Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Photobucket An Example....

Below is an example of how devotional reading of the Word, the quickening of the Holy Spirit, my tryst journal and worshiping God with my mind, all work together in my life. Many fear that doing word studies will somehow make their walk with God dry or intellectual....I hear this in my workshops. I thought it would be helpful to show you how it worked on one a.m. in my tryst.

I try to read a Proverbs a day. This is devotional; not an in-depth study. I sometimes focus on one topic a month...currently I'm simply reading.

Proverbs 28:13 , "He who concelas his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion."

I grabbed my journal and jotted the verse in the Proverbs section of my tryst journal. I knew from past word studies that "sin" is translated into at least three Hebrew words and each means something a bit different. I knew that "transgression" meant rebelling against the standard.

Holy Spirit Zinger - "De'Etta have you been rebelling against my standard in your life?" OUCH. I haven't been changing to keep up with a relationship as fast as I should. God has given me some clear instructions and I am TRYING but I keep "falling" right off the wagon....and really it is a case of rebellion. My standard is the "golden rule" - well do unto others as they've done unto you? ::snort:: In a book I read a few months ago the Aurora Colony lived by the "diamond rule" - making others' lives better even at your own expense. God has told me to quit defending my rights. Phil 2:3-8 - I'm to look out for others and be concerned for their welfare, more than I'm concerned about my rights.

This thought led to me flipping to a prayer page in the tryst journal. You don't need to know my specific prayer....and confessions.

Then my "mind" took over (though I believe that is intertwined with the Holy Spirit at this point) and I thought, "well I shouldn't cover or hide my rebellion...there's a list here." I should confess, forsake and then find compassion. "

I did a few quick word studies. These notes went in my reading page of the tryst journal (and I've learned to jot the date and section of other spots in the journal that relate to the same passage - my own "chain")

confess - #3034 yadah - acknowledging what is right about God and what is not right about myself and my sin.

You need to know that in the past few months the Holy Spirit has clearly dropped into my spirit on this one issue over and over the phrase "don't go there". Mainly I want to go to a place where I can bathe in self-pity and feel sorry for myself. It's rebelling against His clear standard.

forsake - #5800 leave, abandon, go to a new location (don't go THERE), ONLY ONCE but in Nehemiah this word is used to mean restore/repair This means that the most common use of the word is leave....abandon...go to a new location....but it isn't beyond imagination that it includes the concept of restoration and repair

compassion - #7355 compassion - mercy, the word pictures a deep kindly sympathy and sorrow for another who has been struck with an affliction or misfortune - and a desire to relieve the suffering

I need this. God offers this...if I confess and forsake my rebellion. Hmmm.....wonder what prosper means. I KNOW what prosper means. Well, I have the tools here....maybe I should check.

prosper - #6743 - made mighty and powerful through the Holy Spirit's presence, victorious, a successful person.

Wow - there was more there than I thought.

So what? Does it matter? Why spend all this time doing this? Because God pressed me to understand this verse deeply. That it would help me in my goal to be a victorious, powerful, mighty person due to His infilling presence.

It's time to take the definitions back to the verse. This is what it spoke to me this a.m.

Rather than covering or hiding my rebellion agasint God's standard, which will lead to me not prospering, not being the victorious Spirit-walking person I desire to be - I must acknowledge what is right about God's standard and what is wrong about my actions, I must leave my action; go to a new location, restore and repair what I can and THEN I will find compassion and mercy. God is one who sympathizes with my affliction and has a desire to relieve my suffering. He may even send other Christians to do the same.

Then I realized this had applications in my parenting....not just in my own struggle with rebellion against the standard.

*A child who rebels against God and/or his family's standard won't be victorious/mighty/successful

When he/she rebels I must lead him/her to

~acknowldege what is right about God's/family's standard

~abandon the place he is in and restore and repair what he can of the mess his rebellion has caused. Help him go to a new location.

~That child will then find from God compassion and mercy. *I* MUST be sure to extend cmpassion, mercy and sympathy for his plight...and I must pray that I am filled with, and communicate with the child, a desire to relieve his suffering.

It's not a formula....but it is an easy process of principles for me to remember.

Oh, I also added the verse to the Memorize section of the tryst journal.

It mattered a lot in my personal struggle. It also mattered in my parenting today. You may find it hard to believe but I had opportunity to help a child acknowledge his rebellion against God and family standards.....I was able to explain that he needed to go a new direction....and I was sure to remember to show compassion and mercy.

It all works together to help me on the path to being transformed into His image......Mark 12:30, 31...I worshipped God this a.m. with my heart, soul, mind and strength...and I loved a child exactly in the same way I had been loved earlier in the day. It doesn't have to be one or the other...emotionalism or legalism....it can be balanced....as we worship God as He calls us to - with all that He has given us.

I didn't make it to the gym this a.m. That is FINE - this was more beneficial.

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©2008 D.R.G.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Diamond Rule.
That is brilliant.
Is that not what the Lord of the Universe did for us? Loved us at His own expense?
Much more to the heart of God's love for us spilling out to others. I am going to bring this idea up with my kids tonight as we read our devotional book.
Thanks for your thought on this and sharing your own struggles with obedience to God in all areas.
Tina

Jen said...

Thanks for the example.