Monday, November 9, 2009

Lesson 9: Dreams Surpassed and Obedience That Lasts, Chapters 23 & 24

I don't know about you all, but I am so ready for this new section and what it will bring into our lives!!
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3 comments:

  1. JoNovember 11, 2009 at 9:26 AM

    I praise God that he healed me when someone I trusted violated that trust. I wasn’t physically scarred but emotionally, I thought it was my fault for a long time. I don’t think I started realizing how precious I was to the King until the last few months. I knew He loved me but the depths didn’t really hit me until I really prayed about a situation and I just stayed still and waited on HIM and HE resolved it. I don’t think that before the situation earlier this year, have I ever really let go of a situation to HIS hands without trying to fix it myself. I hadn’t always been faithful but even then HE heard my cry, saw my need and resolved the situation. Who else but a Father would do that for his daughter?


    Ch 24. To be a Bride

    I absolutely love this chapter. It really describes the stage I’m in both in the spiritual and the natural. No I’m not engaged but God is taking me through the preparation stage. A significant event had to happen for me to yearn to be the bride of Christ. I love when Beth quotes Jeremiah 2:2 ‘how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the dessert’. I love the newness of that statement because it reminds me of when you first meet someone, you treasure that freshness of the love you feel. I pray that now that I have discovered and tasted of the Master’s greatness that I will always keep it new and nurture the relationship.

    Beth is so correct in saying that the Bridegroom takes us to places that seem like the wilderness and I as the Bride must trust HIM to always have purpose and know that HE will always never forsake me. I will keep this in my heart because I know a time will come when I must follow my groom in the natural and that I have to trust that as the priest of the household that will not forsake me. Even if he does I KNOW my heavenly BRIDEGROOM will never forsake me as long as I am following HIM.
    About 3 months ago in a meeting with one of my pastors, they sensed my desire to be married and at the time what I believed to be a strange question was asked: How are you preparing to be a bride? When Beth talks about preparation and how you need to be ready for Christ the groom, I felt tingles as I’m in that stage. I want to be ready when HE returns, not waiting until the last minute to bow down and surrender all to HIM.

    I love the statement: ‘to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes’. It tells me that even at my lowest point where no one would want me or love me that my Father does and HE will wash the filth away and lavish me with HIS love. I don’t care if fairy tales don’t exist. I’ll believe this one because my FATHER never lies and HE can meet me in any situation. I cannot wait to continue with the next few chapters.

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  2. ChantelNovember 14, 2009 at 8:03 PM

    God is Awesome God! It is so great to know and be reminded of our Father's love for us! We often hear "she's daddy's little girl". For soem little girls in this cruel world,that is distorted and father's abuse their children. Thank God our Heavenly Father will never hurt us! He is always there, He will never leave us nor forsake us! We are truly,"Daddy's little girl" He will embrace us, and give us our dignity and identity back and keep us safe in His arms:)
    I can still remember my wedding day! How even when we don't think of ourselves as beautiful, God does and the one He chose for me thinks that I am beautiful:) I like how Beth pointed out that we are His bride,and how he looks upon us as a new creation.It doesn't matter what we have been through, if we repent and follow Him, He dresses us for the Wedding Banquet! He cleanses all the impurities away and He adorns us with fine clothes and jewlery. We are His bride and He is our Groom, so if we put so much effort in being ready on our wedding day, how much more should we be ever so ready to meet Him on our Wedding Day! I praise Him for loving me! I praise Him for picking me to be His bride. I pray that every moment I am ready to meet my Groom:)He took away the guilt,the shame, and the insecurities of my childhood and allowed me to have a beautiful wedding day with my husband! I am looking forward to moving on!

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  3. MelanieNovember 16, 2009 at 11:26 AM

    Jo and Chantel, thank you for sharing!! It really blessed me to read what you both posted. It just blows my mind how amazing our Lord is and the things He has brought us out of and through. It also amazes me how much He loves us and how good He is to us!

    These two chapters were so refreshing and encouraging. In chapter 23, I particularly like the part when Beth said, God is furious when a woman is victimized in any way and we can trust that He will do something about it in His time and in His own way. I'm not usually one for "getting even"....but to think that we do not have to "worry" about what will happen to the person that has victimized....but that God will take care of him/her...well, that just takes a huge burden off of our shoulders. I guess that means our only "job" is to forgive.

    Jo, I also loved chapter 24...being a bride. There were SO many great things in this chapter. Here were some of my favorites:

    -God wants to not just fill our dreams, but surpass them.

    - He gives us dreams so we will long for HIS reality.

    - Bride = newness, freshness, crisp, clean, fragrant, beautiful, sparkling, youthful.

    - Our relationship with Christ = new, fresh, crisp, beautiful,.....just like that of a bride

    - All moves that are prompted by Christ are to offer a better life.

    We have such a great deal in Christ...to me, it's the best "deal" anyone could ever recieve!!

    It was also encouraging, but also challenging when Beth was talking about how a marriage is not (or should not) be based on just the wedding day itself, but instead on the marriage...and getting to know your spouce, and keeping your communication open and flowing. And that is how our relationship with Christ should be...about getting to know him, and keeping that relationship alive and current. God longs to spend time with us...He misses us when we don't spend time with Him. Isn't that amazing?

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