marca

Can you remember any times when God has cared for you as a Shepherd -- in times of blessing and in times of trouble? What are you facing right now where you realize your need to rely on God as your Shepherd? I really enjoyed these questions. I've always believed that as God's people, we should tell others how God has cared for us. Everyone can count a time of hardship and it increases others' faith when they hear how God has brought us through, each in our own way, and the different truths that have been made real to us. A few years ago, two of the most important people in my life went to be with the Lord within just a few days of each other. This time was both a blessing and a trouble. The blessing is that both had been physically ill for quite a while and their home-going was their healing. The trouble was that although I rejoiced they were dancing in the clouds with God, what I so loved was gone from my sight, their hugs no longer a warm blanket for my heart. Where was I going to go? What was I going to do with my life? Who cared for me now? I was completely in need of a shepherd. And the truthful answers to those questions are that future plans are unknown still. I've not found a comfortable "fit" with my new life yet, I don't know where I'm going to spend the rest of my years. What I do know--the ONLY thing I am sure of--is that God LOVES me and will reveal His plans more and more as I seek him more and more. Just as sheep don't look up at their shepherd & ask "Could you please let us know where the next good patch of grass is? We want to make sure we agree that it actually is the best." Nope, they just trust their shepherd's judgment. As should I?

What does it mean that God is our Keeper. In what ways does he "keep" or "guard" us? When I think of the word "keep," a castle always comes to mind. The keep was generally the strong central tower in castle. It was the best defended area of the castle and as such, became the housing for the most important functions of the community; armoury, food, water well were placed here to increase chances of survival in case of a seige. When troubles are bearing down, God stands in the center of our life and beckons to us to take shelter in Him. Not necessarily physical shelter but the shelter of knowing we are loved and acceptanced by Him and have value simply because He made us & we exist, when all we see or feel is ridicule & hatred from those who are supposed to care for us; the shelter of His unexplainable peace in the midst of great chaos just by understanding that nothing--not a single thing--can happen to us that He will not turn for our good, if we live according to His purpose. I can't think of any better guard than that.

What is the protected one required to do in times of danger (verses 1-2, 9). What metaphors are used of God's protection in this psalm? The protected one must make God his dwelling place. This immediately brought to mind the picture of a treehouse; up high so enemies on the ground can be seen but cannot reach to do damage, a great vantage point from which to view the God-made beauty of the earth, and a place that gives aloneness so one can meditate undistracted & have great communion with God. Some of the metaphors are shadow, refuge, fortress. Although these have physical attributes, I see this passage as speaking to protection of the spirit. We are assured that our bodies will have tribulation, if not physical threats from outside sources, there is the robber of strength & ability that everyone must deal with called time that will eventually steal our bodies. But when we make God the place that holds us and keeps us strong, the place that renews our spiritual strength, His protection for our souls and our joy is allowed to flow.

How many names, titles, and metaphors of God can you find in this passage, both explicit and implicit? What does the Psalmist call on us to do in response to God revealed in his Names? Why are these actions appropriate? Lord, Rock of our salvation, object to give thanksgiving & praise to, Great God, King above all Gods, maker and owner of earth-mountains-seas-dry land, worthy of worship, maker, shepherd. We are called to hear His voice and not harden our heart. To give praise, thanks, and worship at all God has made and everything God is.

What inherent rights does a Potter, Creator, or Maker have over what he has created? How should that effect our lives, our self-image, our sense of purpose? In the United States, creations are copyrighted meaning no one else can take the credit for the creation or use it to their advantage. The maker has sole rights to change it in any way and those who attempt to make exact copies can be fined, arrested, or imprisoned. The first thing that jumped to mind on this topic were copywrited ideas like books or songs. People take great pains in bringing these things to life. When you talk to writers, they often speak of their work as their baby. I imagine that they want to make every work as perfect as they possibly can, their best ever yet. They sit for hours and hours, carefully linking words together to evoke tender feelings or intelligent ideas. If we think of ourselves like that work; God spent precious thought on how we would be formed, each of us. And then the effort to make Himself so available to us, how can we say that what He's done just isn't good enough? That if only our circumstances were different, then we could be happy and grateful, when He has already provided all that's necessary for our life. What plans God has for us!! What could be a more glorious way of living than to understand that every single day, we have the opportunity to place our lives in the hands of the One whose motives are pure, loving, and unselfish. His only desire is for our souls to experience more and more communion with Him. How can we not praise Him?!?

(Isaiah 45:9-12) Why is it ridiculous for a pot to second-guess the Potter? How do we Christians do this? What is a better attitude and behavior before our Creator? When a Potter begins his work, he has a specific design in mind. Maybe he needs a particular-type bowl or he sees in his cupboard that the number of cups is too low and needs more. In either case, the Potter has a plan to execute that the pot doesn't know about, from the very beginning. The pot would not even have been brought into existence if it hadn't been for the Potter's desire. Ridiculous is for one who can only see the dishes on the table to say the kitchen holds too many cups. We don't have the whole picture...and we won't, not on this earth. As Christians, we have our own ideas on where we would most like to be used. Maybe, we don't want to be on a table where people will slober all over us and get us dirty but on the counter, where we can be better admired without all the mess. Or, perhaps we are fashioned as a bowl, but believe the cups are prettier and more useful. God chose, on purpose, to make us just as He did...warts and all. Questioning Him on why only wastes energy & time and keeps our focus off our true purpose: seeing every experience as a means to know Him better.

How do you think David's understanding of the Living God enabled him to challenge Goliath? Read Hebrews 10:31 in context. Why should the Living God inspire fear and dread? I think David's understanding of God was one of complete and total acceptance of God's all mighty power. David knew that he knew that he knew the Philistines could not defeat the armies brought there God, no matter what earthly superiority they possessed. David had grabbed that peace that passes all understanding and stepped out to where he knew God would be. So the responsibility lays with us as Christians to know God, know about Him, know what He wants from us. God has drawn a definite line in the sand. If we are not for Him, we are against Him...there is no inbetween...and after that, the judgement.

What does God's name Yahweh reveal about his person and his power? How would an understanding of Yahweh's name contrast him with the idols worshipped by the Egyptians? Many times, parents eagerly look up names for their children, hoping to pick just the right one for their precious blessing to grow into. Names that reflect character, sensitivity, or sometimes as a namesake for a special relative or friend. The Egyptians placed importance on names, too. Calling their gods to indicate power, authority, ownership of things. God gave the name of Yahweh to the Israelites to communicate to them along these lines. The name describes that God is always and He can't ever not live up to His name.

What does Gideon ask for his reward? Was Gideon wrong to take a reward? Gideon asks for earrings as a reward. As we receive money today for completing a job, the asking/receiving of a reward of itself is not wrong, it's just a system of exchange for survival. Where did the sin begin? Judg 8:27 27 Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family. (from New International Version) Since Gideon has just turned down the opportunity to become king, it seems a small possibility that he made the ephod for the express purpose of causing all to sin by worshipping it. Throughout the old testament, monuments/markers are built to God's glory & victory; wells, walls, simple stones are named after God's mighty acts. The ephod could quite possibly have started out as this for everyone. But, it's interesting that the fall of the nation is mentioned first and THEN it became a snare to Gideon. I think the issue comes about when focus is left on what God did yesterday, instead of renewing our faith in what God can do today. Gideon didn't start out worshipping the ephod but as time goes on & he sees others still applauding his efforts, it's easier for him to live off the glory of past achievements & not pursue a relationship with God this minute, and that's when he is "caught."

This passage makes me think of a garden of beautiful flowers. Brilliant colors. fresh green leaves, and the sweetest smell on earth. Anyone whose grown a garden can tell you it takes work. Besides having to feed the flowers, the weeds must be disposed of. And when a garden gets weeded, you can pull just the top off and it will be gone for a while. But if you dig down and remove the roots of the weed, the garden is truly clean & as an extra benefit, it makes for less work in the future. Gideon must completely and utterly defeat the force of the Midianite men in order to keep weed-free what he has just cleaned in his hometown. When we have issues in our life that challenge God's rightful place of 1st in everything, God wants them gone, ALL THE WAY gone.

I don't see significance in choosing lappers over kneelers. It appears to me that God has chosen this random method for picking the army just because it has so little to do with the victory. It's just a way of using simple things to confound the wise and give everyone no choice but to say the battle was won by God. If there was a significance, wouldn't that just be another form of men trying to take the glory for the battle from God?