So are you hanging in there?! I am, but can I say that this past week has been a saving grace for me. It has been a rough week in some ways and I've had a lot throw at me, but my spirit man is strong and I am running to God and not self. Last week's "AH HA" moment for me is summed up by the caption from Day 3 ~ "The Answer to Urgent Prayer Calls for Urgent Praise". And let the church say AMEN! Praise was an overflowing source of strength and I choose to praise him no matter what. I am pulling out of Babylon little by little. My flesh doesn't like it, but greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world.
Keep going ladies! Don't give up! It's quality, not quantity that counts.
Love,
Charryse
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Comment from Imogene
pg. 51
"What clue does 1 Peter 5:6 offer to our quest for significance?"
I feel that I need to cast all my cares and anxiety on him because he cares for me. Sometimes this is so hard to remember in the rat race of this life and all the anxiety that we have as moms, wives, caretakers, etc. There is a great song below to follow up on this verse.
Babble on in Babylon
Brimming closets, shoe racks bulge, one in every color, I’ll just indulge.
My wildest whim will oft be met, bigger, faster, give me, get.
Travel on in Babylon.
May I go first? Knew you’d not care, for my time’s precious. You’ve lots to spare.
I’ll slip in front and off I’ll go. See, I’m quite fast and well, you’re quite slow.
I and me fast friends, life-long.
Prattle on in Babylon.
Nip it here, just there a lift. I just turned forty, it was a gift.
The eyes, the lips, the bosoms do, sculptured, lasered, injected, too.
No wrinkles left, the tummy’s gone.
Journey on in Babylon.
Enough of me, how do you view me?
You get one, but give me three.
I couldn’t bare to just say no, it’s my desire and rightly so.
Add another and on and on.
Shuffle on in Babylon.
No end in sight that I can see, today is blocked by the mirror in front of me.
A wreck, a death, tsunami tide, it mildly stirs me, I must confide.
TV claims tens of thousands gone.
Oh well, let’s see what else is on.
Numb to the stunning sight of each new dawn,
Sinking fast in Babylon.
Like a lobster in a pot who begins to like the water hot,
I’ve been duped, been tricked, been had, convinced that truth was somehow bad.
Evil, coddled and cooed and purred, and beckoned me and called and lured.
Now in a place with the lights turned on, I’m racing home from Babylon.
I’m racing home from Babylon.
--Lynn Parker
This study is showing me so much! It is also causing me to reflect on the greatness of the LORD and the goodness of the LORD and how much he has done in my life. How many firey trials He has already brought me through and how my faith has been refined and how He will continue to refine my faith until THAT DAY that He comes for us all or calls me home. I want to continue in this faith believing God and taking Him at His word. Praising Him through every time and season in life because He "changes times and seasons" and He alone is sovreign over all.
ReplyDeleteI think back to the beginning of the study where Beth says our enemy wants to "return us to places God called us to leave". This really spoke to me as I listened to the 3rd video about firey trials and our bonds being broken through trials. She mentions how the only thing burned off were the ropes that had them bound. The point being when we go through a trial we are set free from sin in the process. I have experienced this BUT I don't want to return to anything captive God has set me free from! As it says in Galations 5:1 "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again wih a yoke of bondage."
I am here to testify that I have been part of a firey trial that caused a loved one to step it up in there relationship with God and they are STILL stepping it up. I was a part of the fire- NOT FUN - What is fun, is seeing them walking by the Spirit in the word and full of the Spirit of God and hungry for all that God has for them!! Another firey trial of finances, can I be real?, burned off lots of sin in my life. "Praise God you have given me wisdom and might" Nothing burns of self-indulgence, self-reliance, pride, comfortability, your own "plan", selfishness, ect. than a financial crisis. Also, nothing else will set you free from depending on money, and this world's system more then when this system fails and when there is no money and when there is nothing left but God. Because He will and He has supernaturally provided, and changed our whole way of thinking and burned the materialism, and wrong way of Babylonian thinking off of my family through our firely trials. We are still in trials.
Babylon finds its way into my life ALL over the place, I haven't "arrived" anywhere. I just have to stop and give praise for how far He has brought me and how far I've come. I must RESOLVE and be CONSISTENT and God will continue to give wisdom to the wise. He will show up time and time again. He does have a perfect plan. He is worthy to be praised. He alone can be trusted. I have a loooooooooong way to go ladies. I am becoming more and more aware of how much this culture has really influenced me. But I'm ready to take Babylon "on". Like Charryse said, "Greater is He that is in me" I know by the power of God He will change me more to the image of His Son as I seek Him and Him alone. May He bless you as you study His word.
Love.
Carlyn