24 Mar Today Would Have Been a Busy Day
Today was to be the beginning of our Spring Bible Study Session on Romans 8. It would have been a busy day in my life and the life of the church, with all the hubbub of women meeting up together after a couple weeks’ break. Currently, 135 women are signed up between the morning and evening sessions, with no doubt more signing up if life as we know it had not suddenly shut down. Our spring session always ignites interest and excitement after these long grey Canadian winters. But for now, I am working from home, staring at the quietness from my window.
So why do we have such thing as a women’s Bible study in the first place? Many of our women are busy with work outside the home, but many are also busy inside the home. The actual meaning of Eve, the first woman, is “life-giver.” So, it goes without saying that, as women, we were created with an innate sense of nurturing. We are often the care givers. The hostesses. The helpers. The ones to often draw in others, care for the needs of others, and build a network of friendships because of the inter-connectedness we share.
And that is exactly why we need to know the Word of God.
Theology, doctrine, and in-depth Bible knowledge has historically been allocated to the man’s world. They are the preachers, teachers, and elders. They are the chief shepherds of the flock, as according to such passages as 1 Timothy 3. However, if the call of every Christian is to make disciples, no matter male or female, then we all have a personal responsibility to know what the Bible says and understand what it means in order to live it out.
In fact, women can be some of the greatest influencers at this time in our world because of the state of our culture and our home. Our children and grandchildren need to grow up with a worldview that is rooted in Christ. Our coworkers need to hear of the hope of the gospel. Our neighbours need to be loved with a Christ-like love that transcends all boundaries. As we work in all of our roles, including those working in the home and those working outside the home, it comes without saying that our main role needs to be knowing Christ and making Him known. In every moment, no matter what we are doing, there is always an opportunity to be like Jesus and share Him with others.
I must admit that my love for seriously studying the Scriptures did not come until I grew a little older. Maybe the difficulties of life made me finally realize how little I knew and how much I needed His truths to be written on my heart. All I know is that at some point, everything changed when I started to understand more and more of what the Bible was saying to my life and suddenly I just couldn’t put it down.
2 Timothy 2:15 instructs us to “be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” So why do we have a Bible study for women? We want to give all women an opportunity to make relationships that will encourage one another to keep on keeping on, especially in hard days such as the ones we are experiencing right now. We want to go deeper in our prayer lives as we share the circumstances of our lives and ask God to change us into who He calls us to be. We want to be the living, active body of Christ as we rejoice and weep together, as well as admonish, comfort and serve one another. But most of all, we want to become disciples of Jesus who love Him deeply because we have come to know Him through His Word and are walking in obedience to what He has called us to do. The Bible gives us all we need for life and living.
A million other voices are telling us how to think, act, and live. Yet do we know what the Word of God actually says in the face of this 21st century culture of deception? Secular philosophies say there is no purpose in trials and pain. Do we understand what God wants to do through our suffering and where to go for our help? Paralyzing fear has suddenly gripped our nation and world. Do we know why we need not fear, but instead, cling to an eternal hope?
When all else seems to be stripped away in days like these, and we are at home with our loved ones or perhaps spending time on our own, God’s words are still living and active. I love the lyrics of the Psalmist which seem to echo all that our hearts need to know today. “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose WORD I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.” (Psalm 56:3-4).
Do you know and understand His Word? All else will fade, even this fragile life, but God’s Words remain eternal. I pray that you are drawing in close to God today and trusting in the comfort, assurance and hope that all His Word affords.
