Tag: Praise

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, He Sees He Knows He Cares, He Sees He Knows He Cares, LGG Study, Quiet Time

It’s All About Him

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Today’s Scripture: Luke 1:57-80; SOAP – Luke 1:68-71

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
because he has come to help and has redeemed his people.
69 For he has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from long ago,
71 that we should be saved from our enemies,
and from the hand of all who hate us.

Luke 1:68-71 NET

The Rest of the Story …

I was never a big radio listener but on occasion I would find myself caught up in a program by Paul Harvey, called “The Rest of the Story“. The stories would catch my attention but even if I wasn’t interested in the particular story of the day I would continue listening to the end just to hear him say, the now renown statement, “And now you know…the rest of the story.”

This statement and the sound of his voice came flooding back to my mind today as I was reading the rest of Zechariah’s story. If you remember on day one of our study we read how the angel appeared to Zechariah in the Temple and announced that Elizabeth, Zechariah’s wife, would become pregnant and give birth to a son. We also read that Zechariah had been struck mute because he didn’t believe what the angel had told him. Day two brought the news that, just as the angel had said, Elizabeth did become pregnant; and today’s passage reveals that the child was indeed a son. When the people came to circumcise the child, in obedience to the angelic instructions Elizabeth gave him the name John, instead of the customary name of his father. When the people questioned this, Zechariah, still unable to speak, confirmed the name that Elizabeth had spoken, by writing the name John for all to see. Miraculously, upon writing the name his speech returned – and all the people were amazed and “wondered what this child will be.” Scripture says, “Then, Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied.”

He Turned All of His Words Into Praise

Zechariah could have used his words to describe what had happened in the Temple that day with the angel, he could have described what it was like to have not been able to talk, he could have done some new-dad baby-bragging, which no doubt he did at some point. However, in this moment, with this blessing he turned all of His words into praise of the Lord God of Israel and prophesying about the Messiah – “The Horn of Salvation”, whom His child, John, would make known to the world. Zechariah used his voice to make it known that God had done this to show mercy to their people and to remember His holy covenant made to Abraham. He reminded the people that because God was rescuing them from their enemies they could now and forever more serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness. Even when He turned tenderhearted attention to his infant child before him, his blessing continued to focus on God and Jesus, the Most High – the Lord who was coming to save His people from their sins, saying:

And you [John], will be called the prophet of the Most High For you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give His people knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. Because of our God’s tender mercy the dawn will break upon us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. And [John] kept growing and becoming strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day [Jesus] was revealed to Israel.

Luke 1:76-80

“And now you know…the rest of the story.“

Paul Harvey
My Response to God’s Word

Father, thank You for the story of John, who made Jesus known to the world, as God called him to do. But I also thank you for Zechariah and Elizabeth, who You used to fulfill the prophecy from Isaiah 40:3 of “one who cries out, In the wilderness clear a way for the Lord” -. From the barren womb of Elizabeth, who was in her old age, you brought forth the messenger of our Lord. You silenced the tongue of Zechariah and then loosened it to make known the great things You were doing. You taught Zechariah, who doubted, to trust You in all things by showing him – and all of us through him – that “nothing is impossible with You”. Help me, like Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Mary – to use my words to praise You – to make known Your greatness. Help me to trust and not doubt, and to obey – even when i don’t understand what You are doing. Help me to live and talk in such a way that others see and hear what You have done so that others will experience and/or see Your mercy and rejoice with me- and may “the rest of my story” be a beautiful legacy of faith – to the glory of Your good and gracious name! Amen, In Jesus’ Name!

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Importance of Prayer, The Importance of Prayer

Committed to Prayer – Heart, Mind, & Soul

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As Inspired by the love god greatly study, The Importance of Prayer-week 5

When we trust in Jesus Christ to be our savior we make a commitment to the Father who sent Him. The commitment involves laying down our own life and desires of the mortal flesh to follow after Christ in the new spiritual nature He has graced us with; or as Paul said, as the “New Person” we have become. Christ’s love now controls us, so we commit to love and obey and to serve Him only.

– Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. 15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. … 17This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

2 Corinthians 5:17

This past week’s focus in our study, “The Importance of Prayer”, has been focused on the various commitments of our prayer life, starting with the commitment to wait expectantly, which means trusting God to hear and to answer according to HIS WILL, (Psalm 5). This first commitment fed into all of the others, which included the commitment to being satisfied in and with God – not just an “ok, that will do” kind of satisfaction – but truly deep-down to the “soul-satisfied,” (Psalm 63). The commitment to trust Him and to be truly satisfied with Him – whose love is better than life – will, or should, naturally lead us to a commitment to praise Him – not just when or because life is ‘good’ – but because God is good (Psalm 100). Because life won’t always be good or easy, when we are committed to trusting God we will also be committed to cry out to Him for help and strength when life is stressful (Psalm 18), and equally committed to repent of our sins with a desire to maintain a pure heart and a right relationship with our God (Psalm 51).

While the word commitment and act of committing have raised fear in me since somewhere in my late 20’s and early 30’s, I am happy to say when it comes to committing to God, my life… my prayers … my trust … my fears … and my struggles … I have little to no issues. Why? Because I have found Him to be trustworthy and true. I have found Him to help me when I am weak, to provide for me in my needs, to direct me in my choices, and to sustain me by His power … and so much more! Our study this past week has been a refreshing reminder of the need and the joy and hope that come from being committed to a life of prayer. May the same be true for you as you make these commitments in your own walk of faith and prayer.

Links for “The Importance of Prayer” -week 5- are below
https://atomic-temporary-62140760.wpcomstaging.com/2023/02/06/5678/
https://atomic-temporary-62140760.wpcomstaging.com/2023/02/07/5686/
https://atomic-temporary-62140760.wpcomstaging.com/2023/02/08/5704/
https://atomic-temporary-62140760.wpcomstaging.com/2023/02/09/5722/
https://atomic-temporary-62140760.wpcomstaging.com/2023/02/10/5729/
Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study

Committed to Praise

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Read: Psalm 100; SOAP: Psalm 100:4-5

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise.
Give him thanks. Praise his name. 5 For the Lord is good.
His loyal love endures, and he is faithful through all generations.

Psalm 100:4-5

It’s easy to praise God when everything is going great in our lives or when something good happens … a prayer is answered … someone is healed … someone is saved … you get the job you wanted … a baby is born …. God provides for a need … However, what about the times when everything seems to be going wrong? What about when someone you love is sick … you don’t have enough to pay the bills … the doctor just gave you bad news … your car needs repairs that are expensive … what then? Do you still praise Him or do you get lost in the sorrow, the worry, the concerns, frustrations, fears … ? We all know the right “Sunday School” answer – we praise Him – even in the storms of life – right? But – How? How, when the walls are closing in and everything seems hopeless? This passage is how … or at least a stepping stone of encouragement. We make a habit of shouting out praises to the Lord … We determine to worship Him with joy, to enter His presence with joyful singing. We acknowledge that the Lord is God and pronounce every morning that He is good. We enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise. We give Him thanks and praise His name! Why? Certainly not because everything is perfect or because it’s always easy – for life isn’t always easy and neither people nor life’s circumstances are perfect. We commit to praising Him because, as David acknowledges here – “the Lord is good. His loyal love endures, and He is faithful though all generations. So when life has you down – when complaining or whining seem the best or only option left – PRAISE HIM ANYWAY! Recall His past acts of kindness and goodness … remember the way He has helped you or provided in the past … For when your relationship with God is based on these truths and not dependent on your circumstances you will stay yielded to a lifestyle of PRAISE.

Don’t forget today’s LGG Blog

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Importance of Prayer, The Importance of Prayer

Committed to Being Satisfied in God

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Read: Psalm 63; SOAP: Psalm 63:3-4

Because experiencing your loyal love is better than life itself,
my lips will praise you.  For this reason I will praise you while I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.

Psalm 63:3-4

Have you ever noticed how sometimes God seems so close that it feels like you could touch Him or hear Him but other times it seems as though He is no where to be found? David’s description is much like that – while at some point he has been able to experience God’s loyal love and see His power and splendor in the sanctuary David’s current situation in the desert seems vastly different. He finds himself longing for God, thirsting for Him as one who has been without water (1-2). Yet he was able to find satisfaction in his previous experiences and knowledge of God and declare the bold statement of verses 3 and 4.

Once we have experienced God’s love, once we have tasted and seen His power and His splendor nothing else satisfies. His LOVE truly is better than life- so much so that even in the midst of drought and storms – we are satisfied by the comfort and hope of recalling His LOVE AND POWER – and we are moved to praise and worship.

I have had these verses committed to memory for several decades now and have drawn peace and comfort from them and used them to turn some of life’s hardest times into a time of praising God but until now I never looked at them as verses that spoke of being satisfied. However, as I was considering the idea I was reminded of a time shortly after the my grandson was born. I was holding him while my daughter took care of some things she needed to do. When he began to fuss I walked with him, that helped for a few minutes but the fussing grew more agitated so I offered him the pacifier, which, like the walking, soothed him for a while but the growing urgency of his fussing made it clear that what he needed was the one who could hold him and had the power to feed him and satisfy his hunger. The pacifier and the walking were simply temporary fixes that did not truly satisfy – the only thing that could do that was the comforting, satisfying supply of his mother’s milk. You would think the analogy stops there, for surely this sweet baby can not simply live on the recollection of his mother’s milk. Yet, his persistent cry, even after offering a different position such as walking or something soothing like a pacifier, are reminders in themselves. A lesson, if you will, for us to not become satisfied with the false securities of life that may be offered to us in the deserts or the storms of life. Instead, may we persistently cry out for and be satisfied only with the life-giving supply of God’s love that truly is better than life.

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study, The Importance of Prayer, The Importance of Prayer

Prayer for God’s Strength

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8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

2 Corinthians 12:8-9

Have you ever wondered what Paul struggled with? Defined as a “thorn in his flesh”, one that was given purposefully to trouble him, and one meant to keep him from being arrogant. Ouch! Read the verses again, don’t miss how Paul handled the maddening trouble (7). Verse 8 says that on three different occasions he prayed – begging the Lord to take it away from him. Paul was both confident and persistent and yet the answer was continuously ‘no’. Why? Because God knew that the effect of the trouble would cause Paul to see his own weakness and depend on God’s strength. God’s plan was never for Paul, or us for that matter, to think of ourselves as self sufficient but rather to be dependent on God’s all-sufficient grace

Therefore, so that I would not become arrogant, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to trouble me—so that I would not become arrogant.

2 Corinthians `12:7

When we see our own weaknesses and in turn realize the need for and sufficiency of our God, we will understand the futility of bragging about our strengths and instead we will find ourselves seeking God, trusting in Him, and praising Him. As Paul says, we will boast all the more about our weaknesses so that the power of Christ might be seen in us. To this end we should all live – that Christ be glorified in us.

Be sure and check out today’s Love God Greatly Blog Post

https://lovegodgreatly.com/lgg-blog/

Posted in Bible study, LGG Study, Quiet Time, The Importance of Prayer, The Importance of Prayer

Praise the Name of the Lord

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The Importance of Prayer – A Love God Greatly Study, w1d4
Read Psalm 145 and SOAP Psalm 145:2-3

2I will praise you every day;
    yes, I will praise you forever.
3 Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!
    No one can measure his greatness.

Psalm 145:2-3

For me, soaping this passage might look like the following –

Scripture: 2I will praise you every day;
    yes, I will praise you forever.
3 Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!
    No one can measure his greatness. Psalm 145:2-3

Observation: 1. David makes it personal. He isn’t simply leading others to praise God – He is declaring his personal heart felt adoration for His God. 2. David is committed, pledging to praise God every day – forever. 3. David declares the Lord to be great and worthy of praise. 4. David is certain that no one can measure God’s greatness.

Application: If I am to emulate David, who was a ‘man after God’s own heart, I should seek to praise God forever and ever. I will declare His greatness, remember that He is “most” worthy of praise, and not allow anyone a greater place or tribute in my life – not because I’ve been told that He is great or because other people are praising Him but because I personally know that so great is He, His greatness cannot be measured.

Prayer: Father, thank you for David’s reminder that you are great and most worthy of praise. Help me to praise you throughout every day of my life, forever and forever. – Amen!

My SOAP

SOAPing Scripture is a beautiful and helpful technique of studying and understanding God’s Word. However, it is important, when doing so, to allow yourself the time and the joy of mining for other treasure. Or, as I like to say, to chase some ‘scripture squirrels’. So, naturally when my study for today – The Importance of Prayer by Love God Greatly – called for me to read Psalm 145 and SOAP only verses 2-3 – I ended up chasing down some squirrels.

As we discovered yesterday, praising God makes for a great time of worshipful prayer. This Psalm of David is an excellent example. He begins by lifting up, or exalting, the Lord in verse 1 and is still praising Him in verse 21. David declares in his own singular praise – I will exalt you, my God and King, and I will praise your name. Keep reading though and you will see that his praise leads to more praise, followed by an invitation or the expressed hope (4) for others to continue the praise – “Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power.” Watch, then, as he purposes to meditate on some of the most beautiful characteristics and works of our God. According to David, when we think of God’s majestic, glorious splendor and His wonderful miracles we will proclaim His greatness. And because praise is contagious God’s awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue not just his own; David will proclaim God’s greatness, yet not just His greatness toward David, but an extensive resume’ of God’s character and previous works.

  •  He keeps His promises;
  •  He is gracious in all He does.
  • The Lord helps the fallen
  •  He lifts those bent beneath their loads.
  •  He gives them their food as they need it.
  • He satisfies the hunger and thirst of every living thing.
  • The Lord is righteous in everything he does;
  • He is filled with kindness.
  • The Lord is close to all who call on him,
  •  He grants the desires of those who fear him;
  • He hears their cries for help and rescues them.
  • The Lord protects all those who love him
  •  He destroys the wicked.

Look back with me to verses 5-13, and note that by proclaiming some simple yet profound truths of God, like His greatness and the fact that He is worthy of praise, David’s Psalm turns from the singular ‘I will’ statements to declaring that ‘everyone will’ and ‘they will’.

Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness;
they will sing with joy about your righteousness.

Psalm 145:7

David knows what it is to benefit from or to see the Lord’s mercy and compassion or to experience His goodness. He knows how his own heart responds in praise to these things and surmises, based on his own experience, that because the Lord is merciful and compassionate and because the Lord is good to everyone, that His faithful followers will also cry out in praise. He says, they will speak of the Glory of God’s kingdom, they will tell about His mighty deeds and give examples of His power and talk about the majesty and glory of His reign.

… your faithful followers will praise you.
11 They will speak of the glory of your kingdom;
    they will give examples of your power.
12 They will tell about your mighty deeds
    and about the majesty and glory of your reign.

Psalm 145:10b-12

David ends the Psalm with the same declaration that he opened with, the pledge that “I will praise the Lord.” He then entreats everyone on earth to do the same. May we follow David in this most worthy quest. May our eyes and hearts and minds be opened to see, to hear, and to experience God – and then may we respond with praise – not just silent or whispered praises to Him but bold and confident praise that will testify to His goodness, His mercies, His grace, love, and magnificent works. May our praise ignite more praise both in us and in all those who hear or see what He is doing.

I will praise the Lord,
    and may everyone on earth bless his holy name
    forever and ever.

Psalm 145:21

Me, from the inside out

Reflection: What is something you can praise the Lord for today? I invite you to be the spark and leave a comment below.

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study

Worship Filled Praise

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The Importance of Prayer, w1d3

Read Jeremiah 10:6-7

6Lord, there is no one like you!
For you are great, and your name is full of power.
7 Who would not fear you, O King of nations?
That title belongs to you alone!
Among all the wise people of the earth
and in all the kingdoms of the world,
there is no one like you.

Jeremiah 10:6-7

To ‘revere’ is to feel deep respect or admiration for (something or someone). Our prayers are often the way we express our deep respect and admiration for God, which is what Jeremiah was doing here. Read it again, listen as He declares, “There is no one like You … You are great … Your name is full of power.” He questions, “Who would not fear You? He then addresses Him as the “King of the nations” and declares He alone is worthy of the title! Then Jeremiah’s praise crescendos with His final declaration, “Among all the wise people of the earth and in all the kingdoms of the world, there is no one like You.” What a beautiful prayer for us to borrow from the Scriptures, a wonderful example of ‘revering’ God and attributing the highest of wisdom to Him. – Me from the Insideout đź’—

“Among all the wise people of the earth and in all the kingdoms of the world, there is no one like You.”

Jeremiah 10:7

I believe to fully comprehend and appreciate these two verse, we first need to read the words of God to Israel in verses 1-5, where Israel is warned that idolatry brings destruction:

Hear the word that the Lord speaks to you, O Israel! 2 This is what the Lord says:
“Do not act like the other nations,
    who try to read their future in the stars.
Do not be afraid of their predictions,
    even though other nations are terrified by them.
3 Their ways are futile and foolish.
    They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol.
4 They decorate it with gold and silver
    and then fasten it securely with hammer and nails
    so it won’t fall over.
5 Their gods are like
    helpless scarecrows in a cucumber field!
They cannot speak,
    and they need to be carried because they cannot walk.
Do not be afraid of such gods,
    for they can neither harm you nor do you any good.”

Jeremiah 10:1-5 NLT

In these five verses you find that the people of the other nations make their own gods, they dress them and prop them up so they will not fall over. Our God, however, not only talked to His people, we’ve also read how He was heard by Adam and Eve walking in the garden in the cool of the evening. — But the gods of the other nations cannot speak and have to be carried because they cannot walk. The prophet Jeremiah wrote, “they can neither harm you nor do you any good.” It’s quite easy to boast of our God’s power, might, goodness, love and all the other namable qualities – but our “boasting” means nothing unless we truly understand the truth that there is NO ONE like Him.

Making it personal

We must get to know God for who He is in order to worship Him as He deserves. Likewise we must be aware that all other gods pale in comparison to Him. I believe when we do this our prayers will flow with worship-filled praises like we read here by Jeremiah.

Prayer: Response to God’s Word

Father, there is no god like You. There is no one like you in heaven or on earth. For, as the prophet wrote, You are great, and Your name is full of power. Who is there that would not fear You, O King of nations? That title belongs only to You! Among all the wise people of the earth and in all the kingdoms of the world, we can not say it enough – there is no on like You! Help us to spend so much time with You that we realize, like Jeremiah, that all else pales in comparison to You – and may our lips flow with the praise that You alone are due. – In the powerful name of Jesus! – Amen –

Don’t forget to visit https://lovegodgreatly.com/lgg-blog/ for today’s LGG Blog Post

Posted in Advent, Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study, The God Who Restores

PRAISE THE LORD!

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The God Who Restores, w4d2
TODAY’S READING: 1 SAMUEL 2:1-10; PSALM 113

Today’s SOAP: Psalm 113:1-2

Praise the Lord!
Yes, give praise, O servants of the Lord.
Praise the name of the Lord!

Blessed be the name of the Lord
now and forever. Psalm 113:1-2

OBSERVATIONS: PRAISE THE LORD!
  • Praise is the theme
  • God is the object of the praise
  • Even His Name is worthy of Praise
  • Praise Him NOW and FOREVER
APPLICATION:

PRAISE THE LORD was going to be my single response here – but as I began typing my observations it occurred to me that, for me, the application might just need to be a question (and answer) response.

  • Is praising God the theme of my life? (Not like it should be. I do praise Him and often but I also realize that often when answers I’ve prayed for come – my praise is often a quick word rather than a lavish response of praise
  • Is God the object of my praise? (Certainly! That should be the answer, right? However, if I’m truly honest in the evaluation of myself – I fear I sometimes get much more caught up in the answer than with the God who heard my petition and answered me.)
  • What does it mean that “His name is worthy of praise? (God’s acts are definitely worthy of praise. Consider the list the Psalmist gave: “He raises the poor from the dirt, lifts up the needy from the garbage pile and seats him with the prices of his people. He makes the barren woman a happy mother of children.” But even if He did none of those things He is worthy of our praise! – He is Creator God, seated on a ‘high throne’, where He has to look down just to see the sky and earth. His name is above every other name – there is no one like Him in heaven or on earth!
  • Is my praise contingent on circumstances and time? (Surely I will praise Him when I am forevermore with Him. But what about the now and all the days between now and then? Oh it’s easy to praise Him when things are going well. It’s easy to praise Him when I am focused on the fact that He alone is God – but what about those times in the “here and now and all the unknown ‘more’ days that follow here on earth, with all of their unforeseen storms and struggles of life? When things aren’t so good or my mind spirals to fear or other emotions that hinder praise – will I still praise Him? When the waiting for His return gets harder, will I still praise Him? – In all honesty, I think and pray I will, or at least it is what He has been faithfully teaching me to do for many many years now. May I faithfully do so to His glory đź’ś
  • The bottom line is this – If we have chosen to follow-Christ and live as a child of God we should be serving the Lord – denying ourselves daily, taking up our cross and following where He leads us and doing His work while He’s gone. – May the words of this commentary be encouragement and inspiration: “Make your job [ministry] in the church an act of praise, doing it with [joy] and reverence to God Honor Him by the quality of your work and the attitude of service you bring.” (borrowed from the NIV New Life Application Bible)
PRAYER: RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD

Father, You are worthy of praise – Your Name alone deserves and ignites praise! The work of Your hands and the depth of Your love – even more so! As the Psalmist said, “Who can compare to You?”. And of course, the answer is none. Not even one Father! You are sovereign over all! There is nothing You cannot do. Your love and power and goodness are matchless! I praise You oh LORD, my God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!💜❤️💙 Now and forever, Father – may I be quick and faithful to praise You – even as fervently as I pray! And this to Your Glory and honor – Amen!

TODAY’S REFLECTION:
  • What are you praising God for today?

Me: I’m praising Him for His peace, that passes all
understanding, in the midst of the storms and waves of live
right now that sometimes cause me to be overwhelmed.

– I’m praising Him for His helping me to get caught up on a
few things that were leaving me feeling overwhelmed and
trusting Him to continue to help me get completely caught
up.

– I’m praising Him for my mother’s birthday, celebrating her
83rd year of life!

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study
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Beautifully Surrendered: Looking Ahead to Week 6

A Love God Greatly Bible Study about God’s Heart for His Daughters

In the final week of our study (week 6), we will look at what it means to be “Women Leaving a Legacy”. We will build on knowing that God loves, sees, and cherishes women, and continue to focus on the fact that the acts of faith, prayer, and choosing praise and joy in all circumstances play a huge part in the surrender and sacrifice that are required of those who follow Jesus.

Our focus/memory verse is found in Psalm 145:4 – “One generation will praise Your deeds to another and tell about Your mighty acts!” Doing this should be part of our legacy as daughters of God. If we fail to praise Him for what He’s done or fail to tell others about His mighty acts – generations will rise up who do not know Him or what He can do and has promised to do. (see Judges chapter two).

This Week’s Challenge from the team at Love God Greatly:

We must pass our faith on to our children and the next generation, leaving a godly legacy for those who come behind us. Who in your life has lived out her faith well and inspired you to do the same? This week, make sure to share the difference she has made in your life. Who can you intentionally reach out to and invest in? There are many ways to leave a godly legacy behind, but they all start the same: choosing to take the first step.

Announcing Our Next Study!

by Melissa Fuller | Jul 5, 2022 |LGG Team Member

Our lives are a series of choices. We are constantly making choices, both good and bad, and all of our choices have consequences and outcomes. It can be overwhelming to question our choices or wonder if we are doing the right thing.

“Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” – Colossians 3:1

Our choices can be simplified into two categories: the things of God and the things of the world. Choosing the things of God is often challenging, but it yields the best long-term results. Choosing the world can be much easier and can appear to be the best way to avoid pain, but these choices often lead to our destruction.  Check back on Wednesday for more details .

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study
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Mary of Bethany: At Jesus’ Feet

Day 5, Week 5 of Beautifully Surrendered, A Love God Greatly Study

Today’s Reading: Luke 10:38-42, John 11:1-44, John12:1-11; SOAP – John 12:3

Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.

John 12:3 NLT
Observation: What’s the Story

Mary was continually found at the feet of Jesus. Read the passage again and watch as she sits at His feet listening to Him talk and teach. Look and listen as she falls at His feet weeping over the death of her brother. Then, take in the beauty of her extravagant act of celebration and worship of Jesus’s resurrection of Lazarus; she poured out the best of what she had onto His feet and and then wiped them with her hair. Her devotion to Jesus was quite clear in both her words and actions, even to the point of defying cultural norms.

Application: How Then Should We live?

Jesus told Martha that Mary had “chosen” the best part. So, since a favorable opinion from Christ is the best of everything we can hope for, we would be wise to choose as Mary did to sit at His feet, soaking up His Words as we listen to Him talk or teach. Likewise, we should not be afraid to fall at His feet in our sorrows weeping and sharing our thoughts or regrets with Him. Mary did this and Jesus was “intensely moved in spirit”, even to the point of weeping and calling Lazarus out of the grave! Lastly, by Mary’s example, we should be willing to pour out the best of ourselves at His feet in grateful adoration of who He is and what He’s done.

Prayer: Response to His Word

Father, thank You for showing us Mary’s heart and passion for Jesus, our Savior. Despite cultural norms and people’s opinions she desired to be “at Jesus’ feet”. Oh that we might choose well, as Christ said Mary did – letting nothing hold us back from being at His feet.

YOUR TURN: Set aside time to read and reflect on each of the passages

What’s your take away from the story about Mary of Bethany?

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Her Actions spoke louder than words

Many people praise God with their words, but Mary of Bethany praised God through her actions.

  • Why do you think her actions “spoke” louder than any words she could have said?
  • What can you do to sit at His feet?
  • What sorrows or concerns do you have that would be better laid at His feet?
  • What can you ‘anoint His feet’ with?
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