In my friends Lelia's blog Bible study http://leliachealey.blogspot.com/ from
What Happens When Women Say YES to God by Lysa TerKeurst (http://lysaterkeurst.blogspot.com/),
a question was posed in the first chapter "A Soul that Longs for More":What is holding you back from going deeper in your relationship with God? Time? Intimidation? Not feeling like the Bible applies to you everyday life? Seems to hard?I must say without pride or conceit, time is not a problem. Since I fell in that pit 4 years ago I have consistently started each morning in quiet time with God-reading scripture, reading devotionals, praying and journaling. I know that every time I open my Bible, there will be something there that applies to my life. And yes the Christan life is hard but it is full of so much joy. What I struggle the most with in this question is intimidation!
Intimidation is to "to make timid; fill with fear, to force into or deter from some action by inducing fear". That is what prevents me from going deeper...the fear of doing what God calls me to do. The fear that I can do it, to know how unworthy I am and though forgiven, why would God use me? How can I be a testimony when I have sinned as I have?
My devotional today referenced Peter's failure to stand with Christ at His most critical time-His walk to Calvary. Jesus knew Peter would fail Him but He made provisions for Him just the same. And He drew Peters attention not to the failure but to what He was calling Peter to do: "When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep" (John 21:15-17).
God knows my every thoughts, my every action, even before I act or speak. He has known all my failures before they occurred and He continues to love me to call me to "Feed My sheep". It is not about my failures, it is about what I can allow God to do "in and through me". He can take my unworthiness, "my ordinary life and do extraordinary things". Intimidation will have no hold on me if I "live in radical obedience to God", that is "Biblical obedience"-seeking Him daily, loving Him more, becoming more like Him. This has become my daily prayer:
"God, I want to see You.
God, I want to hear You.
God I want to know You.
God I want to follow hard after You.
And even before I know what I will face today,
I say YES to YOU."
~Lysa TerKeurst
"Whatever God says do, DO IT!"
In His Graces~Pamela
PS: I am registered for the 'She Speaks' conference with Proverbs 31 Ministry in NC. The cost is going to be well over $1000 for me. I have been nominated for a special recognition in an area I am professionally and personally involved in. The money-$1000!!-I would receive from this can be used any way. Pray that I will be awarded this recognition/scholarship so I can use it towards this conference!! Thanks!!
In my friends Lelia's blog Bible study http://leliachealey.blogspot.com/ from What Happens When Women Say YES to God by Lysa TerKeurst (http://lysaterkeurst.blogspot.com/), a question was posed in the first chapter "A Soul that Longs for More":
8 comments:
Excellent Pamela!! That's one of my favorite passages about Peter. I heard Beth Moore do a teaching on it one time & learned a lot from her too.
Thanks for sharing your heart & participating in the study even though you've read the book already. I'm so glad that you want to do it again. I think you have much to offer and you're a very good teacher. You bring the simple out of the complicated.
Have a great week saying YES GOD! :)
Blessed to be your friend,
Lelia
Whatever God says do, do it
This every statement is something that I had to grasp for 7 weeks right after the first of the year. I was asked to lead our Community Bible study, never having led a study before, of any size. Get my drift....way out of my comfort zone for there could be 1 or there could be 30 plus of us. For we have grown up to that number over the past 4 years. Anyway, I was watching Wednesdays with Beth, and she said, Whatever God has called you to do, do it afraid. In other words, I was scared to death but I knew that God truly wanted me in this role, for this season. So every Thursday evening on my drive to our study, I would say, Lord, I'm afraid, but I'm doing this for you.
Love to YOU!
What an awesome trip it proved to be!
I'll join you in praying GOD'S WILL for your life, my Friend!
Thanks for praying for Allie Grace...I hope to have some GREAT NEWS to share soon.
LOVE YOU!
I think that I have sometimes the fear to step out of my comfort zone. But He is teaching me little by little to keep going without fear of failure. Because with Him we can not fail :)
I hope and pray that you will receive the scholarship - what a blessing it would be to you.
First off, thanks for the comment on my blog :D
And second, I am lovin this post! You make me realize that I definitely have to start crackin my Good Book open more often...
I'll send up warm prayers that the scholarship will be given to you.
Blessings,
Samantha
Dear Lord, I pray that you will bless my friend Pam with the good things and blessings you have in store for her! I thank you for her honesty and loving spirit toward others and toward you! I pray that you will supply all her needs according to your riches and may you meet her financial need for the conference too! You, Lord, are amazing and powerful and I thank you for using our sins and failures to bring us to a greater dependence on you! With you we can do all things! Thank you for knowing all our imperfections and using us in spite of them! In Your Name I pray.AMEN!
Your are in my prayers, Pam--Shelby
Praying for the scholarship from God...
I will be praying that the money will come your way! God hears and answers our prayers.
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