Sunday Scripture

 

For the month of November, I've decided to take a break from Fix Your Focus to set our minds on Thanksgiving.  Again today, I'm sharing some insights from a Thanksgiving/fall study with Good Morning Girls that I did back in fall of 2013.  Sadly, it seems that this little but oh-so-meaningful 2-week study -- Focusing our Hearts on Gratitude -- is no longer available.  If anyone is interested in the Scripture verses to do your own little study, just let me know and I can send you the references or even the pdf of the study.  

The verses I chose for today are from Day 9 of the study.  We were to read Psalm 95, and the verses to SOAP were Psalm 95:1-2.  ( Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or praise for what it means to you.  And if you've never tried this simple method, I hope that you will give it a try and see if you find it as helpful as I do.)

S= "O come, let us sing unto the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

"Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms."  (Psalm 95:1-2)

O= This is an exhortation to worship.  Its intended audience is obviously God's people.

There are a number of repeated words and phrases in these two verses."O come" (v.1); "let us come" (v.2); "let us sing" (v.1); "let us make a joyful noise" (v.1); "let us come" (v.2).  Both verses contain the phrase "make a joyful noise."

Basically there are four exhortations:

1) Let us sing unto the LORD.

2) Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

3) Let us come before God's presence with thanksgiving.

4) Let us make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms.

A= I am to be singing to the Lord and making a joyful noise unto Him.  He is the Rock of my salvation -- what a most meaningful name that is! -- and worthy of my highest praise.  My joy at being His redeemed child ought to result in exultant praise to Him for all that He has done.  He is always present with me -- and thus, I ought to be continually thankful.  I don't have to physically go anywhere to come before His presence, for He is always with me.

When I come to Him in prayer, thanksgiving must be a key component along with praise.

To me, the phrase "make a joyful noise" implies that my praise and thanksgiving may well be overheard by others and may be a testimony to them of the greatness of God.

P= "Lord, I do joyfully praise You for all that You are -- the Rock of my salvation and so much more!  I praise You for all that you have done for me in providing the means of salvation and giving me a new life as Your redeemed child.  

"May I live a life that brings honor and glory to You so that "many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD" (Psalm 40:3).

"With a thankful, joyful heart, I praise You, in Jesus' name, Amen."

And that concludes our little Thanksgiving Sunday Scripture series.  I hope it was a blessing!

Sunday Scripture

 

For the month of November, I've decided to take a break from Fix Your Focus to set our minds on Thanksgiving.  Again today, I'm sharing some insights from a Thanksgiving/fall study with Good Morning Girls that I did back in fall of 2013.  Sadly, it seems that this little but oh-so-meaningful 2-week study -- Focusing our Hearts on Gratitude -- is no longer available.  If anyone is interested in the Scripture verses to do your own little study, just let me know and I can send you the references or even the pdf of the study.  

The verses I chose for today are from Day 8 of the study.  We were to read Philippians 4:4-9, and the verses to SOAP were Philippians 4:6-7.  ( Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or praise for what it means to you.  And if you've never tried this simple method, I hope that you will give it a try and see if you find it as helpful as I do.)

S=  "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. 
"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."  (Philippians 4:6-7)

O= Paul wrote this letter to the church at Philippi while he was in prison in Rome.   
 

C.I.Scofield says, "This is a tender letter to a group of Christians who were especially close to the heart of Paul."

Scofield titles the section containing these verses "The secret of the peace of God."  Paul, in prison at Rome, obviously had that peace.  

He counseled the Philippians to

* Be anxious for nothing
* Instead, in everything
* By prayer and supplication
* With thanksgiving
* Make their requests known to God.

The result would be that God's peace -- the peace which surpasses all human understanding -- would garrison their hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The Amplified Bible gives a beautiful translation of verse 7: "And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

A= I am not to worry about even one thing.  Of course there are, and will always be, things that concern me.  But I am not to worry about them.  Instead, I'm to bring every concern to God.  

 "Do you ever find yourself worrying? Do you know that Scripture calls worry a sin? When you realized that you were worrying, did you go to God and confess it as a sin? Worry is just as much a sin as adultery, or murder, or theft. Yet how often we as believers treat it lightly when we find our stomachs tied in knots because we have worried ourselves into a nervous frenzy. We don’t realize that we have fallen into sin." -- Dwight Pentecost

 Now that is a challenge!

I'm to pray over every concern that I have, being careful to include the element of thanksgiving for what God has already done and is doing.

I might tend to think that some of my concerns are too small to bring to God.  But Barclay writes: "It has been beautifully put: 'There is nothing too great for God’s power; and nothing too small for his fatherly care.' A child may take anything, great or small, to a parent, sure that whatever happens to him is of interest there, his little triumphs and disappointments, his passing cuts and bruises; we may in exactly the same way take anything to God, sure of his interest and concern."

Concerning the element of thanksgiving, Pentecost helps our understanding with these thoughts: "Thanksgiving looks back to previous answers to prayer and gives thanks because God has worked in similar situations before. If there is something that is a burden to me today, I can go to God and remind Him that yesterday or last week or last month I was in the same situation, with the same gnawing anxiety, and I asked Him to do something, and He did it; so I thank Him for what He has done. Confidence for the future is based on what God has done in the past."

As I make my requests known to God in this manner, His unfathomable peace will guard not only my heart, but my mind through Christ Jesus.

P= "Lord, I praise You for the clear teaching in Your Word.  I thank You that not only did Paul teach this, but he lived it out and practiced it, providing a wonderful example for the Philippians and for all believers down through the ages.

"Help me, Lord, as I seek to obey Your Word in this area of life.  Help me to bring all of my concerns, large and small, to You in prayer, thanking You for all that You have done in the past, as well as for all that You will do.

"I am so thankful for Your promise that as I do this, Your unfathomable peace will guard my heart and my mind through Christ Jesus.

"I praise You in Jesus' name, Amen."

There is the simple Sunday Scripture for this week!  I hope it was a blessing.

Sunday Scripture

I mentioned last week that for the month of November, I've decided to take a break from Fix Your Focus to set our minds on Thanksgiving.  Again today, I'm sharing some simple insights from a Thanksgiving/fall study with Good Morning Girls that I did back in fall of 2013.  Sadly, it seems that this little but oh-so-meaningful 2-week study -- Focusing our Hearts on Gratitude -- is no longer available.  If anyone is interested in the Scripture verses to do your own little study, just let me know and I can send you the references or even the pdf of the study.  

The verses I chose for today are from Day 7 of the study.  We were to read 2 Corinthians 4:13-18, and the verse to SOAP was 2 Corinthians 4:15.  ( Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or praise for what it means to you.  And if you've never tried this simple method, I hope that you will give it a try and see if you find it as helpful as I do.)

So without further ado, here is my very simple study of 2 Corinthians 4:15:

S=  "For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God."  (2 Corinthians 4:15)

O= Paul wrote this second letter to the believers at Corinth to address some questions about his sincerity and authority.  In this letter he is placing before the church the overwhelming evidence of his sincerity in serving the Lord.

Here in chapter 4, verse 15 Paul seems to be saying that the suffering he has endured is for the sake of the Cornithians, so that they could see God giving abundant grace in difficulty.  Their thanksgiving for this would redound to the glory of God.  

MacDonald says, "With the certain and sure hope of resurrection before him, the apostle was willing to undergo terrible hardships. He knew that all such sufferings had a twofold result. They abounded in blessing for the Corinthians, and thus caused thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. These two motives actuated Paul in all he said and did. He was concerned with the glory of God and the blessing of his fellow men."

Warren Wiersbe explains that the phrase all things are for your sakes…"gives us the assurance that our sufferings are not wasted: God uses them to minister to others and also to bring glory to His name. How is God glorified in our trials? By giving us the 'abundant grace' we need to maintain joy and strength when the going gets difficult. Whatever begins with grace, leads to glory."  

The Phillips translation reads: 

"The more grace God gives,
The more thanksgiving will redound to His glory.
This is the reason why we never collapse."

The ESV reads, "For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God."

A= Trials that come into our lives are allowed by God for a good purpose.  He gives us the grace that we need to deal with the trials and get through them.  As others see and observe this, they -- and we -- offer thanks and praise to God and this redounds to His glory.  

Paul had faith that God would be glorified in all that was taking place, and I can have that same faith. Our sufferings are never wasted in God's economy.  And what an encouraging thought that is!

John MacArthur wrote, "God’s astounding plan is to use common clay pots (verse 7) to carry the priceless treasure of the glorious gospel to needy sinners. As they humbly, faithfully serve Him, His power flows through them to others. The final result is that more and more people will worship and glorify God."

I need to be more thankful for the grace and strength God gives in trials and for the opportunity He provides through them for Christ's name to be lifted up and glorified.

There were some "Digging Deeper" questions for this verse:

Looking at 2 Corinthians 4:15,  what is the connection between grace and thanksgiving?  How do grace and thanksgiving result in giving glory to God?

My answers:

This particular section of 2 Corinthians is dealing with trials and suffering.  We know that God gives us grace to deal with and endure adversity -- His grace is sufficient for us!  To me, the connection looks like this: I have difficulties, God gives me grace to endure them, and I give thanks to Him.  Not only that, but others see the grace that God is giving and they also give thanks to Him.  This brings the opportunity for God's name to be lifted up and glorified.  Psalm 50:23 comes to mind: "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth Me."

P= "Lord, I am so thankful that You have a good purpose in our trials.  Sometimes I just feel stuck, as if my trials are never going to end, but I must never forget that You are in them with me and that the trials will not last a moment longer than necessary.

I am so prone to forgetting that Your strength is made perfect in my weakness.  I pray that You will bring this back to my mind when I am weary.  

I praise You that Your grace is sufficient for me in every difficulty I face!  I pray that You will help me to consistently praise You in all circumstances and to bring glory to You as others observe Your working in my life through trials.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

And that's the Sunday Scripture for this week!

Sunday Scripture

 

I mentioned last week that for the month of November, I've decided to take a break from Fix Your Focus to set our minds on Thanksgiving.  Again today, I'm sharing some insights from a Thanksgiving/fall study with Good Morning Girls that I did back in fall of 2013.  Sadly, it seems that this little but oh-so-meaningful 2-week study -- Focusing our Hearts on Gratitude -- is no longer available.  If anyone is interested in the Scripture verses to do your own little study, just let me know and I can send you the references or even the pdf of the study.  

The verses I chose for today are from Day 5 of the study.  We were to read Hebrews 12:22-29, and the verse to SOAP was Hebrews 12:28.  ( Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or praise for what it means to you.  And if you've never tried this simple method, I hope that you will give it a try and see if you find it as helpful as I do.)

So without further ado, here is my very simple study of Hebrews 12:28:

S= "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear."  (Hebrews 12:28)

O= Although no one knows for sure who wrote the book of Hebrews (my personal guess is Paul), its intended purpose is to encourage Jewish Christians "who had professed faith in Jesus as the Messiah, some of whom were wavering in their attitude. Hence, the exhortation to 'hold fast' (Hebrews 3:6; Hebrews 4:14, among others) and 'go on to maturity' (Hebrews 6:1)."

"Hebrews contains a series of contrasts, between the good things of Judaism and the better things of Christ." -- C.I. Scofield

"Those who were occupied with the tangible, visible ritualism of Judaism were clinging to things that could be shaken.  True believers have a kingdom which cannot be shaken."  -- Believer's Bible Commentary

So, as believers who have received this kingdom which cannot be shaken, we have grace.  

By means of this grace, we may serve God acceptably 

* with reverence
* with godly fear.

A= I can be so thankful that I'm a recipient of a kingdom which cannot be moved or shaken.  There is no uncertainty at all about the reality of my God and my faith in Him.  I need not wonder about the validity of His promises for He will never change.  I can rest in Him even "though the earth be removed, and the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea" (Psalm 46:2).

Because of this, God also gives grace by which I may serve Him acceptably with reverence and godly fear.  Being part of His kingdom should inspire us to fervently praise and adore Him unceasingly.

P= Lord, I am so thankful for all that You are and all that You have done.  I thank and praise You that by Your grace I'm an inhabitant of a kingdom which is certain and can never be moved or shaken.  I never have to be uncertain about my standing with You, because it is not based on my goodness or rule-keeping but on Your grace and Christ's righteousness imputed to me.

I praise You for the opportunity to serve You.  Although I realize I can never repay You for all You've done for me, and although I recognize that my service is flawed and imperfect, still I desire to serve You as a thank-offering for what You've done.  I praise You that by means of Your grace, it's possible for me to serve You acceptably, with reverence and godly fear.

Please forgive me for the times when I mess up, and say or do things that don't reflect the reverence or fear of You that I need to have.  Help me to walk as You'd have me to, every day!  Help me to serve You consistently and with appropriate reverence.  Help me to "give You my best and live for You completely, after all You've done for me!" as the old Sunday School chorus says.  In Jesus' name I pray, Amen."

That's the Scripture study for this November Sunday!  I hope it was a blessing to someone.

Sunday Scripture

 

For the next couple of Sundays, I've decided to take a break from the Psalms study to focus on Thanksgiving.  I'll be sharing some insights from a Thanksgiving/fall study with Good Morning Girls that I did back in fall of 2013.  Sadly, it seems that this little but oh-so-meaningful 2-week study -- Focusing our Hearts on Gratitude -- is no longer available.  If anyone is interested in the Scripture verses to do your own little study, just let me know and I can send you the references.  

The verses I chose for today are from Day 3 of the study.  We were to read Colossians 3:12-17, and the verses to SOAP were 15-17.  ( Just a reminder that the S is for Scripture -- just write it out -- and the O is for Observation, the A is for Application and the P is for prayer -- concerning how you'll apply this verse or praise for what it means to you.  And if you've never tried this simple method, I hope that you will give it a try and see if you find it as helpful as I do.)

So without further ado, here is my very simple study of Colossians 3:15-17:

S= "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
"And whatever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him."  (Colossians 3:15-17)

🍁

O= Paul wrote this letter (while imprisoned in Rome) to the Christians in the church at Colosse.  It was written "to the saints and faithful brethren' at Colosse, but clearly applies to all Christian believers.  

In these verses I see some repetitions (and it's always good to pay attention to those): "be ye thankful" in verse 15; and "giving thanks to God and the Father" in verse 17.

The commands seem to apply not only to individual believers but to the body of Christ as a whole.  We are to: 

🍁 Let the peace of God rule in our hearts (v.15)
🍁 Realize we are called to this peace as a church as well as individuals (v.15)
🍁 Be thankful (v.15)
🍁 Let God's Word dwell in us richly (v.16)
🍁 Teach and admonish other believers and expect them to do the same for us (v.16)
🍁 Sing with grace in our hearts to the Lord (v.16)
🍁 Whatever we do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to the Father by Him.

A= I need to let God's peace rule in my heart.  (It seems to me that if individual believers have His peace ruling in their hearts, there will more likely be peace in the church.) 

Sometimes it is all too easy to let something else, like worry, fear, anxiety, or some other emotion rule in our hearts.  But we need to let God's peace rule there.  In addition, I am to be thankful.  And I am very thankful for God's peace!

I need to let God's Word dwell in me richly. To me this means not only memorizing God's Word, but allowing it to become an integral part of my life by applying it and making it real in my everyday life.  Letting God's Word settle in and be at home in every facet of my life.

I also should be teaching and admonishing other believers and to be singing with grace in my heart to the Lord.  

It's interesting that I am to let God's peace rule in my heart and I am to let His word dwell in me richly.  These are both things I need to allow.  

And whatever I do, whether it's word (something I say) or deed (something I do), it's to be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as a thank-offering to Him.  It's an important question to ask ourselves about a proposed course of action: Can I do this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ? 

🍁

P= "Lord, I thank You this morning for the clear instruction from Your Word.  I pray that You will help me to daily apply all that I have learned.  

"Help me to allow Your peace to rule in my heart.  Help me to remember that I'm called to this.  I'm not to let anxiety, fear, worry, anger, frustration, or any other emotion rule in my heart -- only Your peace.  This seems like a tall assignment; yet, if I will only allow You to do the work in  my life, it is perfectly possible.

"Help me, too, to allow Your Word to dwell in me richly, to saturate my soul with it, so that when I am squeezed, it's Your Word that drips out.  Help me to daily memorize and meditate on Your Word, and to make it an integral part of my life.

And help me, Lord, to never forget that every bit of life is to be lived for Your glory, as a testimony to others and as a thank-offering to You for all You have done for me.

"I thank and praise You for how You will work, and for how you are working, in these areas!  I pray in Jesus' name, Amen."

And that's our very, very simple study for today.  I hope that someone has found it a blessing.

First of November Hodgepodge

 

 Wednesday again, so it's time for the Hodgepodge -- the linkup where Joyce, at  From This Side of the Pond, asks the questions and bloggers provide the answers on their own blogs.   I'm a little late posting -- we were out of town with no internet access -- but today's questions are doable, so here we go!

1. Besides Thanksgiving (in the USA) what's one thing you're looking forward to in November? 

Special services at church with Morris Gleiser, starting Sunday.   We enjoy his ministry so much and are looking forward to seeing what God will do during these days.

2. Do you like candles? Your favorite scent? How often do you burn a candle in your home? 

I do like candles, but I do find I need to be careful what kind.  Currently I am using one called Pumpkin Marshmallow, and I like that one a lot.  I light a candle maybe every week or two at home, more often at our cottage.  I couldn't find that scent at Bath & Body to link to it (I've had this candle awhile), but maybe this one might be similar.

3. What gadgets did you use today? 

Hmmm ... I haven't done much in the kitchen yet today, and that might be the main place I would use a gadget.  I think the only thing I've used that might even remotely be considered a gadget is a tea bag holder.  Or maybe a dryer ball?  Or a toilet bowl brush?

4. This question is a repeat from one asked in November of 2014, but I liked it so it's coming round again. Many of you weren't here in 2014. Okay, you can have fifty pounds of something (anything but money)...what will you choose? Also, since I mentioned it...what were you up to in November of 2014? 

Fifty pounds of anything?  How about local, grass-fed beef?

In November 2014 I was feeling thankful and also I made a delicious autumn meal -- chicken stew and pumpkin biscuits -- that you might like to try. 

5. 'Tis the season...what's something you're feeling especially grateful for today? 

The blessings of friendship with fellow believers.   On Sunday, in addition to our fellowship at church, we  ate a late lunch with dear friends a couple of hours away, then spent two nights with a sweet older widow friend.  At her home we had the joy of meeting a new believer, a young mom, whom our friend has a Bible study with.  And then today I had my usual Wednesday phone call with my younger friend Jennifer.  We are memorizing the book of James together, and what a blessing it was to share the verses we have learned so far!

Lovely image by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Even though I have an abundance of good quality time in the Bible every morning, I was challenged by an Instagram post from @Proverbs_31Life to choose a Scripture writing plan for November.  I chose this one from The Ruffled Mango and am planning to work on it each evening.  If you haven't done a Scripture writing plan recently, wouldn't November be the perfect month to do so?

That's the Hodgepodge for today!

A prayer on Sunday ~ May 31

Here's another of the prayers I've written while doing various studies from God's Word.  I believe that this one may have been written during a study of Ephesians.  Apparently I was to write a prayer expressing my thanks to God for the spiritual inheritance awaiting me in heaven.  You will note that this is a very simple prayer, but don't you also think that trying to thank God for all of the details of this inheritance would be an endless task?

Here is what I wrote:

LORD, 

I am so humbled by the prospect of the spiritual inheritance reserved in heaven for me.  Even going to heaven is so far above what I deserve!

You have given me so many blessings here in this life.  It's truly beyond what I could ask or think to have an inheritance awaiting me in heaven.  I am overwhelmed by Your goodness and generosity.  I thank and praise You for reserving this amazing inheritance for me!

In Jesus' Name,
Amen.

I mentioned before that I like to copy these prayers on pretty stationery and file them in the front of my prayer journal, where I have often prayed through them on a rotating basis.

The stationery I used for this simple prayer is one of my favorite designs, now long gone.  The artwork is by the incomparable Shelly Reeves Smith and depicts blue flowers, a mini greenhouse, and lots of lovely greenery.  It has a refreshing yet comforting look.  The saying lettered around the edge reads:

🌿🌼🌿

"The seeds of discouragement will not grow in the thankful heart."

🌿🌼🌿

And isn't that so true?  I find that sometimes I do feel a bit discouraged, especially during this difficult time we are all coping with.  Yet if I can pause and realize how very much I still have to be thankful for, the seeds of discouragement will not germinate and grow.

I have a quote in my prayer journal that goes something like this: "O Thou who hast given us so much, mercifully grant us one thing more — a grateful heart."   The source I copied it from says the quote is by Thomas Merton.  I  have seen this quote, or words very similar,  attributed to George Herbert,  Author Unknown, and I think maybe even to George Washington, if I'm remembering correctly.  Regardless of who said it, it's a good prayer and one that's important to keep in the forefront of our thinking.

God helping us, let's be sure that we are cultivating a thankful, grateful heart -- one in which the seeds of discouragement cannot get a foothold and take root.