I was again blessed last night at Bible study. Last week's lessons were entitled "Beauty from Ashes". The key verse was Isaiah 61:3---"And provide for those who grieve in Zion--to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor."
The lessons from the week dealt with four dreams girls have: to be a bride, to be beautiful, to be fruitful, and to live happily ever after. I know these are dreams I had. In the lessons she applied them to being a child of God and being His bride. She also talked about the demoralization of women in our society and believes our "society is tending toward a frightening reduction of emotions." I totally agree. Too many times we're told in society to deal with it, get over, move on. We need to get these feelings out though to be emotionally healthy.
The video lesson was again wonderful, and we all seem to be amazed each week on the truth Beth Moore will bring to life through God's World. Let me share with you some points she makes in her study on making beauty from ashes.
We will have trials. That is a given. We need to ask ourselves what is God trying to teach us or show us through this trial. How is this trial making me more like Him? We can have different responses to the trials: either accept it and learn from it or refuse to learn from it and rebel. When going through trials, we need to remember God has a purpose and wants to use this to make us better, more like Him and let it be for His glory. We need to let Him work and turn the trial into something beautiful. Let Him turn our ashes into beauty.
It was interesting to me to read the various references to the refiner's fire in the Word. I think I'll do a study on this sometime.
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"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." I Peter 1:3--7
4 comments:
This post reminds me of a beautiful song by Kathryn Scott: At the Foot of the Cross.
http://www.lyricsandsongs.com/song/662012.html
It's lovely.
I think Beth Moore has a lot of great things to say and I hope to do another of her studies soon. Thanks for sharing this one with us.
It sounds like a great Bible Study. I have never done a Beth Moore study, but hope to one day. I've heard so many good things about her.
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