Sunday Scripture

 

As I explained several weeks ago, I'm making some changes to  my Sunday Scripture posts ... stepping away from the study of Psalms for awhile.  This is something God has placed on my heart to do, and I hope others are finding it as helpful as I am.

I am using the Daily Grace Co. book Fix Your Focus, which is really not a Bible study as such, but more of a guide to help you fix your focus on God, His Word, prayer, gratitude, and spiritual growth, every week for 52 weeks.  I encourage you to follow along with us as we journal, look at Scripture, pray, and face the challenges of our weeks with our focus on Him.

This week's lesson was actually done by me the week of March 31, but I will be working ahead of you readers.  So here goes!

🌿 WEEK-AT-A-GLANCE CHECKLIST is further on in each week's section. But since I am working on Fix Your Focus all week long, I find it works best for me to do this week-at-a-glance checklist first.  [Maybe you would like to use this same checklist if you are following along with us.]

This checklist offers us four points;  

* To make a plan for reading our Bibles and praying.

* To add any upcoming events to our calendars.

* To jot down a to-do list of tasks that must be completed this week.

* To make a note of our top three priorities for this week.

This last point is one that I need to pay special attention to every week.  I think it would be so helpful.  For this week, my top three priorities are:

1) Comprehensive planning for ministry meals to be served next week.

2) Getting together with Jennifer and children.

3) Getting laundry caught up so we have clean clothes to pack for next week.

🌿 The first actual prompt for each week is JOURNAL.  We are encouraged to take a few minutes to journal about our fears, joys, worries, desires and stressors concerning the week ahead.  [If you are following along with us, take a moment in a journal or notebook to do just that.]. Here's what I wrote on Monday, breaking it down into the suggested categories:

Fears: As I look over the week I don't see any fears -- unless maybe it's the "healthy" fear of missing something God has for me to do.

Joys: Joys of spending time with people I love.  Also the joy of spending time at home this week, and praying I can use that time wisely.

Worries: I make a point of trying not to worry and so far don't have worries about this week.

Desires: My main desire for this week is to live it well, for God's glory, and to use every moment as wisely as possible.

Stressors: Time constraints (trying to use every moment wisely, as mentioned above), and I guess also just the limitations and challenges of aging.

🌿 The next prompt is PRAYER. It was suggested that we use several prayer prompts to have a conversation with God about the week ahead.  [You can do the same.  Use the very same prompts for your own prayer.]

* Lord, You are ... so good to give me another day to live for You and to serve You and Your people!  You are so wise to know what we need and so faithful to provide it.  You are so kind to allow us to serve You and even to equip us for doing so.

* Lord, I feel ... slightly overwhelmed, a little sad -- one dear old friend has been placed on hospice care, and another is in the hospital, very weak and frail.  There are also times when I feel a little bit "pushed" by my very helpful hubby.  I always feel inadequate for what I have to do, which in many ways is probably a good thing.

* Lord, help me with ... using my time wisely throughout this busy week.  Help me to be wise in my choices in all areas of life and consistent with my health goals.

* Lord, forgive me for ... times when I make poor choices especially in the areas of health.  Times when I become impatient with my husband as I really struggle with his hearing loss.

Make a note of four or five people you are praying for.  I listed two young couples (each with a new baby), a friend recovering from a major surgery, and a seriously ill friend and her husband, and friends whose young adult son has just died.

🌿 The next section in this helpful guide is SCRIPTURE MEDITATION.  I chose to first meditate on this week's Scripture, Psalm 119:114, using the SOAP method, and then answered several suggested questions.   [You can use your own preferred method to meditate on this verse, and answer the questions below for yourself.]

S= "Thou art my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Thy Word." (Psalm 119:114)

O= The verse is pretty straightforward; the psalmist tells God:

• You are my hiding place.

• You are my shield.

• I hope in Your Word.

Cross-references for "hiding place" --  "Thou art my hiding place; Thou shalt preserve me from trouble; Thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance."  (Psalm 32:7)

"He who dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."  (Psalm 91:1)

Cross-reference for "shield" -- "But Thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head."  (Psalm 3:3)

Cross-reference for "hope" -- "They that fear Thee will be glad when they see me, because I have hoped in Thy word."  (Psalm 119:74)

Charles Spurgeon wrote that this verse "testifies to that which the writer knew of his own personal knowledge; he could not fight with his own thoughts, or escape from them, till he flew to his God, and then he found deliverance. ... When we are beset by very spiritual assaults, such as those which arise out of vain thoughts, we shall do well to fly distinctly to the person of our Lord, and to cast ourselves upon His real presence.  Happy is he who can truly say to the triune God, 'Thou art my hiding place'."

Concerning the thought of God as the believer's shield, Thomas Manton (quoted by Spurgeon in The Treasury of David) wrote:"The excellency and properties of a shield lie in these things: 1) In the largeness and breadth of it, in that it hides and covers the person that weareth it from all darts that are flung at him, so as they cannot reach him (Ps.5:12); 2) The excellence of a shield lies in that it is hard and impenetrable.  So this answers to the invincible power of God's providence, by which He can break the assaults of all enemies: and such a shield is God to His people (Ps.144:2).  3) Shall I add one thing more?  Stone and darts flung upon a hard shield are beaten back upon him that flings them; so God beats back the evil upon His enemies and the enemies of His people (Psalm 59:11)." 

  I highly recommend you look up the verses in Psalms that Manton references here.  I think it will be very encouraging to  you!

 A= To help with my application for this verse, I did the assignments suggested in Fix Your Focus for Psalm 119:114.

* Reflect on what this verse tells you about who God is.

He is the believer's hiding place.  He is the believer's shield.  He is the living Word and has given us His written Word which we can rest our hope upon.  

* Think about what this verse tells you about who you are.

I am in need of a hiding place, a refuge from the storms of life.  I'm in need of God's protection.  I'm in need of hope and I can find it in God's Word.

* Throughout the week, consider how these verses should affect the way you live.

In a hostile world it's such a blessing to have the the eternal God as my refuge.  Knowing that He is my shield is a comfort and enables me to walk confidently in Him.  I must get to know God's Word well so that I can inevitably find hope in it.  There is so much involved in our hope, to the least of which is the fact that it is a surety.  I must be reading and studying in God's Word every day,

P= Lord, I am so thankful that You are my hiding place.  There have been times in my life when I have felt threatened and it has been a huge blessing and comfort to know that I could take refuge in You.  Fiery darts, both from Satan and in the words and attitudes of others, were deflected by You as my shield.  I praise and thank you so much for these truths and that You allowed me to experience them in very real ways in situations that were incredibly hard.  I thank You for the hope and surety of Your Word and that I am blessed to own multiple copies of the Bible in my own language.  I don't take this lightly.  I pray that You will help me as I read and study Your Word daily, and I thank You for the privilege of doing so, in Jesus' name, Amen."

🌿 GRATITUDE is the next prompt.  We were to reflect on the way God has shown His faithfulness to you over the past week and list five things we are thankful for.  [If you are following along with us, be sure to make your own list of five things!]. Here is my list:

1) Another run of maple sap allowing for the production of more syrup for our family's use.

2) The fun of getting to watch grandchildren collect the sap from our trees during a snowstorm.

3) A day and a half at my volunteer job -- and the exact right amount of time and energy to do the tasks I needed to.

4) Safe travel to church on Sunday when the roads were iffy and most people stayed home.

5) God's provision of some clothing items and sneakers that I needed, via thrift store and good sales.

🌿 SPIRITUAL GROWTH is the next prompt, and this week there's an emphasis on SERVING. We were to think about spiritual resources that we have available to us (time, finances, prayer, etc.) and to consider how we could serve someone in need this week.  [And again, if you are following along, please think about this for yourself.]

    I spent time on Monday with my young friend R. who has asked for help with her spiritual growth.  Working through and discussing Fix Your Focus is part of how we are doing this.  My hubby used his time and energy to divert her toddler.

On Tuesday we served our friend Jennifer and her little boys with a breakfast snack at our home after an appointment.  I believe setting a welcoming table and carefully planning the food can be a special ministry to others -- although impromptu hospitality is serving too and can be every bit as delightful.

We also served a young family with a newborn by providing a meal, and will serve our church family as we clean the church.

🌿 Lastly is a GOSPEL-CENTERED AFFIRMATION: 

All my hope is in the Lord.  He faithfully keeps His Word.

We can all take this into the coming week and be so thankful for it!