direction of what the Spirit seeks to help us do.  We must totally rely on the Holy Spirit to see the effects of His work in our lives. - Priscilla Shirer

In day three, we are asked the question, "How do Jonah's feelings about the plant clearly show a misplacement of priorities?"  The answer to this question should have been clear to me immediately but I had to think about it for a minute before I realized that Jonah was not just happy, but extremely happy, about the favor God was showing to him, but he was angered about the favor God was showing to others.

Does the attitude in hour hearts ever reflect the same attitude displayed in Jonah's?  If we are being honest, then we would need to admit that we sometimes feel the same way that Jonah felt.  This attitude means that there is a gap between our hearts and God's heart that needs mending.

Are we willing to extend grace to others as God has extended it to us?  Do a quick self-inventory and consider this:  When God graciously takes care of our needs, shows up in our discomfort, or calms our anxieties, our first inclination should be to offer an extension of those same healing properties to someone else.  His grace to us should make us more gracious to others. - Priscilla Shirer

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

 We are asked to personalize 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.  Let's try that.

Blessed be the God and Father of MY Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts ME in all MY affliction so that "I" will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which "I MYSELF" am comforted by God.

Wow, that sheds a little more light on our mission wherever we are right now, doesn't it?  Have you been afflicted?  Has God comforted you in your affliction?  Then you must comfort others as God has comforted you.  There is no other way to translate that.

God really wanted to get Jonah's attention.  He sent a storm, a big fish, a withering plant, a hot sun, and ab uncomfortable wind to teach Jonah life lessons.  Priscilla points out that we don't know how this story ends.  However she emphasizes that the ending of Jonah's story is not important.  What is important is how we will allow Jonah's story to impact our own lives.  I love the way she ended the last page.

The rest of your story is yet to be written.
The pen of Heaven is waiting.
The perspective of God is offered.
Onward, modern-day Jonah.
The best is yet to come. - Priscilla Shirer

 You can find all posts about this Bible study series here.

Go Into All the World (from the Jonah Series by Priscilla Shirer)

We are now in our 5th Week of our ladies' Bible study series called Jonah:  Navigating a Life Interrupted by Priscilla Shirer.  This week, we have been introduced to Jonah.  We've discussed the fact that sometimes life interruptions don't always make sense. We've talked about the consequences of running away from God's calling.  We've learned to admit our mistakes and turning back to God.  We've been encouraged by the truth that God is a God of second chances.  Now, that we have all that behind us, we are free to boldly go into all the world as the Lord tells us to do in what is known as the Great Commission.  We find the Great Commission in the book of Matthew.

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 Go Into All the World

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” - Matthew 28:16-20

This week I was reminded of something I already knew but needed a refresher.  The Great Commission is not something we do once and then we're done.  It's not something we can check off of a list after going on a mission trip or even several mission trips.  The Great Commission is something we live.  

We must remember that sharing Jesus is supposed to be a way we live, not just something we do. - Priscilla Shirer

When we are placed in situations we feel are beyond our control, we are forced to rely on God and God alone to sustain us.  When we have no choice, we have no choice.  

God purposefully put Paul in a situation beyond his control.  He gave the apostle a constant reminder of his need to rely on and connect with Him.  Without this thorn, Paul might have slipped into arrogance, but this pressing need continually reminded him of his frailty. - Priscilla Shirer

God doesn't send us into strange and dangerous territories alone and He doesn't send us without first preparing hearts for our arrival.   God goes before us.

God has been at work in the situation long before we are scheduled to arrive and He is preparing a way for our obedience to make a difference.  - Priscilla Shirer

Simple obedience can have a powerful effect.  Responding in obedience can have an eternal effect on one person which will result in a "triple effect" scenario.  Your one act of simple obedience can have an effect on someone down the road that you don't even know.  Consider the following acts of simple obedience.

Esther's act of bravely going to the king to save her people resulted in the salvation of her entire race.  Consider Ruth choosing to leave Moab behind to follow her mother-in-law to Bethlehem.  She met Boaz and became part of the lineage of the Messiah.  Joshua just walked around Jericho's walls and they came crashing down.  Peter just kept his eyes on Jesus and was able to walk on water.  Each of these scenarios provides a gripping reminder of the impact choices we make can have, even when they seem inconsequential. - Priscilla Shirer

Once again, I learned something new inside the pages of the Jonah story.  The message God told Jonah to proclaim is this:  Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown.  (Jonah 3:4)

The part I never stopped to ponder before were those first three words - Yet forty days.

Why did God give Nineveh 40 days after Jonah's proclamation?  Why didn't he respond immediately after Jonah had arrived?

Much faster than Jonah probably imagined, Nineveh responded favorably to his message which resulted in a great revival in the land.  Then, God did something amazing.  He changed His mind about the calamity He had planned to pour out over the land of Nineveh.

I'll ask again, "Why did God give them 40 days?"  It was because God didn't want to punish the people of Nineveh.  He wanted them to respond favorably and worship Him - and they did.

If God had planned to punish Nineveh no matter how they responded, then there would be no need to give them 40 days.  Jonah could have preached one day and God could have brought calamity on them the next.

God is just, but He is also merciful and eager to extend grace to us.

God doesn't always change His mind.  Sometimes a child still dies as in the case of King David (and also in my own personal case a long time ago).  Sometimes God responds in a way that is not in line with the way we had hoped He would, but His ways and His purpose for our lives are always best even if we can't see the full picture.  We simply have to trust Him.

How do we respond to God when He works in a way that is not in line with what we ask or perhaps the outcome is directly the opposite of what we ask?

We can follow the example of King David.

¹⁶ David therefore inquired of God for the child; and David fasted and went and lay all night on the ground. ¹⁷ The elders of his household stood beside him in order to raise him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat food with them. ¹⁸ Then it happened on the seventh day that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was still alive, we spoke to him and he did not listen to our voice. How then can we tell him that the child is dead, since he might do himself harm!” ¹⁹ But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; so David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they said, “He is dead.” ²⁰ So David arose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he came into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he came to his own house, and when he requested, they set food before him and he ate. - 2 Samuel 12:16-20

 You'll find all my posts about this Bible study here.

This has been only a short summary of what Priscilla Shirer's Bible study has to offer.  I recommend that you complete the entire study either at home or at your church with a group.  You'll find the complete leader kit here.

This item is available here.

Image Credit:  Eye of Ebony - Public Domain Image via Freely Photos

This week in our ladies Bible study on Jonah by Priscilla Shirer, we are talking about second chances.  God is a God of second chances. We learn this truth by reading about several familiar Bible characters.

God is a God of Second Chances

Aaron was chosen by God to serve as His priest.  Aaron messed up when he lead the Israelites to build a golden calf to worship.  Aaron was still allowed to serve as God's priest.  God gave Aaron a second chance.

God promised Sarah that she would have a baby and that she would be the mother of a great nation.  Sarah's trust in God to fulfill His promise to her weakened so much that she took matters into her own hands and gave over her maid, Hagar, to her husband to conceive instead.  Sarah still gave birth to Isaac and God fulfilled His promise to Sarah.  God gave Sarah a second chance.

Peter, one of Jesus' faithful disciples, denied knowing Jesus three times. Yet Peter remained a great disciple of Jesus until his own death.  God gave Peter a second chance.

God can and will give you and me a second chance too.

Priscilla brings us to the story of Joseph who was sold into slavery by his brothers.  She helps us see, in this lesson, how Joseph's story of forgiveness foreshadows the story of Jesus and His forgiveness.

Joseph could have had his brothers killed or severely punished for the injustice done to him, but in a breathtaking act of mercy, he "kissed all his brothers" and invited them to live under his provision and protection.  In the true picture of the merciful Savior to come, Joseph refrained from anger, abstained from vengeance, and offered that which is not deserved. - Priscilla Shirer

When we are given a second chance, we must submit to the will of God fully, not halfway or halfheartedly.  There are no shortcuts.

God promised to tell Jonah what to say when he got to Nineveh.  Now, we have the Holy Spirit to guide us.

The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will tech you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. - John 14:26

This week you've explored your second chance.  I hope you've committed yourself to complete and full obedience.  Yield to the Father your list of details awaiting clarity.  Ask Him to answer in His timing and to give you the measure of faith required to move forward despite not knowing.  - Priscilla Shirer

  To summarize 5 main points I pulled out of this weeks lessons:

1.  God gives second chances.
2.  God forgives.
3.  Obey God fully.  There are no short cuts.
4.  The Holy Spirit guides us to the truth.
5.  Respond in complete obedience.

As always, I remind you that in order to benefit from this entire study on Jonah, you'll need to complete the study with a group or in your home using all the materials available in the leader kit.

This item is available here.

You'll find all my posts about this Bible study here.

We are now in week three of our ladies Bible study series.  If you are just joining me on this journey, we are studying through Jonah:  Navigating a Life Interrupted by Priscilla Shirer.  To protect her copyright, I don't do the entire study here on the blog.  I only give short weekly summaries of a few of the things I learn as I go through the study with a group of ladies at my church.  You'll get a taste of Priscilla's wisdom as she teaches truth straight from the Bible.  I highly recommend that you go through this study with a group, but you can do it on your own at home if that is best for you.  You'll find it here.

Image Credit:  Azgan Mjeshtri - Public Domain Image via Freely Photos

Admitting Our Mistakes, Accepting Our Discipline, and Turning Back to God

A few highlights from this week:

We easily become paralyzed by fear or guilt when our lives seem to whirl out of control.  A glimpse at our lives with all their spinning parts can make us dizzy with disgust at the mess we may have made.  It is easier to just sit, soak, and be sour.  That's what the enemy would like.  He'd prefer we get lazy, complacent, and apathetic with distance between ourselves and God's best.  But if, like the sailors, we see the connection between our chaotic circumstances and our own decisions, we must ask, now what? - Priscilla Shirer

When things go wrong, it's easy to blame others and make excuses for our actions.  It is important that we admit our sin and take responsibility for our mistakes.

Once we have admitted our sin, we need to be prepared to accept our discipline.  

God allows reproof and correction as a sign of His love for us and His intention to use us.  Divine discipline, reproof, and correction indicate that we have a relationship with Him.  Make no mistake about it.  His discipline has a method and specific design. His goal is to revive us so that He can realign.  - Priscilla Shirer

The discipline God allowed was not meant to punish Jonah.  It was meant to prepare him. - Priscilla Shirer

 On this particular day in this study, I learned something new.  I've been reading about Jonah since I was a toddler, but here is something I've never thought about before.  I always thought of Jonah's predicament inside the big fish was God's punishment for Jonah's disobedience.  Here, Priscilla brings to our attention that God did not allow the fish to swallow Jonah as a punishment for him.  Instead, the fish was sent to protect Jonah from the raging waters where he would have otherwise perished.

God's discipline is not meant to harm us but to protect us.

We have talked about admitting our sin and accepting our discipline.  Now we must turn back to God. 

Men, why are you doing these things?  We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, Who made the Heaven and the Earth and the sea and all that is in them. - Acts 14:15

Here is some great news.  God can and will completely forgive you.  He is a God of second chances and I, for one, and so very thankful for this truth.

First John 1:9 says that our God is faithful and and He will forgive, no matter how far off track you may have gone, how far you may have run, or how much time you may have lost.  He's willing to take the old and replace it with the grand newness of life in Him. We don't have to go one more day or even take one more step with the shame of yesterday's choices and unwise decisions weighing us down.  He was willing to honor Jonah's desire to yield despite past failure, and He is willing to honor ours as well. - Priscilla Shirer

Our God is a faithful God.

One last thing I want to highlight in this section before I leave you for today is Jonah's attitude inside the belly of the big fish.  I imagine that Jonah had no way of knowing just yet how all this would turn out for him.  Yet, he was praying the scriptures in his darkest hours.  

Friend, no prayer is more effective than the one that finds its roots in the pages of God's Word. - Priscilla Shirer

Next week we are talking about those second chances so stay tuned.

You'll find all my posts about this Bible study here.

You will find all you need to complete this study on Jonah by Priscilla Shirer here.

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Running from God's Calling (Jonah Bible Study by Priscilla Shirer)

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 Running from God's Calling

Our second week in our Bible study on Jonah by Priscilla Shirer focuses on running from God's calling.  Here are a few highlights from the week:

Delayed obedience is disobedience.

There is no gray area in obeying God's will either, you know.  When God speaks or allows you to see His hand, giving you the opportunity to participate in His purposes, you don't have an array of options to choose from on how you will respond.  It's clear-cut, plain and simple . . . black and white.  You can either choose to obey or choose to disobey.  No neutral ground.  Choosing to "do nothing" is really a decision to delay obedience - and the word for delayed obedience?  Disobedience. - Priscilla Shirer

Something else Priscilla brought to my attention this week is how easy it is to get away with disobedience when it is internal.  It's not as easy to disobey when others can see our calling and can see our response.  When we "run away" in our hearts where others can't see open disobedience, it is easier for us to justify our actions and pretend that we are living in obedience.

Sometimes we justify our response to run away or ignore a calling because it seems to be in direct conflict with an area in our lives where we have pledged our worldly allegiance.  This is when we must ask ourselves whether our true allegiance lies with God or with something else.

A way to determine where our allegiance lies is to consider how we respond to a divine intervention.  Will we go with God even when He is calling us to our Nineveh, even if Nineveh goes against everything we thought we'd be doing?  Sometimes heeding divine intervention requires breaking with that to which we have pledged our allegiance. - Priscilla Shirer

Stepping further and further away from God's calling on our lives only takes us further and further from him.  In the same way that a lie ends up entangling us in another lie and another and another, so running from God's calling takes us further and further away from His blessing on our lives.

The decisions you are making today will impact your tomorrows.  How you choose to respond to God's leading right now will determine how your future unfolds.  Every "David" will end up in a web of deception.   Every prodigal will find himself in a pigsty, and every "Jonah" will look up and see storm clouds gathering.  It's only a matter of time. - Priscilla Shirer

It is interesting how we can be asleep spiritually in the middle of a storm and not even realize it (like Jonah on the ship) until we are awakened by a storm.  Thank God for the storm.

We can make a big mess out of our lives, but there is good news.  God can take our mess and make something beautiful from it.  Our lives might not have been what God had originally intended, but God can take the messed up, broken pieces and put them together into a beautiful tapestry that will bless others.  It is never too late to step back into the realm of obedience and allow God to use you in mighty ways. 

God's good at taking our messes, our leftovers, and doing something good with them.  Parts of all of our lives we'd just as soon forget, yet in the hands of a Master, our mess can become the greatest miracle of all.  He has a way of chopping, dicing, and reconfiguring the parts that we thought were of no use.  He's got a knack for pouring on His Spirit and sprinkling on a bit of grace and mercy.  Then, voila!  Fresh out of the oven of a trial or two, there's something delicious from you life that you never thought possible. - Priscilla Shirer

You'll find all my posts about this Bible study here.

 You can get Jonah:  Navigating a Life Interrupted by Priscilla Shirer here.

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Abundant Family Living Newsletter - February 8, 2019

Good Friday Evening! I hope everyone has had a wonderful week.  Here's the latest from Abundant Family Living.

Check out some of my latest blog posts.  Then, check out a couple of posts from the archives - from way back when my original blog started.  We have new title releases from Usborne Books that your kids will love.  Finally, there are some great Valentine's Day specials from my affiliates. 

The Latest on the Blog 

Polar Bear Books and Activities for Kids

I know it's almost February but it is soooo cold outside.  Here in North Georgia, the weather is as unpredictable as it gets.  One day, we're breaking out our warmest winter clothes and the next day, we're pulling out our shorts and t-shirts.  I remember one year way back, we had an ice storm.  The next day, my mother and I were laying out in the sun in swimsuits while we watched the ice melt off the house.  It was late March.  (Please don't lay in the sun.  My skin cancer scar is now a daily reminder to be smarter.)

Anyway, the brutal cold reminds me of some of our Polar Bear books.  Let's take a quick look at those because I know your kids will love them.  Then, scroll on down and find several great polar bear activities to enrich the reading experience for your kids. [Read more here.]

Life Interruptions Don't Always Make Sense

Life interruptions don't always make sense.  Sometimes the things we feel God is calling us to do make no sense to us at all.  If it doesn't make sense, then I don't want to do it.  I'd much rather stay in a place that makes sense - a place where I'm comfortable.

Jonah faced a situation that made no sense.  He was being asked to leave his homeland where he had been comfortable.  He was being asked to give up everything he had always known to travel to a far away land that inhabited his enemies - a corrupt land.  He had been perfectly happy and comfortable fulfilling his God-given role right where he was.  Why would God call him to give all that up for such a corrupt people?  It made no sense. [Read more here.]

Are You in the Right Place?

Christ must do something in me before He can do something through me.  I can never embrace a greater vision until I am in the right place spiritually.

I like my places of comfort.  I'm a pretty shy person so stepping out of my comfort zone is not easy for me to do.  If you're like me, it's easy to stay in one place in life too long.  It's easy to get used to a regular routine, staying just comfortable enough to be comfortable where I am.   Jesus said, "Go deeper."

When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” - Luke 5:4

When we resolve to "go deeper" in obedience to God - to reach out beyond our comfort zone, obedience yields amazing results. [Read more here.]

 From the Archives

Chocolate Cobbler Recipe

Volcanoes by Stephanie Turnbull (An Usborne Book) 

Includes a Free Printable to Supplement the Book

New Titles from Usborne Books

100 Things to Know About Numbers,  Computers, and Coding

An eye-catching information book filled with one hundred interesting facts to learn about numbers, computers and coding.

Big Book of ABC

Take a whistle-stop tour through the alphabet from amazing aardvarks, big brown bears and crazy cats, via dancing ducks, invisible imps and naughty narwhals to yawning yaks and zooming zeppelins.

.

Image Credit:  Ben White - Public Domain Image via Freely Photos

The following is a short summary of week one of our ladies' Bible study, Jonah:  Navigating a Life Interrupted by Priscilla Shirer.

Life Interruptions Don't Always Make Sense

Life interruptions don't always make sense.  Sometimes the things we feel God is calling us to do make no sense to us at all.  If it doesn't make sense, then I don't want to do it.  I'd much rather stay in a place that makes sense - a place where I'm comfortable.

Jonah faced a situation that made no sense.  He was being asked to leave his homeland where he had been comfortable.  He was being asked to give up everything he had always known to travel to a far away land that inhabited his enemies - a corrupt land.  He had been perfectly happy and comfortable fulfilling his God-given role right where he was.  Why would God call him to give all that up for such a corrupt people?  It made no sense. 

In our journeys with God, we will likely come across our personal Ninevehs.  For some, this might actually be a place; for others, Nineveh is a task or a relationship and just the mention of that mission or person sends us into an emotional tailspin.  We'd just rather not go.  And, like Jonah, we can point to many reasons that would keep us at home. - Priscilla Shirer

However, we are not to trust our own heart.

The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick.  Who can understand it?  - Jeremiah 17:9

 Here are several key points I took away from this first week:

1.  A life interrupted by a holy God is a privilege.

2.  When God calls us and allows us to see His hand in our lives, we have to realize the significance of being asked to participate in His divine purpose and plan for His kingdom. It is a high honor.

He's purposefully given you the high honor of being the one He deemed suited for a task that has Heavenly implications - a task of divine partnership that will yield magnificent results for you and for His kingdom. - Priscilla Shirer

 3.  It was not until Jonah received a life interruption that he developed a life story that made a stamp on history.  A life interruption offers us an opportunity to write a life story of eternal significance.

Make sure your life writes a story worth reading. - Priscilla Shirer

4.  A life interruption will make us question our sincerity about our willingness to yield to God's will.

5.  It is not our legacy or lack of legacy that makes us significant.  What makes us significant is our willingness to obey.

6.  God's call on our lives do not always make sense but those who respond in obedience will enjoy the benefit of God's protection.

In order to benefit from the entire Bible study, I encourage you to complete the study with a group either at your church in a home with friends.   The leader kit below includes the DVDs and all the materials you'll need to complete the study.

You'll find all my posts about this Bible study here.

This item is available here.

I'm a planner.  I plan most things out in advance.  I don't plan ahead for everything in my life but once I have a plan in place, I get all out of sorts if something interferes with my plan.  If something comes along and interrupts my plan, everything seems to fall apart.   This makes life interruptions harder for me to manage, but I've started looking at life interruptions in a different way.  Our new ladies' Bible study is on the book of Jonah.  Through this study, Priscilla Shirer is teaching us how to navigate a life interrupted.  She is helping us see that a life interrupted is a life that is privileged.

Image Credit:  Brian Mann - Public Domain Image via Freely Photos

 A Life Interrupted is a Life That is Privileged

The very first verse in this study hits the nail on the head, so to speak.

For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. - Isaiah 55:8

I like to think that I have a plan for the year or maybe for the next 10 years . . . or 50.  I have it all thought out, but my thoughts are not God's thoughts and my ways are not His ways.

Jonah's life was interrupted.  God had a plan for Jonah and it was not the plan Jonah had anticipated.  Jonah ran from what God told him to do and it landed him in a heap of trouble - right into the belly of big fish.  

I've felt like Jonah lately.  Several months ago, almost a whole year now, my life was interrupted.  It's a bit of a long story but to make it short, I became ill and lost my business.  I had a plan to work my business a few more years and then implement another plan . . . but my thoughts were not God's thoughts and my ways were not His ways.  I was a life interrupted but I did not see it as a privilege at first.

In Jonah's case, he was told to go to a place called Nineveh.  Nineveh was a terrible place.  The people were brutal and violent.  Nineveh was a place of hopelessness and Jonah didn't want to go.  

You can read the full story of Jonah here, but to summarize the ending for you (sorry for the spoiler alert), Jonah eventually obeyed God and Nineveh saw a great revival.  

In the introduction, Priscilla said a few things that caught my attention.  

1.  One of the greatest revivals in history occurred because one man (ONE) responded in obedience.  

2.  God doesn't NEED me to accomplish His perfect plan.  It is a privilege to be called - to be favored enough by God to be asked to participate in His plan and purpose for all eternity.  WOW.  I never thought of it that way.  What a privilege!

God is showing me the direction he wants me to go from here.  It's not happening as fast as I would prefer but again, my thoughts are not His thoughts and my ways are not His ways. 

3.   The interrupted life is the cure for the search for significance.  

After I became ill and lost my business, I had no idea what to do.  I had no idea what my calling was.  However, since that time I have been able to serve others in ways I never could have accomplished otherwise.  He is opening doors of opportunity for me that never could have happened had He not interrupted my plan.  I am in awe of the things in which He is inviting me to participate. I am finding a sense of purpose again.  I still don't know all that He is working out but watching it all unfold and knowing He is orchestrating a beautiful thing out of what I first saw as a major inconvenience has been a beautiful experience.  

I am looking forward to the rest of this study, Jonah:  Navigating a Life Interupted by Priscilla Shirer.  I hope you'll stick around and allow me to show you what I learn because there is more!  I will be sharing short summaries about how I can apply these truths to my life while supporting the work Priscilla does through her ministry.

You'll find all my posts about this Bible study series here. 

In order to benefit from all this study has to offer under the direction of Priscilla Shirer, you'll need to either attend a full study group session at your church or another location.  If this option is not available for you, you can purchase the entire study, complete with all the DVDs below.

This item is available here.

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 God's Word is Living and Active in Those Who Believe

We have started a new ladies' bible study at my church.  We will spend the next 6 weeks in the Faithful, Abundant, True Bible study by Kay Arthur, Priscilla Shirer, and Beth Moore.  I'll be sharing some of the things we learn in the study, but I highly encourage you to go through the study yourself.  Otherwise, you will be missing out on a huge blessing.

I have always heard others refer to the Bible as God's "living Word."  I know the Bible is inspired by God, but I'm not sure I've ever thought about the fact that God's word is ACTIVE and LIVING in me.  I mean really active and living.  This week, the Lord revealed to me deeper understanding of what it means when we refer to the Bible as the "living Word."

For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. - Hebrews 4:12

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For this reason, we also constantly thank God that when you received the Word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the Word of God, which also performs it's work in you who believe. - 1 Thessalonians 2:13

Did you zero in on those words describing the Word of God:  living, active, performs.

I'll admit that I've never been the best at memorizing scripture but this knowledge of the living and active Word of God which is performing a work in me makes me want to start trying much harder.

I'm reminded of a verse I leaned many years ago.

Your Word which I have treasured in my heart,
That I may not sin against you. - Psalm 119:11

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It seems to me that the more scriptures I have hidden in my heart (memorized), the more I will be aware of the living, acting, and performing work that God is doing in me.

Go back up and take a look at the end of 1 Thessalonians 2:13.  This is very important so make sure you go back up and read it again.

Who does the Word of God do all this living, acting, and performing?  Those who believe.

Are you a believer?  If you are, then I would love to hear about all the great things God is doing in your life.  Tell me and everyone who reads this post all about it in the comments below.  If you answered "no" to this question, then I encourage you to click here and learn more about what it means to believe.

Note:  I looked up Beth Moore's website so that I could provide you with the link.  This is her banner today!  How's that for confirmation?!  I hope she doesn't mind that I took a screenshot, but I wanted you to see it before she changes it.  Go visit her site.  There's lots of great stuff there.

 

Responding to God’s Voice – Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer

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Responding to God's Voice

The following is a short summary of week 6 of the Bible Study Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer.  In the 6th week, we study the topic of Responding to the Voice of God.

Finally, I caught up and finished the last week of Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer.  I enjoyed the Bible study but I missed several sessions during the last week due to illness.  Then, the Christmas season started.  Tonight, it’s done.  I’m kind of sad that it’s over.  This is one that I am likely to revisit.

The topic of week 6 is Responding to God’s Voice.  This one stepped on my toes more than I want to admit.  The previous studies were awesome but this week, I was challenged to search my heart and ask myself if I have been totally obedient when I do hear God’s voice.  It is one thing to hear God’s voice.  It’s another thing to respond to God’s voice in obedience.  Responding immediately is even more challenging.

On the fist day of the study, we learn that there is only one appropriate response when God speaks to us.

God does not just speak to be heard.  He speaks to be obeyed. – Priscilla Shirer

In Exodus 15:26-27, we are reminded that obedience leads to physical healing.

In Exodus 23:22, we are reminded that if we obey Him, He is an enemy to our enemies and a friend to our friends.

In Deuteronomy 31:12, we are reminded that we are to obey God’s law.

In Luke 8:18, we are reminded that for those who obey, more will be given.  For those who disobey, what they have is taken away.

In John 14:15, we are reminded that if we love Him, we will obey Him.

The second day of the study is a continuation of the first – there is only one appropriate response to God’s voice.

The third day of the study for this week confirms that our response can be costly.  When we commit to obey God, we must remember that our obedience might require challenging adjustments.

Abraham fathered a child in his old age.  Jesus’ disciples were asked to leave their families and give up all their possessions.  Obedience is the only appropriate response but it might be costly.  Prepare for adjustments.

Day four of the study focuses on our immediate response.

God speaks with perfect timing.  My response should be immediate obedience. – Priscilla Shirer 

When we don’t respond immediately to God’s voice, we might be sacrificing God’s full blessing.

In Luke 1, Zacharias was not able to speak because of his unbelief.

In Acts 5, Ananias and Sapphira died because of their disobedience and lies.

Day 5 and the final day of this 6 week Bible study, we focus on “The Committed Response.”  We must not only respond immediately, but we must be committed to our obedience.  We don’t need a plan B.  We need only to listen, respond, respond immediately, and remain committed to God’s perfect plan for our lives.

Our spiritual ear will never be sensitive to His voice if we have a personal agenda to which we are already committed.  God leads and speaks to the humble who have surrendered their plans and want to do His will.  With an “open heaven” and a surrendered will, we will be able to clearly hear God’s voice in our hearts. – Jim Cymbala 

You'll find all my posts about this Bible study series here.

Get your copy of Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer here!

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God’s Plan is Revealed by His Voice (from Discerning the Voice of God, Week 5)

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In our 5th week  of our Bible Study, Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer, we discussed how God’s voice reveals God’s plan.  We learned that God’s voice is purposeful, invitational, timely, challenging, and interconnected.

The following is my summary of our study in week 5.

God's Plan is Revealed by His Voice

Day 1:  God’s Voice is Purposeful in Revealing God’s Plan

God had a plan for our lives before we were born.  His plan is always best.  We have to decide whether to seek out God’s plan or proceed to follow our own agendas.  While seeking out God’s plan, we must know that God’s voice, His Word, will never ever contradict His character.

Day 2:  God’s Voice is Invitational in Revealing God’s Plan

God wants us to join Him as His plans are revealed to us.

When you see evidence that God is moving, take it as your cue to jump on board and join Him.  The Holy Spirit reveals God’s plan to us as He orchestrates the circumstances of our lives.  When our spiritual eyes are open to see His divine activity on earth, He has allowed us to see them as a way to personally invite us to participate with Him. – Priscilla Shirer

Day 3:  God’s Voice is Timely in Revealing God’s Plan

As I progressed through this part of the study, I remembered the story of David.  I was reminded as we went through Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed (by Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer, and Kay Arthur) that it was 22 years between the time David was appointed to be king over Israel and the time he actually became king.

God’s timing is perfect.  His voice is timely.  God reveals His purposes and His plans in His perfect time.

His timing is not just about me or you.  God’s perfect timing involves His purpose and plan for everyone involved.  His timing is perfect for the development and progression of our own ministries and also those connected to us.

Day 4:  God’s Voice is Challenging in Revealing God’s Plan

God’s plan is not always easy.  He wants us to see what He can do when we admit we can’t do it on our own.  Sometimes God calls us to do things we don’t think we can do.  I’m reminded of the phrase, “God doesn’t call the qualified.  He qualifies the called.”  I don’t know who originally said it, but it is true.  God does not call us based on our own earthly abilities.  He calls us.  Then, He equips us to do what He has called us to do.

His Word causes me to step away from the comfort zone of my natural abilities and into the realm of His supernatural possibilities. – Priscilla Shirer 

 Day 5:  God’s Voice is Interconnected in Revealing God’s Plan

Christian brothers and sisters need one another.  We need to encourage one another and build one another up.

God can and will speak to me and direct me to His will using members of the church. – Priscilla Shirer

Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing. – 1 Thessalonians 5:11

his has been a short summary of our Bible study for week 5 of Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer.  I encourage you to get your own personal copy and go through the Bible study on your own or in a small group.

You'll find all my posts about this Bible study series here.

Get your copy of Discerning the Voice of God Bible study here!