Sunday Scripture

 Time for another Sunday Scripture!  As previously mentioned, I'm 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.  I truly hope that others are finding this as helpful as I am.

This week's lesson was actually done by me the week of September 8,  but I am 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 checklist first. 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've been finding it so helpful.  (The other three points are things that I'm consistently doing.) 

For this week, my top three priorities are:

1) Fellowship -- a staycation day with our friend Leslie; tea with Jennifer and family; bring a birthday meal to Jennifer on Saturday.

2) Homemaking -- change to fall decor; declutter flat surfaces.

3) Ministry -- SS lesson prep and teaching, blogging, talk with Rebekah; house and animal sit for family.

[If you are following along with our study, this is the place to make a Week-at-a-Glance checklist and/or priority list for yourself!]

🌿 The first actual prompt for each week is JOURNAL.  We are encouraged to take a few minutes to 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: No real fears going into this week, other than that the cat we are looking after could choose to disappear.  He has been known to do so!   

Joys: It will be a joy to take a staycation with Leslie, to have Jenn and others here for teatime, to plan times with friends for next week.  It will be a joy to bring a celebratory meal to Jennifer's home.

Worries: No real worries.  A few concerns about losing a duck, chicken, or cat, but hopefully that won't happen.  

Desires: As always, that God will be glorified and that others would be blessed in the events of this week.  

Stressors: Limitations of time, energy, and 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 ... in complete control of this week and all that it will hold.  You are so good to give us times of fellowship with good Christian friends.

* Lord, I feel ... a little bit overwhelmed by the scary turn things seem to be taking in our country in the last couple of weeks.  I feel extremely thankful that You are in control.  I also find myself feeling somewhat discombobulated this week as we stay at our camp each night to watch over our daughter and son-in-law's place and animals.  We spend most of each day at home, but I'm feeling the challenge of keeping up with all the things.

* Lord, help me with ... all the various tasks on my plate this week.  Cooking, cleaning, extending hospitality, studying, Etsy listings, and blog posts.  The unusual schedule living between three houses this week.  

* Lord, forgive me for ... times when I fear or feel overwhelmed.  Times when I am selfish.

Make a note of four or five people you are praying for.  I listed  a young mom and her kids in a heartrending situation, a friend coping with severe pain, and an older lady who needs encouragement.

🌿 The next section in this helpful guide is SCRIPTURE MEDITATION.  I chose to first meditate on this week's Scripture, Psalm 23:6, 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= "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD  forever."  (Psalm 23:6)

O= This is the sixth and final verse in the beloved 23rd Psalm.  After going on at some length about the various ways our Good Shepherd cares for His sheep, David tells us the end of the story.  We will be pursued to the very end of our earthly lives by God's goodness and mercy.  We will then dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

The site NETBible explains, "The use of רָדַף (radaf, “pursue, chase”) with טוֹב וָחֶסֶד (tov vakhesed, “goodness and faithfulness”) as subject is ironic. This is the only place in the entire OT where either of these nouns appears as the subject of this verb רָדַף(radaf, “pursue”). This verb is often used to describe the hostile actions of enemies. One might expect the psalmist’s enemies (see v. 5) to chase him, but ironically God’s “goodness and faithfulness” (which are personified and stand by metonymy for God himself) pursue him instead. The word “pursue” is used outside of its normal context in an ironic manner and creates a unique, but pleasant word picture of God’s favor (or a kind God) “chasing down” the one whom he loves."

"Mercy" can be read as "steadfast love".

Cross-reference for "dwell in the house of the LORD" "One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple."  (Psalm 27:4)

Cross-reference for "forever" -- "[The king] asked life of Thee, and Thou gavest it him, even length of days forever and ever."  (Psalm 21:4)

There are two time references in this verse: "all the days of my life" and "forever".  The "days of my life" would apply mainly to our short time on earth, while "forever' speaks of now and throughout eternity. 

A= To help with my application of this verse, I answered the three questions from Fix your Focus:

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

He is the One is whose house I will dwell forever.  He is the God whose goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.

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

I am blessed to have "God's two sheepdogs" (as Rand Hummel says), Goodness and Mercy, following me throughout life.  I am blessed to have a home in heaven awaiting me at the end of this life.

* Throughout the week, consider how this verse should affect the way you live.

 I should live in constant awareness of God's goodness and mercy pursuing me throughout every day of my life.  I should live each day as a citizen of heaven, my true and forever home.

" "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." This is a fact as indisputable as it is encouraging, and therefore a heavenly verily, or "surely" is set as a seal upon it. This sentence may be read, "only goodness and mercy," for there shall be unmingled mercy in our history. These twin guardian angels will always be with me at my back and my beck. Just as when great princes go abroad they must not go unattended, so it is with the believer. Goodness and mercy follow him always—"all the days of his life"—the black days as well as the bright days, the days of fasting as well as the days of feasting, the dreary days of winter as well as the bright days of summer. Goodness supplies our needs, and mercy blots out our sins. "" -- Charles Spurgeon 

P= "Lord, how very thankful I am that You are my Shepherd, guiding me through the sometimes difficult, often confusing trails of life.  I praise You that Your two "sheepdogs" -- Your goodness and Your mercy -- will follow me all the days of my life.  In Your goodness You provide our needs, and in Your mercy You blot out our sins.

    "I pray that You will help me every day to live as a citizen of heaven, my true home.   Help me to walk in constant awareness of Your goodness and mercy pursuing me through each day of life.   I thank and praise You for all You will do and all that You are doing,  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) A wonderful day on Labor Day with friends and family.

2) Time to write some encouraging notes to friends.

3) Getting a text back from one of those friends who was greatly encouraged.

4) A delightful corn roast after church on Sunday.

5) A beautiful drive as our route to get the corn took us by a gorgeous lake.

🌿 SPIRITUAL GROWTH is the next prompt, and this week there's an emphasis on FELLOWSHIP.  We were to plan a time to fellowship with friends this week.  [And again, if you are following along, please think about this for yourself.]

We planned several times of fellowship for this week.  

🌿 Lastly is a GOSPEL-CENTERED AFFIRMATION: 

God's steadfast love pursues me all the days of my life.

We can take this comforting, encouraging thought into the coming week as we face its challenges and difficulties.

And there's the Sunday Scripture for this week!