Session One - Spiritual Resiliency

(Online Bible study ladies, we welcome you to our next study. Hopefully, you have your books by now and have been able to dig in. Because of time in our Thursday studies we do not cover every question so you will notice in the text below only a select few are referenced. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment box. We are here to learn from one another so we are eager to hear from you. Ladies from the Thursday study you are also welcome to share what God is teaching you each week.)

Our first lesson in Pursuing Integrity, a study in the life and character of Daniel, starts with a chapter on Spiritual Resiliency.

Daniel was a young jewish man in his early teens when life dealt him a hard blow. He was attractive, intelligent and came from a fine upper class family in Israel. From all accounts Daniel had a bright future ahead until.......

The Babylon army led by the evil King Nebuchadnezzar attacks Israel and after much killing and bloodshed Daniel and many other young men, including three friends named Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, are taken captive back to Babylon to serve in the king's court.

Page 12 asks the question of each of us, "What will you do when the bottom drops out and you en up in Babylon?" for we all have seasons of life where our dreams and plans are dashed and we end up in an unexpected and difficult place.

Our hope is to learn through the course of the next five weeks how God was with Daniel even in his Babylon. It was God's promises Daniel had learned as a jewish lad which got him through his difficult ordeal, perhaps even the words of Psalm 139 gave him assurance where King David several hundred years earlier had written:

I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
8 If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the grave,* you are there.
9 If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me.
11 I could ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night—
12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
Darkness and light are the same to you.

Words like these helped Daniel become spiritually resilient.

That word "resilient" can be defined two ways:

1. (Physics / General Physics) (of an object or material) capable of regaining its original shape or position after bending, stretching, compression, or other deformation; elastic

2. (of a person) recovering easily and quickly from shock, illness, hardship, etc.; irrepressible

These definitions brought to mind the phrase we know as "bouncing back" and how trees in the midst of a hurricane will sway and bounce all over only to recover straight and strong at the end of the storm if the trees root system was healthy. Below is a portion taken from the Faithful Daughter Hub Page titled Strong As A Tree ( http://faithfuldaughter.hubpages.com/hub/To-be-as-Strong-as-a-Tree):

Not long ago, as I was going through one of the many storms in my life, the Lord reminded me of something I once observed during a violent storm. During one of our worse hurricane seasons, I observed a tree in the midst of the menacing storm. I watched how the wind swayed and bent the tree to a point where I thought it was going to snap and break. As I watched, I couldn't help feeling sorry for this beautiful tree but at the same time I also felt great admiration for it and found myself thinking "hang on my friend, it will soon be over!" I reflected to that time, as the Lord spoke to me and encouraged me in my present situation and I learned something valuable that to-date I have not forgotten. In a powerful storm the tree is pruned, sort-of-speak, by the strong winds and loses many of its leaves and branches. Often times the tree does bend, but amazingly does not break. Sometimes it not only loses leaves and branches but diseased areas and harmful insects as well. If the storm is fierce enough and the tree does break, within a short time new sprouts of life will begin to form and grow because the foundation of the tree was never destroyed.

This is a great illustration of God's creation and how He uses the storms in our lives to grow us strong in Him - to make us spiritually resilient.

After we read Daniel 1:1-21 we listed some of the losses, changes and trauma that could have discouraged Daniel and his friends (Page 16 - Q2). The gals answered with "the loss of family members and friends through a violent army; taken away from homeland; stripped of their cultural identity because of their three year Babylonian education; names which had been reflective of their one true God changed to reflect the false gods of Nebuchadnezzar".

Yet through all this it is obvious that God has not abandoned them. He is with them as indicated in verse 9 and 17 as He grants them favor through the commander of the officials and grants them great wisdom in their learning. God even grants Daniel the special gift of visions and dreams which would benefit him later in the king's service.

Now, take note below of what spiriutally resilient people like Daniel do:

SPIRITUALLY RESILIENT PEOPLE RESOLVE (page 16-17)

Daniel and his friends resolved (determined) to not defile themselves with the king's food and wine even though it could have cost them their lives. Notice that the way Daniel took his stand against the commander was not of a headstrong or rude nature. It was done with respect and kindness. Daniel does as Paul commands in Ephesians 4:15, "speak the truth in love".

SPIRITUALLY RESILIENT PEOPLE RESPOND (page 18)

Much like our failed New Year's resolutions everything else we resolve to do will not succeed if not followed with a plan of action. Daniel had resolved then he responded with an action plan. By God's good graces the commander fulfilled Daniel's request. Ladies, I encourage you to look at page 19's question and follow through. Ask God what it is He wants you to resolve to do then write down how you will respond - how you will put feet to your resolve.

SPIRITUALLY RESILIENT PEOPLE RELATE

Community is so important when we are going through difficult times. Daniel understood this well as he and his three friends grew together and relied on each during the hard times away from their homeland. What about you? Do you have a friend or two who you can call on when your Babylon comes; friends who can call on you when their walls come crashing down. I encourage to begin building those friendships now. Find ways to keep in touch and offer a growing level of support (question 9) through phone calls, texting, email, snail mail, social media etc. But most importantly move beyond the above mentioned ideas of connecting to face to face contact on a regular basis - where you enjoy the pleasures of life, share the depths or your heart, share God's word and pray together.

SPIRITUALLY RESILIENT PEOPLE REMEMBER

Question 10 asks to recall a time when you knew God's presence was there to get you through a difficult life experience. If you are like many people you find that it is not the "intensity of the suffering that crushed the spirit; it's the meaninglessness of it". Daniel and his friends could not have gotten through their suffering had they not remembered the truths from years past which they learned as young lads - that God had a plan for them and their nation Israel. Keeping their eyes on God's character and truth got them through day by day. We too need to pour over God's scriptures every day, allowing it to seep deep into our minds and hearts so we can "recall" His truth when our Babylon comes; and to look back in our lives when we saw God intervene ever so lovingly in our lives. Then we should faithfully take those stories and relay them to our children and grandchildren so they, like Daniel, can lean on those truths during their difficult days. Do as Asaph did in Psalm 78:2-4

I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—
stories we have heard and known,
stories our ancestors handed down to us.
We will not hide these truths from our children;
we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
about his power and his mighty wonders.

Let me take a moment to welcome our newest Rooted & Grounded Discipleship Groups team member, Shari Chansler. Shari has already added a whole new dimension to our team with her cheery attitude and great ideas, one being our next study, "Discover The New You", which starts January 26th at the TASTE & SEE COFFEE HOUSE at 111 W. Broadway in Stafford, KS. Shari, Carrie, Melanie and I invite you to join us Thursday mornings at 9:00 or Thursday evenings at 7:00. Suggested donation is $7.00 to cover cost of book. To register call 620-234-6856.

Here's a little info about the "Discover The New You" study:
Our lives are like lumps of clay on a potter's wheel. Form, function and beauty appear as God, the Potter, shapes us with His hands. He is in the business of molding our common lives - even the ugly parts - into something wonderful.In Colossians, discover how to place your life into the secure hands of God. If you long to experience newness of life, the study will point the way. If you desire to see God mold and shape your spiritual life, home, workplace, church and relationships, Colossians will teach you the pathway to a whole new you.

So grab a friend and bring her along for a great six week study. Also, check out Chick Flick Night at lovelybranches.org. You'll want to bring her along for that fun January evening as well.

A Promise Made, A Promise Kept

"You've got my word on it.

"Yes, I will be glad to."

"First Thing tomorrow."

"I commit to......"

"I promise."

Words that should carry weight but unfortunately end up hollow if not followed through. We as humans have constant opportunity to "follow through" with commitments and yet we fail in so many ways.

For instance,

do you tell someone you will meet them at a certain day and time and show up as
promised?

do you every day honor and cherish your spouse as stated
in your wedding
vows?

do you reach all those deadlines you set at
work or home?

have you broken any of those new year's resolutions
you made eleven
months ago?

Join the club, sweet sister

Why is it that sometimes our commitments and declarations come up short? One is because integrity of word is not what it use to be. A hand shake with "You have my word on it" was more than enough to trust another person years ago.

Another reason is because, quite frankly, we in our humaness are not capable of following through on every promise and commitment we make. We are fallible human beings. We fail. Yes that's right, we fail. And others fail us as well, be it our loved ones, politicians, business partners and even other Christians. Apart from Christ working in and through us we are incapable of even coming close to living a consistent life of integrity.

In fact, God alone is the only One who always has and always will keep His commitments, his promises, His word. His greatest promise of all was in reference to His Son coming to this earth. He spoke thousands of years ago to the prophets of the Old Testament about the Son who would be the Savior of humankind;

Isaiah 7:14 states (700 years before Christ arrived on the scene)that

"a virgin will be with child and have a son and his name will be
Emmanuel (God with us)."

Matthew 1:18-24 confirms Isaiah words,

This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was
engaged to
be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place,
while she was
still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the
Holy Spirit. Joseph,
her fiance, was a good man and did not want to
disgrace her publicly, so he
decided to break the engagement quietly. As he
considered this, an angel of
the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph,
son of David,” the angel said, “Do
not be afraid to take Mary as your wife.
For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a
son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save
his people from their
sins.” All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s
message through his
prophet: “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She
will give birth to a
son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God
is with us.’ ” When
Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord
commanded and took Mary as
his wife. But he did not have sexual relations
with her until her son was
born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

The prophet Micah in chapter 5:2 tells us (about 750 years before Christ) where the Messiah would be born,

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
are only a small village among all the
people of Judah.
Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you,
one whose
origins are from the distant past.

Once again it is confirmed in Matthew 2 and Luke 2 just as promised.

There are numerous other passages where God spoke through his prophets in the Old Testament and it happened just as promised. If you go to christiananswers.net you will find many different promises made and kept by God of Jesus' coming to earth; His geneology, His miracles, how Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey preceding His death; even details of His death and resurrection are foretold. Amazing!

But what's really interesting to me is that just as the prophets of old promised Jesus' first coming, Jesus then promises us in the New Testament that He is yet again coming back.

After telling his disciples in Matthew 16:24-26, the foolishness of living for the things of this world He tells them in verse 27,

For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and
will judge all people according to their deeds.

And we find many other accounts referencing this "coming of the Lord."

Matthew 24:3, 27, 37, 39; 1 Corinthians 15:23; 1 Thessalonians 2:19; 3:13; 4:15; 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:1, 8, 9; James 5:7, 8; 2 Peter 1:16; 3:4, 12; 1 John 2:28. In fact, all of Matthew 24 is an
interesting read about the signs of return in Jesus' own words.

Do we have any reason to doubt? So far God's track record is 100% accurate. We as humans may have a problem with keeping our word to others 100% of the time but not Him. He can be trusted. So would it not make sense that as we prepare to celebrate Christ's birth this month that we should also look ahead to His return. After all, this is really what advent is - coming or arrival. Jesus came, He went, He's coming again.

As the saying goes, "He said it. I believe it. That settles it." If we have put our faith in Christ as our Lord and Master we truly have something to look forward to. Christ is coming back to fulfill His Father's kingdom purposes. We have His word on it.

I have recently read "Expecting to See Jesus" by Anne Graham Lotz. It is listed as the December Book Recommendation for Lovely Branches Ministries. For more info go to lovelybranchesministries.org.

GOD'S "HOOOGE" LOVE AND GRACE

It's usually the little things that escape our notice. You know those little details, like forgetting to put the salt in a recipe or being one number off on a phone number or putting on a pair of black socks only to find out later in the right (or wrong) light that you are wearing black on one foot and navy on the other. Missing these little details are not detrimental to our existence but can be a frustration and an embarrassment.

There is something else which seems to escape most people's notice, but the interesting thing is that it is not a small thing. It is huge and like those dark socks, we don't see it until the right light is shone upon the matter. It is evidences of God's creation and activity in our lives. I have known Jesus as my Lord and Master for well over thirty years but a few weeks ago on a bright sunshiny day God shone His Perfect Light on truth when He opened my eyes to a greater and grander view of Him in creation and His love and grace for me.

I had been doing my Godquest study by Sean McDowell and Jennifer Dion. In the second signpost about creation the book took a quote from Frank Turek and Norman Geisler’s' I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be An Athiest:

There are 100 billion stars in our galaxy, and the average distance between
those stars is 30 trillion miles. How far is 30 trillion miles? Let’s put it this way: when the Space Shuttke is in orbit it travels at about 17,000 MPH – almost five miles per second. If you could get in the Space Shuttle and speed through space at five miles per second, it would take you 201,450 years to travel 30 trillion miles! In other words, if you had gotten in the Space Shuttle at the time of Christ…you would be only one hundredth of the way there right now.

Wow! God certainly had my attention as He seemed to be saying, "Take note of this", for He had been doing a work in my heart this past summer which so connected with that quote. He had been waking me at very odd, and I might add, very dark hours and leading me to our little backyard courtyard where He was speaking to my heart about "all those stars". I treasure those times of just sitting in the darkness (which was really sitting in the presence of His light). There was such a closeness which I know really came as a result of praising Him for "all those stars" and all His handiwork. I truly do believe the passage that says God "inhabits (enthrones, dwells in) the praise of His people". It was incredible!

But now it was daylight and He was, once again directing me to the sky; a bright, clear, far reaching, blue sky. My mind began to consider such simple thoughts:

There is no end to the sky. It just goes on and on and on. There is such a
vastness. It is so huge.

Now granted, these are truths I already knew but somehow on that particular day at that particular time it was as if God was confirming His "bigness" to me; that He was indeed the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End; that His majesty was so vast, so huge. The thoughts literally made me lift my arms in praise and worship. I was worshipping His vastness. In fact God brought my Little Mav to mind. He is two and a half years old now and has this thing he does where he spreads his arms wide to the sky and declares, (whatever is on His mind at the moment) "........is hoooge!" Be it a hoooge rock Daddy threw in the river or hoooge cookie he is presently enjoying, he is more than expressive in his declaration. Made me chuckle to think I was doing the same thing with my God.

But then it got better. I sensed God taking me deeper still into His greatness when this thought, which I know were really His words, came to my heart,

"This is also the vastness of my great love and grace for all my children. It extends beyond my universe."

Even now, the tears want to flow as I recall it. To look at the vast sky, the literal universe which has no beginning or end; to recognize the smallness of planet earth among many in the
universe; the minuscule creatures we are on this small planet. And yet God's heart speaks from the vastness and says, "This is my love for you and all my children, my vast love and grace.” It was beautifully overwhelming. Especially in light of this truth:

neither you nor I deserve such a vast and unending love.

Consider these two scriptures:

For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens.
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Psalm 57:10

and

God demonstrates his own love toward us that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

God is telling you and me quite frankly, that He loves us with a love as vast as the heavens and His greatest expression of that love came through his Son Jesus at the cross, while we were quite unlovely. Now that ought to knock those mismatched socks right off your pretty little feet. This, sweet sister, is something to be thankful for. This sweet sister, is HOOOGE!

The Greatest Treasure of All

It seems my days of exploration and discovery have more to do with searching for lost keys I just had in my hands or the sunglasses perched atop my head. I often wonder if I'm in the midst of a blonde joke or having a senior moment. I really don't want to explore the possibility of either one. I'm afraid of what I may discover ;0)

Now that I'm a grandmother, watching my three grandchildren exploring their little world is a blessed time of discovery for me as much as for themselves. At the ages of 9 months, 1 year and 2 years, their world of discovery is new every day. What adventures, whether it is discovering their little fingers moving for the first time, that puppies' tongues tickle when they eat a treat out of your hand or that a big cardboard box makes a great hiding place. Those first time discoveries bring such delight to their hearts and faces. As that watching, reflective, thankful grandma their discoveries also bring great delight to my heart, which obviously results in a smile on my face as well.

I believe, like my grandchildren, we all (young and older) were created to explore and discover, for this is how we learn about the world God has placed us in. And I believe He delights in seeing us make much in our exploration of Him. In fact He beckons us to seek Him all throughout the scriptures. In Romans 1:19-20 He has even set in our hearts the first clue when He says,

[Humankind] knows the truth about God because He has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made they can clearly see His invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature. NLT

God has placed within each of us human beings an understanding that there is someone bigger than ourselves, even if we truly don't understand or fully know Him yet. It is a clue of sorts that begins us on a journey to know the Supreme Being known as God Almighty. The rest of verse 20 says man is "without excuse" in acknowledging God because the clues are all around us. Even in the next verse it says,

Yes, they knew of God but they wouldn't worship Him as God or even give Him thanks.

Oh my goodness! Talk about turning down the most incredible treasure hunt. The very God who made the universe, hangs the stars in the sky, keeps blood pumping through the veins of our incredible bodies is saying,

"Here I am. Search Me out. Discover Me."

Yet many refuse. That's absolutely craziness!

I say at least give it a try. Pick up God's treasure map we know as the Bible. Take Him at His word as you read the most famous of "seeking" verses of the Bible:

Seek Me with all your heart and you will find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

Make knowing Him your greatest pursuit and you might just find more than that phone number you've been tearing the house apart to find or that bill which needed to be paid yesterday. I guarantee if you search for Him you will find Him and it will truly be the greatest treasure you have ever found.

The Way of Peace

WAY - just a small three letter word but packed with so much meaning.

I found myself in Psalm 119 the other day. Yes, the one that has been given the title "the longest chapter in the Bible". Yes, the one which challenges us over and over and over again to follow God's commandments, precepts, statutes, etc. In fact that is what has always been what I focused on in reading this psalm in the past but this time the itty bitty word "way" kept popping up.

Phrases like:

I have chosen the faithful way (v30),

I shall run the way of your commandments (v32);

Revive me in your ways (v37)

Made me consider that my life is a journey and God has a chosen (or purposed) way for me on that journey. He has a "chosen way" for all His children, eternity wise, to live with Him forever but He also has "chosen ways" for us while on this earth - in our relationships, in our schedules, with our money, time, etc.

Verses which came to mind were Psalm 32:8 (a foundational verse for Lovely Branches Ministries) :

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.

Who is the man who fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way He should choose. Psalm 24:12

Search me O God and know my heart, try me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there be any hurtful way in me and lead me in the everlasting way. Psalm 139:23-24

Harper's Bible Dictionary, in defining the use of "way", states:

The literal meaning of ‘path,’ ‘road,’ or ‘journey’ evolved into more figurative usages to describe ‘natural’ patterns of behavior observed in the world, God’s patterns of activity, or human lifestyles. The most important usage centered in the meaning that related to human behavior and whether this behavior was in agreement with God’s plans and purposes.

Did you get that last part? Let's read it again. The most important usage centered in the meaning that related to human behavior and whether this behavior was in agreement with God’s plans and purposes.

Made me wonder, "Is my behavior in agreement with God's plans and purposes?" Are the ways I handle all my relationships, my schedule, my money, etc. always in agreement with God's plans and purposes? This is where conviction set in. You know, that gnawing feeling that God is saying you have some things to set straight with Him.

Isaiah 30:21 quickly came to mind so I turned there

Your ears will hear a word behind you, "this is the way, walk in it", whenever you turn to the right or to the left.

Even though I fail so often, my heart's cry is to hear God's voice, to walk in His will, to please Him in all respects. I knew He was telling me to listen more closely to His voice and then obey when he speaks. And as I read back through the context of chapter 30 He stopped me at verse 15,

For thus the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said, In repentance and rest you shall be saved, in quietness and trust is your strength. But you were not willing.

I found that what God was very quickly telling me in this whole lesson on His "chosen way" for me was that for way too long I had been doing many things my way. I had not listened to Him and followed His lead in several areas in the journey He had purposed for me. This was more than painful, getting this loving reproof from my Lord. Yet it was also a blessing because He showed me that in choosing His ways instead of mine in regards to every area of my life there would be a corresponding peace. As I repented of my ways (turned from them) and rested in His perfect way (trusted Him) I found more peace in every area in which I had been struggling.

I know it will take a daily willingness on my part to allow God His way in every area of my life. To truly engage my heart to listen to His voice as His word guides me. Then actively follow His leading. In fact I have already wandered from the path and yet He lovingly once again said, "This is the way, walk in it." and graciously got me back on course. And once again I am resting in Him and feeling the peace He intended for me from the start.

Makes me wonder, why in the world do I stray in the first place, when peace is so attainable by simply resting in God's ways.

Friendship

A sweet friend of mine gave me a gift and I love it. So, I put it up on my mantel where it ties in wonderfully with my living room decor. But more importantly it reminds me of something very important: what friendship is supposed to be. You see, it is a really cool metal and wood plaque with an actual definition of friendship painted on it. So here's the definition:

Friendship - having companionship with one or more people, staying attached because of your affection for each other, and providing a strong support system for each other. Isn't that a good one?

What hits me from that definition first is the phrase "staying attached." That can be difficult to do in today's world. Isn't it easy to let go of attachments due to busy schedules, to-do lists, conflicts and general fatigue? What does it take to actually stay attached? T-i-m-e. There has to be real connection. We need to connect with our friends and I mean much more than "connecting" with Facebook "Friends."

The same sweet friend who gave me the gift on my mantel has been gone a lot this summer paired with a busy schedule for me, and so we have not had any time together in months. We carved out a couple of hours this week and neither of us wanted to leave, it felt so good to laugh and talk and REALLY connect. To look into the face of a friend and see her smiling back at me or asking for advice or knowing enough about me to understand my "issues" is really a gift. Because she gave that gift of time to me, I knew I was important enough in her life to stay connected and attached and that feels so good!

For a battery to make contact, sometimes some corrosion must be scraped off. That happens in friendships as well, as conflicts or miscommunications take their toll. We must deal with these in love and honesty choosing to stay attached instead of scrapping a friendship to avoid the issue. Fight for those friendships, girls! They are worth saving!

The second thing about that definition that strikes me is the phrase "providing a strong support system." When was the last time I supported one of my friends strongly, making sure I was there for her in a time of need regardless of what it cost me? Our friends need to know what we are there for them, care enough to realize what is impacting their lives, and will walk with them through it. That is friendship building material right there!

There are times that friendships will be costly in time, money, prayer, shopping therapy, etc. Consider John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." Jesus laid down his life for us, I shouldn't balk at laying down my Sunday afternoon nap! I think Luke 6:38 is applicable here too when it says, "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." What measure have you been using in supporting your sister-friends?

So, get out a piece of paper and list your friends. With whom do you have a real attachment? Who forms your support system and to whom do you offer support? Where is there some conflict that needs to be resolved? With whom would you like to form a greater attachment? It will involve t-i-m-e, so pray for discernment and wisdom and for a deeper love for your friends.

Written by Carrie