Hidden Joy Online Bible Study (2009)

Hi girlfriends,

I can hardly wait to meet you here two weeks from today to begin our on-line study using my book, Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner. Since, I sent the invitation a few weeks ago, your response has simply blown me away. We have 80 women signed up and are still growing! To sign up, just e-mail me at spkrcoord@proverbs31.org. To buy the book, you can go to http://www.proverbs31.org/ or http://www.amazon.com/. You can also find it at local bookstores like Joseph Beth Booksellers, LifeWay, Family Christian Stores, and Barnes and Noble.

It is a resounding “yes” that on-line studies are perfect for summer. This is a first for many of us, including me, and I am SO looking forward to experiencing it together. Jennifer Rothschild’s women’s ministry team via their website, http://www.womensministry.net/, has been such a blessing educating and encouraging me as we embark on this journey.

For those of you not participating, it will not consume the blog all summer, just Wednesdays.

This study will be a way for those of us not in Bible study this summer to remain in the Word and have fun at the same time. Our class is made up of single women, married women, young women, “not as young” women, stay-at-home moms, working women, groups of women in their neighborhood. We have women from all across the United States…Canada…and as far away as Malaysia!!! There are not many Bible studies like this!!! What a BLESSING!

HERE ARE THE DETAILS:

Who: All interested women with a passion to go deeper in God’s Word this summer.

What: On-Line Study using Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner, focusing on the study guide located in the back.

When: We will “meet” every Wednesday this summer beginning June 17th and ending August 26th.

Where: http://www.wendyblight.com/ and your house.

How: We will read a chapter a week. On June 17th, we will discuss Chapter One…so be ready!

I will “facilitate” through a post each Wednesday based on the reading for the week. I will share my thoughts with you and invite you, though comments on the blog and e-mail, to share yours. You can share answers to the homework, share your thoughts on others’ comments, and if you are studying as a group, share your group’s thoughts.

The cry of my heart as we begin this study is that through our time together, we will come to know God and His BEAUTIFUL, POWERFUL, LIVING, and ACTIVE Word better…that our lives, our homes, our marriages, and our families will be richer and fuller because of our time spent together this summer.

Hi Girlfriends!!!!

It is hard to believe that just one week from tomorrow (Wednesday) we will begin our on-line study through Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner: The Transforming Power of God’s Story.

If you have not signed up and are interested in joining us, you can leave a comment on the blog with your e-mail address or e-mail me at spkrcoord@proverbs31.org. If you still need to buy a copy of Hidden Joy, you can order if from http://www.proverbs31.org/ or http://www.amazon.com/. You can also find it at local bookstores like Joseph Beth Booksellers, LifeWay, Family Christian Stores, and Barnes and Noble.

I find myself thinking about you girls all throughout the day. There are now one hundred women signed up from various states in the United States (including Alaska), Canada, Malaysia, and El Salvador. How incredibly exciting is that???!!!

I can hardly wait to get to know each of you…to hear your stories, your hearts, and your thoughts on what we study. Please know my deepest desire for each of you is NOT that you will leave this study knowing me better but that you will leave this study knowing the Lord in a new and fresh way. I pray that you will hear Him speak in real and powerful ways into your life. I pray you will receive Hope where there is hopelessness, healing where there is hurt, Joy where there is sorrow, Wisdom where there are questions, Truth where there is confusion, and fellowship where there is loneliness. Oh, how I pray that everyone of us will leave our time together TRANSFORMED BY THE WORD OF GOD.

In preparation for Week One (next Wednesday) please read Chapter One and answer the corresponding questions in the study guide located in the back of the book. This chapter tells my story. It sets up the journey for the rest of the book. For those of you who feel comfortable, for that day’s comments, I would love to hear your stories…share enough to let us know who you are and what brought you to join us. Maybe share where you live, your family, and a synopsis of your story. Although we are far apart in miles, we are knit together through the Holy Spirit. The more we know about each other, the closer we will grow as we journey through the book. Please feel free to post comments about any of the questions as well

If you don’t have a blog, you can still comment “Anonymously” through various avenues. The one I am most familiar with is “Google Account.” You can set one up for free, and it allows you to comment on any blog. If anyone is aware of other ways to do this, please post comments to help. You can also e-mail me at spkrcoord@proverbs31.org. Anything you share with me via e-mail will be confidential unless you give me permission to share it.

Please know I am praying for you, and I offer this prayer for our study:

Heavenly Father, we praise You as Truth and Wisdom. Father Your Word tells us You are the Bread of Life and Living Water. Father, we are thirsty and hungry for more of You. We long to be in Your Presence. Father, we praise You for bringing together this AMAZING circle of women. Father, we pray You would continue to draw women who need to know You in the ways You plan to reveal Yourself.

Lord, we invite You to do a mighty work in and through our time together this summer. Speak, convict, encourage, edify, enlighten, transform, and most of all fill us with Your LOVE. Father weave us together into a beautiful tapestry. Unite us, despite the distance between us, through the power of Your Holy Spirit. Chapter by Chapter teach us and change us. Father grow us deeper in love with You. Show us Your Power. Lord, thank You for Your promise that when we seek You with all our hearts, we will find You. WE WANT TO FIND YOU!!!!

We ask all of this in the powerful name of Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN

*******Girls, if you want to leave a comment on my blog for our study, visit this link, http://darraghdoyle.blogspot.com/2008/05/how-to-comment-on-blog-beginners-guide.html, and hopefully it explains it much better than I can. *******

Sweet Sisters in Christ the day has arrived!! My heart is so full to know that nearly 300 women are joining together from all parts of the world for the next eleven weeks to study the Word of God!!

My small dream was to have 10-20 women gather weekly, but God had other plans. He used you to show that He honors His Word when He says through the power of His Holy Spirit He will do abundantly more than we can ever ask or imagine. In His Sovereignty, He brought us together to grow in His Love and in His Word. How can this be anything but perfect as it was designed by His Hand, ordained on His calendar?!?!

He has drawn each one of you to this place at this time because He has a fresh Word for you, a message He wants to speak into your heart. As we open the pages of His Word, I pray you will each hear Him clearly and personally.

As we begin, let’s remember a few things about our God, the God to whom we are offering these eleven weeks.

Our God is God Who when He speaks…

waters part,
the deaf hear,
the lame walk,
the blind see, and
the dead rise.

Never forget as you surrender your hurting places, your doubts, your questions, your trials, and your struggles, ours is a God of Wonder…a God who rebukes the wind and the waves…a God who spoke the earth into being…a God who breathed life into man. THIS IS OUR GOD!

If you are starting this study in a dark place, and I know from your e-mails and comments many of you are, you know after reading Chapter One, I KNOW where you are. My prayer is through this study and the time you spend with the Lord and with each other, you will move from your dark corner into a place of marvelous light!! OUR GOD IS BIG ENOUGH for whatever you are bringing to Him today.

Your Participation: In the comments for this week, please share where you live, about your families, a bit about your stories, what brought you here, and anything else that may help us get to know each other. Don’t be afraid to share where you are in your faith…maybe you are doubting, or you are new to the faith, or you are lost right now…it will help us know how to pray for each other.

You know by the first chapter that I was raped by a masked, armed stranger hiding in my apartment. It happened just days after my graduation from Baylor University. I was only 21 years old and engaged to be married. After my rape,

I was in a deep valley unlike any other I had ever experienced. I felt so alone. No one, not a single soul, understood the depths of my pain and my despair. No one knew the terror I lived with each day. No one knew…my loneliness, my helplessness, my hopelessness.

This comes from page 20 in the book. I want you to know where I was as we begin this journey. Maybe you are there. As I encouraged you in the study guide, look into your heart, grab hold of your pain, and offer it to the Lord. Trust Him with it as we embark on this journey. He is worthy of your trust.

This Week’s Assignment:

Read Hidden Joy Chapter 2, “Why Did God Allow This?” and complete corresponding study guide questions in back of the book. Be prepared to share answers to questions and thoughts on the chapter. See you Wednesday, June 24th!

Let me pray for our week…

Heavenly Father, we offer our hearts to You today. We bare our souls. We each come from a different place, with different pains, with different doubts and questions. But we all come to You trusting You with our hearts and our lives. Father we ask You to take us from the valley of weeping and lead us to places of springs where pools of blessings and refreshment collect after rains. Father perform Your Word. Enter into our hurt and brokenness and do a mighty work. Place Your Hand upon each one of us and knit us together through the power of Your Holy Spirit. Make distance meaningless as we join together in Your Name to study Your Word. Give me wisdom and discernment to lead and facilitate. Father, bless this study and our time together. We ask this in Jesus’ name. AMEN.

Welcome, sweet friends, to our discussion of Chapter Two, Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner. I hope you were blessed by your time in God’s Word this week. I cannot wait to hear how He spoke to you. The authenticity and honesty in your sharing last week has created a vulnerability that will allow God to work in real and powerful ways as we pray and study together.

******If you would like to join our study, it is never too late. Please e-mail me at spkrcoord@proverbs31.org and provide me with your name, e-mail address, and state/country of residence. I will send you all you need to know to join us. Also, if you would like to leave a comment on my blog, visit Chapter One’s post (June 17th) and read the referenced article. It gives easy directions for beginners who want to learn how to leave comments on a blog.*******

Not too long ago a woman languishing in a pit of fear and despair shared her pain with me via e-mail, and it has plagued my heart ever since. She asked me if God’s Word really meant what it said. She genuinely did not understand how I could teach God’s Word as absolute Truth when in her own life, it did not play out that way.

She specifically addressed Psalm 91 where it says…

A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not approach you. (verse 7)

No evil will befall you, nor will any plague come near your tent. (verse 10)

For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that your will not strike your foot against a stone. (verse 11-12)

Her life experience, she shared, proved these words to be lies. God did not protect her from evil. Tragedy plagued her family. It seemed no matter what she prayed, the pain and suffering continued.

As I studied Psalm 91′s words, I asked myself…do people of faith ever perish?….does evil enter into the lives of godly people?….does sickness plague God’s children? The answer is absolutely “YES!” So how do we as believers reconcile these words of Scripture with that answer?

Well, I see three scenarios. One, the writer of Psalm 91 got it wrong. He did not know what he was talking about. He was just a poet writing his thoughts. Two, people who perish, experience evil, or become sick are not really godly people living a godly life and, thus, do not receive the blessing of God’s promises. Or three, God is a God who protects, who gives life, who heals, and who restores. BUT it all takes place within the realm of His Sovereign power.

There are many places in Scripture where we are told God’s people will suffer affliction. They seem to contradict the words of Psalm 91.

A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all. Psalm 34:19

Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. Psalm 44:22

Consider it pure joy, my brothers when you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1: 2-4

When we examine God’s Word, we cannot look at a verse in isolation. We must consider the whole counsel of His Word. When we do this we clearly see that we will suffer difficult circumstances while on this earth, but we have a God who is ready and waiting to walk us through them. Look at the promises in Romans 8:35,37-39

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?…No in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.

Listen to what may come into our lives. Trouble. Hardship. Persecution. Hunger. Poverty. Danger. Attacks. Evil. Death. But God’s very same Word assures us that not even these will separate us from Him and His Love for us.

In the wilderness, Satan quoted Psalm 91:11-12 to Jesus (Matthew 4:6, Luke 4:10-11). He takes Jesus to the pinnacle of the Temple and says to Him,

If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here. For it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’

Jesus answered,

It says: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’

Satan challenges Jesus: Prove the promise of God right here and now in your life!

But Jesus says NO! We do not put our Lord God to the test. In fact, look at Jesus’ life. He died young. He suffered excruciating beatings. He was pierced by the nail and sword. Should we expect our lives to endure less suffering than His…the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Great I Am?

Your participation: Today share what you learned new, if anything, about God and how it has affected your relationship with Him. If you have a rich personal relationship with the Lord, share with us how you have experienced the reality of the living God in your life, especially in the midst of difficult circumstances.

Friends, in your Gethsemene of suffering, do NOT doubt your God. Pray for help, for healing, and for deliverance. Surrender your circumstances to God’s sovereign power, trusting He is Who He says He is. Remember Jesus’ words in the Garden just before His crucifixion,

My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as You will. Matthew 26:39

My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done. Matthew 26:42

What an example our Savior sets for us. And as you pray this prayer with Jesus, believe Romans 8:28,

Believe that what befalls you will not, in the end, be evil for you, but good.

As we embark on this study, remember these words from Chapter Two:

Please hear me. The revelations described in this chapter did not happen overnight or in one reading of the Bible. Months or even years passed since the events about which I am writing. Like growing a friendship, growing in the wisdom and knowledge of God takes time. It is a journey. It is a commitment. Your first step is to open God’s Word. You may find numerous other philosophies claiming to be truth, but what I pray you will know and believe by the end of this book is that there is only one Truth and that Truth is God’s Word.

The writer of Psalm 119:73 prays, “Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands.” Be patient, my friend. Do not get discouraged if you feel His is not answering your questions or speaking to your situation. He will. Trust Him in the wait. He is at work.

This week’s assignment: Read Chapter Three, “God’s Story Unfolds,” and complete the corresponding questions in the study guide located in the back of the book. Be prepared to share your answers and your thoughts. See you July 1.

Heavenly Father, we fall before You this day praising You for ordaining this study, for bringing each one of us, Lord, for drawing us closer to You. Father, make our hearts tender to receive Your Word. Humble us to receive Truths that might be hard to hear. Open our ears to hear what You have to speak to us in the midst of our circumstances. Oh, God, would You reign down Your Presence and break through our doubts and our fears and ready us to receive Your Holy Word into our hearts and minds. Do a mighty work in us. Begin a transformational work so that we may NEVER be the same after spending these days and weeks with You. Teach us through each other. Father, wherever we are, together we stand with one another saying “YOUR WILL BE DONE.” Break us and mold us to be the women of God you are calling us to be. We ask this in the Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. AMEN

Yes, I am not supposed to post until tomorrow, but I am too excited to wait!!

Girls, THIS is the true beginning of our journey. Could you feel it in your hearts as you began to open His Word and read it? I could…a pitter patter in my heart that His REAL work can now begin in and and through us as we wash His Word over our hearts and minds.

Here is what I shared about my relationship with the Bible in 1987:

I continued to pick up my Bible, mostly in my darkest times. It was not daily or even weekly, just when I reached that point of total exhaustion and hopelessness and needed something beyond myself. p. 37 Hidden Joy

Are you there?

Each time I opened His Word, God faithfully provided words of peace, comfort, and encouragement. But those feelings never stayed long. I felt better in the moment, but soon my anxious thoughts and fears returned. p. 37 Hidden Joy

Are you there?

As I poured over the comments again, I find this is where many of us are. Even after all the Lord has taught me, sometimes I return to that place when I forget that He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world. I allow my circumstances to overshadow the Truth that I know in my heart.

What does that Truth tell me?

Hebrews 4:12 says,

For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Living: Not a dead piece of literature to be read, enjoyed, and put aside. But a piece of literature that is relevant to our lives today

Active: Causing activity or change; capable of exerting influence.

Sharper than any double-edged sword: Reaches into the depths of our souls and penetrates our hearts.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says,

All Scripture is God-breathed….

The very breath of God spoke Scripture into being!! Its pages pour forth God’s Word!! How can we not desire with all our hearts to dig in? How can we not want to “hear” what God has to say?

Read the words of Isaiah,

‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my Word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.’

God INTENDS for His Word to pour forth into our lives and do a mighty work, to accomplish all He has planned for us.

I sit in a hard place today. Many of you know my daughter, Lauren, has scoliosis. I have shared this in past posts. When she was first diagnosed a few years ago at age 13, the curvature (double S curve) in her spine was about 28-32 degrees. We got the prayer chain going; we put her in a brace; we invited the elders of the church to lay hands on her and pray over her. When the brace failed after 9 months (her curvature worsened by several degrees), we turned to cutting edge chiropractic care. She maintained the curve. The doctors told us as long as her curvature stayed under 40 degrees, we would never need to consider surgery. We believed God’s hand was upon her spine, holding it in place.

She stayed under 40 degrees until 3 months ago. Her x-ray in April showed her curvature progressed to 41-45 degrees. I cried so many tears, asked God so many questions, searched in His Word for answers and heard NOTHING!! He seemed so quiet.

Then last week, the newest x-ray revealed her curvature is now over 50!! Again my tears are coming…where are you God? Why are you not healing? Surely you don’t want this healthy, young, vivacious, active child to undergo a risky, arduous, spinal surgery to place rods in her back…surely that is NOT your plan God!!!

Friends, it is no accident that the timing of this study goes hand in hand with God turning me back to His Word for answers to my myriad of questions. One of the last passages I wrote in this chapter….

God was telling me in the midst of my circumstances, He was working it all for my good. So regardless of how I was feeling or what I could see with my physical eyes, He was asking me to choose to trust Him at His Word. He was asking me to have faith. God taught me through His Word that faith does not look at circumstances: “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith looks to God, hopes in God, and believes His promises, regardless of our actual circumstances. p. 47, Hidden Joy

Wow!! Words I needed to hear. I reread the questions in the Study Guide and realized that I needed to answer the questions again, but with a different twist,

“Will I trust God that He has a plan for [Lauren's] future?” p. 183, q. 6b(1)

“Will I believe that God can take the difficult circumstances in [Lauren's] life and work them for His and [her] good?” p. 183, q. 6b(2)

Friends, I believe these for myself, but oh, how I struggled to hold on to them as I sought God for Lauren’s health, for her future, and for her faith. I don’t want her to endure this major surgery to have rods implanted into her spine. I don’t want her to have back issues for the rest of her life. I don’t want God to make surgery be “the plan He has for her.”

But as I reread this chapter, my God reminded me of Who He is and who Lauren is. She is His child. He has a good plan for her life. He NEVER makes mistakes. My God, who tells me in His Word that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever was telling me to trust Him again…this time for my daughter.

Your Participation: Today, please share your thoughts on Questions 1, 2, 5, or 6. I especially would love to hear from anyone who has received a fresh Word from the Lord on His Word and its role in your circumstances. If you share your answers to Question 6, let us know if either 1) His Word spoke to you in your struggling place or 2) the Lord has used His Word to carry you through a struggling place in the past.

This Weeks Assignment: Read Chapter Four, ” Treasures in the Darkness,” and complete the corresponding questions in the Study Guide located in the back of the book. Be prepared to share your answers and your thoughts. See you July 8th!!!

Prayer:

Lord, I come before You and cast all my cares upon You…everything I am clinging to, all that causes me stress, pain, sadness, anger, and doubt…I give to You. I thank You that Your plans for me are GOOD and are filled with PEACE and HOPE. Thank You that no matter what is going on in my life YOU WILL NEVER LEAVE ME OR FORSAKE ME. When time passes and there seems to be no answer to my prayers, I confess I feel hopelessness and angry. Father, free from from my hopelessness, release me from despair. Father, fill me with HOPE!! I pray that You, through the power of Your Holy Spirit, will keep me from these emotions that are not of You. Keep me entirely dependent on You…to not listen to the world…Father help me listen only to You. In the midst of my questions and struggles, I will say “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by.” Father, I praise You and call upon You today as my Shield and my Defender…my Strong Tower…my Ever Present Help in time of trouble. Help me to know and trust You at Your Word…You are able to do “exceedingly abundantly above all that [I]ask or think, according to the power that works in [me].” In Jesus’ Name I pray. AMEN

I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. Isaiah 45:3

How can those two words go side by side…treasures….darkness?

When I learned investigators in my case had lost the evidence (knife, mask, and gloves), my hope for healing and closure vanished. The investigator’s words crushed my dreams for prosecution and retribution. For you see, in my mind, DNA testing was going to make everything right. They would test the semen, identify the rapist, punish him, and I would be free! I would go back to living my life the way it used to be.

Without the evidence, I knew we would never find the man who raped me…who stole all I knew to be good and true in life. How could this be God’s plan? I cried out to Him…why are you doing this to me? What have I done to deserve this?

Friend, can you identify? Are you asking God these questions today? It is not an accident He brought you here this summer. He has a fresh word for you. Pray for ears to hear and a heart to receive!!

My circumstances plunged me into a pit, deeper than the one before. I truly did not know how I could go on knowing my rapist would never be punished, never have to pay for what He had done.

Decades have passed since I fell into that pit. What I know now that I wish I had known then is this:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

My understanding was that my rapist’s conviction and jail time is what I needed to be made whole…to live again.

God’s way of thinking is TOTALLY DIFFERENT. God dwells in our hearts through the Presence of His Holy Spirit. The gift of that presence is PEACE, a PEACE that passes all understanding. A PEACE that guards our hearts and minds.

God desires for our hearts to be at peace no matter our circumstances. He wants the dwelling place of His Spirit to remain undisturbed… at REST in the midst of any and all circumstances. peace. In the Old Testament, one of the Hebrew words for rest is nuwach. I love this definition I found…a rest that “indicates a complete envelopment and thus permeation.” No matter our circumstances, we can rest in confident assurance because of the permeating presence of the Holy Spirit. We REST…we can be still…we can quiet our hearts due to the reality of the Living God Who indwells us.

This Truth invites many questions:

If my company terminates me after 20 years of faithful service, will I be at rest?

If the stock market crashes and my children’s college fund loses nearly all its value, will I be at rest?

If my toddler is diagnosed with diabetes, will I be at rest?

If my husband walks out on me tomorrow, will I be at rest?

If my mother is diagnosed with breast cancer, will I be at rest?

The hard truth is that our unrest, our worry, our anxiety is a symptom of unbelief…unbelief that God is good. Unbelief that He is Sovereign. Unbelief that God has plans to give us a hope and a future. Unbelief that He is the Author and perfecter of our faith. Really, it is unbelief that He is Who He says He is and that He will do what He says. Unbelief that His Word is Truth.

Floundering in unbelief, keeping our eyes on our circumstances rather than on our God keeps us from finding the promised treasures in our darkness. We need FAITH to find those treasures. FAITH to believe God for those treasures.

Hebrews 11:1 says,

Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Where do we get this faith? Romans 10:17 says,

Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ.

According to this verse, faith comes not from circumstances, feelings, or emotions, but from hearing God’s Word. In fact, faith has nothing to do with circumstances. Martin Luther wrote, “We must not judge by what we feel or by what we see before us. The Word must be followed and we must firmly hold that these truths are to be believed, not experienced…For the Word must be believed even when we feel and experience what differs entirely from the Word. Hidden Joy, p. 52.

Second Corinthians 5:7 says, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” Beth Moore writes, “Christ is not asking us to believe in our ability to exercise unwavering faith. He is asking us to believe He is able.”

According to our main verse, Isaiah 45:3 quoted above, sometimes we must walk through darkness to KNOW GOD IS LORD OVER ALL…to know HE IS THE GREAT I AM. It is in our journey to healing that we will receive rich blessings and treasures.

The choice is ours. We can remain in our pit with a victim mentality. Or we can CHOOSE to accept our circumstances. We can believe God at His Word, that He is Able to bring us through and along the journey give us His treasures stored in secret places…places that we could never find them but for our circumstances.

Please hear me sometimes the journey is long and arduous. As I wrote on page 62…At times, my darkness seemed to suffocate me. Other times I experienced God in powerful and obvious ways. The journey to healing has steps forward and steps backward…but no matter which direction your steps take, GOD IS WITH YOU!! Look for Him to reveal Himself. It may be in a verse, in a conversation with a friend, in the lyrics of a song, in a sermon at church, or even a commercial on t.v. ONE TRUTH IS CERTAIN, GOD WILL SPEAK. HE WILL SHOW UP!!

Your participation: Choose from among the following: share the truths you learned about trials from the Scriptures in Question 2. From Question 4, share your thoughts on the “Refiners Fire.” From Question 5, if you have found treasures in your darkness, please share them with us and how God revealed them to you. Finally, if you have ways that you have used to find “REST,” share them with us.

This Week’s Assignment: Read Chapter 5, “On the Mat,” and complete the corresponding questions in the Study Guide located in the back of the book. Be prepared to share your answers. See you on July 15th!

As we continue together on this journey, I do not claim to be counselor, a psychologist, or an expert on healing and wholeness. I am simply a woman just like you that God has given a story to share. As I read your stories and comments each week, it is so clear why the Lord has knit our lives together in this bloggy world. Your words of encouragement show me in very real ways how God is answering the prayers I prayed so many years ago as I penned each page.

Each week we have comments from about 20-30 of the 300+ women participating. I would love to hear from more of you. Please leave comments this week and share how God is working in your life through this study. We miss you and want to hear from you!

In this chapter I share with you the very first time God’s Word came alive to me…the first time I heard God speak specifically and directly to my circumstances. Years had passed since my rape, yet I still lived in my prison of fear. Fear continued to control my every move and consume my every thought. It was truly exhausting. I knew something had to give.

2 Corinthians 10:5 says

demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God…take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Satan wants to keep us bound up in places of fear, bitterness, anger, shame, guilt, and/or unforgiveness and accomplishes this by filling our thoughts with doubts, worries, irrational fears, and accusations. BUT GOD has other plans. He desires to give us peace and to fill our minds with Truth, assurance, wisdom, encouragement, and hope. However, it is a choice…our choice.

God will use any and all means to speak to us. For me, it was a meeting with a pastor, a man I barely knew. In a one hour “God appointment” God taught me another powerful Truth from His Word. What seemed a simple Bible story came alive that day.

Scripture says that God sent His Word to guide, teach, rebuke, and discipline. That day, I received God’s rebuke. It was a hard truth to hear, but it was time for me to choose. Would I listen and obey? Would I get up from my mat of despair, take God’s hand, and walk with Him?
Hidden Joy, p. 76.

God used the story of the man on the mat in John Chapter 5. Pastor Craig told me that I was like the invalid on the mat. I lived in a prison of fear that I had created. How I wanted to run out of his office and never come back. Who did he think he was? He did not even know me! Yet, as I sat there and allowed his words to sink in, I realized that I had lived in my place of pain, sorrow, unforgiveness and fear for years. In fact, I had settled in those emotions and become comfortable there.

Friends, God has incredible plans for your life. An abundant and full life, one where He desires to use you to draw others to Him. You will not know that plan if you remain on your mat. These words are hard to write, but I want to challenge you…

Are you on a mat today? Do you justify staying on your mat because you have been wronged or are the victim of unfortunate circumstances? Were you abused as a child? Are you abused by your boyfriend or husband? Do you suffer from a chronic sickness? Have you lost a loved one? Do you suffer from an addiction? Have you done something for which you cannot forgive yourself? As you read these questions, what comes to mind? Capture that thought right now! Know that Satan has that thought in his mind as well. He has been using that thought to control you…your thoughts, your actions, and your heart.

YOU have the opportunity to make a choice today! What keeps you from making the choice? Are you afraid it means you might have to forgive someone you don’t want to forgive? Are you afraid it means you have to face memories you don’t want to face? Are you afraid it means accepting circumstances you don’t want to accept? Are you afraid it means trusting God with where you are and you don’t want to be there?

Psalm 56:3 says,

When I am afraid, I will trust in you.

Friends, I know what it is like to not want to take that first step, but if you take it I promise it will CHANGE your life!!!! God will be there to take your hand and walk you every step of the way.

Isaiah 50:10b

Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the LORD and rely on His God.

Isaiah 30:21

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

The choice is yours. Like the invalid in God’s story, you can choose to remain paralyzed. Or you can respond to the call of Christ, get up off your mat, and walk. I encourage you to say, “Yes, Lord, I want to get well”, and allow Him to take your fears and anxieties and replace them with His peace…the peace that passes all understanding. He is waiting, ready to hold your hand and walk with you. Trust Him to take that first step. Hidden Joy, p. 77.

Heavenly Father, I am so weary, so tired of sitting in this place of sorrow and despair. Lord, I have no idea why you have me here. It seems so unfair. I call out to You, and I hear nothing. I faithfully pray and see no answers to my prayer. Why do You leave me in this place? Why do bad things continue to happen? Lord, I want to trust You with my circumstances. I want to believe You are here in my midst, but I feel so alone. Help me with my unbelief, Father. SPEAK TO ME!! SHOW ME!! MAKE YOURSELF REAL TO ME FATHER!! I promise to incline my ear to hear Your voice…just speak to me, LORD!!! Show me the way, and I will walk in it. And, LORD, through the power of Your Holy Spirit enable me to take the first step off my mat…wherever it leads…even if only a baby step away from where I am now. Help me to accept where I am and TRUST You with the next step!! Father, thank You that You promise You will NEVER leave me; You will never forget me. Remind me of this every time my thoughts go to returning to my mat. Thank You that in Your I will have victory. I ask all this in the powerful Name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, my Lord. AMEN

Your Participation: If you took the challenge in Q. 4 and gave something over to the Lord this week, claiming His Word over your situation, share how you saw the Lord work. If you answered Q. 5, share what you answered for 5a, b, and/or c. Did this help with taking your thoughts captive? If you took the challenge in Q. 6, share how the Lord worked in your situation.

This Week’s Assignment: Read Chapter 6, Learning Forgiveness, and complete the corresponding questions in the study guide located in the back of the book. Be prepared to share your answers. See you on July 22nd!!

Forgiveness…a word we so desperately want to receive but give so reluctantly. Forgiveness holds great power. Forgiveness mends and restores. Unforgiveness shatters and destroys. Forgiveness IS A CHOICE.

Hurts can be large and they can be small. Hurts can be fresh and they can be decades old. Hurts are real. They create a wound. The wound may be raw and bleeding or it may be dried and scabbed…ready to break open at any moment.

One thing I know is that in our flesh, we will always choose unforgiveness. We will harbor bitterness and a desire to punish. While the Spirit calls us to forgive, the flesh cries out, “hold on!!” I have been there…I know. Does anyone hear me????

We have to make the choice to relinquish the right to hold on to our hurt. The choice is made easier only when we experience the very grace we are fighting to give. When we truly KNOW the glorious forgiveness which we have received, the incredible gift given us at the cross on Calvary, how can we choose anything but the path of forgiveness? What a grievous offense it is for us not to choose forgiveness.

What is God’s standard for forgiveness? Is it just letting go? Is it pressing the delete key so it’s as if it never happened? I believe not. My rape is very real. It caused a profound change in my life. It will never be as if it never happened…ever. I cannot delete it like a misspelled word.

God’s standard of forgiving is relinquishing the right to revenge, the right for justice, the right to make things right. His Word says,

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. Romans 12:17

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Romans 12:19

His Word is unequivocal.

But, that is not the end of the story.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:21.

This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart. Matthew 18:35.

Hear these powerful words very carefully…overcome evil with good. Forgiveness must be full and complete and from your heart.

We are made in the image of God. God has forgiven us fully and completely of all our sin. God calls us to forgive others just as He has forgiven us. God did not just say to us, “You are forgiven” and it was done. God gave His One and only Son’s life for ours. He did that when we were still sinners, enemies of God, filthy rags, desperately wicked!! We were not even seeking Him…He pursued us; He desired relationship with us. He forgave us, restored us, and made us holy in His sight. Our filthy rags became brilliant garments, white as snow!!

Please hear me when I say forgiveness is not the equivalent of acting as if your hurt never happened. Rather it is taking all your hurt and giving it to the only One who can heal, restore, and rebuild what was taken from you. It is freeing up your heart so that God can invade it with His healing love and grace.

Granting forgiveness is for you. One step to move you toward full and complete forgiveness is found in Luke 6: 28 where Jesus says,

But I tell you who hear me:… bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

In your flesh, this is impossible. But with Christ it is possible. Remember His promise to you,

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

What this looks like will be different for everyone. For me, since I had no way to meet face to face with my attacker, I had to speak the words out loud to the Lord and to myself. Here is an excerpt from Hidden Joy, page 89

If I refused to forgive, I would never receive the full and complete healing God had in store for me. I will never forget the day. I sat alone on the sofa in my living room, speaking to a man who was not there. I could not see, feel, or touch him, yet I forgave him. I had no idea the depth of seething hatred and bitterness that entangled my heart until I spoke the words. Cleansing tears flowed down my cheeks like a never-ending fountain. As I cried, my chest heaved up and down, almost to the point of my being unable to breathe. I forgave my attacker not only for everything hid did to me, but also for everything he had stolen from me. In that moment, God lifted a huge weight from my shoulders. A precious peace fell upon me.

For you it may be writing a note, sending a gift, lifting a prayer, or initiating a conversation. Baby steps. See what happens…not only in their life but yours. Watch and see what God does in your heart…even if nothing ever happens in theirs. God will be faithful!!!

I want to end this post with an invitation. First, pray with me…

Heavenly Father, thank You for sacrificing Your one and only Son for my sin that day on Calvary. Jesus, my Savior, thank You for carrying my cross, for receiving my beatings, for enduring my pain, for shedding Your blood for my sin that day on Calvary. My heart is bound up with unforgiveness. You know the bitterness, the anger, the pain that this hurt has caused. I am so tired and weary of living with this pain. I know my unforgiving heart grieves You so. Father, I ask Your forgiveness for not forgiving _______ the way You have forgiven me. Father, make my heart tender to forgive ________. I leave my pain and my memories at the foot of the cross. Begin Your healing work in my heart and mind. Thank You that I can do all things through Christ who lives in and who strengthens me. AMEN

Now, name your hurt. Identify your offender…the one who caused this great wound in your life. Ask your Father in heaven to help you see them with His eyes and with His heart. Lift a prayer on their behalf…baby steps. As you struggle with this, remember Joseph and how he forgave his brothers who nearly killed him and sold him into slavery. He did not return evil for evil. He reached out to them, forgave them, and extended grace, mercy, and love.

Yes, it will be hard. Yes, it will take time. Be persistent. Your reward will be great!!!

If you would like a GREAT book on forgiveness, read Nancy Leigh DeMoss’s book, Choosing Forgiveness: Your Journey to Freedom. You will find many of the truths I shared today explained in more detail in her book. I had the privilege of spending an afternoon with her for a radio interview last month. She has such a beautiful and authentic heart and is an AMAZING Bible teacher.

This Week’s Assignment: Read Chapter Seven, Surrendering Your Strongholds, and complete the corresponding questions in the Study Guide located in the back of the book. If you do not have the book, you can download this chapter via the sidebar on my blog. Be prepared to share your answers next week. See you next Wednesday!!

Wendy

What an incredible journey we are on together. Little did I know when I began praying about whether to launch this study a few months ago that I would gain such an amazing circle of friends from all over the world! Your stories have made me laugh and they have made me cry. To see you love and care for each other despite the miles between you is something I will forever treasure.

This week we read my most favorite chapter in the book…the one where I truly experienced what it means to have FREEDOM in Christ. Freedom from fear, freedom from all that bound me up. If you sit today in a place of bondage, in a stronghold that imprisons you, I pray that this chapter gives you HOPE!!!

Whatever battle you are in right now, God is right there with you. Greater is He that is in you than he who is in the world, my sweet friend. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. You are equipped and protected by the Armor of God – the Belt of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness, the Shoes of Gospel of Peace, the Shield of Faith, the Helmet of Salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit (The Word of God). You have the very presence of the Living God indwelling you. There is nothing too big for your God!! He will never leave you or forsake you.

I wish I had been taught these Truths as a child. If I had, I believe I would have walked my journey so much differently. Every night since my children were old enough to pray with me, we have prayed the Armor of God over them. Bo had it memorized before he could say many other words. If I leave my children with nothing else I want them to know there is NOTHING that will ever touch their lives that cannot be restored and made beautiful because of their relationship with their heavenly Father.

I can’t wait to read your stories this week! Maybe the Lord has freed you from a prison this week. Maybe He has opened your eyes to power of His Living Word. Maybe you have invited Him into your heart for the first time. Maybe you are celebrating a past victory like me. Or maybe you are still in your prison and need our prayers. Share your stories!!!

Each week my heart is that you will hear GOD’S VOICE not mine. Tell me what you heard from the Lord this week. Share Truths the Lord has taught you through this journey.

I will be at She Speaks the remainder of this week and will try to check my blog as time permits. Would appreciate your prayers as I teach on Friday at 10:00 and meet with publishers later in the week (Friday and Saturday) on a new project.

This Week’s Assignment: Read Chapter Eight, Quiet Time, and complete the corresponding questions in the study guide located in the back of the book. I invite you to spend a small amount of time in the Word each day in addition to reading Chapter Eight. Maybe read one Psalm each day. Invite the Lord into your time and ask Him to speak to you and make Himself so very real. I can’t wait to hear what God does. See you next Wednesday.

Blessings to you,

Stop right now. What were the last words you spoke to your husband? your children? your roommate? your friend? your co-worker? Keep these words in mind.

Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Luke 10:40

When we are preoccupied with earthly things like tasks, rules, duties, and lists, it leads to nothing but disappointment. No one can accomplish the tasks we set forth. No one can meet our standard of perfection. Consequently, we often end up completing the tasks ourselves, which in turn leads to anger, bitterness, and resentment. Sound familiar?

Tell her to help me! Martha demanded. Luke 10:40

Do you realize the boldness in her words? Martha, sister of Mary, child of God, told God what to do!!! As my friend Renee Swope says, “She got bossy with God!”

This is the very first story in the Bible I could really relate to…for I am Martha in so many ways. I know what it is to become irritated, angry, and demanding…to feel totally out of control with my emotions.

Listen to the cry of my heart after one of these outbursts with my children from Chpt. 8, p. 118:

Did I really tell my children that they made my life miserable and that I did not want to be around them ever again? Yes, I did. Mommy of the Year, I am not. Incredulous at how easily I lost control, I began to weep. “How could this have happened? How could I have ever let it get this far?” I knew exactly how. I was tired, exhausted, and running on empty. I had not sat with the Lord on a consistent basis for quite a while. I had not been filling my heart with the things of God.

Is this where you are? Are you depleted? Do you need a strength outside yourself to make it another day as a wife, a mother, a sister, a daughter, a friend? Listen to Jesus’ words words…

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Quiet time is NOT about checking off another task on your list. It is about abiding in Christ…experiencing intimate union with God. The God of the Universe LOVES you and desires to spend time with you!! I DON’T WANT YOU TO MISS THAT, SWEET FRIEND. The God of the universe wants to spend time with you!!!

When you commit to that time, when you set time apart to be alone with Him, He will show up. He promises us that when we seek Him with all our heart, we will find Him!!

Commit to some some time with God today…5 minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes…whatever you desire. As you begin your time with the Lord, invite Him in. Pray a prayer like this prayer of David from Psalm 25:4-5:

Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths; guide me in Your Truth and teach me for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.

Or pray this prayer from Psalm 119:18

Open the eyes of my heart that I may see the wonderful things in your law.

I would LOVE to hear how God blesses your time with Him. Please leave me comments this week and share your experiences. I am praying for God to do big things…to make Himself very real as you reach out to know Him more!!!

Those of you doing the on-line study, will you share your answers to Questions 2, 3, 5, and/or 7. If you chose to do what was asked of you in Question 8, please share how the Lord showed up in your time with Him.

This Week’s Assignment: Read Chapter 9, Prayer, and complete the questions in the study guide located in the back of the book. See you next Wednesday! I will be praying for you.

Let me close with the prayer from the Study Guide:

Lord, please draw me to Your Word daily. Your Word says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Father, as I commit to spend time with You, help me to hear Your voice. I commit my thoughts to You and ask that You would fill me with Your Truth as I seek You each day. Help me to tune out anything that conflicts with the Truth You desire to speak to me. Give me ears to hear and let Your Word dwell in me richly. Give me discernment to understand all You have to say to me. I ask this in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. AMEN