Bible Archives - Page 6 of 10

Wasted Suffering

February 14, 2010 by Marissa 1 Comment

A few weeks ago in BSF, we studied the raising of Lazarus in John 11. Although the miracle of raising a dead man is powerful, I found the words and actions of Christ prior to going to Bethany just as impactful. When Jesus receives word that his beloved friend is gravely ill, He replies, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (verse 4). Then the Scripture says that Jesus loved Mary, Martha and their brother Lazarus very much, so when He heard Lazarus was ill, He stayed where He was for two more days (verses 5-6). From that tiny word “so,” we must infer that Jesus’ delay (and therefore Lazarus’ death) was somehow for the good of Mary, Martha and Lazarus.

In the BSF study notes for this passage, the author writes that in this miracle, God’s glory was revealed in a way that blessed all those who witnessed it. Of course, Mary, Martha and Lazarus were blessed in a special way, and in a way they would not have experienced if Jesus had come immediately and healed Lazarus before he died. The same is true of the suffering in our lives. In every trial, there is a unique blessing for the believer, an opportunty for God to be glorified, and an opportunity for other believers to be encouraged by our response of trusting God even in hardship. I learned in the BSF notes that suffering can be wasted, or it can be used to glorify God and seek the blessing He will give in that trial.

Shortly after reading this lesson, our entire family was sick. Nothing serious, but enough to put me out of commission for three days and send us to the pediatrician multiple times in a span of 12 days. As I lay in bed with body aches and a pounding head, my BSF lesson on wasted suffering came to mind. Although I knew my sinus infection was a very minor hardship, I realized that not even minor suffering should be wasted. I started to look for ways that God was blessing our family during our illness. And God showed me several ways. I gave thanks to God for the snow and ice that kept my husband home from work, because I never would have made it without him. I gained renewed compassion for people who are ill. My appreciation and love for my husband grew as I watched him take care of the kids on his own and spend quality time with them while I was sick.

I can’t tell you I spent those three days smiling toward Heaven, singing praise songs and meditating on God’s goodness. I did plenty of complaining and feeling sorry for myself and wishing things were different. Looking back, I can see that the difference between the moments of wasting the suffering and not wasting the suffering was a matter of my focus. When my eyes were on myself and my misery, I moaned and groaned and complained. When my eyes were on God and His glory, I could see the ways He was blessing and providing for me and my family.

I don’t share this out of pride. I don’t think that having a few moments of thankfulness in the midst of a sinus infection is anything to boast about. But I’m thankful that God provided this small test, an opportunity to apply and reinforce what I’m learning in His Word. I want God to be glorified by my life, no matter what the circumstances. I don’t want to waste opportunities to learn more about God’s character and draw closer to my Savior. Even if that means seeing the good in a really, really runny nose.

A New Life Verse

July 30, 2009 by Marissa 7 Comments

I think I have found my “Life Verse.” I’ve never had a life verse before, but I know people who do. The verses are usually very inspirational, something along the lines of reaching the nations or future generations for God. Good stuff, really. My favorite verse thus far is Romans 8:1, but it didn’t seem to fall into the Life Verse category.

But a couple of weeks ago when I was doing my Bible study (Behold Your God–an awesome study of God’s attributes which deserves many, many blog posts that I don’t currently have time to write), I came across a verse I’ve never noticed before:

2 Chronicles 20:12: We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you.

Some context for those of you who don’t have 2 Chronicles memorized: King Jehoshaphat and the Israelites are watching multiple nations of enemies coming against them in battle. They know there is no way they can defeat this multitude. Jehoshaphat calls the people together, and they cry out to the Lord, asking what they should do. It specifically mentions that they are all standing before the Lord, along with their wives and children. Can you imagine this picture? Standing there, clutching your children to you, watching the enemy come, knowing you are powerless against them and crying out to the Lord for help. (To see how it ends, see 2 Chronicles 20.)

This has definitely become my Summer Verse, if not my Life Verse. For one thing, this verse is very easy to memorize. It rhymes and has lots of 2’s in the reference. And if there is one theme in my life right now, it is that I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to encourage my 5-year-old to not become a prideful Pharisee who craves approval and does all the right things only when someone is watching. (It takes one to know one, and that kid is just like me.) I don’t know how to encourage my 3-year-old to put his poop in the potty rather than in his pants. And I certainly don’t know how to encourage my sister-in-law as she battles the most formidable enemy we’ve faced in a long time: breast cancer.

I don’t know what to do, but my eyes are on the One who is my refuge and strength, an very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). He promises His perfect wisdom is ours for the asking. (James 1:5). He hems me in, behind and before, and lays His hand upon me (Psalm 139:5). When my eyes are on Him, I can choose to be overwhelmed by His love and goodness toward me, rather than being overwhelmed by my circumstances. (With thanks to my summer Bible study leader for this last thought.)

I don’t know what to do, but my eyes are on You.

My Complaining Heart

March 2, 2009 by Marissa 2 Comments

The Israelites are at it again. Grumbling, that is. A recurring theme in our BSF study of the Life of Moses this year is how the Israelites continue to grumble and complain in spite of all the wonderful things God has done for them. Last week, we studied Numbers 11, in which the Israelites once again complain about the manna God is miraculously providing for food each day. In our lecture, our teaching leader said that we often think we have the right to tell everyone how we are feeling at all times, especially if we are unhappy about something.

She might as well have been talking directly to me. Even with the sinfulness of complaining being pointed out to me again and again in this study, I still struggle with a complaining heart. I definitely think everyone around me needs the full story whenever something is bothering me, and there are plenty of things that bother me. I have to admit, one of the things I look forward to when my husband gets home from work is being able to unload on him all the hardships of my day. The complaining heart rears its head over and over again. And Numbers 11 reminds me that each time I complain, I am sinning and even rejecting the Lord and His provision for me (verse 20).

And then there’s the fact that I’m 31 weeks pregnant with my third child. Those of you who have walked in my shoes know exactly how this could lead to some complaining–complaining that even seems justified until you look at it through God’s holy eyes. When I first heard the BSF lecture on complaining last week, I thought, “People ask me how I’m feeling all the time. How am I supposed to answer honestly without complaining?” Our teaching leader pointed out that God desires our gratitude, regardless of our circumstances. I need to ask God to take away my complaining heart and replace it with a grateful one.

At first, I just aimed for outward change with regard to complaining. My husband may not have noticed much change yet–sorry, honey, I’m working on it–but I have tried to answer the “how are you feeling?” questions with less complaining and more thankfulness. Instead of cataloging every ache and pain for everyone who asks, I try to say I am mostly feeling good and thankful to be having a healthy pregnancy.

As I’ve made this outward change, I’ve noticed that there has been an inward change going on as well. The aches and pains don’t bother me as much anymore. They are simply reminders that God has given me the privilege of carrying this baby girl for 31 weeks, and that she is active and growing.

I still have work to do in this area . . . it is hardest to not complain to those I am closest to and other favorite topics of complaining that I need to deal with. There is a fine line between being honest about my struggles and complaining. While I want to be open and honest, I also want to glorify God with my speech and not grumble about any of the gifts He has given me–including my kids, my husband, his job, our home, and our finances.

The REAL test will come in 2 months when the baby comes and people ask, “How are you doing? Are you getting any sleep yet?” I better start asking God now to show me how to be thankful for sleep that comes in 2 hour increments!

Lessons from Leviticus

February 12, 2009 by Marissa Leave a Comment

Leviticus? Seriously? I never thought I’d write a blog post about Leviticus. I should have seen it coming when I started the BSF study of the life of Moses, Exodus through Deuteronomy. (I suppose there is a post on Numbers coming soon.) I don’t think I’ve ever studied Leviticus, other than a random reference here and there in other Bible studies. But as always happens with God’s Word, there are great lessons there. Here are a few that were especially meaningful to me:

In Leviticus 8, we were studying about the consecration of tabernacle and the priests. Our lesson asked the question, “Is there some area of your life that has not been consecrated (set apart) to the Lord?” This question was very convicting to me, and I wanted to write, “Is there an area of my life that HAS been consecrated to the Lord?” But I tried to narrow down some key areas that have not been dedicated to God like they should and came up with my perceived control over my life and the way I spend my time and money. I’ve been thinking lately about how I can truly consecrate these areas to the Lord.

In Leviticus 10, we read the troubling story of two of Aaron’s sons being burned up by God because they did not follow the commandments He had given them about sacrifices in the tabernacle. Our lessons often ask us what we learned about God’s character or attributes from the passage. This chapter showed me how serious disobedience (sin) is in God’s eyes. We know from elsewhere in Scripture that our sin is deserving of death, and Aaron’s sons got what they deserved. It showed me how great God’s mercy to me is–I have not gotten what I deserve. I have done much worse things than what Aaron’s sons did. And not only has God not burned me up on the spot, He sent His Son to take the punishment for all my sin that I might have eternal life.

In an overview of Leviticus, we read various passages where God gives the Israelites instructions about how to offer the various sacrifices He required. The lesson talked about how each of the sacrifices cost the worshiper something. It pointed to 2 Samuel 24:24, where David says he will not offer something to the Lord that cost him nothing. This was another convicting point for me. What have I sacrificed to God at a great cost? I volunteer in the church nursery once every three months, and that costs me very little. I am also leading the children’s choir, which carries a greater cost, and most of the time I don’t have a great attitude about that cost. My financial giving should be more sacrificial–am I truly giving something up that I want in order to give sacrificially, or am I giving what is left over? Contemplating the true meaning of sacrifice has changed my perspective about my service and giving to the Lord.

I also liked Leviticus 19:9-10 where God commands the Israelites not to harvest their fields all the way to the edges or strip their vineyards bare. They are to leave some for the poor and for travellers. This made me think about how I use my resources. When I know we have some extra money coming, I know we will tithe on it, but I usually have the rest of it spent, at least mentally, before it hits the checking account. And, apart from this commandment, it would be my right to use it as my husband and I decided. But in this commandment, God is telling His people not to consume all that they have a right to consume. I think this principle applies to me as well. I want to be more intentional about leaving some crops around the edges in a 21st-century sense . . . stashing some away for needs that arise so we are able to meet the needs of others.

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