Praise & Back on Track

by Jodi @ God Still Speaks 10:53 AM 1 comments Application Bible Study Church Galatians Glory Stories Preacher Testimony

Praise

I have a big praise today!  I've mentioned a few times I have some things that have been burdening me lately.  Despite praying diligently and searching God's word, I hadn't been able to find any peace.  I enlisted several prayer warriors and all of you to lift this burden to the Lord.  Things improved, but I still was facing fear and anxiety on a daily basis.  By Sunday, I no longer wanted to live in fear and anxiety the way I had been.  During the invitation (traditionally this is the time of prayer following a sermon where the pastor invites people to come up front) I went and spoke to our pastor. I let him know my burden and asked him to share this prayer need with our church family.  One of my prayer warriors' family had a prayer need too (if it weren't for her I probably wouldn't have had the strength to stand up there on my own; my legs were shaking so badly).

Our pastor explained the needs to our church family who literally laid hands on us in prayer.  I cried a lot and my eyes were so full of tears I could only pick out a few faces and a few voices, but in that moment I knew I was no longer carrying this burden alone.  I now had my entire church family behind in me prayer and when the Calvary family prays over something, let me tell you, they move mountains. I've seen it happen time and time again.  Sunday was busy so I didn't really have time to feel fear or anxiety beyond what I'd felt that morning.  Monday was a whole new day....  I went through my entire day and didn't have and ounce of fear or anxiety.  My heart was leaping for joy (my body would have if I'd had the energy, lol).  Today has been more of the same and I'm so happy that I'm finally feeling free from that particular burden.  A community seeking Christ on your behalf, that's powerful stuff.  I'm so thankful and humbled by my Calvary family.  I thank God for them!

Coming Soon

If you've read my blog for a while, you know that I am friends with, and avid reader of, several other bloggers.  I was approached by one of them this week and as she explained her vision for a special feature/joint venture I got more and more excited over it!  We are working out the design and approach for our special feature, but keep an eye out because it'll be here soon. I think you're going to love it!

Galatians 4

Of course, in the midst of fear and anxiety I was so consumed that I fell behind on my posts.  The devil has a way of doing that - he'll pull you away from the things that keep you connected to God; like my bible reading and blogging.  Shame on the devil and shame on me for letting him get that much grasp over me.  I'm thankful for the reminder in Lamentations 3:22-24 The Lord's unfailing love and mercy still continue, Fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise, The Lord is all I have, and so in him I put my hope.  I'm so thankful for new mercies each morning and I put my hope in the Lord and his unfailing love!  With this new day I am getting back into my bible.  Even though I didn't blog, many days I still get into my bible one way or another.  Sometimes I knew my day was ending and I hadn't read so I opened my Bible app and read.   I've made a commitment to read the word daily and I'm working diligently to fulfill that promise!

I am also a woman of my word and I said I was going to blog through Galatians - so let's pick up where we left off....

I really like the last half of Galatians 4 because Paul uses an example that I never noticed before.  I've heard it, but until recently it didn't really hit home.  The phrase my husband uses is "No impact... no idea."  That's kind of how Galatians 4: 21-31 was for me until God illuminated this portion of scripture for me through the Holy Spirit.  I'll include my thoughts with the verses to follow so that I (hopefully) don't run off on too many tangents!

The Example of Hagar and Sarah

21 Let me ask those of you who want to be subject to the Law: do you not hear what the Law says? 22 It says that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman, the other by a free woman. 23 His son by the slave woman was born in the usual way, but his son by the free woman was born as a result of God's promise.

Remember that God promised Abraham numerous children but as he and Sarah were unable to conceive, they tried taking matters into their own hands; that was when Abraham conceived with his slave Hagar. 

24 These things can be understood as a figure: the two women represent two covenants. The one whose children are born in slavery is Hagar, and she represents the covenant made at Mounts Sinai.
The covenant here is where the Jews would be righteous with God so long as they obeyed Jewish law (circumcision, sacrifices, etc.). 

25 Hagar, who stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia, is a figure of the present city of Jerusalem, in slavery with all this people.
The Jewish people were a slave to the law, they didn't have a choice but to do what the law commanded or face certain death and eternity separated from God. 

26 But the heavenly Jerusalem is free and, and she is our mother. 27 For the scripture says, "Be happy, you childless woman! Shout and cry with joy, you who never felt the pains of childbirth for the woman who was deserted will have more children than the woman who's husband never left her." 28 Now, you, my friends, are God's children as a result of this promise, just as Isaac was.
The whole point here is because Jesus died on the cross according to God's promise to send a Savior, we are made righteous with God. We are no longer slaves to Jewish law because Jesus is the only way to become righteous in God's eyes. 

29 At that time the son who was born in the usual way persecuted the one who was born because of God's Spirit; and it is the same now. 30 But what does the scripture say? It says, "Send the slave woman and her son away; for the son of the slave woman will not have part of the father's property along with the son of the free woman." 31 So then, my friends, we are not the children of a slave woman but of a free woman.
Christians are persecuted all over the world. Not so much in the United States, but the persecution still exists to some degree. What gives great hope here is that when we face our judgement, the children of the slave woman will be sent away because they cannot partake in the inheritance that is heaven. However, because we are adopted as sons and daughters of God through Christ, we are free and will receive the inheritance in heaven. Thank God for that gift!!

This passage really spoke to me as well because I was a slave these last few weeks to the fear and anxiety I was feeling.  I could not control it, it controlled me completely.  It has only been through the power of Christ strengthening me that I have been able to overcome it.  You can also look at it this way - Hagar's child was born out of sin and outside of the promise of God. The devil works hard to get us to act outside of the will of God and ignore his promises to us.  Why?  Because that way he will keep us in bondage and separated from our great big God.  Marinate on that one for a while.....

What is the other highlighted section from this chapter?

That is Galatians 4:6-7 and it reads:
To show that you are his children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who cries out, "Father, my Father."  So then, you are no longer a slave but a child.  And since you are his child, God will give you all that he has for his children.