wednesday bible study hangover.

For 2 years now, I have attended spring and fall semesters of Bible Study at the First Baptist Church of Houston.  I think it is part of "exactly where I am supposed to be" that I ended up in the same city as our wonderful teacher, Beth Moore and get to attend her live studies.  Tuesday nights are something that I look forward to every week.  I am so well fed during this time and it gives me energy for the rest of the week.  Most nights I am so excited about the lesson that I have to share it with my mom and usually my husband.  For that reason, I plan on sharing some of what I learn here. 

Last night was the first night of a 10 week semester in which we are redoing Beth's "A Heart Like His" study.  It is based on the life of David, a man through a rollercoaster of a life was a man after God's heart. 

So in our first week of the study, Beth laid some of the groundwork for the weeks to come.  We read out of 1 Samuel and learned about Samuel, the last of the judges, and how he was intertwined with Saul, the first of the kings.  Samuel spent his life trying to please God.  Saul for the most part was only concerned with appeasing him. 

Let me just tell you that I am fascinated with the narrative style of 1 Samuel.  I read the first 3 chapters this morning and had to make myself stop so I could get to work on time.  So many of us are so much more familiar with the New Testament and we don't spend much time in the Old Testament.  Most churches spend a vast majority of the time preaching out of the New Testament.  I understand that it is so important to teach the gospel so that all will hear.  But knowing the history of the Old Testament is going to put a fresh spin on what the gospel means and I couldn't be more excited about it.

This morning I read a passage out of 1 Samuel 3.  The boldness and authority in which God interacts with his people is astounding. 

Then the LORD said to Samuel, "Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle - 1 Samuel 3:11

Can you even imagine?!?

Okay, back to the study. So we got a ton of background information on the time period.  Because Saul, who's name literally means "asked for" in Hebrew, was what the people asked for, God basically let the people have what they asked for.  He was a large man by stature but that was about the only leadership skill he possessed.  It was at this time that the stage was set for David.  In 1 Samuel 13:14, Samuel told Saul

The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.

Beth has such a way with words.  She told us that Saul's fatal flaw was that his "position outweighed his passion".  When your "crown is heavier that your conviction" you will end up trying to appease God rather than pleasing him.  There are so many people in my life that I can see are truly after God's heart.  They fail like the rest of us, but they are chasing after Him. 

I'm going to spend these next 10 weeks striving to put aside my failures and focus on seeking God's heart.  He already loves me, not some future version of me.  I am not worthy of this kind of love, but God lavishes his love on me anyways.

He is so good.