Ladies for Jesus Bible Study Ponderings
| Introduction Consider the
Scripture we looked at during class, John 1:1-5 and
continue through verse 18. (read
here
on Bible Gateway) John is not saying that Jesus
represents the word or is similar to the word, but he
is saying Jesus is the Word. The Word
that created the earth, the Word that created light,
the Word that separated water and land. The Word is
Jesus Christ, our Savior, our Redeemer, our Shepherd.
The original word for comprehend does not mean understanding, but rather to lay hold of or to make one's own. Paul expressed to us in Philippians 3:12 that he had not already obtained or arrived at the goal but he pressed on. Why did he press on? So that he could lay hold of that which Christ has also laid hold of him. To comprehend we must press toward the same goal - to lay hold of Christ and all He has for us. So ask yourself this, Have you made Jesus your own, have you received Him completely? Are you prepared to bring Him the dark areas of your life? Are you seeking to lay hold of ALL Christ is in truth? |
| Chapter One Phillip Keller states this in
chapter one (pg. 22) of his book:
“(Christ)
literally lays Himself out for us continually. He is
ever interceding for us; He is ever guiding us by
His gracious Spirit; He is ever working on our
behalf to ensure that we will benefit from His
care.”
Jesus doesn’t by chance happen to be good. He is good by His very nature. We must find the goodness of our Shepherd in all the fruition of God which is displayed in the nature of the good Shepherd. He is the One who continually sacrifices for us. Jesus gives what He has, not what He has not: He gives the happiness that there is, not the happiness that is not. When we reject the good Shepherd and all He has to offer we fall into three alternative behaviors – to be like God (wanting to be in control); sharing God’s goodness in creaturely response (wanting to partake in the goodness without the sacrifice); or to be miserable (not claiming His promises and trusting). Do you desire to partake in the goodness of Christ, but you don’t want to yield to Him? We must learn to follow the Good Shepherd and yield to Him. This begins by recognizing His sacrifices for us and continues with our identifying with Him. Enjoying the goodness of the Savior calls for us to yield to Him, but the rewards we reap when we partake in His goodness are awesome beyond compare. They are rewards that feed us from now throughout eternity. Jesus said,
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. John 10:10-11 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 1 John 3:16 |
| Chapter Two On the Christian
Book Distributors website under “Author Profiles” they
have the following written about Phillip Keller:
Perhaps best
known for his bestseller, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm
23, Phillip Keller (1920-1997) spent his life
traveling the globe, marveling at God’s creation,
and writing over thirty-five books on Christian
subjects. Whether he was working as a wildlife
photographer, tending livestock on his ranch,
writing books, raking leaves, or washing dishes, his
life seemed to radiate the joy of the Lord. But in
Keller’s spiritual autobiography (written at the age
of 70), he explained that this abundant joy was not
something he was born with—it was something he
learned over a lifetime with Christ, his dearest
friend and savior. <read rest
of profile>
In our companion book on page 35, Philip Keller writes this about our Good Shepherd: He is the owner
who delights in His flock. For Him, there is no
greater reward, no deeper satisfaction, than that of
seeing His sheep contented, well fed, safe, and
flourishing under His care.
Recall that in Philippians 4:11, Paul writes, “ . . . I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” As you ponder these, consider this . . .
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| Chapter
Three (Part A) On page 47,
Phillip Keller expresses in regards to conflict and
jealousy among the flock,
This continuous
conflict and jealousy within the flock can be a most
detrimental thing. The sheep become edgy, tense,
discontented, and restless. They lose weight and
become irritable.
Psalm 16:11 tells us, But one point that always interested me very much was that whenever I came into view and my presence attracted their attention, the sheep quickly forgot their foolish rivalries and stopped their fighting. The shepherd’s presence made all the difference in their behavior. You make known to me the path of life; You
will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal
pleasures at Your right hand.
We know that the enemy desires to divide and conquer God's flock. It has been my experience that when conflict arises among the “sheep” many times it is something that stems from jealousy. What sticks out more to me in the midst of these conflicts, however, is the fact that I can see the ones who continually spend time in the presence of God because I can see Him manifested in their response. Usually their response is a calming presence that brings peace. I believe this is mainly because they know that the rivalries and fighting is foolishness and not of God. If we are continually in God’s presence, then He will show us where we are being jealous and contributing to conflict. He will show us the path of life and the fullness of joy. And He will point out the foolishness of Satan in our lives as well. This includes not only the conflicts that arise but the fears which steal our peace. Have you allowed fear to steal your God given peace? Have you been content with the status of where God has placed you in society? |
| Chapter Three
(Part B) He
makes me lie down in green pastures. Can one come
to the place where they are quietly content despite
the pests or circumstances of their lives? Phillip
Keller’s answer is “yes” and the Scriptures support
His answer. Time after time our Shepherd points
throughout Scriptures that we should be at rest and
let Him take care of the irritants in our lives. On page 51,
Phillip Keller states in regards to this question,
“Can one come to the place of quiet contentment
despite irritations?” This is one of
the main functions of the gracious Holy Spirit. In
Scripture He is often symbolized by oil – by that
which brings healing and comfort and relief from the
harsh and abrasive aspects of life. The gracious
Holy Spirit makes real in me the very presence of
the Christ. He brings quietness, serenity, strength,
and calmness in the face of frustrations and
futility. In regards to
the irritants in our lives, our mind many times
takes us into rough waters that in reality just do not exist. In this
manner, we stay on spiritual dry land and don’t
follow the Shepherd to spiritually rich green
pastures. Our mind is where the Holy Spirit can give
us the greatest contentment if we allow Him to do
so. David leads us
in Psalm 139: 23-24 by giving us an example of how
we can submit to the Father and be led to green
pastures: Search
me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my
anxieties; By this prayer
of submission, we are asking the Lord to reveal to
us our hearts so that He can take away the irritants
and lead us in the way everlasting – directly to the
green pastures. In essence we are asking Him to make
us more Christ-like. Are you
working against God or are you eagerly waiting on
His provision of spiritual food as He transforms you
into being more Christ-like? |
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Chapter Four
As Christians, we are
saved by the blood of Christ, we trust in the Lord for
our salvation and in His infinite wisdom. Relying on
the fact that He knows where the quiet waters are
located is usually not our problem. However, allowing
ourselves to be led by Him is where we fall short.
Along the way we may get lost in identifying where the
Lord is pointing us and how we are to get to the quiet
waters. To aid us in His leading, our Lord has created
us with a thirst that only He can quench. However,
usually Christians find themselves in one of the
following categories:
With these thoughts in mind, ponder the following questions:
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Chapter Five In this week’s worksheet we
covered the following three categories extensively.
After doing the worksheet, ponder these questions for
personal reflection. In
regards to looking for a soft spot . . . Are you ready to take up your
cross, consider these questions: Are you willing to follow
Jesus if it means . . . . . . losing some of your
closest friends?
. . . alienation from your family? . . . the loss of your
reputation?
. . . losing your job? . . . losing your life? In some places of the
world, these consequences are reality. But notice the
questions are phrased, “Are you willing?” Following
Jesus doesn’t necessarily mean all these things will
happen to you, but are you willing take up your cross?
If there comes a point in your life where you are
faced with a choice—Jesus or the comforts of this
life—which will you choose? In
regards to too much wool . . . What are some ways that the
Lord may be restoring your soul through helping you to
overcome modern idolatry in your life? In
regards to too fat. . . Are you “too fat” in
regards to being “full of yourself” when it comes to
your maturity level as a Christian? How does this
attitude relate to other areas of your life? The wrap
up for this chapter cannot be stated any better than
Keller did in the last paragraph (page 81). You are
encouraged to read that paragraph once again. |
|
He guides me in
paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake. The Ponder for this
chapter is one simple question. However, I think you
will find that it is one that will cause deep thinking
. . . Are you stubbornly
convincing yourself that your desires are the desires The Lord desires to lead us in the path of righteousness and to lead us to be more Christ-like. As we think upon the above question, hopefully we will be able to determine how we may be hindering His lead and manipulating to get our own way. All of which is detrimental in our abilities to follow the Shepherd. |
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Yea, though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, I will
fear no evil; Keller
states in his book on page 104 that “The corollary to all
this is that only those who have been through such
dark valleys can console, comfort or encourage others
in similar situations. Often we pray or sing the hymn
requesting God to make us an inspiration to someone
else. We want instinctively, to be a channel of
blessing to other lives. The simple fact is that just
as water can only flow in a ditch or channel or valley
– so in the Christian’s career the life of God can
only flow in blessing through the valleys that have
been carved and cut into our own lives by excruciating
experiences.” How do you feel about
this statement? Are you willing to experience trials
so you can inspire another person when they face the
same trial? Are you willing to follow the Shepherd
through the valleys of life so He can strengthen you
to minister to others? After pondering these
questions, reassure yourself with the following
excerpt from Jesus
Calling by Sarah Young. Sarah’s
writings are written in the first person of Jesus –
just as if He were speaking them straight to your
heart. When anxiety attempts
to wedge its way into your thoughts, remind yourself
that I am your
Shepherd. The bottom line is that I am taking
care of you; therefore, you needn’t be afraid of
anything. Rather, than trying to maintain control over
your life, abandon yourself to My will. Though this
may feel frightening – even dangerous, the safest
place to be is in My will. |
|
Your rod and Your
staff, they comfort me Keller
states on page 117: Wool in
Scripture speaks of the self-life, self-will,
self-assertion, self-pride. God has to get below this
and do a deep work in our wills to right the wrongs
which are often bothering us beneath the surface. So
often we put on a fine front and brave, bold exterior
when really deep down below there needs to be some
remedy applied. In my own
life, I have noticed that the Lord searches “deep down
in the wool” when I meditate upon His Word. Little by
little He will reveal to me how I am covering up
self-will and self-pride. Many times I am even shocked
as to the ways I “cover” my own pride!! What ways are
you meditating upon His Word and writing it upon your
own heart? Are you allowing God’s Word to pull back
the wool in your life? |
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You prepare a
table before me . . . Keller
states on page 130: It is
rather fashionable in some contemporary Christian
circles to discredit Satan. There is a tendency to try
and write him off or laugh him off as though he were
just a joke. Some deny that such a being as Satan even
exists. Yet we see evidence of his merciless attacks
and carnage in a society where men and women fall prey
to his cunning tactics every day. We see lives torn
and marred and seared by his assaults though we may
never see him personally. Have you
been caught up in this contemporary Christian circle?
Are you discrediting Satan and his power? Is it
possible that some of the struggles you are having
today may be because of this belief? Ask the Father to
reveal the truth to you. Jesus, our
Good Shepherd, has already gone before us into every
situation and every extremity that we might encounter.
He knows and understands all that we go through. Read
Hebrews 4:14-16 and reflect upon how this truth in
God’s Word brings a comfort to you in times of
despair. It
is wise for a Christian to constantly walk close to
the Lord and gradually each day grow closer and closer
to Christ. When we do we are in a place of safety.
What steps have you taken within the last week to walk
closer to Christ?
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You Anoint My
Head with Oil . . . Keller
states on page 141: When people
or circumstances or events beyond our control tend to
“bug” us, it is possible to be content and serene when
these “outside” forces are counteracted by the
presence of God’s Spirit. In Romans 8:1-2, we are told
plainly that it is the law of the Spirit of life in
Christ Jesus that makes us free from the law of sin
and death. It is this
daily anointing of God’s gracious Spirit upon my mind
which produces in my life such personality traits as
joy, contentment, love, patience, gentleness, and
peace. What a contrast this is to the tempers,
frustrations, and irritableness which mar the daily
conduct of so many of God’s children. Reading this
excerpt from Keller’s book reminds me of how I will
get so worked up sometimes allowing the circumstances
of this world to overtake my emotions to the point
that my joy is taken away. This snowballs to the point
that all of the Holy Spirit’s fruit (love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control) is zapped from my
thoughts, actions and reactions. Before I know it I
find myself not resembling Christ at all. Instead, I
am frustrated and irritable and my daily conduct
displays it. What ways do
you allow people or the circumstances of this world to
overtake you? Are you submitting to the Shepherd
allowing Him to apply to balm of the Holy Spirit? Exam
the ways that you have reacted to situations in the
recent past . . . do you see Christ in those
reactions? There is always room for growth in Christ.
Ask the Father to reveal to you ways that you can
display more of His Spirit in your life. |
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Chapter Eleven For this chapter’s
pondering, I ask that you think back upon your life as
to the ways the Lord was faithful. Think upon the
“tragedies” you have encountered. Consider how the Lord
carried you through them. Consider the overall lessons
and the end result. If this may be hard for
you to do (possibly because you feel He wasn’t there), I
would ask you to consider the fact that you are still
alive today and how He is working in your life today
maybe even in this particular Bible study. Obviously, He
has been with you and is carrying you through. Re-read Keller’s statement
of his account of looking back (page 155): In
looking back over my own life, in the light of my love
and care for my sheep, I can see again and again a
similar compassion and concern for me in my Master’s
management of my affairs. There were events which at the
time seemed like utter calamities; there were paths down
which He led me that appeared like blind alleys; there
were days He took me through which were well nigh black
as night itself. But all in the end turned out for my
benefit and my well-being. Now, consider what He is
taking you through at the present time. From the past
experiences of your life, are you confident enough to
say, “Surely goodness and love will follow me . . .
?” |