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

Use Your Oil | Fuel for the Weekend

God told me to share my faith on Fridays and call it Fuel for the Weekend. It's my desire that the posts I put up on Fridays will give you something to think about, ponder, consider, and reflect on throughout the weekend. If it leads to discussions with your family and friends, even better!

Today I want to talk about a woman in the Bible who had a God-fearing husband, and two sons. Her husband was one of the sons of a prophet and he went into debt. Many of us can relate to that. Most Americans have a car payment, a house payment/rent, student loans, credit card debt, or medical bills. The Bible does not tell us how much was owed or to whom, but it was time to pay the debt and the widow had no means to do so. The creditor decided to take her sons in order to pay off the debt. She was distraught after losing her husband, her provider, the father of her children, her companion; and now her only two sons were to be taken from her as well. She would be alone and destitute. Her heart simply could not stand the loss of all the men in her life at once.

2 KINGS 4:1 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.

Elisha is a respected man of God, a prophet, and since the widow here could not go to God directly, she had to turn to the prophet for answers. He asks the widow what he could do for her. He wants to know what she has in her home. He is not asking for an inventory. He simply wants to know what is something of value she has in her home. She tells him she has nothing except for a pot of oil.

It makes me wonder, had she already sold everything of value and it was just not enough to cover the debt? Did she feel like she had squeezed every penny and was simply out of options? She could not just go get a job to earn money. Surely she thought I have oil but what good is one pot of oil? She says, "I have nothing." Have you ever been there? I know I have.

2 KINGS 4:2 And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not anything in the house, save a pot of oil.

The answer may seem strange, but God was telling Elisha how to solve this woman's problem. He told her to go to her neighbors and borrow a lot of empty vessels. Can you imagine what went through this woman's head? What good are empty vessels? Why should I bother my neighbors? I don't want others to know how bad things are. Why can't God just cause the creditors to write off my debt? Why can't God just give me the money I owe? But God has a plan and the widow was desperate. She was willing to obey.

2 KINGS 4:3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

He gives her strict instructions. When she enters her home after gathering all the vessels she can, shut the door, and pour into all those vessels, and set aside the ones that are full. Why close the door? This is pertinent because it keeps the doubt out and the faith in. It is up to her to believe the prophet and trust God to do everything she had been told, or to doubt this would work and let fear and dread overtake her. We have a choice to obey God even when it doesn't make sense, or to sit in the comfort of our fear and dread. Fear can be comfortable. Obeying God can be uncomfortable. But God does not seek to make us comfortable. God is building our faith with every trial and every struggle.

2 KINGS 4:5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.

The faith is in the house. The woman is acting in faith. She has faith with works. Faith without works is dead, according to James 2:20. In faith she gathered the vessels. Now she closes the door. This is a private miracle because if she had left the door open, others may interrupt her. "How long will you have my vessel?" or "What are you doing with all these vessels?" The door is shut to keep faith in and doubt out. Sometimes we have to close ourselves in away from prying eyes and doubting words so God can move on our behalf.

The act of pouring into these vessels is an exercise of faith. She has one pot of oil: just one! She takes what she has and begins to fill up the first vessel. One son carefully takes it away as the other son brings an empty vessel. One by one the vessels are filled. Can you feel her excitement as she watches each vessel fill up? Can you imagine the boys eyes widened with wonder as they watch their mother fill vessel after vessel after vessel? 

2 KINGS 4:6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel, And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed (ceased).

The oil did not stop flowing until there was nothing left to fill. That alone is a miracle! But, now what? She did what she was told to do. The debt was not paid. The only thing she could see that was different was that her empty house was now full of pots of oil. It looks like her oil multiplied but that was all. The instructions she had been given were followed to the letter and now she stood there with her sons and all these jars of oil.

If the widow had stopped here, she would have missed the blessing. If she would have said, "Gosh I am really tired. I poured out all of this oil. I cannot explain how that happened, but I did the work. I did what I was supposed to do. Where is God? The creditor wants his money." She did not do that. She did not give up. She did not become weary in doing well. Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

Now is not the time to stop or give up. She knew what she had to do. She needed to talk with the man of God for more instructions. God does not give us all the details at once. He gives us steps to take and when we have taken those steps, we can go back to Him and ask, "What will You have me do next?" God is going to do something wonderful in her life but she has to go back to the man of God and find out what that is. Today, you and I are able to go boldly to the throne and ask God ourselves. Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

2 KINGS 4:7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.

The widow wanted God to help her pay her debt. God did that and so much more. She not only had enough oil to sell and pay off her debts.; she was able to live with her sons on the rest of what the oil sold for. God made her an entrepreneur for a season so He could set her up to be debt-free and not rely on anyone else for help to feed her family and herself. Isn't God awesome like that? We don't always know how God is going to do it, but He promises to meet our needs. Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

I do not know what needs you have, but take them before the LORD. Lay your hands on your stack of bills, or on your empty wallet. Ask God to meet your needs. He may send money to you unexpectedly. The debt may be canceled and cleared from your name. He may give you a job, a promotion, or make you an entrepreneur for a season. Whatever He is asking you to do, just do it in faith and watch God do the miraculous. He will do it again! He will do it for you!

I hope this gives you something to think about this weekend, something to share with your family and friends. Hopefully it inspires you to pray with faith to God to ask Him to meet your needs. Whatever He puts in your heart to do, do it with joy and watch Him do the rest. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

God Uses Anyone Anytime | Thankful Thursday

 

When I was growing up, we were daily spending time with extended family. Our house was full of family and friends. My parents had four of us kids, my aunt next door had four girls, and my aunt who visited often had three boys. Most of my cousins and two of my siblings were older than me. I heard this phrase often, "No, Bridgett. You're too young." That was so frustrating because I did not think I was too young to participate in the conversation, the activity, or to watch the tv show or movie. I was one of the youngest granddaughters and so I was constantly told, "Not yet. Someday you will. It's just not time yet. Be patient, Bridgett."

After years of being told things like that, it is easy to start believing it. One day turns into weeks then months and even years. God has asked me to do so many hard things through the years and I might say things like, "I can't God because I am too young, too inexperienced, not educated enough, not popular enough, not (fill in the blank) enough." But God did not ask me to be enough. He is Jehovah Jireh God my Provider! He is the God of more than enough! So, on October 31, 2021 God gave this passage of scripture to me: Jeremiah 1:4-9. We are going to discuss it today and if you feel inadequate maybe you will be strengthened and empowered by the same verses God has given to me.

1. GOD MADE YOU WITH A PURPOSE.

Jeremiah 1:1-2 (1)Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, (2)Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Before you were formed in your mother's womb, God already knew you. Before you were ever on the face of the earth, God knew all about you and sanctified you. He set you apart for His glory and His purpose. He made Jeremiah to be a prophet unto the nations. He has created me for a specific purpose and He has done the very same thing for you. You may be older now and look back and think of all the things you have done for your personal glory or satisfaction. Maybe you have regrets, but there's a Bible verse for that!

Isaiah 49:1-5 (1)Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath He made mention of my name. (2)And He hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand hath He hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in His quiver He hath hid me; (3)And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. (4)Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet, surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God. (5)And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be His servant, to bring Jacob again to Him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength. 

This reminds us that God named us, called us, and equipped us before we were ever born! Everything He has called us to do, He has already made provision for it. No matter if we used our strength for nothing and worked in vain, God is able to turn it around and get the glory. He is the single source of our strength! That is good news!! And when we ask for guidance and direction, He will give that to us like He did Moses.

Exodus 33:11-14 (11)And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle. (12)And Moses said unto the LORD, See, Thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and Thou hast not let me know whom Thou wilt send with me. Yet Thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou also hast found grace in My sight. (13)Now therefore, I pray Thee, if I have found grace in Thy sight, shew me now Thy way, that I may know Thee, that I may find grace in Thy sight: and consider that this nation is Thy people. (14)And He said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

Isn't this a beautiful glance into a very special moment of Moses and the LORD GOD? They speak together face to face like friends. Moses tells God, "Even though You have not said who You will send with me to do everything You are calling me to do, I will trust You because You know me by name and You said I found grace in Your sight. So if I have found grace in Your sight, please show me Your way. I just need some direction." (I paraphrased here.) God said to Moses, "My presence will go with you and I will give you rest." What a beautiful promise! And we know in Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus promises to give us rest, too! But, just in case you think God only called Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Moses and so it must just be an Old Testament thing for a select few, let's read what Paul has to say about this.

Galatians 1:15-17 (15)But when it pleased God, Who separated me from my mother's womb, and called Me by His grace,  (16)To reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: (17)Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went unto Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.

Paul is talking about his track record; how he persecuted the church and then God revealed to him the purpose and plan He had for Paul. Paul realizes it was when he was born and called into God's grace and plans that he had been destined to preach and teach about Jesus Christ. When Paul realized it was his destiny and purpose, he did not ask men their opinions, did not go visit the apostles who walked and talked with Jesus for three and a half years, but went to Arabia and came back to Damascus and if you continue reading this text he will speak about the rest of his journeys and eventually going to see Peter and James, the brother of Jesus. So, when God calls you to do something, do not go ask a bunch of people. In fact, do not even ask your pastor for confirmation. Ask God to bring you confirmation and He will do it, but often flesh and blood will fail you and cause you to miss your destiny and purpose because it often won't make sense to other people. Trust God and His plan for your life.

2. BREAK FREE FROM LIMITATIONS.

Jeremiah 1:6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. (youth) We hear God tell us to do something that seems too big for us to handle, too spectacular for us to be successful, and we say to God, "I can't do that God because I am too young, too old, too quiet, too loud, too (fill in the blank). We have to remember that God is not looking at our credentials, our bank account, our location, our immediate situation. He knows all of that but none of that is influencing His decision to use you for His great purpose. We are not alone in thinking that we are not qualified. Jeremiah did not give God a resume of all the reasons he should be picked, but rather was astonished God wanted to use him and he thought he should remind God he was so young. Moses did the same thing: gave God a reason to not want to use him but it did not work.

Exodus 4:10 And Moses said unto the LORD, O  my LORD, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since Thou hast spoken to Thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. The truth is that God already knew Moses was not an eloquent speaker, that he had a speech impediment. That did not disqualify Moses. Think about it, it only gives God more glory and honor and praise when He uses the ordinary to do the extraordinary. Moses would never be able to say he did any of the great feats he accomplished apart from God. So it is with you and I. So, Moses overcame the insecurity about his speech over time right? Uh, not quite.

Exodus 6:12 And Moses spake before the LORD, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips? 

Exodus 6:28-30 (28)And it came to pass on the day when the LORD spake unto Moses in the land of Egypt (29)That the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, I am the LORD: speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say unto thee. (30) And Moses said before the LORD, Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?

Moses questions God, "If the people You sent me to deliver do not listen to me, what should make me think Pharaoh will hear me? I speak slow and I am unskilled and inept." Have you ever thought about the things God is telling you to do and felt unqualified? I know I have. God told me to write books and I thought about it and was not sure I had it in me. Even after writing books, how can I publish them? I did not go to school for journalism, I went to nursing school. I do not have the money to pay someone to do the work for me: to publish my books. How can I do this big, hard thing when I do not know how to navigate these uncharted waters? But like God did for Moses, He will surely give me what I need and bring people beside me to help me do what He has asked of me. What big thing is God stretching you to do?

3. YOU ARE NOT GOING ALONE. GOD PROMISES TO BE WITH YOU.

Jeremiah 1:7-8 (7)But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. (8)Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. 

What a beautiful example of God meeting us right in our fears and insecurities and lovingly promising to not only give us success in all He is calling us to do, but then pledging that He will never leave us or abandon us. We are not out on a journey to do this hard task for God and left to fend for ourselves. No, God meets us where we are and is with us every step of this journey. Remember Jesus saying this in the Great Commission we just talked about?

Matthew 28:19-20 (19)Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (20)Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

It is not God's plan to send us out into the world and then not give us protection or provision. That would be a very unloving thing to do to His children and we have a perfectly wonderful Heavenly Father who loves us way too much to ever do that. But sometimes we are afraid of what God is asking us to do. God was sending Ezekiel to a rebellious house and so the work was going to be tough but God did not require Ezekiel to convert them. It was not Ezekiel's job to make these people repent, it was only Ezekiel's job to tell the people what God wanted them to know. Let's read about that.

Ezekiel 2:6-7 (6)And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. (7)And thou shalt speak My words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious. 

God just wanted Ezekiel to be obedient to Him and to say what He wanted Ezekiel to say. It was not up to Ezekiel to force them to believe what he said, it was only up to him to speak the truth.

Ezekiel 3:10-14 (10)Moreover He said unto me, Son of man, all My words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears. (11)And go, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them, Thus saith the LORD GOD; whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear. (12)Then the Spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the LORD from His place. (13)I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels over against them, and a noise of a great rushing. (14)So the Spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me.

We may not like the situation God is putting us in, or we may be upset about the sins of the people we have to go to, but no matter what God is asking us to do, we are promised that God will be with us and like Ezekiel we can feel God's strong hand upon our lives and know we are in His capable hands.

Exodus 3:12 And He said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou has brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.

God is reminding us that we will know He is with us when we accomplish what He has asked us to do. He said to Moses and He says to us today, "Certainly I will be with you." We will know He is with us every step of the way because we will find ourselves saying and doing things we did not even know to say or do otherwise. God will equip us to do everything He is asking us to do. We must only trust and obey. It may not always be easy but Jesus did not have everything easy either and He is the Son of the Living God Most High.

4. GOD PROVIDES WHAT YOU NEED.

Jeremiah 1:9 Then the LORD put forth His hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth.

God is putting His words in our mouths, too. He is putting the tools in our hearts and is placing inside of us everything we need to be successful on the mission He is sending us on. Maybe we need to be healed of a speech or hearing issue. God is able to do that. Do you remember how He healed the man in Mark?

Mark 7:31-37 (31)And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, He came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. (32)And they bring unto Him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech (begged) Him to put His hand upon him. (33)And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers into his ears, and He spit, and touched his tongue; (34)And looking up to heaven, He sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. (35)And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue (impediment) was loosed, and he spake plain. (36)And He charged (commanded) them that they should tell no man: but the more He charged them, so much the more a great deal (widely) they published it; (37)And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: He maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb (mute) to speak.

Sometimes God does not do the miraculous to heal, but He will give you someone to help you, like He did Moses. Do you remember that?

Exodus 4:11-16 (11)And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? (12)Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say. (13)And he said, O my LORD, send, I pray Thee, by the hand of him whom Thou wilt send. (14)And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and He said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. (15)And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. (16)And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.

God promised Moses He would be with him to help with the speech impediment. Moses had zero confidence in his own ability to do anything that important. He asked God to send someone else. God was angry with Moses because Moses not only had no faith in himself, but he had no faith that God would be able to use him. God knows the purpose and plans He has for Moses and He does not change His mind. He simply gives Aaron to Moses as a spokesman to be in the place of Moses' mouth and Moses is to Aaron in the place of God. In other words, God tells Moses what to say, and then Moses tells Aaron what God wants said and Aaron says it.

Friends, God always asks us to do things out of our comfort zones to bring glory to His name and to build up the Kingdom of God. God knows our limitations and our shortcomings, but He chooses to use us in spite of these issues. He does not throw us away and pick the stronger, the better, the wiser. Why? Because He made us with a specific purpose and whether we will run from it, or embrace it, is up to us. I hope this has helped someone today. It sure has been an encouragement to me. I am learning right along with the rest of you. Today I am thankful that God will use anyone, anytime, including me! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Jesus Repairs Racial Division | Wednesday Bible Study

Black lives matter. That is a fact. That is not an opinion. That is not just a movement. That is a factual statement that demands a call to action. Asian lives matter. Hispanic lives matter. Yes, white lives matter. All lives matter. Why? Because God loves us. He created us and He loves us so much He has sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins and give us eternal life if we will simply believe.

JOHN 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Please understand something, racial division is prevalent in this world, but it is also prevalent in our churches. It is not white people against black people. It is not black people against white people. It is not about one nationality against another. Those are distractions from the enemy. It stems from not operating from a place of love.

I have friends who are not white; some are Hispanic, some are biracial, some are Italian, some are African American, some are Native American, some are Indian. I love my friends. We have found things in common that draw us to each other. One thing we should have in common with others in the Christian community is love for Jesus and love for one another. It is His commandment.

JOHN 13:34 A new commandment give I unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

Let's look in the Bible at John chapter four and see how Jesus handled the situation with the Samaritan. For a little background, Jews did not associate with Samaritans. They did not like them, they did not speak to them, and a Jewish man would definitely not speak to a Samaritan woman. So, how did the Son of God handle this situation? There was racial tension. It was not neat and pretty and tied with a bow. Let's read what happens.

Jesus left Judaea to go to Galilee. In order to get where Jesus was going he had to travel through Samaria. He went to a city called Sychar, to Jacob's well. This is the well Jacob gave to his son Joseph. The disciples went to town to get something to eat and Jesus decided to stay at the well. Along came a Samaritan woman and Jesus speaks to her, "Give Me a drink." And this is her answer:

JOHN 4:9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto Him, How is it that Thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

She drew the racial line in the proverbial sand. She asks why He is speaking to her. She is a Samaritan. She reminds Him that Jews do not interact with the people of Samaria. Jesus knows she is a Samaritan. He knows she is a woman. That does not change the fact that she needs a Savior. He came to die for this woman just like any of the Jewish women. Jesus knows her worth. She does not deserve salvation, none of us do. God loves His creation so much He does not want any of us to die without Jesus as our Savior. So here is the Son of God loving this Samaritan woman out loud.

Their exchange does not seem loving. There is a request for a drink of water and immediately racial tension rears its ugly head to divide these two people. Let's look at Jesus's response to the woman.

JOHN 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and Who it is that saith to thee, Give Me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water."

Instead of discussing how different they are, or how society says they should behave toward one another, the very picture of love is staring at her and essentially says to her, "I am so much more than a Jewish man. I am so much more than a thirsty person asking for a drink. If you knew the gift of God, and who I AM, then you would want Me to give you My living water."

Many people do not know who Jesus is. They grew up hearing stories and people's opinions of who He is, but they have yet to experience Him for themselves. This lady is having an encounter with the Man who will change her life and her future.

Like most of us, she looks at her situation. She is skeptical. "Sir, you have nothing to draw water with and the well is deep. Where do You have this living water?" She goes on to ask if He is greater than her father Jacob who gave the well and drank from it himself along with his children and cattle.

Jesus does not ever respond to the natural. He is supernatural and His answers are always about eternity and the condition of our souls. He tells her, "Whoever drinks this water will be thirsty again. The one who drinks the water I give will never thirst and in them will be a well of water springing into everlasting life."

This woman at the well is thirsty. She is intrigued that He can give her water that she will never thirst again. She asks Jesus to give her the water so she will never be thirsty and she will never need to go to the well again. She thinks in the natural and Jesus speaks to the supernatural. He says to her, "Go get your husband and come here."

What? She literally asked Jesus for the water that would forever quench her thirst. Why did he mention a husband? What has that got to do with anything? It has everything to do with it. Jesus loves her enough to point out her mess and her mistakes so He can cleanse her. She says, "I don't have a husband." 

Jesus tells her, "You're right. You had five husbands and the man you are with now is not your husband either." He was acting like her husband but they were not married. They were sinning. That was the essence of what He said. That was all it took to get her attention. She perceived Him as a prophet. She said her forefathers worshiped in that mountain and questioned Jesus, "You say Jerusalem is the place men ought to worship."

Again, division in where to worship and who to worship. Jesus says, Woman, believe Me, the time is coming when the Father will not be worshiped in the mountain nor in Jerusalem. The true worshipers must worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth. God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship in Spirit and Truth."

The woman tells Jesus the Messiah is coming and He is Christ. "When He comes, He will tell us all things." Jesus plainly tells her, "I that speak to you am He." He literally introduced Himself as Jesus the Messiah. She runs to the city to tell the others. The disciples are now back. They see the exchange Jesus was having with the woman and no one questioned Him, but they marveled. They could not believe it. Even the disciples knew the racial rules and not to cross them. Jesus came to tear down racial divides.

The Samaritans came to see Jesus and they urged Him to stay with them, so He did. Jesus stayed with them two days. Many more believed Jesus because of the things He said. They came to meet Jesus because of the woman's testimony but they believed in Him once they heard Jesus speak. We must continue to share our testimony with everyone because we never know who will hear and be converted as they experience Jesus for themselves. 

JOHN 4:41-42 (41)And many more believed because of His own Word; (42)And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

Second Corinthians 3:17 says "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." The woman at the well found freedom when she met Jesus. The Samaritan people who came to see Jesus and hear Him for themselves found liberty from the captivity they were in. For two days Jesus was able to set the captives free. 

GALATIANS 3:26-29 (26)For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. (27)For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (28)There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. (29)And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

You see when Jesus redeems us and frees us from the penalty of sin and reconciles us to Himself, we are no longer a white person, a black person, a male, a female in God's eyes. We are all one in Christ Jesus. We are all made in His image and we belong to our Heavenly Father.

This scripture does not imply we should forget who we are. We are still unique individuals. The things that are different about us should make our relationships richer not divide us. But we are no longer defined by our nationality or gender alone. Our identity is hidden in Christ Jesus. 

We are put on this earth to shine as beacons of light. We need to come together in unity and in love. Let's stop listening to the world's view that says we have to "stick to our kind." We have to stop the division. Cross the lines and find out what others think, how they feel, what they struggle with. We need to help one another Home.

The world is in division right now. The church is in division. We must come together and let Christ be the central focus of all we say and do.

PHILIPPIANS 1:9-11 (9)And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment (discernment): (10)That ye may approve things that are excellent, that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ: (11)Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

In conclusion of today's study, let's love one another. Let's use knowledge and discernment and approve excellent things. May we be sincere and not offensive to one another. We can do that when we are full of fruits of righteousness by Jesus so that all we say and do will honor and praise God. I hope something I have shared today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way.

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 

Look What Sin Does | Ezra 10

 

We are wrapping up the last Wednesday in June as we wrap up the book of Ezra. Next month I have something fun in mind to do for the Bible studies. I hope you will enjoy it and even try to participate with me.

If you have not finished reading the last chapter of this book, please take the time to do so now. There are a lot of names listed but please do not skip over them. It is listed for a reason and we can see the big impact those names have on what has happened. As a reminder, I do not do a line by line study in this series. I am sectioning off the chapter in two parts. Let's begin.

Verses 1-11 Israel Repents

Ezra prayed. He confessed. He wept. He threw himself down at the house of God in humility. Something happens. Ezra is no longer the only one aware of the great sin and the consequences. Ezra is not alone. Men, women, and children came out in great numbers, weeping and wailing. Shechaniah confessed, "We have sinned against God." He admits taking the pagan wives was wrong but he announces that hope is not gone. There is still hope for the people of Israel. Shechaniah knew the nature of God and he comes up with a plan to get into a covenant with God and divorce all the wives they took that were not of their own nativity.

Let's sit with that for a moment. It seems cruel to rip families apart just because they were not Israeli women. In our society, we shake our heads and wag our fingers. Yet, remember God had the rule for them to only marry within the community He gave them. His rule was for the protection of His people. His rule was for the protection of His covenant with them. His rule was for the sanctity of their relationship. He is God and we are to serve Him. These women worshipped other gods and did not serve God. It cannot be both.

In today's "if it feels good, do it" society we think we can do whatever we want and live however we want with no consequences. That is simply not true. We are not to mingle with the world, and date just for fun, then get entangled in problems and drama that we could have simply avoided if we would hearken to the voice of God. Learn from the Israeli people in the book of Ezra. God has these mandates in place for a reason. It is not to exclude the world, it is to protect His children.

Divorce is common in our American culture today. In the Old Testament times it was not so. This suggestion for a massive dissolution of marriages was unheard of! This drastic measure gives us a glimpse of what desperation the people must have felt. Not only were the wives sent away, but their children were sent away as well. Sin never impacts one person. What one person does, good or bad, will always impact others. We must think before we act. There is too much at stake. 

For more clarification and education, I am going to quote some notes straight from my study Bible. "The Christian is not to leave an unbelieving spouse but rather to live in a manner that may win that spouse to the faith (1 Cor. 7:12-16; 1 Pet. 3:1-7). At the same time, the Bible warns the believer not to enter marriage with an unbeliever for one of the reasons that the Jews were not to do so--because it can weaken the faith of the believer. What is valuable and essential to a believer cannot be shared with an unbelieving spouse (see Neh. 10, Interfaith Marriage; 2 Cor. 6, Husbands). 

Sin is not pretty. I wish more churches would preach and teach on what sin is, how ugly things get when we choose to sin, and the real consequences of what we jeopardize when we disobey God's law. Jesus did not do away with the law. He came to fulfill the law and so we must not believe that God's law is no longer effective. Christian brothers and sisters, it is time to take sin seriously. Let's find the roots in our own lives and ask God to help us get rid of it. We cannot continue in sin just because God's grace is bountiful. Rather, let's turn away from doing those things that are wrong and sinful. 

Verses 12-44 Putting Away Wives

In verse 12, the congregation is unified in their decision to divorce their wives and send them away with their children. They must have all felt sad and great regret. All of the damage to these women and children would never have happened if they would have obeyed God in the first place. 

As usual with most sinful situations, it is complicated and multi-faceted. Now, the people have another issue to deal with. It's the rainy season and there are so many people that this cannot be done in just a couple of days. They see now how big this sin problem really is. The solution? They appointed officials to represent the people. Anyone who married a foreign wife would come at a set time with the elders and judges of their city and the process would continue until the unholy unions were dissolved and God was no longer angry with the people.

From verse 20-43 we read names of families and see the plural word: sons. Verse 44 says, "All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children." The book ends there.

Let that sink in. Marriages were destroyed. Families were destroyed. Sin caused the destruction. Who do you think enticed them that the grass was greener on the other side? The devil! He is a thief that only comes to steal, kill, and destroy according to John 10:10. We must be careful. The devil is clever, but God did not leave us to fend for ourselves. His Word, the Holy Bible is here for us to learn from. He tells us everything we need to know. Friends, life is an open BOOK test! We are without excuse. Let's be careful moving forward to not let pride, envy, greed, lust, or the love of money to rule our hearts. Instead let's operate in the fruits of the Spirit. Galatians teaches us that when we do so, there is no law to prevent us from being loving, kind, patient, gentle, faithful.... Let's walk with God and be aware of what we are allowing in our lives.

You may say, "Bridgett, I'm not living in sin. I am not married outside of God's will." That's great! But, there may be hidden sins we must ask God to reveal to us. Sin comes in many forms. It can be that we want what others have. FOMO: Fear Of Missing Out has been a driving force for people to go into debt to obtain things they do not need to impress people they do not like. Let's be real! We have enough stuff! What are we watching? If we are watching movies, tv programs, news, infomercials, or follow accounts of people who are always buying more stuff, we will soon want more stuff. Whatever we keep before our eyes, sooner or later will materialize. Trust and believe that!

What kind of music do we listen to? Songs about cheating and people leaving their husbands or wives, destroying other people's property, killing, and worse... those messages get into the minds of those who listen and before you know it, you begin to act out in ways that reflect what you listen to. Where do you go? Are you watching movies that have profanity and sex scenes? How is that honoring God? I am not saying stop up your ears, close your eyes, be a hermit, and never live in the real world. The Bible says in the words of Jesus, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." (John 15:18,19) We are not of the world when we have been blood bought by Jesus. If you accepted Him as your Savior then you do not belong to the world. You won't ever fit in like the rest. You were made to stand out so you can be a light and a witness to the world about how good and wonderful God is.

Jesus loves us so much He died for us. He hated sin so much because He knew what it would do to us. Look what it did to Him when He took our sins upon Himself? The good news is there is not a sin that is too big or too bad for Jesus's blood to cover. He paid it all. He paid a debt that was not His and He does not ask us to pay Him back. He just wants us to love Him and serve Him and be obedient. When we do what He says we are not being restricted; we are being protected! 

David says in Psalms 139: 23-24, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." We can pray the same thing. He will do it!

We can learn so much from the men and women in the Old Testament. I did not even do an in-depth study of this book this time and yet there was so much to glean from it. In Romans 15:4 it reads, "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." The things we read in the Bible are for us to learn from. When we practice the ways of righteousness, we develop patience and find comfort in the Scriptures. That comfort gives us hope that we, too, can overcome. I know the men that were estranged from their wives were never the same. They may have thought about fun times they had with their ex-wives, favorite meals they cooked, or memories they made with their children. We, like Moses, can choose to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season (Hebrews 11:25). It may seem fun for a while to embrace the world and follow their example, but the end is destruction and we will suffer the consequences.

I hope you have enjoyed this study. It has been a sobering study and honestly I never expected to get this much from one book. It is incredible the encouragement and lessons packed into ten short chapters. I pray that something I have shared today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Impressive Faith | Fuel For The Weekend

 

I am looking forward to a wonderful weekend. I have some plans in mind, but that could change. I am staying flexible and open minded. I want to enjoy a relaxing weekend with my family. How will you spend yours?

As we kick off the weekend, this week I wanted to talk about faith. What is faith? Whose faith impressed Jesus the most? Why must we have faith? Let's find out!

HEBREWS 11:1-3 (1)Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (2)For by it the elders obtained a good report. (3)Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. 

Faith is made up of what we are hoping for. It is proof for things we cannot even see yet. It is believing that you will receive what you ask God for because He is the giver of all good gifts. Our forefathers in the faith have believed and were given a good report. Their faith has increased our faith. The exploits they have done just gives us more reason to trust God will help us through our fiery trials. We use faith to believe the Creation story where God made something out of nothing. God spoke things into existence. Nothing that we see with our eyes was created by using a tool or an element that we know of because God is the only One who can make something out of nothing!

So who in the Bible impressed Jesus with their faith? If you do not know, the answer may surprise you. I will give you a hint. It was not the disciples! Let's find out.

LUKE 7:1-10 (1)Now when He had ended all His sayings in the audience of the people, He entered into Capernaum. (2)And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die. (3)And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto Him the elders of the Jews, beseeching Him that He would come and heal his servant. (4)And when they came to Jesus, they besought Him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom He should do this: (5)For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue. (6)Then Jesus went with them. And when He was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying unto Him, Lord, trouble not Thyself: for I am not worthy that Thou shouldest enter under my roof: (7)Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto Thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. (8)For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. (9)When Jesus heard these things, He marvelled at him, and turned Him about, and said unto the people that followed Him, I say unto you, I have not found so great, no, not in Israel. (10)And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick.

Why was Jesus so impressed with this man's faith? He told the crowd following Him that He had not witnessed such great faith in all of Israel! The man was in charge of other people. If he gave an order for one person to go do something, the person did what he was instructed to do. If he told another to come to him, the person came to the man to see what he needed. The man could speak an instruction to a person and watch it be carried out just like he said to do. We know the man was humble. He did not approach Jesus. He sent friends. He did not feel worthy to come to Jesus and ask for anything. He did not feel worthy for Jesus to darken the door of his house. He was humble and then said to Jesus, "I am also a man of authority." So that tells us right there this man acknowledged Jesus had authority. He was not just a religious leader. He had power. And the centurion continued, "I can tell someone to go or come and they do it. So if you will just speak the healing for my servant, my friend, then I know he will recover." Jesus did not need to hear another word. He found a commanding soldier who had more faith than Jesus had found in Israel!

We can have faith like that too. Do we not see the same thing in our daily lives? If we order something online, we get what we order. If I tell my son to come to me, he comes to where I am and find out what I need. If I ask my daughter to pick up something for me on her way home from work, she does it. So if we can wrap our minds around the fact that Jesus has authority. He has all power. He has dominion. He can speak something into existence into our situation and it must be done! He speaks and it is!

This man was not the only one with faith that impressed Jesus. Who else do you think made Jesus stop in his tracks because of their faith? Do you remember the mother from Canaan whose daughter was demon-possessed? Let's go back to that story.

MATTHEW 15:22-28 (22)And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto Him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, Thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. (23)But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and besought Him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. (24)But He answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (25)Then came she and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, help me. (26)But He answered her and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and cast it to dogs. (27)And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from the masters' table. (28)Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

This woman did not move Jesus with her tears. She did not get his attention with her problems. He ignored her. The disciples begged Him to send her away because she was getting on their nerves. He speaks directly to the woman and says, "I was sent to the lost people in Israel." She picked up what He was laying down! She was a woman from Canaan. She was not one of the people He was sent to save. Her persistence did not move Jesus either. She worshiped at His feet and begged Him to help her. He speaks to her again, "It is not appropriate to take bread from my children to feed the dogs." That had to hurt! This was a clear picture that she could easily have taken offence to, but she didn't. She agreed with Him and said, but even dogs get the crumbs that fall from the master's table. You see she knew that she was not who Jesus came to seek out, but she was desperate. She had crazy faith. She kept on asking but He wanted to know how much she believed He could do what she was asking for. She said while you are feeding the children bread, can't I just take a crumb that falls to the ground? That was it! He said, "You have great faith woman! I will answer your prayer just like you want Me to." 

When we pray and ask for something, how often do we stop asking because we thought we weren't heard? How many times do we really need something from God that only He can do -- a really big need -- and if we feel that the answer is anything but "yes" we stop asking? How often do we keep pressing and show Him how much we believe Him? This woman said she knew the bread was not for her. She wasn't asking for the bakery. She wasn't even asking for a loaf. She just wanted a taste of the miraculous that only He could do.

So if our Heavenly Father knows our needs before we ask Him, according to Matthew 6:8, then why do we need faith? Why can't He just give us what we need? He knows we need it and want it, right? Let's go back to the faith chapter, Hebrews 11.

HEBREWS 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.

If we do not have faith it is impossible to please God. First we must believe that God is who He says He is. We have to trust that He will do what He says He will do. And then we must believe that He will reward those who seek Him steady, earnestly, and with energetic effort. Are we seeking Him like that? Are we steady, consistent, earnestly looking for Him? Are we looking for God to be our gift giver, our wish granter? Or are we building a relationship with our Heavenly Father and asking for things that line up with His perfect will for our lives? 

Faith is a very important fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). It is also one of the nine Spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:9). Faith is something God has given a measure of to everyone (Romans 12:3). What will you do with your fruit? Allow God to prune you and watch that fruit grow. I am growing in faith every single day. And the closer I walk with Jesus the more faith I have. How has your faith grown? Who can you share your faith with this weekend?

I pray that you all have a safe, wonderful weekend. Happy Father's Day to those who are daddies. My father is present with the Lord, but I have a terrific father-in-law and my husband is a wonderful father to our children. And no matter if your dad is alive, absent, gone, or whatever, all of us Christians have a wonderful Heavenly Father to be thankful for and love on this Father's Day and every day! He is so worthy of glory, honor, praise, and worship!

I hope you have enjoyed today's blog post. I pray that something I have shared today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way! God bless you!!

~Bridgett Owens

5 Things To Do In The Waiting Season | Fuel For The Weekend

I am thankful for another weekend to spend with my family. I am a nurse and before that I worked in the medical field for decades and mixed in retail as well. Many weekends were spent working and while I am thankful for the opportunity to help provide financially for our family, it is a big blessing when I have a job that allows me to be off Saturday and Sunday. This particular job I currently have allows me to have Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays off, but like I mentioned yesterday this week has been crazy so I was able to work today to make up for some missed time and I am grateful.

I have been wondering what Holy Spirit would have me share for this week's Fuel For The Weekend blog post. I learn as much as I teach many weeks as Holy Spirit opens my eyes to hidden truth found in God's Word. I hope you are learning and growing as you join me on this blog each week. For those of you who check back each Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday: thank you so much.

I want to offer five things we can actively do in the waiting season. We do not have to sit and wait, we must be doing something while we wait on the promises of God to come into fruition. Let's look at what the Bible tells us to do while we patiently wait for God to answer our prayers.

#1 BE BRAVE

PSALM 27:14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

The dictionary definition from Oxford Languages defines courage as "the ability to do something that frightens one," and "strength in the face of pain or grief." Often we do not know how or when God is going to answer our prayer. While we wait we must be brave in the face of the unknown. It requires a spiritual strength when we have lost something to keep hoping and believing. You can be in a place of provision, where God clearly has His hand on you and your situation but it can still feel like loss and grief because the promise is not fulfilled yet. We are waiting on our home. We have no idea when we will get it or where it will be, and honestly we are praying for guidance as to where to look, but we know God has the perfect home for us in mind and it is reserved for us. He has promised it to us so we will have good courage and press on.

The beauty of this scripture is the promise that when we wait on the LORD with good courage God will strengthen our heart. He will give us the strength to face the pain or grief. He gives us the ability to do something that scares us. We wait and trust and continue to hope and He strengthens us to have the courage we need to keep believing when our circumstances do not change. Are you willing to do this? I am!

#2 KEEP PRAYING

ACTS 1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith He, ye have heard of Me.

ACTS 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brethren.

In the book of Acts, Luke tells us that Jesus had commanded them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Father. They did not know exactly when the promise would come. They were told to go and wait. Later in the same chapter we know that 120 were gathered in the upper room waiting for the promise. The Bible says they continued, so that means they did not pray once or twice and give up. They continued with one accord. If you are praying with others get into the same accord. If you are praying by yourself, then get into accord with Holy Spirit because no matter who all is praying, you must agree and have the same mindset: not doubting, but believing. They continued in one accord in prayer and supplication.

Prayer and supplication are similar but different.  Prayer is asking God for something or thanking Him for something. It is when we request something for ourselves or make intercession for others. Supplication is more urgent. It is like begging, pleading, urgently requesting, in an earnest, humble way.  We know God heard our request for a home. We still pray and ask God to order our steps, lead us to the right bank lender, the right realtor, the right home. Every step we take we are asking God. Sometimes we are praying for His favor and His help, and other times we feel so desperate we begin in prayer and it turns to urgent seeking God in supplication for our home. We must not stop praying. We must continue to not only ask, but wait for the promise.

Everyone is waiting in the upper room in the same mindset in prayer and supplication. They continued day after day seeking God and waiting on the answer. We must do this, too. Do not give up or think that your prayer didn't matter to God. It does matter and the answer is on the way. Keep praying and keep seeking the answer, with expectation that the answer is coming!

#3 EXPECT IT

JAMES 5:7 Be patient, therefore, brethren unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

It is springtime and many people have started planting seeds for their gardens. Some plant flowers, but many have been showing their plants for lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. The Bible says we are to be patient like a farmer who waits for the precious fruit of the earth and has long patience for it. This is some long waiting, some long-suffering. We are told to wait a while on some things. Yes, this is encouraging us to wait on Jesus to return, but it can also be true of waiting a while on things God has told us He would bless us with and we just don't see it yet. 

Let's think like a farmer for a moment. The farmer has to get the ground ready first. There is some plowing that goes on. The ground is turned over, the rich soil revealed and things get messy. Anyone following me? Has things in your life got messy as God is turning over the rich soil buried beneath the crusty core of the surface? He is about to plant some seeds and it's going to be amazing! The seeds go into the fertile soil. The farmer does not spend any length of time planting and get up the next day only to throw his hands up and walk away in disgust that there is no harvest! He knows it is going to happen. He knows he has to wait. He knows it is going to take some time for the seed to take root and then burst through the surface of the ground and then be taken care of so weeds and pests do not destroy the crop. God is giving us blessings that take a lot of work and God is the worker! He is doing a lot of things behind the scenes, underneath where we cannot see what is going on. In the spiritual realm He is lining things up, moving some things, strategically placing things in order so He can give us what He promised us. Will we wait with patience? Will we continue to expect the answer, or just walk away when God's calendar and ours don't line up? I promise you, His timing is best!

#4 BE CONFIDENT

HABAKKUK 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

What an incredible verse! The promise God gave us is for a specific time. God knows the house is not for us right now. It is coming soon and I believe that with all of my heart, but this is not the right time. This verse is saying to wait for it. That was such a popular saying on television a few years ago, "Waaaait for iiiiiit!" That is what we are being told now. Wait for it! It is going to happen just like God promised and we have to keep on trusting that it will. We can have confidence because the Bible says it will surely come. It is going to happen. It is not delayed. It is strategically planned by God for an appointed time to happen. If it has not happened yet then we have to just keep waiting with confidence knowing it will come soon! God is keeping His promises to His people. He is not a liar. He is not being mean. He is not overlooking us. He is not forgetting us. He is not changing His mind. He is not giving the promise to someone else. We will have what He has in reserve for us when it is the right time. His timing is not ours, but it is always right on time!

#5 HAVE HOPE

ROMANS 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

How do we wait well in this season? I think this verse spells it out perfectly. If we hope for what we do not see, then we wait patiently for it. We must not lose our hope. The devil comes to discourage us. He tells us lies that we are forgotten, or we misunderstood the promise God made to us. He distorts the truth until we lose our hope and give up. Friends, let's not lose hope! If you have lost hope, then get your hope back! Hope in the Lord! Psalm 38:15 says, "For in Thee, O LORD, do I hope: Thou wilt hear, O Lord my God. He hears us and we can keep our hope in Him. It does get tiresome waiting, but we must not faint. We must not grow weary in well doing, according to Galatians 6:9. And one final scripture that I want to add is in Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Yes, we hold to hope and wait on the LORD to answer our prayers. We know He hears us when we have become His children and earnestly seek Him. He is listening. Do not believe the lies of the enemy. God is for us and not against us. He is making good on every promise He has given. Trust Him and keep hoping! Get your hope back if you lost it. Just meditate on the scriptures and the hope will rise up in your heart!

Father God, I want to pray for all of us in this season of waiting. God I know that many of us are in the long-suffering season, but as the farmer waits for the good crop in time, we know we can wait with expectancy, too. God I ask that You strengthen my brothers and my sisters as we wait on the promises we were given. We thank You and praise You for hearing and answering our prayers. May this blog post uplift and encourage my brothers and sisters who read this message of hope and encouragement. God we know the waiting season is long, but that only means we have a wonderful season of harvest just beyond the horizon and it's going to be so worth the wait! Thank You for being patient with us and for strengthening us! Thank You for the refreshing and renewing You are doing in our hearts and lives. Thank You that the answer is on the way! In Jesus' precious name! Amen!!!

Friends, I hope you have a safe, fun weekend. I hope you are able to enjoy it and get some time to be alone with God. I will be doing these five things as I walk out this tiring season of waiting. It has been fruitful and productive and oh, so necessary! I pray that something I have shared today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Are You A People Pleaser? | Fuel For The Weekend

God told me to share my faith on Fridays and call it Fuel For The Weekend. It's my desire that the posts I put up on Fridays will give you something to think about, ponder, consider, and reflect on throughout the weekend.

I hope everyone's weekend has started well. I am late sharing my Fuel For The Weekend post. We all have times we want to do something and have the best intentions but it just simply can't be done and that was what I experienced yesterday. I do apologize for that. I want to jump right in to what I am going to share this week because it is so good! God keeps blessing me and teaching me so many new things and I love sharing it with you all. I appreciate the text messages and emails and comments. It means so much to me to hear what God is doing in your hearts and lives through this blog.

When I was growing up and through most of my 20's I had a strong desire to please others. I wanted their approval. I did not have confidence in who I was as a person, let alone as a follower of Christ. I always needed affirmation that I was enough. The truth is, I never got it because I never studied the Word to discover what God thought about me.

Don't get me wrong. People told me nice things. I was loved. I was appreciated. It was just that the approval I was seeking from people could never satisfy my desire to feel complete. That can only come from God. I did not understand that God loved me unconditionally. I always thought I was one bad deed/word/thought from slipping into hell's flames. The truth is God loves me and God loves you so much that He sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins and in so doing He gave us an opportunity to be the sons and daughters of God!

GALATIANS 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

This was eye-opening when I first read it. The first question this verse poses is whose approval are we wanting: people's or God's? We need to really think about that. Our quick response is God's approval, but if we look at our lives and the way we speak, act, react, respond, think, and behave it may not be God's approval that we are truly after. Let's ask God to shine His light of love into our hearts and expose any hidden agendas we may not realize we have. If we are trying to please our parents, our spouse, our kids, our boss, our pastor, our government officials we are not a servant of Christ. When we seek to please Christ we honor others in our life because He calls us to a life of Holiness that cannot be found apart from Him.

GALATIANS 1:15-16 (15)But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by His grace, (16)To reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

Paul shares with the Galatians, and now with us, that when God called him to minister to the unbelieving, he didn't check with his family and friends to see if they thought it was a good idea. He didn't look for confirmation in his small group leader or his neighbors. When God puts a calling on our lives, we don't need to ask anyone else if they think we should do it. This goes back to not trying to please people. Many times when God gives us something specific to do, we don't have a tribe following us and cheering us on. We don't have a lot of support and encouragement. In fact, often the opposite is true. We need to seek God's approval and His direction for our life and when we follow Him and do what He says to do when He says to do it, we will see an amazing transformation in our lives.

Sometimes we start out on fire for God and we are doing great. We may experience great faith and see our prayers answered quickly. We get excited and we want to do so much for God. We are hungry for the Word. We have drifted away from certain people who were holding us back. We stopped doing things that displeased the LORD and then a trial comes at us and we get knocked off course. We have two choices: get back up and go stronger for God, or stay down and think of old solutions to get through the tough times and slowly slide back into the old way of living and thinking.

GALATIANS 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Paul warns us that we need to stand fast, don't move, don't look back at how things used to be. We are made free in Christ Jesus. When we start listening to family or friends who advise us to handle our problems in ways other than on our knees before God, we can easily get trapped into sin. If we are looking to anything or anyone other than God to help us we are not trusting God is able to help us through. We may not say that but our actions indicate we trust more in other solutions than we do in God's ability to do the impossible! If we stand strong and hold onto our liberty, we won't get trapped into slavery to sin again.

GALATIANS 5:7-9 (7)Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? (8)This persuasion cometh not of Him that calleth you. (9)A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

Paul says to the Galatians then, and now to us, "You did run well, so who hindered you? Someone has persuaded you to do things that you shouldn't do and it wasn't God." Who are we talking to? Who do we take advice from? When trials come and we are running along, keeping our eyes on Jesus, we may trip over a stumbling block in our path we didn't see. As our foot catches the edge of the stumbling block, we fall face first into the dirt. We can stand back up, brush ourselves off, and then start running again. Let's warn others as they approach the same obstacles to use the stumbling block as a stepping stone. We can remember for ourselves to jump over those hurdles. God will give us the strength to overcome these trials and tests in life. When Paul says a little leaven leavens the whole lump, it means that it's the small things that can get us. A little bad advice, a couple twisted scriptures, or a slight compromise here or there causes your heart to grow cold and indifferent to God's Word. Seeds of doubt are planted where seeds of faith should grow. We have to be careful that no matter who we get advice from, we need to hold that information up to the reflection of God's Word and if it doesn't match, we need to discard the information. God's Word is true. God's Word will stand. If it does not match exactly what God's Word says to do, it is not good advice and it will take you off course quickly.

GALATIANS 6:9-10 (9)And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. (10)As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

I want to close this post with some encouragement. Brothers and sisters, I understand what it feels like to have a heavy yoke around my neck, always desiring to please others and make them happy. I was miserable inside. I was worn out. I could never do enough good things to help others because that is not how I could find fulfillment. It was exhausting. Sometimes it feels like we do these good things for nothing, and perhaps in some ways we do. What is our true motive? If we are trying to please God it is not in vain. If we are trying to win over others, we will never succeed and it is a tiring process.

Let's not get tired of trying to please Jesus. Let's work hard to do things that honors Him. If we do not faint, and if we will not give up, we will see a great harvest of blessings. We must hold on and stay on track. Keep our eyes on Jesus and He will guide us. He will help us overcome every obstacle in our way. His plans are best.

As we get a chance to help someone else, let's do it! Encourage your family and friends and coworkers to keep going strong for Jesus. Remind them that God is for them and not against them. If they are in a low spot, pray for them, encourage them, and lift them up! That is what we are to do for everyone, especially fellow Christians. We all need strengthened and uplifted from time to time. It feels good to know someone is whispering your name in prayer. I certainly appreciate all the prayers that are prayed for me. If you need some encouragement, please reach out to fellow believers and ask them. God can give them the words to say that bless and encourage you.

I am thankful for all those who read my blog. I do not take it for granted that you share a part of your day with me here. I pray something you have read today has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens