He Speaks to Me

I've been participating in a women's Bible study at church, and let me tell you, friends, it is in-tense. I've commented before that I don't believe we were moved to this new church by chance or on accident, and access to this study is yet another thing that solidifies my perception of intention. As our curriculum, we're using both a video series and the He Speaks to Me member guide by Priscilla Shirer. The focus of the study is preparing -- or positioning myself -- to hear God's voice.

Shirer is a preacher's kid, a wife, and a mother of two young children. She's also a graduate of Dallas Baptist Seminary with a degree in Biblical Studies. She approaches her students gently by writing in a fashion that's unintimidating and easy to process. In light of that, she teaches in an expositive way: breaking the scriptures down, taking them back to their origin, explaining them completely, and applying them fully -- in essence, handing the reader chunk after delicious chunk of spiritual meat.

I began participating in the study for totally selfish reasons. We're new to this church, and the way you become not-so-new and a church becomes home is to get involved. This study was one of the things I signed up for right away. While the topic seemed interesting, I had no idea it would be so life changing. After all, God guides my every step, and I hear His voice, so what more do I need to learn about that?

Evidently, I -- the smug one -- have a great deal to learn. Through the first half of this study, I have been pressed to trek all over the Bible, and have seen connections in scripture I've never made before. New things are being revealed to me. Faults within me are more clearly defined. I really feel like my Bible has become a brand new book!

I have loads to share about what I'm seeing and learning. In addition to my regular responses, my study guide is full of my own jotted notes just for you, various sections throughout are tagged with the circled word BLOG. Before I can get to the sharing, though, I'm dealing with a bit of application, and that's driving me inward for a time. The section I'm on at the moment is one on Obedience, and as I'm being called to that in two or three specific areas at present, the timing of my being here couldn't be more perfect.

"The secret things belong to the LORD our God,
but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever,
that we may follow all the words of this law."
Deuteronomy 29:29


"Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Matthew 4:4


"Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."
Luke 11:28


"But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast. So, as the Holy Spirit says:

'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert...'

See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. As has just been said:

'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion.'"
Hebrews 3:6-8, 12-14