Summer 2011 Bible Study: Week 2 Day 1

Well, yesterday was a good day. I held onto His Word and my heart hurt was healed, or at least more so than it was hurt. I cannot get over just how good He is to me. I cannot get over the fact that He deeply cares for our every need. He gives us permission to wail, grieve, and cry out to Him. I love that I can bring the most tender hurts to His feet in open honesty and watch Him bring healing. I love it when He exchanges our brokenheartedness for freedom, I love that He releases us from the darkness of despair, I cannot praise Him enough for the comfort He provides in the most exhausting moments, I love more than anything that He takes the secrets I have burned to ash and traded then for everlasting, breathtaking beauty.

I know that we are all dealing with our own hurts, frustrations, stress and battles that seem never ending. I know that we all have junk that seems overwhelming. But, one thing that I can testify to, is that His Word is healing. His Word is refreshing. His Word is LIFEGIVING. Hold on to the Word, it will not lead you astray. It will bring peace. It will reveal love and it will lead you to Him.

So, here we are, on the first day of our second week, ready to dive in? I am! I can’t wait to look into the rest of the Beatitudes and see what He has in store for us!

Lord, Your mercy is wonderful, Your peace if precious to me and Your love heals me. Thank You for meeting me where I am at and loving me when no one else does. Thank You for continually pursuing me. I praise You for Your Word and the truth it holds. Reveal it to me. Amen

We are going to continue to look at each beatitude individually, then we are going to look at an Old Testament connection and then we are going to look at the Lord’s reward for those who love Him mentioned within each beatitude, and finally we are going to look at the Word for help on how to develop each beatitude into a personal attitude. So, here we go…

Alright, we left off yesterday in Matthew 5.

Turn with me to Matthew 5:6

Read Matthew 5:6 carefully.

For the Old Testament Connection: Turn with me to Isaiah 11:4-5 and Turn with me to Isaiah 42.1-4

I love that Isaiah 42:1-4 talks about our Sweet Jesus as the chosen servant who reveals characteristics of gentleness, encouragement, justice and truth. Those are the very things I want to be filled with. Those are the very things that sum up righteousness to me. And those are the very things my Sweet Jesus promises to give. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel empty, unsatisfied with where I am at, where my relationships are at or what my life looks like at this particular time. Sometimes I find myself craving satisfaction and fulfillment more than chocolate!

The Lord’s reward: Fulfillment and Satisfaction

Personal Attitude Application: Turn with me to Philippians 3:7-11- spend some time reading over these words.

We, my husband and I are in a place of change, and one of the things that is going to change within the next year is where we live. We will be moving out of our very first home. The Lord has been good to us and we will be here a little longer, but change is coming and for me, change is hard. But more than a new house, with a yard and a dog, I want to know Sweet Jesus. More than the excitement of re-decorating a new place and dreaming of what our new home will be like, I want to dream about Jesus. I want to focus on Him. I want to be fulfilled, right where I am, with Him as my source of fulfillment.

Read Matthew 5:7 carefully

For the Old Testament Connection: I adore the Psalms! Spend some time looking at the following Psalms.

Psalm 4:1

Psalm 6:1-10

Psalm 9:13-14

Psalm 28:1-9

Psalm 40:11-12

The Lord’s reward: MERCY!

Personal Attitude Application: Turn with me to Ephesians 5:1-2

Imitate the mercy giver. It is often harder to do that than it is to say we will do it. Show mercy to those who hurt our hearts. Show mercy to those who disappoint. Mercy and forgiveness often go hand in hand, in my opinion.

Read Matthew 5:8 carefully

For the Old Testament Connection: Read Psalm 51:10

This is often a daily prayer of mine. I am often asking for a renewed spirit and a clean heart. I am often asking for the Lord to remove anything that is not of Him.

The Lord’s reward: He will SHOW UP! He will make Himself known!

Personal Attitude Application: Turn with me to 1^st John 3:1-3

I often beg the Lord to bless me with the ability to wrap myself worth up in His love for me, rather than in the image I see in the mirror or the clothes I wear or the friends I have or don’t have or the number of friends I have on Facebook. Knowing that I am His child and He is my Father, means that I am His family and that cannot be undone. In my goal to be more and more like my Sweet Jesus, I often forget that we, Him and I, come from the same family. We have the same Father and I want to see my Daddy. I want my Daddy to show up and make Himself known in my life, in my house, in my car, in my thoughts, in my words and in my actions.

Read Matthew 5:9 carefully

For the Old Testament Connection: Read Isaiah 60:17

I often find myself wanting to keep the peace among the people I am around. I like conflict, but only with certain people. Only with the people I know I am safe with. May my Sweet Jesus make peace my governor and righteousness my ruler. Oh, please, shower me with peace, so I might be peaceful in un-peaceful places, so I might spread peace among the un-peaceful people in my life and so that I might know the peace that passes all human understanding a little bit more.

The Lord’s reward: To be called sons or daughters of God.

Personal Attitude Application: Turn with me to 1^st John 3:1-3

Just in case I didn’t say it well enough the first time; I often beg the Lord to bless me with the ability to wrap myself worth up in His love for me, rather than in the image I see in the mirror or the clothes I wear or the friends I have or don’t have or the number of friends I have on Facebook. Knowing that I am His child and He is my Father, means that I am His family and that cannot be undone. In my goal to be more and more like my Sweet Jesus, I often forget that we, Him and I, come from the same family. We have the same Father and I want to see my Daddy. I want my Daddy to show up and make Himself known in my life, in my house, in my car, in my thoughts, in my words and in my actions.

Read Matthew 5:10 carefully

For the Old Testament Connection: Read Psalm 40 and 140

This is a well worn pages in my Bible. I have read over these words thousands of times. I have begged the Lord to rescue me from the slimy pits I fall into, get pushed into, wake up in, jump into or just flat out have been in forever. I have asked Him to rescue me from persecution over and over again. I have asked him to deliver me from those who have hunted me down and fought for my demise. I adore these two Psalms. I have written in the margins, I have circles words, I have underlined and highlighted more and more.

The Lord’s reward: His Kingdom

Personal Attitude Application: Turn with me to 2^nd Timothy 3:12-15

I am always surprised when it comes, and the Word clearly says persecution will happen. We are told in John 15:18-19 that Jesus once said “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first…” So why does it hurt so badly when it happens? Because our hearts are made of flesh and when they hurt, we have the opportunity to run to Him and seek comfort. The promise remains; the Kingdom of God is ours, for keeps.

I can only pray that you are as encouraged by His word as I am. I pray that you feel loved, cared for and adored by the promises we have in Him. Nothing can separate us from Him, no man, no friend, no BFF, no mother, father, sister or brother. He is ours and we are His.

I am so glad He brought the Beatitudes to our attention. Please leave a comment and let us know which one we have studied over the past two days means the most to you and why. I adore our time together. I pray over you often and I cannot wait to see where the Lord leads us this week.

See you tomorrow!

Lord, You are good, Your mercy endures forever. I worship You. I praise You for your kindness leads me to redemption and I pray that everything that comes my way will lead me to Your feet. Thank You for Your word and Your promises. I pray that I may hold them near and hide them in my heart so that I will never forget them. Amen.