Week 1 What Is God Teaching You
May 6, 2009 by Cath
Filed under Trusting In The Names Blog ~ Catherine Martin
Reading about the great adventure of knowing God was such an encouragement for me this week. There were many quotes that meant so much to me, but my favorites were:
“Knowing God will alter the course of your life. Knowing God will change how you live, influence the decisions you make, and shape your responses to trials and adverse circumstances.” p. 16 My Response: This quote motivated me this week to commit my heart anew to the pursuit of God. My life can’t help but change as I go deeper in drawing near to God and knowing Him more.
“I have learned not to define how God can and should work in my life.” p. 25 My Response: This is always a challenge because I have my own ideas of how things should be sometimes and knowing God requires a surrender of my small-sized dreams to God-sized plans and purposes.
“When you trust God in the storms of life, your history with God becomes a platform on which you can stand in future difficulties. These experiences help you remember your God and what He can and will do for you.” p. 46 My Response: This was an encouraging reminder to me to stand strong now and remember all that God has done through “many dangers, toils, and snares” as the hymnwriter has written in “Amazing Grace”.
“You may be approaching your finest hour, where you will discover God’s names, draw near to His names, declare His names, depend on His names, and delight in His names. Others may say it is over for you, but God never says such words. He is waiting for you to draw near and know Him as you have never known Him before and then to trust Him as you have never trusted before.” p. 52 My Response: Oh these words were just so encouraging this week!! All I can say is may God get the great glory in our lives as we draw near and know and trust Him.
And so, in this first week of study, what stood out to you and what is God teaching you? What was the greatest encouragement to you as you read and thought and studied? To share, simply click on the “Comments” or “Leave a Comment” words above and below this post.
Greetings Cath:
The insight that stood out to me this first week (one of many) was on page 39. Not only does God reveal His character in His names to me, but knowing God’s names reveals the many facets of “my” character as well. When I know God as my Elohim, Creator, or my El Shaddai, the all sufficient One, I know who I am, I belong to Him. The One True God, who desires for me to know Him so intimately. It is so mind boggling to comprehend, that He delights in expressing who He is in my life. My prayer is to go deeper in my knowledge of Him by learning The Names of God in our study together and therefore Trust Him in every detail of my life. Thank you for another beautiful study that draws us nearer to Knowing Him.
I’ve highlighted so much these first six days, but the one that I keep thinking about and gloying in is on page 32 you write “God is infinite, so there is infinitely more of God than He has chosen to reveal.” This reminds me of a scrumptous dessert after a great meal of His names…He is saving the best for last (when we go home).
Deanna, I love that insight - a great dessert and saving the best for last. Won’t it be something to stand in the presence of God. Only I’m sure we won’t be standing - we’ll be on our faces in worship!
Just finishing my 1st week… I am grateful to have your comments online… sorry to miss your classes with all my sister chicks, Cath…TRUST= Total Reliance Under Stress & Trial… Is 41:10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am you God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand (NLT) Oh how I have relied on My God for ALL He has promised… El Shaddai= my Sufficiency…
I am learning so much in this study! Thanks Karen, for what you’ve shared.