Our Next Bible
Study
Philippians
Chapter 3
Joshua Chapters
15
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Prayer Requests:
Geraldine, Lil, Brian, Aiden, Dave, Elroy, Winslow,
Pauline, Shelia, Brad, Mike, Frosteen, Phil and Kathy, Marsha, Grace, Adrian,
Hans and Erin, Matt and Julie, military personnel, unemployed, Chris, children
with cancer, unsaved, Melinda & Barry and family, Ryan, Nick and Rachel, Tammy,
children with birth defects and their families, our Bible Study, special
unspoken needs, and remember me, Brenda Hendricks.
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Praise Report:
God is sending workers to the field. Through faithful servants, many are
learning more about Christ and in turn, are telling others.
A testimony of God's faithfulness as we step out in
obedience to honor Him by bringing His Hope, Joy , Peace, Protection, Provision
and Comfort to our troops through His Holy Word so that they may be saved. May
they know Him and make Him known in Jesus Blessed Holy Name I pray...Amen!
Hallelujah!
When fretting because my prayers seemed to go no further than the ceiling, I
received this answer from my Father:
"There's no need for your prayers
to go any further than your tearstained pillow. I am here with you. I don't
expect you to ascend to me any more than a father expects his infant to jump
into his arms. I have loved you with an everlasting love and with loving
kindness I have drawn you.”
(Jeremiah 33:3 paraphrased)
WOO HOO!!
God is so good—always, all ways.
We are looking forward
to your praise reports. Please keep us informed so we can share the wonderful
grace of Jesus.
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For
previous lessons on Joy and
previous Bible studies, please visit our
archives
May God grant you safety, reassurance of
His love, and the revelation of Jesus Christ,
Brenda Hendricks
To
offset the record-breaking temperatures this summer, my husband
faithfully watered our potted tomato plants twice a day. The plants grew
tall, bursting with fruit. Recently, I opened the back door to discover
the plants drooped and shriveled. I felt heart-sick at the thought of
losing the harvest before we even got one ripe tomato. I considered
watering them. But it was noon, and the thermometer read over
one-hundred degrees. I had heard that watering plants when the sun beat
directly on them could be harmful. I wasn’t sure if that was true, so I
decided to wait a couple of hours until the plants were well shaded. By
that time, Gene was home from work, looked at the tomato stalks, and
watered them. About ten minutes later, he came into my office and
beckoned me to follow him. Ah! The plants perked up at the fresh supply
of water.
Water is a basic necessity of life. No place on earth demonstrates this
more than a desert. Little life exists in such arid climates. When
Achsah, Caleb’s daughter, married, she found herself in the Negeb desert
(Joshua 15:16-19). Achsah recognized the need of her family and boldly
approached her husband. In that culture, women were merely possessions
and seldom spoke so frankly to a man. However, Achsah requested
permission to ask her father for a gift, a field with springs of water.
Obviously if the only land owned by Achsah and her husband was desert,
they would have had great difficulty supplying the needs of their
family. She was practical in her request, asking in accordance to the
law. Caleb not only gave her a field with water, he gave her a sloping
field with upper and lower springs.
Lessons from Achsah:
1.
At
times asking takes courage. At times, it takes humility. But it always
takes expectation and faith. What’s the point in asking, if you think
you’ll be denied your request? Achsah had courage to ask and faith that
her father would meet her need. Jesus said,
For everyone who asks and keeps on asking
receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who
knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened. (Luke
11:10).
2.
To
receive the request, we must ask the one who can supply the need.
Knowing I have two tomato stalks on my deck, you could ask me for a
bushel of ripe tomatoes. We could have a good laugh, and then take a
trip to the local farmer to supply your need. Achsah first went to her
husband, then to her father. James reminds us that we often live without
because we don’t humble ourselves to ask the One who can grant our
requests. You want something but don't get it.
You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and
fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.
(James 4:2 AMP).
3.
In
making a request, it’s essential that we ask specifically for a true
need and not a desire with the correct motivation.
[Or] you do ask [God for them] and yet fail to receive, because you ask
with wrong purpose and evil, selfish motives. Your intention is [when
you get what you desire] to spend it in sensual pleasures.
(James 4:3
AMP)
4.
When we
approach the throne of God boldly, we receive more than we can ever hope
or dream. As Caleb gave a parcel of land to Achsah that more than met
her request, God answers our prayers with more than we can ever imagine.
Achsah could have asked for a cup of water to refresh herself. Or she
could have asked for her donkey to be permitted to drink from the
trough. Or she could have requested barrels of water to be delivered to
her tent. All of which would have met a personal need. However, she saw
beyond the moment, and beyond herself and asked for the greater
need—springs of water that would not run dry.
Similar to Achsah living in the arid land of Negeb, many people,
nonbelievers as well as believers, reside in spiritual dryness. But
there is One who is able to supply more than our present need. Jesus
told the woman at the well,
But
whoever takes a drink of the water that I will give him shall never, no
never, be thirsty any more. But the water that I will give him shall
become a spring of water welling up (flowing, bubbling) [continually]
within him unto (into, for) eternal life.
(John 4:14
AMP) During His earthly ministry, Jesus continuously pleaded with His
audience to drink freely from Him and receive eternal life. (See John
6:56 and 7:37.)
There are
numerous books printed every year that offer comfort to the thirsty
soul. It only takes a few minutes to read titles in a bookstore to see
that every religion claims to have the answer to lasting happiness and
peace of mind, which tells us that people are craving refreshment and
hungering for truth. While all these spiritual guides offer comfort and
rest for the parched soul and many seem very similar to Christianity,
only One truly quenches and relieves the yearnings of the spirit for
eternity. Reread John 4:14. Jesus Christ alone qualifies to open the
fountain of Living Water to us.
The
elements of this water – wisdom, joy, peace, love – sustain our souls as
long as we continue in Him. Not only that, we become channels for this
Living Water to flow with blessing for others to enjoy.
Paul
perceived the goodness of Christ as something for which we should desire
to sacrifice all we own. Nothing in or of this world can compare to the
treasures we hold in Jesus Christ.
Yes,
furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the possession of
the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing
worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of
progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him
[of perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and
clearly]. For His sake I have lost everything and consider it all to be
mere rubbish (refuse, dregs), in order that I may win (gain) Christ (the
Anointed One).
(Philippians 3:8 AMP) After he drank from Christ, the springs of Living
Water poured from Paul as he boldly proclaimed the gospel to everyone he
met. Although they imprisoned him and eventually martyred the apostle,
he was virtually unstoppable. His voice continues to this day through
his letters to the early churches.
Those of
us who claim Jesus as our personal Savior, Redeemer, and LORD
have an obligation to continue the flow of Living Water through our
testimonies and our lives.
Prayer:
Father God, as our physical bodies are incapable of existence without
water, so our spirits shall perish without Jesus Christ. Thank You for
supplying the Living Water, my fountain of strength and joy that springs
up, bubbles over in my soul. Show me ways I can share the blessings with
those whom You send for refreshment. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
