I just had the most amazing two hours that I have had in a long time. My house was filled with 12 of the most godly women in East Texas. Each of these women have had an impact on my life. They have "stepped up to the plate" for me and my kids these past nine months and almost three weeks. They have fallen on their faces before The Lord, on mine and my children's behalves, they have encouraged, served, and given of themselves. You know, the kind of women that you surround yourself with so that you can be pushed closer to HIM?!?! The kind that appear to be superwomen! The ones who love The Lord with a great intensity, yet find time to excel in what God has uniquely gifted them in?!?!
They, along with countless others, have taught me what the Body of Christ truly is and what it should function like. I was humbled to be with them, knowing the fruit of their faith that they have so generously shared with me in my season of great hunger! I have the GREAT privilege to study God's Word with these amazing women this summer! I get to pray for, learn from and worship with them.
When I felt The Lord leading me to start this study, I simply sent out a text to a few friends. Honestly, I didn't expect a big response because it is summer and we are all mamas with kids home from school. I was hoping for a few to show up. When these ladies started texting me back to let me know they were coming, I was elated! I feel like it's the Who's Who of AMAZING godly women (no offense if you were not here....it just means you were missed....please, NO insecurities being administered today!).
The Lord was very specific about the study we were to undertake, "Lord, Teach Me to Study the Bible in 28 Days" by Kay Arthur (It did help that several of us fell in love with Kay at a recent Dallas event). My heart and my passion for many years now has been for women to be able to pick up the Word of God and study it for themselves. This book is focused on just that! It is a teaching tool for women to learn how to open the pages of Scripture and hear from HIM for themselves. What better way to spend our summer?!?!
So I am motivated to build as an expert builder a house for my children and all those who The Good Lord allows me to influence. And just exactly how do I build as an expert builder? Loving The Lord with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. When you want to get to know someone well, you spend time with them. You find out who they are. So, that is what I am determined to do. To discover more and more and more about this God that I love through the careful study of HIS revealed Word. To allow HIM to reveal HIMSELF to me through the pages of HIS Holy Word. To understand that the discovery of HIM moves me to action. From my head, to my heart, to my hands.
We sat in a circle in my living room, and shared our hearts with each other. We shared what the Lord had done, and was doing in us. I was astounded at the similarities in many of the struggles that we have walked through and are walking through now. And as I listen and learn about these dear friends of mine, I discover that we all struggle in the "head, to heart, to hands" process. Sometimes we get stuck at the head, where HE encourages us to get into HIS Word on a consistent basis and learn Who HE IS. Other times we trip over the "head to heart" part, where we know Truth, but are just having a hard time believing it. Then still other seasons we struggle with putting our faith into action.
So, we humbly submit ourselves to the washing of water with the Word (Ephesians 5:26). We check our insecurities at the door because we cannot waste time on them, and quite frankly, if we enter with them we are failing to believe God's Truths over the enemies lies (head to heart). We choose to allow The Spirit to enter that tender, hurting space and shower HIS Truth over the places that we have allowed the evil one to dwell in for far too long, as he steals far too much from us.
(my homemade yummies from a dear friend)
They, along with countless others, have taught me what the Body of Christ truly is and what it should function like. I was humbled to be with them, knowing the fruit of their faith that they have so generously shared with me in my season of great hunger! I have the GREAT privilege to study God's Word with these amazing women this summer! I get to pray for, learn from and worship with them.
When I felt The Lord leading me to start this study, I simply sent out a text to a few friends. Honestly, I didn't expect a big response because it is summer and we are all mamas with kids home from school. I was hoping for a few to show up. When these ladies started texting me back to let me know they were coming, I was elated! I feel like it's the Who's Who of AMAZING godly women (no offense if you were not here....it just means you were missed....please, NO insecurities being administered today!).
The Lord was very specific about the study we were to undertake, "Lord, Teach Me to Study the Bible in 28 Days" by Kay Arthur (It did help that several of us fell in love with Kay at a recent Dallas event). My heart and my passion for many years now has been for women to be able to pick up the Word of God and study it for themselves. This book is focused on just that! It is a teaching tool for women to learn how to open the pages of Scripture and hear from HIM for themselves. What better way to spend our summer?!?!
This discipline of studying God's Word for yourself hits so very close to home for me! For quite some time before Conner's accident, The Lord had been calling me into a deeper walk with HIM. I had never been a morning person, yet The Lord was waking me up at 5 each morning to spend time in HIS Word and in prayer. I do not consider myself a disciplined person, but I felt like HE was empowering me to do things that were contrary to the Kristin-me. Isaiah 50:4b says, "He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed." That is the exact verse that I could see The Lord making real in my life. I understood with greater depth what HE was doing after my Conner passed away. I could see HIS Hand pulling me ever so close to HIS Heart so that I could survive the loss of my beloved Conner. HE was allowing me an intimate love with HIM because I was about to loose the most intimate love I had ever known, my better half.
Luke 6:46-49 tells a contrasting story between a wise builder and a foolish one.
The foolish builder calls to The Lord, but does not do what HE says. This foolish builder hears the Words of God, but never puts them into practice...never acts accordingly (1. in a way that is appropriate to the particular circumstances. 2. consequently; therefore). He is compared to someone who builds his house on the ground and never lays a foundation. The outcome of this foolish builder is complete destruction when the storm comes upon this house (NASB says, "the torrent burst against it and IMMEDIATELY it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was GREAT." (emphasis-mine)).
The antithesis of the foolish builder is the wise builder. The wise builder goes to The Lord, hears HIS Words, and then puts them into practice (James 1:22-25). The wise builder DIGS down DEEP so that he can build his foundation on the rock. An eye-opening statement in this passage reads, "When the stream broke against it (ESV)..." It doesn't say "if", it says "when", like we are to expect the storm. "And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built." (ESV) Luke 6:48b.
Luke 6:46-49 ESV: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? 47 Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”
So, the Lord was showing me, through Conner's death, that HE had lovingly encouraged me to lay a foundation on the rock. HE had called me to get up each morning to build a foundation because the storm was coming, that HE knew. HE had beckoned me to DIG down DEEP so that I could lay my foundation on the solid rock. On August 12th, 2014, the flood named death arose in my home. The stream of sorrow broke against my house, but my house could not be shaken because the Lord had used me and my precious husband to build it well.
How had HE used Conner to build my house? I am glad you asked! I would love to tell you what The Lord revealed to me!
In 1 Corinthians 3:1-9, Paul addresses divisions in the church at Corinth over who followed Paul and who followed Apollos. Paul simply made the point that who are Paul and Apollos, except servants of the One who is the author of salvation, redemption and repentance. He then uses verses 10-15 to exhort the church at Corinth to build "as expert builders." Paul had laid a foundation in the church at Corinth and Apollos was there, after him, building upon what Paul had laid. Paul warned each person to be careful how they built on this foundation. He was also vigilant in pointing out that the foundation of what he built was built on Christ and HIS Foundation of redemption. Hebrews 12:2 describes Jesus as the author and perfecter of our faith. The One "who originated or gave existence to" salvation.
The Lord was showing me through HIS Word that my precious husband had built on the foundation of Christ, and I was to continue in building on the foundation that he had built. Conner was an expert builder in my life because when he exited, there was a solid foundation for me to stand on. Remember....he led me to Christ. He consistently pointed me to HIM through my close observation of his life and choices. Conner loved with Christ's love, forgave with Christ's forgiveness, and showered me with Christ's Grace.
1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (ESV): According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
So I am motivated to build as an expert builder a house for my children and all those who The Good Lord allows me to influence. And just exactly how do I build as an expert builder? Loving The Lord with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. When you want to get to know someone well, you spend time with them. You find out who they are. So, that is what I am determined to do. To discover more and more and more about this God that I love through the careful study of HIS revealed Word. To allow HIM to reveal HIMSELF to me through the pages of HIS Holy Word. To understand that the discovery of HIM moves me to action. From my head, to my heart, to my hands.
We sat in a circle in my living room, and shared our hearts with each other. We shared what the Lord had done, and was doing in us. I was astounded at the similarities in many of the struggles that we have walked through and are walking through now. And as I listen and learn about these dear friends of mine, I discover that we all struggle in the "head, to heart, to hands" process. Sometimes we get stuck at the head, where HE encourages us to get into HIS Word on a consistent basis and learn Who HE IS. Other times we trip over the "head to heart" part, where we know Truth, but are just having a hard time believing it. Then still other seasons we struggle with putting our faith into action.
So, we humbly submit ourselves to the washing of water with the Word (Ephesians 5:26). We check our insecurities at the door because we cannot waste time on them, and quite frankly, if we enter with them we are failing to believe God's Truths over the enemies lies (head to heart). We choose to allow The Spirit to enter that tender, hurting space and shower HIS Truth over the places that we have allowed the evil one to dwell in for far too long, as he steals far too much from us.
We remove our shoes to remind ourselves that we are expecting HIM to meet us here, to meet us there through the DIGGING DEEP into HIS Truth. No matter our situation, we come expectantly, as the Psalmists did, waiting and watching for HIS miracle(s) in our lives. We want HIM to declare this place "Holy Ground"! We are waiting...
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the Rock and firm Strength of my heart and my Portion forever. For behold, those who are far from You shall perish; You will destroy all who are false to You and like [spiritual] harlots depart from You. But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God and made Him my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works.
Psalm 73:26-28 (AMP)
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