Psalm 28 | Wednesday Bible Study

Welcome back to Bible Study Wednesday! This year God has pressed upon my heart to study the book of Psalms. Each Wednesday we take a closer look at a new chapter. Today we are going to chapter 28. If you have not done so, please take the time to read through these 9 verses. I will be sharing some thoughts about today's passage and break down this chapter below. Please pray and ask Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes and ears to receive everything He has to teach you in today's passage. Let's begin!

Verse 1:

David is praying to God, asking Him to hear his heart's cry. David always begins addressing God. David wants to hear from God. He says if he does not hear from God, he will be like those who have no hope. Today, you and I have hope if we are in Christ Jesus. EPHESIANS 2:11-13 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. David is desiring to be in close fellowship with God. JAMES 4:8 Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts ye doubleminded.

Verse 2:

David wants God to hear his supplications. Supplication means to ask or beg for something in earnest and in humility. David knows God is Sovereign and in charge. He humbly comes to God begging for him to hear and answer his prayers. We see that Daniel did the same thing. DANIEL 6:11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. Sometimes we pray to God with thanksgiving, and other times we ask what we need in humility, and yet other times we come with supplication and thanksgiving because our need is so great. I love that Daniel says it isn't because we are good or holy that we make these supplications, but we ask because You God are so merciful. DANIEL 9:18 O my God, incline Thine ear, and hear; open Thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by Thy name: for we do not present our supplications before Thee for our righteousnesses, but for Thy great mercies. 

Verse 3:

David does not want to be in the same category with the wicked. He has separated himself from those who willfully sin and say one thing but then do another in deceit. David says, "They speak peace to their neighbors but mischief is in their heart. So often in our society we see the same thing coming from political leaders, religious leaders, world leaders, and it needs to stop. God is not pleased with this work and it will not go unpunished. GENESIS 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. You may think that verse could have been written today in 2022. These were the days of Noah. What does the Bible tell us about the days of Noah? LUKE 17:26-30 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

Verse 4:

David wants God to punish the wicked. He is asking that they reap what they have sown. JOB 4:8 Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same. GALATIANS 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. This sowing and reaping principle is in God's Word to teach us to not be like the wicked but to sow things in the fertile soil of the Spirit.

Verse 5:

In this verse, David gives the results of disbelief in God. Those that do not care for the things of GOD and do not see His hands at work are going to be destroyed. ROMANS 3:3-4 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. Whether humanity believes in God or not does not change who He is. It does not erase Him from existence. Jesus is still God whether we choose to see it or not, but one day all will see and acknowledge Him for who He is. PHILIPPIANS 2:8-11 And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name; That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth: And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Verse 6:

God heard David's requests and now David honors God. Friends God is listening to our prayers. He hears us and He answers us according to His Will. He has a purpose and plan for all of us. ECCLESIASTES 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: His desire is to save humanity from our sins and to gather as many sons and daughters as are willing to join His family. You and I are here to help with that purpose. If we do not get some things we ask for, it might be because it would hinder our walk with the Lord. We can be assured He does answer us and we ought to be like David and bless God for doing so.

Verse 7:

David says God is his strength and shield. As a man of war, David understood the value of a shield. He knew how important it was to be strong in battle. Our lives are one battlefield after another and we must draw strength from God and allow Him to protect and shield us from the enemy. David says his heart trusts in God. I am sure David did not trust a great deal of people. His children rebelled against him. His father-in-law tried to kill him. He had a lot of enemies but He trusted God because over the course of his life, David could see God's fingerprints all over his life. David said God helps him and that gave him a reason to rejoice and sing praises to God. Have we appreciated the things God does for us, or are we taking it all for granted? 

Verse 8:

God is not just the source of David's strength. Look at this verse again. It says that for those who are anointed, God is our saving strength. What a beautiful promise. Do you remember when Paul said he was going to get the crown of life? He said it was stored up for him, but not just for him only. No, he said we all get one. 2 TIMOTHY 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing. If we are looking for Jesus to come back with expectancy and jubilee, then we have a crown of righteousness waiting for us as well.

Verse 9:

David's ends the prayer with a final request. Save, bless, feed, and forever lift up those that are Yours God. We belong to God if we are a servant of the Most High God. He will save us, redeem us, bless us, care for us, and meet our every need.

I hope that as you studied today's passage with me that you will see how good God is. He is a loving, protective Father and He wants to be in relationship with every single one of His children. If you have been encouraged please let me know. I appreciate all the feedback. I pray that something I have shared on the blog today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Marco Polo Bible Study | Thankful Thursday

Welcome to another Thankful Thursday! It is so crazy to think tomorrow is the first day of July. This year has been whizzing by! This morning, my best friend and I had Bible study. We live in two different states, hundreds of miles apart, but through an app called Marco Polo, we have been able to have an awesome, interactive Bible study.

Heather is an amazing woman of God. She is my encourager and supporter. She cheers me on and tells me the truth in love, and she shares her love of Jesus and her life experiences to help not only me, but so many others around her. What a gift she is!!

I have studied the Bible with lots of other people. I always learn something, but with Heather, it's different. She picks up on details and loves to unravel them to see how everything is connected. I love joining her. It is richer and deeper when we can truly see beyond the words on the page and transport ourselves back into another culture, another time, and yet we see so many similarities in our world today. We are studying Obadiah and I am loving every single minute of it!!

Do you have a friend you can study with? It is such a treasure to study with others. Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. Ecclesiastes 4:9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. I thank God for my friend and Bible study partner.

I hope you will join me today in counting my blessings. I am so thankful for the many blessings He has given to me. He is a good, good Father and I love Him so much! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Thankful For My BFF | Thankful Thursday

Meet my beautiful blue eyed, brown haired best friend for ever and always! Her name is Heather Rose and she is my very closest friend. She knows way too much! Today is her birthday and I hope it is the most fantastic day ever. I thank God for her mother Cindy choosing life for this amazing woman of God. She is a threat to the enemy and she is the apple of God's eye.

Heather and I have been friends since we were kids. We grew up together. We went to Youth Group together. We studied the Bible together. We worked together. We went to Taco Bell together.... a lot! We enjoyed pie together....lots of delicious pie. It's our thing.

I love Heather's laugh. It is contagious and it seriously brings me joy even if she is laughing at me!! We laugh until we can hardly understand each other and then we laugh harder at that and when we see others staring at us, well it gets real. Tears are flowing and it is the best belly laughter ever. She makes me want to be better.

Heather has amazing handwriting. We wrote lots of letters back and forth. She sends me cards and she sends me SnapChat messages. We always have so much to share and why we think SnapChat is the best way to do that is beyond me, but we like it and it works, so who cares if we send tons of snaps at one time. There really needs to be longer allowances for what we have to share.

Heather gets me. She knows what has broken my heart, what has disappointed me. She has been there when my relatives died and she still prays for me when I tell her that I miss my dad. I wish she had a good dad to miss. Her mom is an amazing mother and father because she had to be both as a single momma and she rocked it! Her sister is so funny and I love their little family like I am another sister.

Proverbs 27:9 says Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel. She is like sweet perfume to my soul. She gives me sound advice. We have had similar struggles in marriage, parenting, life, as Christians... and it is so good to hear her share Bible verses as she lovingly points me back to the cross. She is a great prayer warrior and she loves Jesus so I trust what she tells me and she gives me the encouragement I need to keep going. She takes 1 Thessalonians 5:11 seriously when we are told Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. She lives that out loud!

Psalms 133:1 says Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity. It's true. She and I seldom argued. Even if we disagreed we heard each other out and we never let things come between us. She is miles and miles and states away from me but I can call or text her anytime and she is there for me and the distance never matters.

Heather is a hearer of the word and a doer. Romans 12:10 says Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. I love Heather to pieces and I know she loves me. We do want to show honor for each other. We cherish our friendship. Others come and go in our lives for a reason or a season but I am so glad God gave me Heather for a lifetime!

Ecclesiastes 4:9 says Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. I love doing life with Heather. She is the best friend anyone can have. I can share her with others a little but remember she is my friend first. Maybe I need to work on not being greedy....

I hope you all have a friend like Heather. In Galatians 6:2 it says Carry each other's burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ. I know that we don't do this perfectly, but I know that God has blessed me with a friend who helps me carry my burdens. Sometimes in the hardest seasons of our lives we were not able to be there in person for each other. God told me it was so we wouldn't make idols out of one another. He was training us to lean on Him and He allows us to help each other, too. 

Heather, I appreciate you so much. You are a treasure and I adore you. Happy birthday!!!! Love you bunches girlfriend. And many more......

Love,

Bridgett 

Should Christians Self-Censor? | Fuel For The Weekend

Hey everyone!

This weekend I want us to think about the topic of censorship. It is a very real occurrence in our world today, especially to those who follow Jesus Christ and believe the Bible is true! For Wednesday's Bible study post, I spoke about censorship and recounted how Stephen was stoned to death for sharing the Gospel. It serves as a reminder that Christians are targeted for censorship. As the world loses their grip on strong morals and values, intolerance grows for God's design on marriage, love, liberty, equality, and the importance of family. If your message reflects the words of Jesus, you will be watched closely, possibly censored or banned from social media platforms that are easily offended by the truth in God's Word. 

For today, I want to discuss self-censoring, times censoring is necessary, and scriptures to encourage and guide us as we think about this topic over the weekend. Hopefully we can break it down in a practical way that we can incorporate in our every day lives. The idea is to glorify God in the words we say and the things we do not say.

What does it mean to self-censor? It is what some refer to as having a "filter." It is not intentionally speaking about things that will offend and upset others. Self-censoring is important because it reflects self-control, a fruit of the Spirit. It is not picking and choosing who will respond well to the Gospel message. It is knowing with whom we speak and their character. Self-censoring does not mean being ashamed of the Gospel, but rather being sensitive to Holy Spirit as He guides us what to say.

Times self-censoring is necessary could be when someone is deliberately baiting you in an effort to make fun of the Gospel message, slander God, and argue over Scriptures. We must not engage in debates that do not create an environment of learning from one another. We must communicate the Gospel message with everyone, but be sensitive to know when to keep silent. We should know why we believe what we do and be able to give an answer when asked, but we must be careful not to allow these conversations to divide us as a body of believers. The Scriptures tell us what we must do, as believers. Let's look together.

ECCLESIASTES 3:1 & 7 (1)To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: (7)A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

COLOSSIANS 4:6 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

MATTHEW 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again to rend you.

The verse in Matthew may leave you wondering what that could mean. I looked up the Barnes' Notes on Bible Hub. They said, "The meaning of this proverb, then, is, do not offer your doctrine to those violent and abusive people who would growl and curse you; nor to those especially debased and profilgate who would not perceive its value, would trample it down, and would abuse you. 

The word profilgate, according to Merriam-Webster means, "recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources." So the take away is that if we know the character of the person we are speaking to is blatantly against anything that is Holy and will become violently angry and abusive when broaching the subject, it is best to remain silent. Live your life in a way that honors God and that silent witness will speak volumes. If God gives you the unction to speak with that person and share your faith, pray and ask for wisdom and discernment. Pray for God to fill your mouth with what to say and then remain sensitive to Holy Spirit as He guides when to speak and when to be silent.

We do not want to hide our faith or allow those who disagree with us to silence us. We are not to be shamed into only speaking words of faith and truth around other believers. We are called to be salt and light on the earth. We are to live unashamed of our love for Jesus. We also must use wisdom and not create disputes to make others uncomfortable or feel judged. We must not water down the truth of God's Word to compromise. Sin is never okay. We should not brush sin under the rug. The Bible says the wages of sin is death so it is vital that we talk about it, but we must not condemn others. Jesus did not come to condemn and we are to live like He did. We are to follow His pattern and example.

Jesus was not afraid to speak up and correct the religious leaders who thought they knew everything about the Word of God. They knew nothing because when face-to-face with the Word made flesh they rejected Him. Jesus was not embarrassed to clear the temple, overturning tables, and driving out the hustlers with a whip. He was not so meek and mild that He would not set the record straight when the Scriptures were twisted and misquoted. Make no mistake, we are not to be mealy-mouthed Christians who cower at the idea someone may disagree with us, but let's not go looking for fights either. Let's not stir up debates and arguments just to prove we are right and the other person is wrong.

Let's sit with this topic this weekend. Have some discussions about it with your family, friends, small group at church, or zoom calls. Get some dialogue going about how we can share our faith in a way that honors God. Will the world try to shut us up? Of course they will! Is there a time to speak up? Yes! Is there a time to be silent? Yes! Is there a time for boldness and meekness for every believer? Yes. Allow Holy Spirit to teach us discernment and help us grow in our faith as we do our best to live our faith out loud in this dark world.

I hope something I have shared has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens