Thankful Thursday

 

Happy Thursday, friends! I am joining in with Rebecca Jo and Leslie for this weekly blog post. I always appreciate the time it takes to write this post, as it forces me to slow down and really think on some things that have happened in the seven days that have passed. I love this image above because I agree with it wholeheartedly—no matter the circumstance, there is always something to be thankful for.

I am thankful for the living, active Word of God. I was reading in Colossians last week in my Everyday with Jesus Bible—did you know these verses are why my blog is named what it is? In the translation I memorized years ago, it says overflowing with thankfulness. This is Colossians 2:6-7. 

I had this thought as I went over Bible study homework this week in preparation for our last time to meet on our study of Esther. This is how my preacher translated the verse Hebrews 4:12 for me years ago in a sermon—he said that as we read the Word of God, the Word of God reads us. That is why a particular verse might jump out to you, or why you might seem to see something as if for the first time. I love that and have experienced it too many times in my life to even begin to count. Here is the actual verse of Hebrews 4:12...

For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 

I am thankful for the honor and privilege it's been to study the book of Esther alongside some pretty amazing women. I will never take that lightly! 

I am thankful for opportunities the Lord gives me to serve Him. I consider it one of the highest honors of my life to be able to help write Bible studies for women all over. I will say that I am really not capable of doing such a big thing. But the Lord has helped me and He has given me a love and passion for studying His Word and He's instilled in me a passion for sharing that with other women...and as far as the actual writing has gone, after I've studied it myself and the Lord is faithful to do most of the work. 

Here is how it goes: I will read the portion I'm assigned to write over and over and over again, as well as reading the whole book to gain the proper context. I begin to pray and ask the Lord to show me how He wants me to get started and every single time I start with my first assigned verse, He gives me inspiration and the rest of it takes off pretty quickly. As I study on my own, I break down the portion I'm assigned into sections, as in days of homework. I like to work for full days at a time to keep the momentum going, but I make myself keep working until a break makes sense. That's the part that goes by pretty quickly for me. God is faithful to help me each time and I am so thankful for that, because I'd never be able to do this without Him right beside me.

Like I said, I am so thankful for this wonderful opportunity to serve the Lord through writing and I am so sad to be finished with this wonderful Bible study! The eight weeks FLEW by. But, it's onto the next thing, now that we're done with this and I'll start the writing process all over again beginning next week. I can't wait!

I am always thankful for the truth the Lord reveals to me through His Word, and I am so glad that every time I read the Word of God, it brings about conviction over some area in my life. This was what I experienced this week as I finished this study and by the end of the last day, I was WEEPING over the pages.

Do you see why I consider this such a high honor and calling? I don't make a dime doing this, by the way and it's the same for my friends. This is the ministry the Lord has placed us all in for this time in our lives and all the proceeds from the sales of these studies goes right back into the price to keep putting these out. I'm just grateful to be able to be able to be used by God and it's an exciting place to be right now—here for whatever He has in store. I don't know what's next or for how long this will go on, but I'm here for it until He either shows me it's time to stop or until He puts something new on my heart. I don't want to keep doing this just because I've been doing this...does that make sense? 

It was like when I volunteered with the youth. I didn't commit to each year because I'd been committed before that, I really evaluated and prayed over where to serve and asked the Lord to show me when He knew it was time for me to move on and He did exactly like that! He began to turn my heart more toward adult women in around October of my last year of volunteering with the youth (a year went from August-July). I finished out that year by limping to the finish line and then I stopped. Right after that I began to meet with my friend Amy and she shared this dream of hers about a writing team of women working together to put out Bible studies for our church...and now, here we are four years later, having just finished our third study and working on our fourth.

My prayer is that it will be the same for this. If I ever need to move on from this to give someone else an opportunity, then I want to be open to that and willing to let this go. 

Well, I didn't really intend for this to be all I wrote about today, but I think that's a good stopping place. I'm just feeling very thankful, humbled and reflective as I finished out this Bible study this week. Do you attend a Bible study? If not, may I encourage you to prayerfully consider doing so? There is something so precious about meeting together with like-minded women each week. Friendships and bonds are formed, relationships with the Lord are strengthened and each week you leave feeling encouraged. Who wouldn't want that?? If you're local to me or if you want to participate online again, we're starting a new study in January, one written by someone from the Revive Our Hearts ministries that Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth runs. I'd love for you to join in with us! I'll share some more information here as the time draws closer. 

Thanks for reading my blog, sweet friends. Love to all. ❤

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter