A Woman's Heart, God's Dwelling Place

Here we are, once again, at the beginning of a new study . . . I am SO excited!!!!

In this introductory session, Beth laid the groundwork for the next 10 weeks of study by asking us to open our spiritiual eyes to:

• "the wonder of God's pursuit of man" - reminding us that God pursued Adam after his disobedience
• "the beauty of God's consistency" - showing us, from Exodus 25 and Hebrews 8, that God "caused" Moses to see "a copy and shadow of a heavenly reality" of which the Old Testament tabernacle was to be patterned after
• "the glory of God's Son" - the cross was not Plan B . . . the Lamb "was slain from the creation of the world" (Revelation 13:8) . . . Jesus fulfilled everything that was spoken of about Him in the Scriptures (Luke 24:44)

In keeping with being open to what God is going to show us through this study, Beth encouraged us to pray that the Lord would open our minds that we might have understanding. I really liked the word picture she gave for ""suniemi", Greek for "understanding" . . .

"collecting the pieces of a puzzle and putting them together."

Ladies . . . the picture of this particular puzzle is the title of our study, "A Woman's Heart, God's Dwelling Place."  The pieces of this particular puzzle is from the Word - Genesis through Revelation - and will reveal God's determination in finding a way to dwell among us.  But I'm giving away some of Session 1 . . .

Come with your thinking hats on - we are going to cover a lot of ground . . . see you Saturday! 

Jan : )

Session Nine - Esther 9:29-10:3

Once again, we are down to the final session of another Beth Moore study.  Are we the same as we were when we began this Esther journey?  I think not!  The words of Psalm 103 come to mind –

"Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being praise His holy name . . . forget not all His benefits – who forgives all our sins and heals all our diseases, who redeems our lives from the pit and crowns us with love and compassion, who satisfies our desires with good things to that our youth is renewed like the eagle's . . . He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear him . . . "

He is FOR us . . .  He will not leave us unchanged!

In this final session, we learned that "we got some along-withs" . . . we are not autonomous, we need each other - God used both Esther and Mordecai to accomplish His purposes, the saving of the Jewish race.

Beth then reminded us of Scenario #2 - "It's tough being a woman in a world where beauty is a treatment." How did she turn that around?  She reminded us that while "in man's realm, time diminishes beauty, in God's realm where we will spend forever, time perfects beauty."  She reminded us that beauty is not a treatment, it's a destiny -

"He has made everything beautiful in it's time". (Eccl. 3:11)
"He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord."  (Psalm 40:2, 3)

In wrapping up the final turn around, we were reminded that even when "it's tough being a woman in another woman's shadow" (Scenario #1), we don't dwell there -

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge, my fortress, my God in whom I trust.  (Psalm 91:1, 2)

So, if you are feeling overshadowed, under-rated, overwrought, under-qualified, under attack, overanxious or over-responsible, turn it around!  Know that God is there, even when you can't see Him . . . trust Him and take Him at His Word, and let that trust reverse your detour of adversity into a highway of destiny!

Much love to you, women of valour . . . Jan : )

Session Eight - Esther 9:1-4

I loved this session because we learned how to turn-around Scenario #5 - "It's tough being a woman in the tight fist of fear."  I viewed that "fear" session at least five times . . . I am sure it was because God needed to drum into my heart - "If  ___________, then Me, GOD!!!!!!  I don't know about any of you but this is where the heat turned up in my own life . . . and God had prepared me (Deut. 31:8 - "The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you . . .").  He is AMAZING!

Back to the session . . . Beth set the premise for the morning - "God can't turn a table that was never set against you" and tweaked that thought with another one - "Seeing purpose in tough scenarios increases the trust required for a turnaround".  How many times in our lives, as we look back on an event, do we think that if we could only have known the purpose we wouldn't have worried so much . . . struggled so much . . . we'd have been stronger . . . trusted more?  That's where we need the Word and each other - to remind us that there is a point.  There is a battle going on and it's about more than our own personal freedom.  How else wil we know victory unless there is something for which we need the tables turned?  I love what Beth said - "God wants to make the unseen forces afraid of us."  Sounds like if we want to be women of valor we have some tough scenarios to trust God with!

So, how do we turn around Scenario #5 - Beth reminded us that we are in something much tighter . . . Isaiah 49:16 says, "See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands."

"Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will trample down their high places."  (Deuteronomy 33:29)

"After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes." (Nehemiah 4:14)

And, when "it's tough being a woman thrown a giant-size weight" (Scenario #4), know that God has the upper hand . . .

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7)

"However, the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam but (He) turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves you." (Deuteronomy 23:5)

Finally, when "it's tough being a woman in a mean world (and not get mean with it)" (Scenario #3), know that we are "not left to be victims of a mean world" but that we are called to "fight the good fight holding on to faith and a good conscience.  Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith." (1 Timothy 1:18, 19)
 
"For we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10)

Bless you . . . Jan : )

Session Seven - Esther 7-8:2

I'll bet you wondered what on earth the point was as Beth taught us about chiastric structures and peripeties in the last session . . . so did I!!!!!  We should have known better.  I don't think she does anything without an explicit purpose, and this session we learned what that purpose was.  We learned that each and every "It's tough being a woman . . . " statement has a turn around.

I love it!

But we didn't get to the turn around's right away.  We first learned that every turn-around starts with a step, and took a look at the steps that each of our players took:

• Esther stepped through her fear . . . she told the King how Mordecai was related to her . . . what he was to her
• Haman stepped off the scene, or rather was pushed . . .
• Xerxes stepped in as he acknowledged Mordecai and allowed Esther to take her role as Queen
• Mordecai stepped up, acknlowledged by the King, into the space left absent by Haman

And then we began to turn things around . . .

When "it's tough being a woman who feels responsible for the how" (Scenario #7) we learned that we will NEVER fret our way to victory because faith IS the victory.  And we don't need to be responsible for the "how" because -

 "The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment." (2 peter 2:9)

 "For He Knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust."  (Ps. 103:14)

And when "it's tough being a woman who can balance passion with patience" (Scenario #6) we learned that God's patience always involves His passion . . . He is passionate, too . . . that it's not a wait without the longing -

"Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;  He rises to show you compassion.  For the Lord is a God of justice.  Blessed are all who wait for Him.  (Isa. 30:18)

"The Lord waits . . . blessed are all those who wait for Him."

We were left with the words from Esther 8:1 - "That same day . . . ".  Know that the wait will end, suddenly, before you know it . . .

Isaiah 65:24 - "Before they call I will answer, while they are still speaking I will hear."

See you next session . . . Jan : )