To Know God, and Believe Him
Today, I want to share my Beth Moore Bible study lesson with you. I'm going through the "Breaking Free" book (revised edition) with a Bible study group here on campus. It has been great to get back into Beth Moore, especially because her style is always surprising. She is slightly psychotic (maybe just enthusiastic) this study with the charisma she throws out at us! Anyway, I am on week two, day one: To know God and Believe Him.
Moore describes captivity as "anything that hinders the abundant and effective Spirit-filled life God has planned for us." With this description, I was easily convinced that, yes, I DEFINITELY have some bondage; I think everyone does. Moore goes on further, presenting that one of the most effective ways to detect bondage in your life is to ask yourself whether you're experiencing the benefits of a relationship with Christ. She includes 5 relevant benefits that we should see in a walk with Christ characterized with freedom:
1. To know God and believe Him (Isaiah 43:10)
2. To glorify God (Isaiah 43:7)
3. To find satisfaction in God (Isaiah 55:2)
4. To experience God's peace (48:18)
5. To enjoy God's presence (Isaiah 43:2-3)
Speaking on knowing and believing God centers on the importance of both benefits to each other. Without faith (a firm, enduring trust), it is difficult to develop an accurate knowledge of who God is; without knowledge (an intimate level of familiarity) it is difficult to develop a strong belief because we do not know what we are believing in. Currently, my desire to grow in the knowledge that I have of God is hindered more by stinted faith than knowledge. And although I feel that my faith is growing, it is conditional. My baby faith is happy in comfort, but stretched in fear of the unexplained and the unexpected. In this benefit, which I admit I do not relate to nearly as much as I relate to benefit #3) I am able to pinpoint some of my bonds (which I acronym as FASA) and see how both knowledge and belief are critical for my freedom. I am able to see that God actually DESIRES freedom for me (probably more than I do).
God has reminded me this day that He has a life of benefits awaiting me if I let myself fall into His plans. He is my healer and will break my chains of addiction to FASA if I count death to self as a sweet gain of freedom in Him.
Lord,
Please help me to begin to hand over my bondage to You instead of trying to struggle against it myself. When I do things on my own, I feel more exhausted and trapped than ever; show me the freedom of dependence.
-Rachel
Please don't misunderstand; when I say "bondage," I'm referring to "minutia" in comparison to some of the dark realities many people deal with. That is, I'm not about to go jump off a cliff or hurt myself in any way; this study is just a helpful tool for me to acknowledge the hurdles I've set up in my relationship with God. I like to think of it as a brick wall, and I've built all the bricks just right so that I reveal only the parts of myself that I want God to take over (and not a brick more!). God, being the Father that he is, is faithfully moving me toward a more complete surrender to and knowledge of Him, one brick at a time. I'm seeing Him better in some ways, but in others, my bricks still obscure His truth and freedom and Will.
Moore describes captivity as "anything that hinders the abundant and effective Spirit-filled life God has planned for us." With this description, I was easily convinced that, yes, I DEFINITELY have some bondage; I think everyone does. Moore goes on further, presenting that one of the most effective ways to detect bondage in your life is to ask yourself whether you're experiencing the benefits of a relationship with Christ. She includes 5 relevant benefits that we should see in a walk with Christ characterized with freedom:
1. To know God and believe Him (Isaiah 43:10)
2. To glorify God (Isaiah 43:7)
3. To find satisfaction in God (Isaiah 55:2)
4. To experience God's peace (48:18)
5. To enjoy God's presence (Isaiah 43:2-3)
Speaking on knowing and believing God centers on the importance of both benefits to each other. Without faith (a firm, enduring trust), it is difficult to develop an accurate knowledge of who God is; without knowledge (an intimate level of familiarity) it is difficult to develop a strong belief because we do not know what we are believing in. Currently, my desire to grow in the knowledge that I have of God is hindered more by stinted faith than knowledge. And although I feel that my faith is growing, it is conditional. My baby faith is happy in comfort, but stretched in fear of the unexplained and the unexpected. In this benefit, which I admit I do not relate to nearly as much as I relate to benefit #3) I am able to pinpoint some of my bonds (which I acronym as FASA) and see how both knowledge and belief are critical for my freedom. I am able to see that God actually DESIRES freedom for me (probably more than I do).
God has reminded me this day that He has a life of benefits awaiting me if I let myself fall into His plans. He is my healer and will break my chains of addiction to FASA if I count death to self as a sweet gain of freedom in Him.
Lord,
Please help me to begin to hand over my bondage to You instead of trying to struggle against it myself. When I do things on my own, I feel more exhausted and trapped than ever; show me the freedom of dependence.
-Rachel
Please don't misunderstand; when I say "bondage," I'm referring to "minutia" in comparison to some of the dark realities many people deal with. That is, I'm not about to go jump off a cliff or hurt myself in any way; this study is just a helpful tool for me to acknowledge the hurdles I've set up in my relationship with God. I like to think of it as a brick wall, and I've built all the bricks just right so that I reveal only the parts of myself that I want God to take over (and not a brick more!). God, being the Father that he is, is faithfully moving me toward a more complete surrender to and knowledge of Him, one brick at a time. I'm seeing Him better in some ways, but in others, my bricks still obscure His truth and freedom and Will.
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