A Love God Greatly Bible Study about God’s Heart for His Daughters
In the coming week (week 4), we will look at what it means to be “Women of Surrender and Sacrifice”. We will build on knowing that God loves, sees, and cherishes women, and continue to focus on the fact that faith and prayer play a huge part in our surrender to God. With these things in mind we will understand and appreciate, perhaps more than we have before, how women like Esther, Moses’ mother, Mary – the mother of Jesus, and others all made the sacrifices required of them.
Our focus/memory verse is found in Luke 9:23 which is a very helpful description from Jesus to help us understand what we have to do to be a follower of Jesus. Like last week’s verse, this one is not incorporated into the study so , again, we will have to work extra hard to keep it fresh in our minds throughout the week. Don’t be surprised if you see it on the end of the daily posts. You’d be amazed at how seeing and/or reading something daily for five days helps us retain the message or truth posted.
This Week’s Challenge from the team at Love God Greatly:
As we have seen in the past three weeks, “Surrendering can be hard and yet beautiful at the same time. We see this in the lives of the women we will read about this week. Who in your life has modeled this well? Take time this week to encourage her with your words and let her know that her faithfulness has impacted your life. “
As we read about Hannah, Anna, Rachel, Hagar, and The Woman at the Well this week we learned the need to stay surrendered to God in prayer. Prayer is the act of seeking God, and as Hanna learned, it requires that we keep our eyes on Him and not the people or situations of our lives. Continual prayer, as we saw in Anna, keeps our cares in God’s hands and not our own. Because Anna lived this way and wasn’t caught up with the cares of the world she was acutely aware when she was in the presence of the Long awaited Messiah and she was free to make Him known to others. While we heard Rachel call out to her husband for a child rather than God, we see that God still took notice of her and became the “hero of the story” for Rachel – who acknowledged with “Joseph”, the name of her firstborn, that she knew exactly who was responsible for making her a mother. When we see God work on our behalf it strengthens or perhaps awakens our belief in Him. Through Hagar we witnessed the beauty of knowing God sees us and how it plays such a vital part in our prayer life with Him as it gives us hope and strength and peace in our journey. Finally, it was was the woman at the well that reminded us to keep our eyes, not on our past(regrets or shame) but on what Jesus can do, has done, and will do for us who believe.
Living like this doesn’t mean we will not face struggles in our lives but rather that when we do we will pour out our souls to Him rather than live in anger, resentment, doubt, fear, shame, self-centeredness, or disbelief. Making our lives a lifestyle of prayer will lead us to the perfect peace as both Isaiah and Paul talked about in their writings when they said:
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You.
Isaiah 26:3
Don’t be worried about anything, instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for what He’s already done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7
If you missed any of this week’s devotions from me you’ll find them at this link
If you missed any of the Love God Greatly Blogs for week 3 you’ll find them at these links:
4 But whoever drinks some of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again, but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.” John 4:14-15
My Observations:
Crucial to this encounter with the Samaritan woman is the word “whoever”. It is equally important to understand the importance of who Jesus was speaking to –
She was a woman and a Samaritan. He had five husbands and was living with one who was not her husband; because of her lifestyle she was a known outcast and considered ‘unclean’. Jesus’ ongoing answers and conversation seem to soften her attitude and many others are brought to meet Him.
your turn:
What’s your take away from the story of the Samaritan woman?
How then Shall We Live?
Jesus clearly asked water from this woman to engage her in conversation and offer her the living water he has to offer. From my understanding He did so at great risk to His reputation – considering, not only that she was a woman but her lifestyle and the fact that she was a Samaritan. In what He did He set the example of how we are to live as His witnesses.
Don’t be afraid to reach the “outcast” with the love of Jesus
Make “whoever” a part of our conversation with the ‘thirsty’
Give the word out like cups of cold water to those who are thirsty (in need of ‘eternal life’)
Tell others what we know about Jesus and where they can find Him
My Prayer Response:
Father, thank You for the examples of Jesus. Help us to live and love like Him. When we open our mouths fill us with the words that will help those who are “thirsty” receive the gift of eternal life. Help us to ‘see’ those who are seeking more and to engage with them regardless of how they respond, regardless of their status in life, and regardless of what others think.
So Hagar named the Lord who spoke to her, “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “Here I have seen one who sees me!” Genesis 16:13 NET
My Observation:
Who Was Hagar?
Hagar was the Egyptian slave girl to Sarah
She became the slave wife to Abraham because of Sarah’s impatience for the child God had promised them
As a result of Sarah’s impatience Hagar gave birth to Ishmael, Abraham’s son
Through her plight she came to see God as El Roi, the God who sees ‘me’.
What We must not miss
It’s easy to read Hagar’s story and get lost in our thoughts or conversations and judgements about Sarah and Abraham actions … how they didn’t trust God … how they acted on their own … how Abraham could have taken a slave wife, and why in the world Sarah would give him another woman (cultural acceptance or not) … how Sarah complained about Hagar … and eventually insisted that Hagar and the child be sent away … and the list goes on – BUT we must not miss how God used it all! He used it not only to fulfill His promise of a child to Abraham and Sarah – BUT Godrevealed Himself to Hagar as El Roi – He was no longer just the God of her masters but He was the “One”, whom she saw and the “One” who saw her”. On top of that, He not only rescued Hagar and her son but He promised to be with her son as he grew. What a comfort Hagar must have found in this promise in the midst of her aloneness and desperation.
How Then Should We Live?
Sarah and Abraham offer good lessons in “trusting God”, not going ahead of Him, not forsaking His ways for our desires, and not playing God (trying to do or make happen what He promised). BUT GOD, through Hagar, reveals to us the importance of listening for and to Him, of being attentive to what He says, taking comfort in His Words, and seeing Him for who He really is. We must learn to listen for Him and to know Him as the God who sees us. He should not be just another god, like the gods Hagar would have known as an Egyptian. No, He must become personal to us so that, like Hagar, we will be able to say: “You are the God who sees me,”; and if we are wise we will mark the times (places, incidents, and ways we have seen or heard Him) just as she did when she said, “Here I have seen one who sees me!”. These markers or remembrances will become our testimonies of faith. Their memories will strengthen us when life presses in and perhaps be an encouragement to others we know along the way.
He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
2 Corinthians 1:4
Your turn
What’s your take-away from Hagar’s story?
Prayer Response:
Blessed be Your Holy Name God! You are the God who sees me! You know my name! You hear me when I call. You see me when I’m hidden away or when I’m hurting or afraid. You hear me wherever I am! You are with me and You are always doing what you said You would do, and You are always working everything together fo the good of those who love You and are called according to your purpose. In this I trust and find my strength!
Then God took note of Rachel. He paid attention to her and enabled her to become pregnant. 23 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Then she said, “God has taken away my shame.” 24 She named him Joseph, saying, “May the Lord give me yet another son.” Genesis 30:22-24
MY OBSERVATIONS:
What a saga! One sister (Rachel) loved by Jacob and the other (Leah) given to him in marriage by trickery.
The BibleReference.com commentary explains that the phrase “God took note of Rachel …” means that He looked with favorable consideration on her but not before…
He looked with compassion on Leah who was unloved and enabled her to become pregnant (verse 31).
the birth of 9 more sons, some given to Leah while others were given to Leah’s and Rachel’s servant girls.
“THEN… ” This one little word in Scripture is so often followed by some great news or event that it always catches my attention … and in this case – as with the story of Hannah – what follows “then” resonates with my heart. Years have passed, Rachel – though settling for children through her servant girl – has waited miserably and now finds herself, finally, pregnant because God has looked on her with “favorable consideration”. You see, it wasn’t that God had truly forgotten or not seen Rachel in all of this time – but rather that God is strategic and purposeful in all He does. As we saw with Hannah, and as I learned in my own life – God is the one who enables or withholds children being born. This is paramount in the story of Rachel and Leah and Mary and Elizabeth and every other woman in the Bible. Until we understand the truth of it we will forever struggle when we cannot see God’s hand in our lives. Trusting His heart is the essence of walking by faith and not by sight.
After the Then
Rachel gave birth to a son and she named him Joseph, which was to say – “May the LORD give me yet another son.” A greedy statement? I don’t think so, but rather believe it was Rachel’s acknowledgement of what she knew was God’s doing and her genuine desire for God’s favor to continue.
How Then Do We Live
I think an important take-away from this passage is to REMEMBER.
Remember – even when it seems God is ignoring us – He isn’t. What He is doing is working all things together for the good of His children.
It’s also important to pray big, Remembering and believing that there’s nothing God cannot do, literally! With God ALL things are possible.
Remember, God’s timing and power are good and purposeful.
Prayer Response
Father, I have waited before for a child. I have, like Rachel. longed for my womb to be open, and felt ignored when You said – no, month after month and year after year. I praise You that I can look back now and know You weren’t ignoring me, You were waiting for the right time. THEN … You answered. May we never lose sight of Your Timing Father, whether it’s a child or a job, a marriage, or healing, whatever it is we are longing for – pleading for – Father, help us to trust Your heart even though we can’t see Your hand.
She had lived as a widow since then for eighty-four years. She never left the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 At that moment, she came up to them and began to give thanks to God and to speak about the child to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
MY OBSERVATIONS:
Wow! How can one small passage pack such an amazing message? From the obvious to the somewhat obscure, this familiar passage held so much that jumped off the page as though I had never read it before in my life.
helpful background details
Anna was a prophetess (verse 36), which means she was a woman who proclaimed God’s WORD – speaking everything God gave her to speak – and boy, did He give her a lot to speak on this day.
As verse 36 tells us, Anna was the “daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher“, meaning she was a descendant of Jacob.
When verse 38 says, “At that moment”, it is referring to the time Mary and Joseph had come to the Temple to present Jesus to the LORD; setting Him apart to the LORD was fulfilling the law’s requirement for every firstborn male.
Anna
Anna spent her life at the Temple. She worshiped God through fasting and praying both night and day, clearly she was devoted to God. In 2022, my Pastor preached on ‘worship’ as part of a series titled “The 7 Habits of Deeply Spiritual People”. The first, and what I believe he called the core habit, is “worship”. He shared several definitions of worship, including:
“giving or showing someone their worth“
“the outpouring of a soul because we’re at rest with God“
“the occupation of the heart with God Himself”
and “a conscious passion to glorify God in everything because He alone is deserving”
Pastor Lemming made the point that this type of worship only happens when we see God for who He really is. Clearly, Anna saw God for who He really was, and because she did, she was able to see Jesus, even as a young child, for who He really was – the long-awaited Messiah! It was her surrender that fueled her awareness of who He was, which in turn fueled her mission to “speak about the child to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem”.
Essential to Anna’s story and her worship is that she was a prayer warrior. She’s actually a great example of what Paul instructed the Colossians to be like in Colossians 4:2, when he said: “Be devoted to prayer.”
Be devoted to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.
Colossians 4:2
Note again Anna’s reaction in verse 38, “At that moment, [Anna] came up to [Mary and Joseph, and Jesus] to give thanks to God and to speak about the child, [Jesus], to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.” With a heart beautifully surrendered to God, Anna was positioned to see and be a part of God’s presence and work.
How Then Should We Live?
Surely we are to live beautifully surrendered like Anna, daily worshiping God. We may not be at the physical “temple” night and day as she was, but what hit me as I was reading and digesting the passage were the words of Paul to the Corinthians that – we, our physical bodies, are the Temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in us and was given to us by God. We are meant to worship God – showing Him His worth, recognizing His vast superiority, having a conscious passion to glorify Him in everything – “night and day”, just like Anna.
We are meant to proclaim Jesus just like Anna, for Jesus is the Gospel message, the very message that Paul said is the “power of God for salvation”.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:16 NET
We are to be devoted to prayer as she was; it should not be something we only do in the morning and evening or when we have a desperate need. We are meant to pray “without ceasing”, staying alert to the opportunities and needs throughout the day to call on or cry out praises to Him on our own behalf or for others.
Prayer Response
Father – what beautiful words and instruction from a Scripture passage so familiar and yet somehow so new. Help us to live like Anna – devoted to You in every way – worshiping You night and day, fixed on You, unceasing in prayer, and unashamed to proclaim Jesus! ~ In the name of Jesus, so let it be ~
I asked the Lord to give me this boy, and he has granted my request. 28 Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will belong to the Lord his whole life.” And they worshiped the Lord there. 1 Samuel 1:27-28 NLT
My Observations:
Heart Resounding Similarities
Hannah’s story is near and dear to my heart, not just because of it’s beautiful example of prayer between a woman and her God but because I waited eight years for God to give me a child. In that eight years I experienced much of the heartache and distress that is described of Hannah. I battled bitterness of other’s pregnancies and anger with God for what He withheld. He won the battle though and in due time spoke words of encouragement and wisdom through my parents to not only trust in the Lord and His will and timing for my life but to learn to be content whether pregnant or not pregnant. The words were hurtful at first – I didn’t want to be content, I wanted to be pregnant. However, when I got home from that conversation those were the very words that drove me to my knees and moved me to “pour out my soul before the LORD” and cry out to Him from the depth of my pain and anguish. – Then the LORD called me to mind, and I became pregnant.
Hannah’s Prayer (1 Samuel 1:10-16
The source of Hannah’s prayer was from her soul not strong drink
The heart of Hannah’s prayer was her pain and anguish – driven by her desire for a child
Lost in the strengths of her faith, unaware that she was observed, and certainly not drunk on wine – Hannah prayed
She prayed boldly and specifically
Poured out her suffering to the LORD
Keep me in mind”
Don’t “neglect Your servant”
“Give your servant a male child”
She made a vow
“Then I will declare Him to the LORD all the days of His life
“His hair will never be cut”
As for Hannah, she was speaking in her mind. Only her lips were moving; her voice could not be heard. So Eli thought she was a drunkard.
1 Samuel 1:13 NET
Prayer’s Effect
Don’t miss the effect Hannah’s prayer had on her. From being very distressed – talking to God and encouragement from Eli, the priest, she went away changed, not only inwardly but outwardly.
So the woman went her way and got something to eat. Her face no longer looked sad.
1 Samuel 1:18 NET
Then …
I love when the Bible says “Then …” because it always means God is about to reveal something. In this case it was all that transpired after Hannah’s prayer and conversation with Eli.
They worshiped the LORD and returned home
Elkanah was intimate with Hannah
“The LORD called her to mind”
Hannah became pregnant
She gave birth to a son
When he was weened she took him up to the LORD’S house
She shared with Eli God’s answer, her praise, and the response of her vow
For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me the request that I asked of him. 28 So I also dedicate him to the Lord. For all the days of his life he is dedicated to the Lord.” Then [Samuel] bowed down there in worship to the Lord.
1 Samuel 1:27-28 NET
Then …
Hannah’s prayers affected not only herself and her husband but don’t miss how even, at a very young age, they were already affecting Samuel – “THEN he,” [Samuel}, bowed down in worship to the LORD.” To see how her prayer affected many more through Samuel visit this link on the “Life of Samuel” from ‘GotQuestions.org’ – https://www.gotquestions.org/life-Samuel.html
How Then Do We Live?
If we learn anything from Hannah, let us learn that we can be real with God. She poured out her soul before Him, She didn’t try to hide her suffering, or deal with her pain and anguish on her own. She trusted God with her desire, not only in prayer but in life – giving back to God the very thing she asked for – that it [Samuel] might be used for His glory and not just her pleasure or fulfillment.
We can also learn to respond to God’s answers with praise – not kept to ourselves but revealed to others so that God’s goodness, His kindness, mercy, love, grace, power …. are displayed.
What’s your take away?
Prayer Response
Father, thank You for Hannah’s prayer and the way You have used it in my own life. Thank You for the glimpses of Your hand in the tapestry of Your people – woven together in Your Word for us to glean from. Help us to not become embittered with the disappointments or desires of our lives but to give them to You, boldly and specifically, from the heart and to trust You with the answers. And Father help us always to give You the praise and honor due Your name that others may hear and see and know of Your goodness to “keep us in mind” and the powerful and lasting effects of Your answers.
Reflections from Week 2 of Beautifully Surrendered
A Love God Greatly Bible Study about God’s Heart for His Daughters
Through Elizabeth, the Canaanite Woman, Rabhab, Ruth, and the Bleeding Woman we have seen how God's heart is moved by our faith. We have witnessed His blessings of miraculous pregnancies, healing of a demon possessed daughter, salvation of a prostitute who by faith protected God's people, the remarkable devotion of a daughter-in-law, and the simple yet healing act of touching the hem of a garment. Each incident fueled by the faith of women - faith not in themselves or others but in God.
References: Luke 1:5-25,39-45; Matthew 15:21-28; Joshua 2, Hebrews 11:31, James 2:14-26; Ruth 1:1-18; and Mark 5:25-34 and 8:40-48
If you missed any or all of the week’s study check out the Scripture references listed above and/or find the blogs and all the details and links at mefromthensideout.com or by clicking on the links above.
WEEK 3 PREVIEW: WOMEN OF prayer
Now that we have laid the foundation of God’s love and concern for us as women and witnessed the effect of FAITH in the lives of Elizabeth, the Canaanite woman, Rahab – the prostitute, Ruth, and the Bleeding Woman, we will press forward to see how God honors the prayers of women. We will be looking at Hannah, Rachel and several others, whose lives were changed because they were women of prayer.
Our focus/memory verse is found in John 15:7 and is a wonderful promise from Christ that reminds us of the power of prayer when we are faithfully abiding in Him and praying according to His will. Unlike most weeks, this verse is not incorporated into the study so we will have to work extra hard to keep it fresh in our minds throughout the week. Don’t be surprised if you see it on the end of the daily posts. You’d be amazed at how seeing and/or reading something daily for five days helps us retain the message or truth posted.
Week Three Challenge
Our CHALLENGE comes from the focus verse again this week: Who in your life is a mighty prayer warrior? This week, take the time to encourage her and let her know how her prayers have impacted you.
And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”
Mark 5:34 NLT
My Observations:
The verse we are focusing on today starts with, “He said to her …” but you have to read the passage to see the fuller picture of why He said it. Her face to face encounter with Jesus happened because “she heard about Jesus”. What she heard she must have believed because she acted on her faith and by Jesus’ own words – “her faith made her well”.
Don’t miss that her faith had a focus point. While I’m sure as I can be that she had not forgotten her disease and how sick she was – the picture painted with the words of Mark show us that her focus was on Jesus and His power to heal – “If only I touch His clothes, I will be healed”. Because of her internal FAITH she reached out and touched his clothes, perhaps just the hem of His garment, but this was enough to cause healing power to flow from Jesus to her. They both felt it and were brought face to face as Jesus looked for the one who had reached out to Him. Bowed before Him in fear and trembling she unfolds her story to Him and He pronounces her healed and sends her on in peace. Her life forever changed.
THE BIG PICTURE
There are certain people in my life that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt would do anything in the world to help me if I was stranded somewhere or had a need of any kind. However, despite the deepest trust I have in them, they will not help me if I don’t make the need known to them. This is why I believe it’s important to note that the woman in today’s story acted on her faith. She didn’t simply hear about Jesus and believe shut her eyes and wish He would heal her disease. She believed enough to press in close and reach out and touch His garment. She had internal faith that became an external action and it changed her life.
Internal faith is powerful and when it’s acted on it’s life changing – especially if the focus of the faith is Jesus!
Me-from the Inside-out 2022
How Then Should We Live?
Believe, live, and act like this woman. We should live by faith not by sight, making sure our focus is on Jesus, not the problem. Reach out to Jesus, press into Him, with fear and trembling bow before Him. Tell Him the whole story and wait for His response – it may be healing or provision, or perhaps it will be comfort or renewed strength. It may look like what we imagined or something a bit different than we hoped for but His answer will always be the best answer and the right answer. We must remember, as with this woman, it is our faith that moves the heart of Jesus. Paul said that God, through the power that is working in us, can do immeasurably more than we ask or even imagine, and both Matthew and Mark wrote in their Gospels how all things are possible with God. Perhaps the first place we should start is by asking ourselves – do I believe these truths – So much so, that even touching the hem of His garment would make a difference?
20 Now to him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think,
Ephesians 3:20
My Prayer Response:
Father, every day I pray – thanking You, petitioning You, crying out to You on behalf of others as well as myself. I confess it is easy to pray, because I love talking to/with You, but I am reminded by this passage that I sometimes pray absentmindedly. Or, I pray small prayers when You are a very big God. Help me to pray big prayers, to be alert when I pray, to pray with my focus, not on my need or problems, but on You, Your Son, and Your Spirit – through whom all blessings flow. Help me to not only live a life of faith but to pray in faith believing that You can do abundantly more than I ask or even imagine. In Jesus’ Name – Amen!
But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.
Ruth 1:1-18 NLT
My Observations:
But Ruth
There were cultural norms of the day that would have led Orpah and Ruth to stay with their mother-in-law, Naomi, even after their husbands had died and even though Naomi was leaving for her homeland. However, Naomi not only offered them an out, she encouraged them to return to their people and prayed that they would both be blessed with new husbands. While it took some convincing, Orpah finally conceded, kissed Naomi goodbye, and “returned to her people and her god”, BUT RUTH had made up her mind. She chose to devote herself not only to Naomi but to Naomi’s people and Naomi’s God.
If you read the rest of the story you will see that Ruth’s decision changed everything. You will see the fingerprints of God, a beautiful unfolding love story, a glimpse of things to come, and how Ruth became a part of God’s unfolding story.
How Then Should We LivE?
God has given us a clear-cut answer and demonstration of choosing His people and Him above comfort and familiarity. We should live as Ruth, who chose to go the way of Naomi and her God.
My Prayer Response:
Father, thank you for the example of Ruth who chose Your people and You rather than the familiar and comfortable. Help me to always choose You above anything and everyone – and may my example lead others to do the same. – In Jesus’ Name – Amen!
Me From the Inside Out 