As you know, I am a member of a small group ladies Bible study that meets each Tuesday. The Lord brought our group together almost 12 years ago and we continue to meet weekly. In the beginning, none of us were close friends. It took several months of meeting and sharing for the group to become close and willing to share the deepest needs and dreams of our hearts. The group is a safe place and each lady is assured that what is shared will not go past the four walls where we meet. Today, we have about 14 ladies attending the Bible study on a regular basis and we have grown in the Lord in ways I could never have imagined. In addition, our trust in and love for each other has grown in a beautiful way.
None of us are in the group by accident, but rather by divine appointment from God. Our personalities are different, yet the common bond we have in Christ allows us to accept and love the others with the ‘agape’ kind of love that Christ modeled. Most of the ladies have children, while a couple of us do not. Some of the ladies work outside the home, but many are full-time mothers. Our circumstances in life are different, yet our love for the Lord binds us together in a way that is a tremendous blessing.
When the group was in the planning stages, the Lord gave me a vision for the group that comes from the book of Exodus chapter 17. In this chapter, the Israelites are fighting the Amalekites. Moses, Aaron, and Hur are standing on top of a hill watching the battle below. As long as Moses holds his hands up toward heaven, the Israelites win the battle, but when Moses grows weary and his hands drop, the Israelites begin losing the battle. Exodus 17:12-13 says, “When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.”
That is exactly how our group has functioned. When one in the group grows weary in fighting the battle, the rest come alongside and hold her arms up in prayer, love, and encouragement.
One precious woman who is new to our group remarked that she feels like such a mess, while we all look as though we have it all together. I smiled and gently told her that we may look like we have it together, but most of us are using duct tape to keep it there. We are southern women, after all.
I urge you to become part of a small group Bible study. Not only will you gain an increased understanding of the God’s Word, but you will find friendships in Christ that will bring you great joy and encouragement in the years to come. If you can’t find a small group Bible study to join, start one. Step out, ask God for guidance, and watch Him do a mighty work in your life and in the lives of others.
I happen to know a very good study you can use………click here. It is the one we are doing this fall.
MEDITATION MOMENT: Are you part of a small group Bible study? Tell me how you have been blessed by it.
