God is ridiculously cool!!

Right now is a very confusing, stressful, exhausting time in my life. Last night I just felt there was no way I was going to handle this. I had been reminded the night before about how so often we just "eat the seed" of the Word instead of actually "sowing it". I prayed that I wouldn't just keep eating it.

This morning I was getting ready to do a day of "Stepping Up". One of the things we are to do is pray prostrate on the floor before starting the study. I was on the floor asking God to quiet me, to sing over me because I simply knew I couldn't get through the next "however long" without Him doing that for me. Well, in God's "coolness" this is the scripture we were studying today:

Lord, my heart is not proud;
my eyes are not haughty.
I do not get involved with things
too great or too difficult for me.

Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself
like a little weaned child with its mother;
I am like a little child.
Israel, put your hope in the Lord,
both now and forever.  (Psalm 131)

It's verses 2-3 that really jumped out at me...obviously :) At this point...He still used v.1 later  though for a different issue:) It's just like God to answer your prayer in such a neat way. I'm going to type a lot of the exerpts from the lesson today because they are just sooooo good!!!

"Psalm 131 reminds us the words of God are not primarily for seminaries, dissertations and theological treatises. They are primarily for everyday living on the third rock from the sun..."  and another "It reminds me that the lofty words of God were meant for the lowlands of planet Earth."

Verse 1 talked about being prideful and how we get ourselves in over our heads in situations. Which I know I am so guilty of lately. She had us read Deuteronomy 29:29 to helps us know when a matter is too great for us. The answer being that what He has revealed to us as opposed to what He has kept seceret to Himself. Then she goes on to say: "The things God has revealed are meant for us to study, ponder, teach and share though even then with discrection and wisdom regarding our hearer's capacity to handle them. The secret things however, belong to God - for instance, exactly why planes hit buildings, tsunamis hit cities and children get cancer."

She talks about shutting our mouths at times instead of just talking like we know what we are talking about (or because we are just so overwhelmed):

"The primary reason we are sometimes at a loss for words is that we SHOULD BE at a loss for words. We're in over our heads and silence is our best option. And when the time for words does come, we're wisest to say what is true, 'I just dont know why things like this happen, but I'm so so sorry.' "

I know in my own life right now I feel like I've opened my mouth way too many times lately when I should have just said "I dont know and I'm sorry". I pray I won't forget this lesson. But it's also been a good reminder that it's ok to not know all the answers. I mean, until we reach Glory we really CAN'T know the complete answer answer. In our communication with God I am so grateful that we are allowed to be honest and say whatever it is we need to say. That we can ask Him why. Tell Him we don't know why He is allowing this. But realizing we also need to proclaim what we do know to be true about God - that He is compassionate, and gracious, slow to anger and rich in love, faithful, forgiving, etc"

This was the final quote of the day and again it spoke to me very personally:

"I do not seek , O Lord, to penetrate thy depths. I by no means think my intellect equal to them; but I long to understand in some degree thy truth, which my heart believes and loves. For I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe, that I may understand." (Anselm - an 11th century monk)

Still "Stepping Up"

Ok, I know I said before how awesome this study was, but oh my goodness!!! It has just gotten better and better. I wish I could just transcribe everything I have learned. The Word of God is so amazing, I can't even begin to describe it. The thing that affected me the most tonight was about how at the Last Supper Jesus and the disciples would have sang the "Hallel" which is Psalm 113-118. That means He would have sung Ps. 118:24: "Today is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it."... on the day He died. Can you even imagine? I know I can't.

And seeing the context of things Christ said...on certain days, during certain feasts (Feast of Tabernacles being the one we were learning about)...it's just amazing how perfect and totally complete the Bible is. I am so overwhelmed with wonder and awe right now...really.