Fall '11 Blog Bible Study: Week 4

If you're new today, the Fall '11 Blog Bible study is a blog-based Bible-Study/Devotional designed for those of us who would like to take the amazing community of women bloggers online, and extend it to encouraging each other in faith. Right now, we'll be working through Paul: 90 Days on His Journey of Faith by Beth Moore. Each day has a short 1-2 page reading and a few reflection questions. Then, at the end of the week, I'll post some of my own thoughts/reflections, as well as a link-up. If you feel so inclined, I'd love for you to link up with your thoughts as well! If you'd like to join, but are just coming across this post now, it's not too late--just start whenever. And if you fall behind, no worries, and no guilt...we're all just doing the best we can, and none of us are perfect :)

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It should come as no surprise that I'm behind. Again. Which is especially funny, since I gave myself a week's head-start just to hopefully avoid this very situation. But, here I am, trudging along--so obviously, if you're feeling guilty because you're behind, stop stressing. You're definitely not going to hear any admonishment from me--'cause I'm right there with you!

Source: bippityboppityboo.tumblr.com via Ashley on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Shannon on Pinterest

I'm doing another Bible Study with a bunch of the moms from Mom's Group (I've been so blessed to become involved in the past year!), and for that study, we're doing Sheila Walsh's Shelter of God's Promises (which is fantastic, btw). This past week, the promise that we were studying was The Promise of Confidence, with Romans 8:28 as the corresponding verse for the week.

Thinking about that verse, I couldn't help think about Esther--and the idea that perhaps she had been made queen "for such a time as this" (Esther 4:14). The idea that God had been working behind the scenes in her life for years to bring her to the very place that she was supposed to be. I don't believe that God caused the trouble and persecution that she was facing, but I absolutely believe that he can and did use that situation for good.

I see the same thing in Paul--that even in his youth, Saul experienced in Gamaliel a rare teacher who tempered the law with grace. As Saul grew older and began actively persecuting followers of Christ, God was still there, working behind the scenes on Saul's heart, so that if Saul would be willing to become Paul, Paul would be ready "for such a time as this". As Sheila Walsh commented in the last session I saw, "Even the acts that Satan uses to destroy us can be used by God for good." We can all be used "for such a time as this."

And for the first time this past week, I reflected on my own life, and how everything has worked together to bring me right where I am today. Looking back, reflecting, I can see how even some of the things that I've been really upset about in my life have ultimately worked out exactly as they needed to in order to bring me where I am today. I wonder, if even I may be here "for such a time as this"--for a purpose. I don't know what exactly that purpose is, but I hope that when the time comes, I'll be able to get out of the way and let God use me in the way HE intends, and not just the way that I expect.

Anybody still with me? What did you think this week? If you have a post to link up, let me know and I'll add the linky!