My Tuesday Bible Study group completed Stepping Up this week. I must admit I had no idea how profoundly I would be impacted by this study of the Psalms of Ascent. Yesterday afternoon, my precious neighbor and I were discussing the timeliness of this study, especially in light of the turmoil in our nation currently--and more specifically in the lives of our mutual friends who are dealing with a difficult advanced cancer diagnosis. The Psalms speak directly to the heart regarding timeless emotions we have all felt being poured out before God.
Emmy reminded me of a profound point Beth Moore made in one of the first few weeks of the study. She spoke of a mission trip she took to Angola, where she noticed that before seed could hit the ground for planting it was being gobbled up by the starving, malnourished people.
"People are so hungry that they eat the seed they have instead of planting it for a harvest. Immediately, I saw the spiritual parallel of his statement. You and I have eaten the seed of the Word instead of sowing it. In the immediacy of getting it, the seed tastes good, and we feel full, but it will not bring a harvest, because it didn’t get down into the reality of our lives.
When you do a Bible study are you doing what the study said? Did you put it into practice and walk out the principles or are you still caught in a stronghold of sin? You may need a new teacher, but nine times out of ten, you just got full on the Word that tasted good. You celebrated or wept over it, but didn’t sow it in your soil.
In James 1:19-25 we are told, “Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. For men’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”(Passage from Stepping Up by Beth Moore)
What an incredible point.
I am watching my friends M and C walk through a dark valley, full of uncertainty and their testimony of rock solid faith as they travel this road is challenging, inspiring and points directly to our God of peace. There is, frankly, no other explanation for their attitudes and their grace as they weather this storm but our Lord.
They have planted the seed in their lives. It has taken root--and that firmly established word is now providing shelter and protection through a rough storm.
How I pray that I,too, may be a seed planter, not just a seed eater!
I was so taken with the Psalms we studied that I started another book on them (referenced often throughout the study), A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson. I have only read the first chapter, but have already found myself challenged by this question: Am I living life on this Earth as a tourist, who just wants to see the high points, the hot spots and the beautiful places--or am I living life as a pilgrim who understands that the real joy is in the journey? I strive for it to be the latter, but confess I often find myself falling into the tourist category.
Lord, make me a pilgrim!
9 comments:
wow! i needed to hear this! challenging and convicting! thank you so much! praying for you guys too!
You are so right, this study is very appropriate in our lives right now. Great post!
JMom - You speak to my heart every time you post! I was just asking God why I can't seem to get it together today. As I read tonight, I see that I am just going through the motions of the study without REALLY letting it sink in deep down and take root! Good stuff - thanks for sharing your heart!
I really needed this specific challenge today.
Thank you!
Dena
WOW. What a powerful word for me today.
Thanks for giving me quite a lot to think about this day. Am I a seed eater or a seed sower? Am I a tourist or am I a pilgrim?
A lot to ponder!
Oh, good stuff! Thanks for sharing and challenging.
Great entry! My ladies bible study is doing Stepping Up as well and last week was this part. I also liked the part about trusting God vs. trusing the manifestations of His favor.
You don't know me and quite honestly, I'm not sure how I found your blog, but I liked it and read it almost everyday now. In May, my daughter who is 34 was diagnosed with hodgkins. Well, it didn't matter that if you have to have cancer, this is the one to have. As a mother and grandmother of her son, all I heard was the "c" word. My mother actually died of throat cancer so of course, the first words out of my mouth were "I can't do this again" and of course the first words from my best friends mouth (whom I went to straight from the dr office, before we even had the biopsey results) were "Yes you can, if you couldn't, He wouldn't have given it to her". Even knowing this, after all within a 10 year span, I lost my two brothers, both my parents, a great niece who was 15 mos old and a great nephew who was only 3 mos old when we lost him, I had to stop and actually hear those words from someone else to stop and realize how true that was. I don't know all the conditions of your friend's illness, but I do know that God will bring his family through whatever course God decides to take them through. And I do know that even though I personally don't "know" you, I know that they are very lucky to have you as a friend and to help God bring them through this journey. By the way, my daughter's stage 2 hodgkins is all gone now and she starts radiation on Monday. God was very good to us on this trip and I know he is going to use her to His glory through this. I will keep your friend in my prayers. Vicki
You don't even know me but you are having a very powerful influence on my daughter-in-law, Kristin Botsford. This week she sent me your words on the Psalms of Ascent. I am also going through that study right now - I just love Beth Moore. Thanks for your Christian witness - you are having a reach that is way larger than you might know or imagine.
Erin Botsford
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