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

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

Psalm 26 | 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 26. If you have not done so, please take the time to read through these 12 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 asking for God's judgment. Do we feel confident enough in our walk with our Savior to ask Him to judge us? David did. He said he kept his integrity and has trusted God so he would not slide. The key to not slipping up in our walk with God is to hold on to our integrity and trust God. It is an easy principle but the practice is sometimes hard. Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.

Verse 2

Again, David asks God to examine his heart. We know out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Matthew 12:34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. David is asking God to test him according to what is in his heart. He says, "Try my reins," which means "Test my mind." Romans 8:5-6 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things that are of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. If we have our mind on earthly things, carnal things, we are going to die spiritually. We must have our minds on the things of God and that gives us life and peace. This is how we can do a test to see the condition of our heart: what are we speaking and what are we seeking?

Verse 3

David said he kept God's mercy in front of his eyes and walked in God's truth. Two things here we must do. We have to keep God's Word in front of our face and the good things God is doing. Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He. Everything God does for us is perfect and right. He has no wickedness in Him so He is unable to do us wrong. Let's meditate on that truth today. How can we walk in God's truth? 1 Samuel 12:24 Only fear the LORD and serve Him in truth with all your heart: consider how great things He hath done for you. 

Verse 4

David has kept away from those who serve idols and are hypocrites. Today we are seeing a lot of distorted beliefs in the church. We are seeing a lot of people call themselves Christians and deny Christ by their lifestyle. We must be careful friends. Remember how the Psalms start out? Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in seat of the scornful. Jeremiah refused to have company with such people either. Jeremiah 15:17 I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of Thy hand: for Thou hast filled me with indignation.

Verse 5

David refused to be part of the popular crowd if it meant veering from God's Word. We must make the decision that we are not going to entertain the world either. David would not sit with them, or congregate together. We must draw our lines in the sand. Yes we can love and pray for them. We must do that! But we do not need to wallow in the filth and the mire with them. James 4:4 Ye adulterers, and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship with the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Friends, it does not get more plain than that. We must not join hands with the world, because the moment we do, we have turned our back on God. I did not write that. I did not come up with that. Ask the Author if you disagree.

Verses 6-7

David chooses to wash his hands clean of any wickedness. Instead of gathering in the tents of the wicked, he is choosing to congregate at the altar of God. He is proclaiming the Good News with thanksgiving in his heart of all the wonderful works of God. Psalm 107:8 Oh that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! Can we agree that we will stay near the altar, communing with God in our hearts? The altar is not a physical location. This is referring to the solitary place of prayer we can go and find God. Mark 1:35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. Jesus gave us this example of how we should start our day. He got up before He started the day and He went alone to a deserted place. No audience, no followers, no distractions, no noise...just Jesus alone praying. What are we doing?

Verse 8

The key to getting up early to spend quiet time with God is loving His presence that much. Instead of seeking God's hands all the time, we must have times where we just love being in His presence. We need to seek hard after God's heart and to please Him. Next week we will read this, but it is a great place to showcase one of my favorite verses. Psalm 27:4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in His temple. David's desire was to be where the presence of God was.  This is why God said David is a man after His own heart. He was quick to praise, quick to worship, quick to repent, and quick to brag on God. Are we able to say one of our biggest desires is to be in His presence? If not, we need to check our hearts. What takes our time and attention? Social media? Politics? News? Sickness? Gossip? Busy work? Where are we spending most of our day?

I once heard it said if you want to check your heart, look at your bank statements. What do you spend the most money on? That is where your heart is. I do not know if that is true, but I can see their point. I think if you truly want to check your heart, look at your time. Where do you spend it? How much time do you spend facing a screen? How much time do you scroll mindlessly but are secretly interested in what everyone else is doing? What kind of time do you have invested on your knees in prayer? How much time do you spend reading the Bible, picking it up and choosing to read it on your own to learn more?

Verses 9-10

David is asking God to not count him with the wicked. He does not want to be numbered with those who have no part in God. They are doing sinister schemes and evil deeds. David wants nothing to do with that.

You would think the prophet Samuel, who anointed David as king, who heard the voice of God when he was a young child, a man of integrity and walked in God's truth, would have sons who patterned after him, but that is not so. 1 Samuel 8:1-3 And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. Now the name of the firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba. And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment. Friends, we have a choice to make. We can follow after God, our Heavenly Father, and obey Him, or we can do what we want to get ahead in this life and enjoy sin for a season, but the eternal punishment that follows will not be worth one second of that "pleasure."

Do you remember when Moses' father-in-law came to see him? Jethro saw that Moses was wearing himself out trying to judge the people and teach them what to do and what not to do. Jethro had a great suggestion. Exodus 18:19-22 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God: And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do. Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, and rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee. It is good to have wise counsel. And as you can see, the criteria for being a good judge, is to fear God, walk in truth, and hate greediness/desiring other people's things.

Verse 11

David made a choice for himself. He chose to walk in integrity. We have the choice in front of us as well. What will we do? Will we choose to please others and compromise so we can get ahead in this life, unconcerned for the eternity that awaits us? Will we be like David and choose to walk in our integrity and to live according to the Truth of God's word? 1 Thessalonians 2:4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth the hearts.

Verse 12

David ends this psalm with stating he is standing in a good place; an even place. His foot is secure. He has made up his mind to bless God in the congregations. 1 Timothy 6:16-19 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

I pray that this Bible study has been fruitful for you. I know I have been strengthened and encouraged by God's Word today. I never know where all He will take me and today we have had a lot of Old and New Testament verses which I love. I pray that something you have read on the blog today has been strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you.

~Bridgett Owens

Summer Bucket List | Thankful Thursday

Javan has to have a modified summer vacation in that he cannot go swimming in a pool, lake, or ocean. He is healing all through these summer months and we are praying he will be healed in time to go back to school. He was sad thinking about all of the things he loves to do in the summer but unfortunately this summer are off limits. So, I decided we should make a Summer Bucket List of fun things he CAN do and even if we do not get to all of them, he should be able to do some of them! What is on your Summer Bucket List?

This Thankful Thursday, I am thankful for the opportunity to stay home and take care of Javan. I am glad that I can change his dressings multiple times each day and watch the healing process. I am grateful that he is not in pain, though he does have moments of discomfort. I am thankful that we can plan how our summer will be, even though it most likely won't turn out anything like we plan!

PROVERBS 16:3 Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.

PROVERBS 16:9 A man's heart deviseth (plans) his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.

PROVERBS 19:21 There are many devices (plans) in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.

PSALM 37:5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.

PSALM 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and He delighteth in his way.

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you.

We can make our plans and it is fun to do so. We must not forget, however; to seek God's counsel on if they are good plans or not. They may not be bad things to do, but it may not be the direction He wants us to go. We need to cast all our care and worry upon the Master because He cares for us. We know that in life we are told to never sweat the small stuff. We are also told it is all small stuff. So, decide today to put your hand in the hand of the Father and walk with Him, even if it means not doing everything you planned on doing.

I hope you are having a wonderful start to your summer. It is hard to believe that the year is half over! Time marches on friend. While time will march on even after our clock stops ticking, we must be cognizant of the fact Jesus is coming soon. If you do not live to see the great second coming of King Jesus, you still must prepare your hearts to see Him. Are you ready? Do you know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord? If not, ask Him to save you and forgive you of your sins and He will do it! That is one plan that He wants to make happen for you!

What are you thankful for this Thankful Thursday? There is always something to be thankful for! God bless you friends!

~Bridgett Owens

Psalm 25 | 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 25. If you have not done so, please take the time to read through these 22 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!

This is another psalm composed by David. This particular psalm is like a prayer that we might pray when we face difficult circumstances and obstacles in our way. Have you ever been there? I know that I am facing some tough situations that have left me shaken to my core. I am fighting with every fiber in my being to just get back to the closeness I once felt with God. I have not turned my back on God and He absolutely will never forsake nor abandon me. But sometimes when He is the closest we may feel Him the least. Did you catch that? Sometimes when He is the absolute closest to us, we may feel His presence the least. He is teaching us to wait and to trust, instead of to fear and run.

Verse 1

I want to sit with verse one for a minute. I do not want to glaze past this key verse. If you want to have a close relationship with God, you can take a literal page from David's book and watch how he speaks to God. Watch how he composes his thoughts and how he makes his requests known. First and foremost David does not go to God with a list of a bunch of complaints. He does not lead with that, in fact, we will watch how he communicates with God, but the key to all of this is to first acknowledge God.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy steps.

David says in verse one, "Unto Thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul." David goes straight to God and he says, "God, I lift my soul to You. This is bigger than me. This is smaller than you. You can handle this, God, but I cannot. I lift my soul to You." Have we done that? Believe me when I say that this particular study is more for me, Bridgett, than for you, the reader. I hope you get some revelation and clarity and encouragement from this, but I desperately need this right now.

Jesus said, in Matthew 6:9, "After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name." His name is to be revered, respected, hallowed. We are to come to God with humble reverence knowing He is Sovereign. He is God. He is Holy. He is Righteous. He is All Powerful. We must not approach Him the way we speak to our fellow man. He is to be reverenced and respected. David said, "I lift up my soul to You, LORD." He is Jehovah. He is first and He is exalted. We must not forget that. Society tells us Jesus is our personal Savior and then we start putting God in a personal size box. Please do not do that! Yes it requires a personal relationship but it is not to diminish who He is.

Verse 2

Do you trust God? Do you really trust Him to take care of the things going left in your life? You try to do things upright with integrity, but are you allowing Jesus to take the wheel and be in full control of the destiny? Are you trying to manipulate the situation to go in the direction you think it should go? Remember what happened when Sarai gave Abram her handmaid to conceive children with? Sarai grew tired of waiting on God to open her womb so she took matters into her own hands, but it was not what God wanted.

Genesis 16:1 and 3: Now Sarai, Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai Abram's wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

God promised to bless Abraham and Sarah with a son in Genesis 17:15-16. Abraham laughed and questioned how a child could be born of him who is 99 years old and Sarah that is 90? He said, "O that Ishmael might live before Thee God." But God said the blessing would not come through Ishmael, but through Isaac that Sarah would bear. Sometimes we get our hands in the mix and muddy the waters. God is trying to do something spectacular and they are not able to comprehend it, so they do not wait well. Could this be our story?

David says in the second verse, I trust You God. Don't let me be ashamed. In other words, he is putting his confidence and steadfast, unwavering faith in God. He is praying that God will not allow David to be put to shame in front of those who are watching him. He is asking for victory over his enemies. The devil is our enemy and he wants us to run in fear and cower when he threatens us. He is a liar and we must run to the shelter, the High Tower, and be saved!

Verse 3-7

These are David's requests:

*Do not let anyone who waits on You, God be ashamed.

*Let the ones who deal treacherously and sin without a reason be ashamed.

*Show me Your ways, O LORD.
*Teach me Your paths.

*Lead me in Your truth.

*Teach me.

*Remember Your mercies and loving kindnesses.

*Forget my sins from my youth.

*Forget my transgressions.

*According to Your mercy, remember me for Your goodness' sake.

He declares:

*You are the God of my salvation.

*I will wait on You all day.

*Your mercies and loving kindnesses are from eternity.

What does your list look like? David is asking for forgiveness and mercy. He wants to be pardoned and redeemed. He wants to be remembered by God. He wants God to teach him and lead him in God's ways. He knows he cannot do anything on his own. What are we saying to God? What declarations are we making? Are we willing to wait all day on God? Do we long for His salvation, His mercy, and His loving kindness?

Verses 8-10

David goes right into the characteristics of God.

+Good

+Upright

+He teaches sinners the right way to go.

+He guides the humble in justice.

+He teaches the humble the right way to go.

+The paths of the LORD are mercy.

+The truth is for those who keep His covenant.

+The truth is for those who keep His testimonies.

Are you living your life in a way that reflects the righteousness of God? He teaches sinners and the humble. He is not just showing a few people the right way to walk, He teaches everyone. It is up to us individually if we say yes to His ways or yes to our own.

Verses 11

David repents of his sins. He asks God to pardon him for God's name sake. David knows he is not worthy of forgiveness: none of us are. God chooses to forgive us because He loves us that much! Do you have unconfessed sin in your life? Take the time now and ask God to blot it out. Ask Him to cleanse you from all filthiness of the flesh and all unrighteousness.

Verses 12-14

David says that the man who fears God will be taught what way to go. His soul will live at ease and his children shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5 "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." The LORD God will share intimately with those that fear Him. He shares secrets others cannot know and He will show them what He has promised them. Are we living in a way that this verse is about us? If not, we can repent like David did, and ask for that connection and partnership that God longs to have with us.

Verses 15-22

David has his eyes on God. If we keep our eyes on Jesus we will not fail. Remember Peter walked on the water with Jesus but the moment he stopped looking at Jesus and looked at his circumstances surrounding him, he began to sink. Matthew 14:29-31 And He said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous (violent), he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? Are you like David with your eyes steadfast on God? Or are you more like Peter and you start out locked on the Master and then you feel the waves and violent wind and you know that it does not make sense for you to be able to walk on water and yet you are, and now confusion and doubt sweeps through your mind? Are you of little faith like Peter who started out well but then began to sense the trouble surrounding him? If you are more like Peter and less like David in this particular instance, just ask for Him to save you and He will immediately pick you up out of your miry clay and will set you in the safety of the boat. He will not leave you stranded. What if Peter did not ask for Jesus to save him? He would have struggled and possibly drowned in the horrible storm. Jesus did not let that happen, but Peter had to ask for His help. Are we still trying to prove that we are tough, or are we willing to stretch our hand out and ask the Master to save us?

Again in verse 20, David asks God to keep his soul because "I put my trust in Thee." He again asks that God not let him be put to shame for trusting in Him. He prays, "Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on Thee." In the waiting we must maintain our integrity and honesty. Though the promise seems to be delayed and we cannot see what God said He would give us, we cannot lose our faith and hope in the only Trustworthy God. We cannot give up in the waiting, but we must continue to trust Him. David ends with, "Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles." Are we asking Him the same thing?

God is a good, good Father. He is going to hear and answer our prayers. We can have confidence of this. 1 JOHN 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us; And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired (asked) of Him.

I pray that today's Bible study has been a blessing to you. It has been encouraging to me and I really hope it has been the same for you. It is good to find a place in the Bible where someone else was in similar situations and we see their prayers and questions and how God blessed them and answered them. We know we have confidence to ask for things from God that He wants us to have and we will have them. We may have to wait a lot longer than we anticipated and it can feel like we should just give up and walk away, but God is going to come through for us and it will be better than we ever could have imagined it to be.

God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens

Hard Assignment | Fuel For The Weekend

Welcome back to another Fuel For the Weekend blog post. I am excited about today! My husband is off work. He is not feeling the best. Javan and I are under the weather, as well, but we are still getting things done and that feels good. What are you doing this weekend?

Today I want to give you something to think about, talk about, and dig deeper in this weekend. It is in the book of Ezekiel. We are going to discuss five verses in the second chapter. But first, I would like to give a brief overview and background of where we studying. Ezekiel is a prophet of God. He is also a priest and he is ministering during the darkest days of the tribe of Judah's history. They are in captivity in Babylon and he will use parables, signs, and symbols, along with prophecies to get God's message across to His people in exile. Ezekiel has a very tough mission because God's chosen people are rebellious and hard-headed. This is why they are in exile; they would not respond appropriately to God nor would they observe His laws and commands. Now, they are in a place they do not want to be, severe oppression and depression overtake them, and it is up to Ezekiel to share God's message with them. What an incredible quest. Has God given you a task that you did not ask for, maybe one you do not want, but you have to do it? Has He called you to help others who seem like they could care less about God or anything He has to say? Ezekiel has been so commissioned.

Today's text is Ezekiel 2:1-5 but I want to start with chapter one verse 28 for a clear picture of why Ezekiel is no longer standing. So if we back up one verse, Ezekiel describes seeing something like a rainbow after the rain. This rainbow and it's brightness was how the likeness of the glory of God appeared to this prophet. When he saw this image he dropped to the ground. He fell on his face and then he heard "a voice of one that spake." Let's pick up our text in Ezekiel 2:1-5 and I promise there will be some hope and encouragement at the end of today's blog post for you!

Ezekiel 2:1 And He said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.

In this verse, when it says "son of man" it says in the expanded Bible that it means "human being" and it is used 93 times in this book to address the prophet. It is a title that refers to Ezekiel's frailty as a human in comparison to the great Sovereignty of God. God, the Creator, the LORD of all the earth, is speaking to Ezekiel and wants him to stand up so they can have a conversation. He recognizes that Ezekiel is flabbergasted and has hit the floor in overwhelm. He needs Ezekiel's attention, because He has to give him some instructions and He wants Ezekiel to hear everything He is saying.

In the book of Acts, Saul is on the way to Damascus so he can persecute God's people. He thinks he is doing God a favor by consenting to the death of Christians in the early church. But as he goes to Damascus a light surrounded him and it was so bright he fell to the earth. Let's read it. Acts 9:4-6 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?  And he said, Who are Thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks (goads). And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

God will get your attention when He needs you to step into your destiny. He has a specific call on your life and He knows what language to speak to get your attention. You will find yourself humbled and feeling very small in contrast to the vastness of God.

Ezekiel 2:2 And the spirit entered into me when He spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard Him that spake unto me.

In the book of Daniel, we see a similar situation. Daniel 8:17-18 So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision. Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep, on my face toward the ground: but he touched me, and set me upright.

The supernatural is scary. It is overwhelming to experience God in that way, and yet there is great significance for it. God will help you when you are in that situation. He picked up Ezekiel and Daniel and he helped Saul who later became Paul and wrote a huge portion of the New Testament. Do not be afraid to seek God and experience His Sovereignty and power. You may not have the same experiences as these prophets but when God puts something in your heart that scares you, it's your big purpose and it can be frightening to think about. The good news is you are not alone.

Ezekiel 2:3 And He said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation, that hath rebelled against Me: they and their fathers have transgressed against Me, even unto this very day.

Would you be excited about this assignment? If God tells you to witness to people who are too hard-hearted to listen to the voice of God, would you want to go? Would you be excited about talking to them and telling them what God had to say? I know I have had to speak to people who were so prideful and haughty they would hardly listen. They wanted things to be all about them and had no room for the correction of God's Word. Through much prayer and exhortation I was able to share what God wanted them to know. I was in awe as I watched Him chip away at their ego and their carnal nature. It was amazing to see Him work in ways I never knew were possible.

Remember they are not rejecting you if you speak God's Word, they reject Him. It is imperative that we share the Gospel and allow Holy Spirit to do the rest.

1 Samuel 8:7,8 And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken Me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.

Ezekiel 2:4 For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD.

I love that God does not expect us to come up with our own speech when we go where He sends us. He does not leave everything up to us. He just asks that we be willing vessels to be used by Him to reach the ones who have gone astray. This is pivotal because we are not in the control chair, He is! That is the key to all of this!

Psalm 95:6-11 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God; and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. To day if ye will hear His voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My work. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known My ways; Unto whom I sware in My wrath that they should not enter into My rest.

Jeremiah 5:3 O LORD, are not Thine eyes upon the truth? Thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; Thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction; they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.

Jeremiah 6:15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

If you have time, read Isaiah chapter 58. It is another instance of the stiff-necked, rebellious people that God loves and wants to redeem but they refuse. These are not accounts of the heathen, pagan nations. This is God speaking directly to and about the children of Israel that He rescued and delivered and provided for. He blessed them and helped them and they rejected Him and disobeyed Him over and over and over again.

Ezekiel 2:5 And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.

Why would God send Ezekiel to such a people? Why bother with them at all? So they will know that God loves them enough to send a prophet to be His mouthpiece. They can never say He did not try to show them the right way. They will be without excuse. He comes in love and mercy but the choice is theirs. It is up to them whether or not they receive it. They cannot receive the message from God without the messenger so God chose Ezekiel. Did He choose you? Do you have unsaved loved ones and friends who are doing life on their terms? Do you have family or friends who think they are enough, and that by doing good things, or donating to charities they will somehow squeeze into heaven? Friends, it is up to you and me to tell them!

One final thought and it is in Romans, the first chapter. We can read it together:

Romans 1:16-21 For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold (suppress) the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Friends, we must take our assignment seriously. God is calling all of us to specific people in our lives. It may be a neighbor, a coworker, a friend, a family member, or even a stranger. Be sensitive to Holy Spirit and allow Him to use you to lead others to Christ. Yes, it may seem hard, because it is hard. It may seem impossible and hopeless, but it isn't. God is with us and we can do all things as He strengthens us according to Philippians 4:13. Remember with God nothing is impossible according to Luke 1:37. God bless you friends!

~Bridgett Owens

Choosing God's Peace | S.O.A.P. Bible Study | Thankful Thursday

I missed my Thankful Thursday post yesterday due to illness. I am feeling strong enough today to share it so I thought it is better late than never! I wanted to do another S.O.A.P. Bible Study in my PrintPression Weeks. It is the perfect book to do this in as each page has four squares. It enables me to do a quick study and I love it. I hope you will enjoy it, too.

I started with the blank page above, and added some washi tape to each of the header blocks, shown below.

I love my Dymo label maker. I use it for so many things and it is perfect for adding the titles: Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer as you see below.

I placed the labels over the washi tape. You could simply write the titles in by hand, but I like the look of the labels.

I saw Colossians 3:15 and really wanted to do a S.O.A.P. Bible study on that. So I wrote out the scripture and read it in my Bible. I highlighted the verse in my Bible and read the verses surrounding it as well. It is imperative to have a good context when studying God's Word. We may think the verse means one thing, but once we read the chapter it is in and any cross-referencing it provides, we gain a better understanding of what the Scripture is saying.

I am using a BIC Intensity Fine point pen in pink because I like how it looks with the teal washi tape. I come back when my page is complete and added an arrow below the verse to take up the space. I used a stencil to trace the arrow and then colored in a checker board pattern with the pink pen seen here and an Art Alternative Fineliner pen (AA10747).

I used some dot stickers for bullet points. I observed three things in this verse. First, that it is a choice to let God's peace rule in our hearts. Paul was telling us to allow it, but ultimately it is our choice. I admit that sometimes I allow fear to rule my heart instead of God's peace and it never works in my favor. Second, I observed that I am to live my life in partnership with God. I am called into the Body of Christ and therefore to live any other way than letting God lead me is never going to please God. And finally, I observed that God deserves my gratitude and thankfulness always. He is worthy of it and there is ALWAYS something to be thankful for.

This section is where I make a game plan to apply this Scripture to my life. I need to first ask for God's peace. I need to welcome His peace into my heart and allow myself to live in that peace that only God can give. I need to remember that this is the way of the believer. It is the acceptable thing to do. And finally I need to thank God all the time, and not just offer up thanksgiving or gratitude when I get my way, or have an answered prayer. I am to thank God all the time because He is always doing something good in my life and turning the bad into better things so He is worthy of all the praise.

This section is personal and I cannot tell you what to pray, but I wanted to share my prayer with you in a S.O.A.P. Bible study. My prayer is:

Dear Jesus,

Thank You for Your peace and love. Help me to remember You are in control and I can trust You. Thank You, Jesus.

AMEN!

Here is one final look at the S.O.A.P. Bible study page. I hope it has given you something to ponder and even motivate you to do a S.O.A.P. Bible study on your own.

This Thankful Thursday I am grateful for the peace of God that sustains me in the darkest valleys. I hope that you will count your blessings with me! God bless you!

~Bridgett Owens