In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.  Matthew 5:15-16 

We’ve been having some trouble with our three year old and whining.  Whining and tantrums, from my perspective, are one of the hardest things I’ve had to deal with as a parent.  I really, REALLY don’t like to hear it.  It communicates ungratefulness, an unwillingness to accept my authority, a lack of trust that what I’m saying is the best choice….

I have been very frustrated and overwhelmed with it lately. 

Then yesterday in church, I started thinking about how I often do the same thing with God as His daughter.  I ask for something and He responds, “Not now, Honey…”  But my heart whines, “but Daddddyyy…. I want it NOW.” 

“No, Kristi… not yet.”

I often say to my Girls, “You have sooo much.  Remember you’ll lose what you are not thankful for…”  That’s one of the consequences we use often around our house.

How true for me too. 

I have been challenged lately with the basic truth of leading by example.  I need to listen to all of the advice I give to them each day and  respond to my Father in the same way I ask them to respond to me.

Here are some examples:

• You know I don’t often have to tell you ‘no’ to something you want this much.  Please trust that I’m choosing what’s best for you.
• Be kind to each other.
• Remember you are representing our family.
• Remember that obedience means responding right away, all the way, and with a happy heart.

Can you think of any more?

(more of what I’ve been learning….

Scripture:  Exodus 3-4, 5:22, 6:12

In these passages, a very uncertain Moses argues with God about whether or not God could use him.  God is calling him to go and deliver the Israelites from slavery, but Moses doubts that he is capable.  He points out that he’s not a very good communicator and doubts that anyone would listen to him.

God answers each of Moses’ insecurities by pointing to His own character and power rather than to Moses’.

Principle:  God chooses to use weak people to accomplish His work.  He was patient with Moses’ doubts by working first through his brother Aaron.  Eventually Moses trusts God’s power and speaks directly to Pharaoh (Exodus 8 — Plague of the Flies).

Conviction:  Weak people become strong when they choose to obey God.  God’s power is shown very clearly when His servant is obviously not the source.

Application:  Set aside weakness and insecurities to obey God in what He is calling me to do — even if I really don’t possess the necessary skills (ex. Moses’ “faltering lips”).  God can use me to accomplish something bigger than myself as I trust and obey.

One of my favorite quotes:

God is attracted to weakness. He can’t resist those who humbly and honestly admit how desperately they need him. Our weakness, in fact, makes room for his power.”

– Jim Cymbala in Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire

Scripture:   Exodus 3:1-5    1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.  There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up.  So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” 

And Moses said, “Here I am.” 

“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

Principle:  Moses came from a life as an Egyptian prince to a life as a shepherd and nomad in the desert.  Sometimes God changes our circumstances drastically so that He can reveal Himself to us in a new way.

Conviction:

• God desires to reveal Himself to us.
• He calls out to us.
• He may use unusual circumstances to get our attention (ex. Moses’ burning bush)

Application:

• Listen for God even in what may seem like ordinary, even mundane, life. 
• God is our Father and our Friend, but he is also our Sovereign Lord and King.  “Take off your sandals.”  Don’t approach Him frivolously.

My Bible Study has ended.  I have mixed feelings about that.  On the one hand, I am excited to be finished.  It was sometimes challenging to stick with the heavy reading schedule we had (well, almost… ), but God taught me so much by staying in His Word.  On the other, I’m disappointed that I will no longer have the accountability and motivation which came from reading the same chapters with the women in my group each week.

In our last time together, we shared some of the themes and highlights which we had learned while reading through the Old Testament together.  As I prepared, I began reading back through my SPCA forms which we completed each week. 

SPCA stands for Scripture, Principle, Conviction, and Application.  This was an effective tool which helped each of us to Get the Word Out (the title of our study) each week.  It helped us to begin to move from reading toward forming convictions and relevant points of application each week. 

I’m already recruiting a couple of my closest friends to continue to read and discuss our Bible reading and spiritual lives this summer.  I’m excited about learning with them! 

In the meantime, I want to continue to review the things I learned through Get the Word Out by posting some of my SPCAs here on Xanga. 

Here’s the first one: 

SPCA Theme:  God can use anyone — even Abraham.

Scripture:  Abraham’s Failures

Genesis 12: 10-13 Abraham doubts that God will protect Him and Sarah as they enter Egypt.  Taking matters into his own hands, he lies and says that his wife Sarah is his sister.  He did this because he was fearful that the Egyptians would see how beautiful she was and kill him to have her.

Genesis 20 — Again fearful, Abraham lies about Sarah being his sister instead of his wife. 

Genesis 16 — Abraham doubts God’s promise that Sarah will have a son.  He decides to make things happen without God by turning to another woman, Hagar, and having a son with her instead. 

Principle:  When I think of Abraham, I think about him being a Patriarch remembered for his great faith in God.  I remember him as the Father of the Jewish Nation.  Yet these verses remind me that he did not begin as man of such great faith.  He failed.  He lied.  He doubted.  Yet God continued His promise to Abraham in spite of his failures.  In the end, Abraham’s faith grew in God’s provision.  He trusted God even with his most treasured possession — his son’s life. 

Conviction:  God doesn’t give up on us when we fail Him.  He is patient and forgiving as we turn back to Him.

Application:  Failure never has to be and end.  God can use the weak.  The sinful.  God can use anyone — even me!