A Couple Of Wednesday Nights

I must say that there are things that are understood by hearing, then truly learned only after the lesson is taught by happenstance rather than listening.  I know that sounds very convoluted; as if it is folded upon itself like an Aunt Annie's Pretzel, but I have a point. (I always do!) Last week, Monday and Tuesday to be precise, I had a few lessons learned.  These lessons were not huge in the grand scheme of life, but rather huge in mine.  For that reason I felt terrible, sought forgiveness, then felt guilt.  Guilt as it is, is a trick once fogiveness has been sought.  (God will always forgive if you seek Him and ask Him for it. - 1 John 1:9)

So here are the past two Wednesday's worth of Bible studies and how, they, coupled with what God has spoken to me, in His still small voice, have taught me.

Have you ever asked for forgiveness and then wondered after doing so if you were truly forgiven?  Well, guilt, a trick of the Devil, will do that to you.  So here I was asking God repeatedly how do I "know" that he has forgiven me; then, the next song on the radio was "Who Am I."  Yes, folks, this was God telling me that He, and only He, can forgive sins and that my guilt is not from Him. (1 John 1:9)

That night at Bible study we learned about the difference between picking up our cross (carrying a burden) and a thorn.  We have all heard time and again we need to pick up our cross and follow the Lord, but if you are anything like me, and I shutter at the thought, then you have wondered what that really meant.  Well, here, my dear friend is what it meant. 

• A burden  - those things that you chose to do (i.e. doing the right thing and not the popular thing)
• A thorn - those things that happen to you that are out of your control.

Now, they are VERY MUCH SO RELATED!  You can carry a burden due to a thorn.  What is meant by this?  Well, for instance, say, your husband gets laid off from work - you can't control that, BUT you can control how you spend your money and make sure to meet all of your financial obligations and still tithe.  OR if that doesn't work for  you - how about this - you are surrounded by people who are constantly negative, rude, and inconsiderate.  You can't control their behavior, but you can chose to treat them with kindness and respect.

Now on to the Bible study for this week.  We discussed listening/hearing God.  See how these are inter-related?  We learned that you can't hear God if you don't have an open mind or if your mind is preoccupied with something else.  I suffer from this.  I am a multi-tasker's multi-tasker.  I have so many things going on all at once that I can never seem to shut myself off.  This is a problem.  I can't hear the still small voice when all I do is keep going a 100 miles an hour, mentally speaking of course.  Just remember the 5 W's!

• Who - everyone can hear God - if they tune into Him and listen
• What - the still small voice
• When - any time
• Why - He has something to say to each of us - after all that is why He created us all - for a relationship with Him!
• Where - anywhere and everywhere

So what I have learned is that he never leaves me, I turn from Him; and it only took me a couple of Wednesday nights to be retaught this lesson!