Life Interrupted - Priscilla Shirer - Part 2

So as I continued to work on days two through five of my "Jonah" study preparing for my next Bible study tomorrow morning, I was just amazed at how it felt like Priscilla wrote this study to me and for me!

In Day 2, Priscilla says this:

When we signed up to follow Christ, we automatically signed up to be open to "Divine Intervention" - God interruptions.  While His "call" might not always be convenient or easy, responding to it should not just be a duty but our joy.  We are getting the honor of partnering with the Lord in His purposes for this generation.

"Jonah:  Navigating Life Interrupted," page 14.

She quoted Psalm 145:17, "The Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds" and said that we can count on this promise!  Amen!!!!

On Page 17, Priscilla says this,

Whether it's parenting a special needs child, starting a Bible study, remaining single for a bit longer, or even, like Jonah, reaching out to those who hurt you, He's purposefully given you the high honor of being the one He deemed suited for a task that has heavenly implications - a task of divine partnership that will yield magnificent results for you and for His kingdom.

What an honor!!!!

Priscilla gave us another equation to add to the previous set of equations,

Divine Intervention + Yielded Submission = ETERNAL SIGNIFICANCE

The point in Day 3 was that not who we are, what we do, where we're from or who is in our family does not make us significant.  We are significant by receiving God's call and being willing to obey that call.

Day 4 is all about who the real star in the story of Jonah, and ultimately our life, is.  That would be God.  I love the side quote that Priscilla gives us, "We've become so enamored with the big fish, we've lost sight of a big God."  Our God is a big God and He has proven that to me over and over!

She goes on to explain that God is the owner of everything and we are just managers.  It's when we take ownership that things go awry!

Priscilla had us read Ephesians 2:10, NASB, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them."


She then lists six principles of purpose based on that verse.  They are:

1. You are His.
2. You are His workmanship.
3. You are a masterpiece recreated in Christ Jesus.
4. You are created masterfully for the purpose of being equipped to accomplish good works.
5. You are equipped to accomplish good works that were prepared beforehand by God.
6. You are equipped to accomplish preplanned good works by simply walking in them. 

God knew he wanted Tony and I to parent the children that He gave us.  And while I don't always understand, we just need to continue to willingly submit to Him and allow Him to maintain ownership!  It doesn't meant that we're never going to have struggles - and we can have struggles - but we will not make a mess of things if we allow Him to maintain the ownership and we just manage!

 Any idea what the main theme of Day 5 might be?  Well, it is titled Making Sense of it All.  How appropriate?!?!?!?!

I love what Priscilla says on page 29,

God's plans for us are so overwhelmingly beyond anything that we could ever imagine that our feelings or ability to reason His directives cannot be the determining factor for choosing obedience.  Making sense of what God has asked or feeling compelled to cooperate cannot be the prerequisite for choosing obedience.  His Word must be enough.

She then quoted Proverbs 3:5 from the Amplified Bible, "Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding."

I thank God that He has given us the Book of Jonah, that we may read about and learn how we need to make sure that we are allowing God to have ownership of what He has commanded us to do.  I strive to not take ownership and just manage what God has given me.  It's definitely not going to be easy, but I'm going to do my best.

While I still may wonder some days if I'm truly strong enough to handle the times when it seems like one of the kids is struggling more than I can do anything to help, I know that this is what God has equipped me to do and I just must willingly submit to whatever He asks!

I hope (and expect) to learn so much more from "Jonah:  Navigating the Life Interrupted" over the next six weeks!