Hi! My name is Rachel and I am the newest
staff member at Precept Ministries Inc and Transform Canada. Part of my
job description is the Assistant to the Transform Canada Director, Mark
Sheldrake. For those of you that know Mark – feel free to give me a hug if you
ever meet me..haha! But seriously, I could not have wished for a better boss
and/or a more supportive Godly team of co-workers to serve alongside with.
I am 25 years old and have been happily married to my
husband, Bram for almost five and a half years. We live outside of town with
our 7 month old puppy, Sophie. We have a passion for playing worship music and
a love of hospitality, fellowship and food:) Our desire is to have a living, breathing, active and vibrant relationship with
God that overflows in all we do. And so we continue on this spiritual journey…
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they
shall be satisfied.”
~ Matthew 5:6 (NASB)
Friend, do you pass by your Bible and pick up that novel
that you can’t seem to put down? Do you spend most nights plopped on the couch
with a bowl of chips watching television shows or movies that leave you feeling
empty afterwards? I’ve been there…and truly not that long ago! I had the
privilege of growing up in a loving Christian home and I really and truly gave
my heart to the Lord at the age of 16. One thing that I had never really
incorporated into life was Bible study. My excuse was always not having enough
time or when I did pick up my Bible, not understanding what I just read and
giving up.
I began working with Transform in November 2011 and can
remember leaving my interview, after having read over the contract and
realizing that weekly Bible study and participating in a class discussion was
mandatory. Oh boy, I thought….daily Bible study homework. I’m never going
to understand what is going on. I had almost totally written it off before
I even started. I jumped in as our Tuesday afternoon class was transitioning
into Jeremiah Part 2. WOW, was I ever wrong! Studying inductively helped me to
have purpose and a goal during my time with God - something that people with a
“perfectionist” nature (such as myself) thrive with. After really and truly
walking through Jeremiah’s life and ministry and looking at the people of
Israel verses such as Jeremiah 29:11 have new meaning.
“For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans
for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope...” (NASB)
This verse is quite often used to celebrate graduation in
any capacity. While the verse is true, looking at the context of what is going
on gives tremendous depth to the verse. Jeremiah had been prophesying to the
people of Jerusalem for 23 years. His message was that of returning to God –
leaving their wicked ways, not looking to false gods and a slew of other
things. When chapter 29 picks up Jeremiah has sent a letter to the exiles that
have been taken captive and moved to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah
spoke to them countless times but they would not heed the word of the Lord
through Jeremiah. God is punishing their disobedience with 70 years of
captivity. But take a look at this…
“ 4Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all
the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, 5
‘ Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce. 6
Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for
your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and
daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease. 7Seek the welfare of the city
where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in
its welfare you will have welfare.’” ~ Jeremiah 29:4-7 (NASB)
What does God want them to do? List them out loud…Ready?
- Build houses and live in them
- Plant gardens and eat their produce
- Take wives and become fathers or sons and
daughters
- Take wives for your sons and give daughters to
husbands
- Seek the welfare of the city where you are in
exile
- Pray to the Lord on behalf of the city
These people have just seen their city completely destroyed
and many have been plucked from their homeland and taken to Babylon, a foreign
place. If it were me, I can guarantee that I wouldn’t be too eager to do what
God is commanding they do. A pity party may even cross my mind. Build, plant, take, seek, pray – those are all actions words. In our class discussion of
these verses came the phrase “LIVE IT UP!” Though God was punishing them
severely for their disobedience, he didn’t want them to waste their years of
captivity. Israel is God’s chosen people and in verse 10 God promises that when
the 70 years have been completed in Babylon that He will visit and fulfill His
good word to them and bring them back to Jerusalem. I can already picture what
I would have been thinking as an Israelite, Uhmm,
God…you do remember that our city is destroyed, right? But look at verse 11 now…
“For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans
for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope...” (NASB)
Can you imagine what an encouragement this would have been
for them? Wow. What you don’t see on the graduation cards is the next two
verses which I think cannot be left out.
12 ‘…Then
you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13
You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.’ (NASB)
What is the practical application? God is always good and He
cares for those that call upon, pray to and seek His heart. Notice, again, that
call upon, pray and seek are all
verbs…or actions words. He relentlessly pursues our hearts until we recognize
our sin and, like Matthew 16:24 says “…deny ourselves, and take up our cross
and follow Him”. We have a responsibility get to know our God through the study
of His Word. Studying the Bible inductively gives you the tools to know God,
which equals a transformed or changed life.
I can already see how my mindset is more focused, even in
just a few months. The highlight of my day is usually sitting at the kitchen
table with a cup of tea and my Bible study. Friend, I urge you not to make
excuses. Will you take the challenge to establish yourself in God’s Word, one
step at a time? The perfect place to start is with a resource called “Lord,
Teach Me to Study the Bible in 28 Days”. In it you will learn the method of
inductive Bible study and how to use it on a day-to-day basis. It is so very rewarding and life-changing!!
