Author: Missy Armstrong

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Bible Study Self esteem Uncategorized

You Are Good Enough!

Table.

I grew up with an amazing older sister, Tonya, who is great at everything she does. She is talented, smart, beautiful and outgoing. Growing up and being “grown” with her I have always striven to be as good as her. Spoiler Alert! I never was. The only thing I seemed to be a little bit better than her in was memorizing Bible scripture. Living in the shadow of someone truly talented can make you feel inferior and unworthy. It’s not Tonya’s fault. I Love her to death and would fight to the end with her. Satan knew that this was a weakness of mine and played on that to keep my mind off the truth. God made us different for different purposes. We are not competitors, we are teammates playing different positions.

The feeling that you are not as good as other people is awful feeling. Felling like that you are ugly and unattractive and that nobody likes you only keeps you from being you. That is Satan pushing that feeling that you are dumb and that other people are smarter than you. Satan is telling you that you are a failure and a loser.

Why do we feel like we are not good enough?

These thoughts come from accepting the Satan influenced values of the world. Satan knows that wrong thinking leads to wrong actions and wrong feelings. In this case, the wrong feelings are feelings of inferiority.

What does the world value most? The world puts its highest value on three things:

(1) Physical attractiveness,

(2) Intelligence, and

(3) Money.

Most people think that they must have these things in order to feel good about themselves.

Physical attractiveness

So far as the world is concerned, a person’s looks is one of the most important things about him or her. The world says, “If you are a ‘beautiful person,’ you are worth a lot; if you are not beautiful, you are not worth much and you probably won’t be happy in life.”

This is one of Satan’s lies. Even though it is not true, many people believe it and it has a profound effect upon them. Some people dislike themselves and some even hate themselves because they are so dissatisfied with the way they look.

1 Samuel 16:7

“God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart”

They think, “If only I could look like so-and-so, I’d be happy.”

The fact is that physical attractiveness does not make a person happy. God wants us to see that our worth as a person does not depend on our outward appearance.

Intelligence

The world says, “If you are smart, you are worthwhile; if you are not, then you are not worth much.”

This is another of Satan’s lies. Your value is not determined by how smart you are. I had a hard time in school. I do not learn as easily as others. When I would give a wrong answer in class, everyone laughed. That made me feel dumb and worthless.

The more a person fails at something, the more discouraged he gets. Gradually he comes to think that he is a complete failure. He may decide that he can’t do anything right and quit trying. This brings on more failure and fear of trying anything new.

God never values a person by his intelligence. When the Lord Jesus chose His disciples, He did not choose the smartest, most intelligent people of His day. He chose plain, ordinary people. The Bible says,

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 New International Version (NIV)

26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”

Money

A third way that the world values a person is by his wealth. The world says, “If you want to be important and you want to be happy, you must have money.”

This too is one of Satan’s lies. Money does not make a person happy, nor does it determine his value. The Lord Jesus said,

“A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things which he possesses.” Luke 12:15

Those who make wealth their goal in life fall into many sins. The Bible says,

“But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.” 1 Timothy 6:9

God wants us to see that we do not need money to be happy. The Bible says,

“Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing let us with these be content.” 1 Timothy 6:6-8

Change Your Thinking!

Wisdom is seeing things as God sees them. God never values a person by his outward appearance, or by his intelligence, or by his wealth or social position. God deals with rich people exactly the same way he deals with poor people. The Bible says,

“For there is no respect of persons with God.” Romans 2:11

Physical attractiveness, intelligence and money are not evil in themselves. It is the wrong value that the world places on these things that is wrong. If we accept the wrong beliefs and values of the world, it will lead to feelings of inferiority.

To change the way we feel about ourselves, we must change our thinking. We must see that our worth as a person does not depend on our outward appearance, our intelligence, our wealth or our social position.

We must see ourselves as God sees us. What are we worth in God’s sight? We are worth what He paid for us. He gave His Son to redeem us. That’s how much we are worth in His sight.

We must see too that God loves us and accepts us as we are. His love does not depend on what we are or what we have or what we do. God says, “Regardless of whether you are a success or failure, regardless of what you may think about yourself, regardless of what other people may think about you, I LOVE YOU!”

Recognize that you are not alone

You are not alone in your feelings. As you go about school or work, you come in contact with many other people—some smiling, talking, and laughing. You might think that they do not have a care in the world. But underneath it all, you will probably find that they, too, have deep self – doubt and fear. Almost all people have these feelings.

When you realize that other people have the same problem that you have, it helps you to understand them.

Make genuine friends

You don’t have to be beautiful or highly intelligent or have a lot of money to make friends. The best way to have a good friend is to be a good friend. One of the best places to find good friends is in a local church. Never make fun of another person. Respect others and accept them as they are. Let them know that they are important to you. Be especially considerate of those who have difficulty making friends. They will love and appreciate you for this. Nothing helps your self confidence more than having genuine friends. When you realize that other people like and appreciate you, it is easier to accept yourself.

Learn to do something well

Everyone needs to have proper self-esteem. One way to build proper self-esteem is to learn to do something well. Everyone has at least on thing that they are really good at.

Find something that you like to do and then work at it! Say to yourself, “I’ll learn as much about the Bible a possible,” or “I’ll succeed in my part-time job,” or “I’ll learn how to play basketball as well as possible,” or “I’ll see how many friends I can make,” or “I’ll learn to be a good tennis player,” or “I’ll learn to be a good cook.”

Don’t waste time feeling sorry for yourself. Make the most out of what you have. Develop a skill that will make you feel good about yourself. One of the best ways to develop a skill is to use it for God. Cook for people, play basketball with younger kids that need friends, or be that joyful, positive christian at work. Do the best you can in that particular thing. As you do, you will begin to like yourself more.

Face your problems honestly

Get alone where you can be quiet and think. Then make a list of all the things which you most dislike about yourself. Be honest. No one need see this except you and God. Pray about these things.

Do people get the wrong impression of you from the way you dress? You can correct this and you should. Are you lazy and careless about your work? Do something about it! We should do all things to the glory of God. Careless, haphazard work does not bring glory to God.

Whatever your problems are, write them down so you can face them honestly. Check the ones that you can do something about. Perhaps you know an older person—someone you can trust—who could help you.

“Unsolvable Problems”

What about the problems you have left on your list—those “unsolvable problems”? Everyone has one or more of these.

The best thing to do with your “unsolvable problems” is to give them to the Lord Jesus. Tell the Lord that you cannot handle these problems and that you are giving them to Him. Your prayer should contain these thoughts, stated in your own words:

When you have prayed destroy your paper as a symbol that you have turned these problems over to the Lord forever. Whenever you start to fret about these problems again, remind yourself of your decision. Tell the Lord that you have turned these problems over to Him and that you are trusting Him to handle them.

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Bible Study Psalm

Psalm 91: Promises of God

The sheer amount of God’s promises overwhelms me. In this last section of psalm 91, God makes eight promises in one paragraph! He pledges to deliver, to protect, to answer, to be with us, to rescue and honor us, to satisfy and show us his salvation. God’s love moves him to joyfully commit to lavish and unbelievable promises!

Psalm 91:14-16 New International Version (NIV)

14 “Because he[a loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

God offers all these promises to us if we do three little things: I must hold fast to him in love, know his name, and call to him in trouble. I take this to mean when I know God in the fullness of all His amazing ways, I will then love him with a steadfast love. And my complete dependence on His love causes us to have a deep cry for salvation. He gets the praise, I get the freedom. He gets the glory, I get the rescue!

Do not think that knowing him, holding fast and calling on him still works we must contribute to our salvation, as works. These are necessary works God both requires and supplies! We only contribute what He has already given.

We know him only because He knew us first and enabled our knowing Him. “Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God,” (Galatians 4:8-9). We know God because He knew us first and that empowers our knowing Him.

We hold fast in love, not by our strength or virtue, but because He holds fast to us. We call upon him because He has called us first. “To those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours” (1 Corinthians 1:2). We only call on Him for salvation because the Holy Spirit convicted us to do so.

These promises in psalm 91 are made to the one who trusts in God: “I will say to the LORD, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust’” (Psalm 91:2). As you trust in Him, you will know Him more clearly, love Him more deeply, and call on Him more freely. The root of every good fruit is trust in God.

Why did Satan seek to tempt Christ with verses 11-12 of this Psalm? Because he knew that Jesus Christ is God. Christ’s refusal to put His Father to the test shows His obedience is perfect; so should we strive to be, if we are in Him.

Know God then, in the face of Christ, because in Christ you are fully known. Hold fast in love to Christ because it is God’s love in Christ which holds you fast. Call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, for in Christ you have been called.

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Bible Study Psalm

Psalms 91: Guarded by Love

We all need guardian angels. I sure hope I have a whole team, because I need them. And I say to them now, “Sorry, my bad.” The next two verses of Psalms 91 describe the protection God has for us in a beautiful way. These verses opens our eyes to the gentle, loving, care of God our Father for both His Son and those of us who are in Christ through salvation.

Psalm 91:11-13 New International Version (NIV)

11 For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
12 they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

Read it again. Can you see God our Father speaking to Jesus and telling His Son, “When the time comes to send you to earth, I am going to command My angels to watch over you, to guard you in everything you do, and in every place you go (“all your ways”). The angels will hold you up, so that you won’t hurt yourself; you won’t even trip over a stone.

God’s love and care for His Son is easily seen because He makes sure that His Son knows ahead of time that He will be watching over Jesus every moment, and that is loving. The Father promises that Jesus will be protected and cared for, and that the Father will give Him the power to overcome any wild animals that might attack Him, and that is loving. So our picture of God the Father is of a loving, powerful, careful protector.

But wait! Look again! There is another picture here in theses same verses…like a picture inside the picture of the Father being protective and loving to the Lord.

Let’s look at the words of Scripture very closely. Why do you think that God, when He was writing these verses, chose the lion and the serpent as animals that wouldn’t harm Jesus? Do you remember in the garden of Eden when Satan entered into a serpent? And do you remember that the Scripture says that Satan is like a lion, looking for people to devour? Ohhhh!!! The lion and the adder are word pictures of Satan!

So God is telling Jesus He has protection against Satan himself! And when God tells Him that He will trample the lion and serpent under His feet, He is also promising that Jesus will certainly be victorious over Satan!

Because we can understand what God meant in our verse – that the lion and the serpent really mean Satan, we can see the hidden picture! We see the Son of God standing tall and powerful in our verses! Jesus is much more powerful than just being able to tread down a lion or a snake. Jesus is extremely mighty and able to tread down and to destroy all the power of Satan himself. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus overpowered Satan in His thinking and reasoning with him. But at the end of His earthly ministry, He trampled Satan all the way down when He was on the cross. When Jesus was dying and looked most defeated, He was really at the greatest point of His victory over Satan, and evil and death! It is there that God put His enemies under Jesus’ feet! There is another rich and wonderful picture!

Thank you, dear Father, for painting beautiful pictures of You and Your Son in the Word so that we can know you more completely. Thank you, too, for guarding Jesus and us against the Evil One. Thank you for sending Jesus to save us!

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your great power and glory. Thank you for triumphing over your enemy and ours by dying on the cross, and rising in three days as you said you would!

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Bible Study fight Psalm

Psalm 91: No Harm Will Overtake You

Has your family struggled recently? What trials or difficulties have come your way? What pains have you experienced so far this year? These next verses in Psalms have a lot to say about these trials and how we should think and feel about them in relationship to the great God we serve and worship.

Psalm 91:9-10 New International Version (NIV)

9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10 no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.

God is called the refuge for those who have made Him their dwelling place both in verse 2 and 9. A refuge is a place of protection and rest from dangers and troubles. We live in a wretched sinful world, one that is full pain and suffering. Because of that, all people will experience problems or as we read earlier in Psalm 91, “Terrors in the night” or “deadly pestilence.”

But, even in the middle of such difficulties, for those who make God their dwelling place, He will be their refuge. Look at this for a minute. To dwell means to live. a dwelling is a house, a place where you have all your stuff, where you rest, where you eat, and where you feel safe. Where you dwell is where you live. So “If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling,” you are living in the Lord. You are going everyday and spending time. You return often and feel safe. And, ultimately and finally, God will keep evil from befalling those who are His. This is all because of the power and grace of His Son, Jesus Christ, who took the punishment due to those who are His.

The key, though, is that for people to experience this comfort and reassurance they must make God their dwelling place. This comfort and peace don’t come simply from thinking ‘happy thoughts’ or putting forth ‘positive energy.’ It is rooted and grounded in an objective being, God, or as the psalmist refers to Him, the Most High.

No harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent is the next section this does not mean everything is sunshine and roses. Look closely! No harm will overtake you. How can it? God is all powerful. Trails may come, but they can’t overtake you if you are living in the Most High. I have seen people go through tremendous tragedies and cancer and never lose their joy. It can not overtake them. They have the hope of eternity in Jesus and no earthly troubles are going to change that.

Are you clinging to God? Are you calling out to Him when the difficulties and trials of living in a sinful world come at you? Do you know and are you trusting in the Most High to be your refuge? If not, please turn to Him, the Creator of all things and experience the comfort and blessing of knowing Him and living under His comforting shelter.

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Bible Study Psalm

Psalm 91: Promise of Protection

     The next two verses in Psalm 91 are sometimes difficult to comprehend.  Is it literal, or is it figurative, or is it symbolic?  But the more important question is, “Do you have the courage to believe that God means this literally in His promise of protection?”  Is it possible that this could mean exactly what it says? Can you see that this paints a picture of spiritual warfare, as well as physical attacks? I think it is safe to say that not everyone will benefit from this promise. Like all the other promises in Psalm 91, this one is available to all; but only those who believes in God and holds onto the promises within, will receive the benefits.  But we need to choose to believe and trust His Word!  

Psalm 91:7-8 New International Version (NIV)

7 A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
8 You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.

   Notice that this verse follows on the heels of verse 6, which tells us that we will not be afraid of the destruction…. God knows that there will be times when we will be overwhelmed with all the negative reports in life. Current events come to my mind; how about yours? That is why He is warning us in this verse that thousands will fall around us; they will not only cave into the doubts and worries of spiritual warfare, but could be consumed by the actual real-life events that are happening all around us(wars and mass murders; viruses and diseases).

At this point, we have to choose whether we will believe and trust; running to that shelter of the Most High, where He promised we would rest in His shadow. Remember Psalm 91: 1 and the first promise? He offers the promises of protection, but we must choose to claim them!  Otherwise, we find ourselves, along with the rest of the world, passively accepting the consequences of “the destruction” that is happening to the thousands at our side, and the ten thousands at our right.  

Now let’s take a look at the rest of our selection today. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked . Here God is telling us that we will see His judgment at times. Sooner or later, every unconfessed sin of unbelievers will be exposed and paid for.  We have seen that happen.  An evil dictator falls; an aggressive tyrant faces his crimes against humanity.  I think this verse is telling us that if we seek His protection from the evil that is causing those around us to fall, we will see it and not let it become part of us. Our protection keeps us from letting the Enemy’s hate become a part of us. By believing and trusting in His protection promises, we are putting ourselves in a separate category from the wicked mentioned in the verse. I want to caution you that Psalm 91 does not promise protection from persecution. There is a difference in the destruction of the enemy and persecution for the gospel’s sake.

 In truth, Jesus, himself, told us that if we follow Him, we can expect to be persecuted.  Jesus suffered persecution, but He did not face calamity, disaster, disease, or catastrophes.  This verse lets us know to expect that spiritual warfare will be a part of our Christian walk, as well as physical attacks.  The words of this verse are not written just to inspire or comfort us, but to provide protection and deliverance from the attacks of the Enemy.

What I hope you have seen, and will see in the coming verses is that Psalm 91 is a complete covenant package of protection.  It covers all the evils known to mankind, and God tells us how to claim His protection over them all!

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Bible Study Fear Psalm

Psalm 91: Fear Not!

Just because we all experience fear doesn’t mean we have to live with it. Perhaps the most famous fear quote of all time came from Franklin D. Roosevelt at his first Inaugural Address, which occurred in 1933, in the middle of the Great Depression: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror, which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”

The Bible says about fear. The word afraid is found over 200 times in the Bible, and the word fear is found 53 times in the Psalms alone. Knowing this we can understand when you are afraid you are not alone. It is something the majority of people deal with.

Psalm 91:5-6

5 You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
   nor the plague that destroys at midday

The “You will not fear” phrase here is not a polite suggestion, but a command. It is spoken emphatically and often by God to His servants. God wants us to fear Him, but not the world. God doesn’t tell us, “fear isn’t good for you,” “fear isn’t helpful,” “try not to fear.” No. We hear this exact Hebrew command meaning “do not fear” or “you will not fear” 51 times in the Bible.

God said to Abraham (Abram) after he rescued his nephew Lot: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield, your reward will be very great” (Genesis 15:1).  God said it again to Abraham’s son Isaac, “Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring” (Genesis 26:24).

For me, the most memorable is in 2 Kings when Elisha’s servant is terrified as he awakes to find the city surrounded by horses and chariots from the King of Syria. “… And the servant said [to Elisha], ‘Alas, my master! What shall we do?’ He said, ‘Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.’ So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:15-17).

We know that God can protect us and keep us safe, so why fear. Especially the world and Satan? God is bigger that our fears. In these verses we read, “the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. ” Notice What we are not to fear. Things during the day and night. When I was young I rarely got scared in the day time. But it was a whole different story at night. Our mind wanders in the night and every sound becomes a terror until we turn on the light. Jesus said He is the light. If we have him there is nothing to fear.

So we are to be fearless no matter the time of day: we should not fear the terrors “of the night,” the arrows “by day,” the pestilence “in darkness,” or the destruction “at noonday.” We are to be fearless no matter how big the problem is, whether the unknown “terror” or dread in our minds, the slim “arrow,” the microscopic “pestilence,” or the monstrous “destruction.”

How can God require this of us? Because He is the answer to all of our fears. He is our shield and rampart. Stop being parallelized by fear and start facing your fears with God.

Categories
Bible Study Psalm

Psalm 91: Covered with God’s Feathers

If you read yesterday’s post, you know that Psalm 91 is my families go to scripture when we are “fraidy cats”. When we are feeling afraid of anything in our lives we can rely on God. Frequently; however, we need reminding of how awesome the safe places of God are.

Psalm 91:3-4

3 Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

I know what your thinking. When I first read this I thought, “Those words are English, right? But, I still don’t know what that means.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare. What is that! Well it’s really easy, a fowler is a person who hunts or traps wild birds(fowl) and a snare is the traps they use. The Fowler’s Snare – Satan is the fowler setting traps and snares to sabotage the Christians. God has saved the believer from satan’s traps. For God the Most High, the Almighty has secured everyone who is in Christ Jesus. No amount of trickery, luring, deceit, or bribery can undermine the work that God has done in those who are saved. Our enemy is fierce and he is smarter than we are, but he is not smarter than our Deliverer. If you find yourself caught in the trap of sin today, cry out to God, our refuge and fortress. Hide in Him and let Him work on your heart to free you from the snare of sin to once again walk in the light. He will do it if you will turn to Him.

The next tricky bit is deadly pestilences. I don’t know about you, but when I hear that I picture giant, human sized wasps or locusts. The Deadly Pestilence – There is no deadly pestilence that can eternally kill the Christian. However, as a christian you will face things that make you suffer. When these come we need to say like Job “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God.” Jesus our Redeemer has risen from the dead and secured our resurrection from the dead. One day we will rise with glorified bodies and will live forever. God has given us real and tangible hope when we suffer. Even though our strength and our heart may fail, the Lord will not leave us, but He himself will be the strength of our heart and our portion forever. He is our God who raises the dead, who has delivered us, is now delivering us, and will deliver us. It is He on whom we have set our hope (2 Corinthians 1:9-10).

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge. Birds often put their young under their wings for protection. Did you know that the softest portion of the bird is the down under their wings? The Lord has the softest down under His wings; a pocket of security right next to His heart reserved for His children. The Lord, who is our fortress, is mighty, but He is not cold stone. Have you known the protection and warm comfort of His wings? Why do you wait? Come to Him and be enfolded in the feathers of His love. He will hide you there in the secret place away from danger and fear.

His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. Hear we go again, Rampart? It’s okay. Rampart is a defensive wall around a castle or a city. God’s faithfulness is our shield and wall. He is our defense. When we engage in the war against evil, it is not in our own strength, but in the power of God. He has proven His faithfulness to every promise and this knowledge equips us with the boldness and courage we will need for life. We belong to the Lord. It is almost too wonderful to comprehend, but He set His love on us, and has given us all we need to walk in a manner worthy of Him. Lift high your shield of faith and stand safely under the wings of the Most High God.

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Bible Study Psalm Uncategorized

Psalm 91: A Safe Place

My son, Jackson, is about to turn 18. When he was a young boy, he used to be scared of many things. From the age of 4 or 5 until 9 or 10, he would pray every night when we sent him to bed then walk into his bedroom and say, “Be gone in the name of JESUS!” This made him feel safe at night. Once he began to read we he would get scared of things, I would always say, “Start reading in Psalms 91 and don’t stop till you feel better.” One day we where in the car and driving through a sketchy neighborhood at night. He began to get twitchy because he was scared. I happened to have a Bible in my front seat and I tossed it over my shoulder and said, “You know where to start.”

Psalms 91 has been the scriptures in our house that we have used to ground ourselves when fear is creeping in. I would dare to say that every human has scared moments. When we are uncertain of things and we don’t know what to do. This is where this Bible study series comes from, a scared little boy and a mother that only had God’s word for protection.

Psalm 91: 1-2

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

When life is scary, every task seems more exhaustive the last and you can’t t find a safe place or place to rest, these verses are reassuring, comforting and encouraging. When things appear to be their worst, I tend to get a bit negative, and most of us are like that. Our natural tendency is to get down in the mully grubs and miss out on what God may be doing in our situation.

When I find myself in these negative places, my goal becomes centering my mind to fend off the negative, and say of the Lord that He is my God in whom I trust, just as the writer of this Psalm did.

But there is also a deeper meaning in this passage, hidden in plain sight. In these verses there are four names for God: the Most High, the Almighty, the Lord, my God. Why does the writer use four different names in two verses, and why is it so important?

Whosoever dwells (lives) in the shelter of the Most High, Hebrew word, Elyon means the most high. It describes a Supreme monarch, one who is elevated above all things. The name signifies God’s majesty and sovereignty. Elyon describes a king that reigns above all other kings, and is first used in Scripture in Genesis 14:18, describing Abraham’s encounter with the priest/king Melchizedek, “Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High.” Melchizedek gives us a picture of Christ in several ways, and it is fitting that this story contains the first use of this name of God in Scripture. Verse 1 speaks to the protection of one who ‘dwells in the shelter of the Most High,’ and it causes us to ask where it is that we dwell. Do we dwell in our own self-doubt? Do we dwell in anger? Do we dwell in what could be or what could have been? Or do we dwell in the shelter of the Most High God, the Holy King of heaven who promises to protect and keep us?

The second phrase, will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. The Almighty, is translated from the word Shaddai (If you are thinking of the Amy Grant song right now, I assure you you are not alone). Shaddai has many meanings, but it as you may imagine, it primarily suggests a mighty, powerful God who is strong beyond our imagination and is more than capable to supply our every need. He is the God who who rained fire from heaven, shut mouths of lions, and controls all of creation. In His name and in His power, there is no need that cannot be met, and no circumstance he cannot overcome. So, if we live with the most high God we can rest in the shadow of his power. HALLELUJAH!!

The third section is I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress.The LORD, is the personal name for God, revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 6:2). This personal name for God was considered so sacred in Judaism, that the original pronunciation is uncertain, only that it contained the letters YHWH.  It has been translated as Yahweh, Jehovah, and more often as the LORD (in all caps).  The significance of this name is that it represents a relationship God who wants us to know Him on a deep, personal level.  The God who knows every hair on our heads, every joy and fear in our hearts, and desires us to know Him as a friend. This God who created the universe and wants to be the place we go to feel safe.

The last section is my God, in whom I trust. My God, comes from the Hebrew Elohim. This name first appears at the very beginning of the Bible in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” When Elohim occurs in Scripture, it is typically translated as “God.” It means the one who is first, or the creator, and is technically a plural word. So it is fitting that this is how God is referenced in Genesis 1:1; as a creator who is one, yet plural (Father, Son, Spirit). The Psalmist is proclaiming that the God in whom he trusts is the same God who created all things, the first and the last, and the God who is forever faithful to His creation.

In the span of just two verses we see the beauty of God: His ways are higher than our ways, yet we can speak to Him as friend. God is at the same time unsearchable yet so very near to us. In His shadow and in His shelter, we find strength, comfort, and rest for our souls.

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Bible Study

Ruth: Life Lessons

Life is battle. And in battles, people screw up, people get hurt, but if you chose the right side, You can win. Right now I am currently praying for:

A mother-in-law and father-in-law who have battled cancer for years and still fight it everyday.

A friend who is an alcoholic but won’t admit it.

A friend in the throes of an affair.

Friends whose families have turned away from God.

and those are just a few.

And I find myself asking God like Jackson when he was two, “Why?”

I don’t know why. But, I know this, God redeems. I once was lost, but now I’m found. He can bring life from ashes. He can restore joy. He can redeem any person, any family, any situation.

Let’s recap on who these people were as individuals, and then on their life together:

R U T H

Ruth was a foreigner, a Moabitess. She was also a Gentile, a pagan from a culture of idolatry. When her mother-in-law Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem, it would have been much easier for Ruth to return to Moab, but Ruth did not choose the easy path.

-Ruth was a young widow.

-Ruth gave her heart to God

-Ruth displayed uncharacteristic love and loyalty for her mother-in-law.

-Ruth was assertive, unconventional and diligent in working the fields to provide food for Naomi and for herself, and in visiting Boaz at the threshing floor.

-Ruth displayed moral purity in her interactions with Boaz.

B O A Z

Boaz was a Jew and was known for his noble character. He was the son of Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute.

-Boaz also had a heart for God

-Boaz showed kindness, generosity, and protection in his provisions for Ruth in the field.

-Boaz displayed moral purity in his relations with Ruth.

-Boaz followed Jewish tradition in establishing himself as the “family redeemer.”

-Boaz publicly committed himself to being the “family redeemer,” which included possession of land, marrying Ruth and bearing a son.

God redeemed Ruth from her past and from her hard situation, and He allowed Boaz to redeem the family and her deceased husband’s name. And as a couple, God chose them to be direct ancestors of King David and, ultimately, of Jesus.

God specifically chose these people to establish the lineage that gave birth to Jesus. Their history as foreigners and pagans did not exclude them, and this was no oversight of God. He purposefully picked people with sordid backgrounds so that God’s work of redemption would be visible in their lives.

This whole story is a foretaste of the redemption that will come in Christ Jesus. Living on this side of the cross, we know that Jesus is the Ultimate Redeemer because He saves our sinful, lost souls. Inclusion of Boaz and ruth in the line of Jesus was intentional to show that Jesus came to save ALL people. Jewish and Gentile. You and me.

Colossians 1:13-14 says, “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

By accepting the gift of salvation we are delivered, ransomed, rescued, reborn. Trials stretch our faith and help us endure. And when we make a mess of life (which we all do), He again offers grace to reclaim, repair and purify. This is work that only God can do.

As believers, we are redeemed. Let’s thank God for His abundant grace. And let’s allow the cross to truly transform us.

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Bible Study

Ruth: God’s Happily Ever After

We have reached the end of the Book of Ruth, but instead of ending the story with Ruth living happily ever after with Boaz, we end with a genealogy. The genealogy of Ruth and Boaz’s descendants.

Ruth 4:13-22 New International Version (NIV)

Naomi Gains a Son

13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”

16 Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

The Genealogy of David

18 This, then, is the family line of Perez:

Perez was the father of Hezron,

19 Hezron the father of Ram,

Ram the father of Amminadab,

20 Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

Nahshon the father of Salmon,[a]

21 Salmon the father of Boaz,

Boaz the father of Obed,

22 Obed the father of Jesse,

and Jesse the father of David.

As a child I was made to memorize what we referred to as the “Begats”- Matthew 1: 1-17. I admit that most of us didn’t like Memorizing all these strange names in order. Reading the biblical genealogies was hard enough. They are filled with names we can hardly pronounce and people we have never heard of. But genealogies are important. They tie together all of the Sunday school stories and VBS lessons and show God’s plan from the beginning.

Through genealogies we see how God uses ordinary people for His extraordinary work.

As beautiful of a love story the book of Ruth is, we see that Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz are part of a much larger story: a story guided by the hand of God in order to bring about the future events that would lead to the coming of a Savior. We see Him accomplish this by using normal people, like Ruth, with common lives, like that of a field owner, in a small insignificant town called Bethlehem. God, in His sovereign wisdom, uses what we might deem as insignificant and humble to bring about the extraordinary. And what is more extraordinary than the true Kinsman Redeemer being born to the undistinguished descendants of Ruth and Boaz?!

Genealogies also show that we belong. When you study your genealogy you will quickly find out that you belong to a family and a heritage; to a certain culture and ethnicity. But for those of us whose trust is in Jesus, we have the unearned privilege of belonging to the family of God. We have been gifted with a heritage rich in grace, mercy, forgiveness, and sacrificial love.

Genealogies are important because in them we see God using imperfect people for His perfect plan. We have Jacob who was a liar and a thief, Rahab who was a former prostitute, and David who was an adulterer and murderer and yet God brought the Messiah through this line of misfits.

This should give us encouragement. There are no perfect people, and yet God uses us anyway. He uses us through our ordinary lives in order bring about His kingdom work.

Continue in your faithfulness to the calling God has for you no matter how ordinary you may feel it is. You, also, are part of a larger story. A story that involves the kingdom of God.