Scripture Challenge {Week 13}

Before I begin with our word for this week, I wanted to share something with you that was said in my BSF conference this weekend. We were getting ready to begin a 2-hour quiet time with the Lord, and the staff member explaining this to us said that we needed to have complete silence so that we did not disturb any of the other people during their quiet time. There were 3,000 leaders in attendance, so being silent was very important! She then proceeded to tell us that being quiet is completely different than being silent: quiet (talking softly) vs. silence (saying nothing). Then she said “Did you know if you take the word ‘silent’, scramble the letters around, you will get the word “listen.” How cool is that? And how appropriate for our study last week! She also said that we cannot listen to God if we are not silent! I just loved it, and I pray it is helpful to you! Now onto this week!

Well, I actually had another word picked out for this week; however, early Saturday morning Easter weekend (March 22), I was almost in a terrible, terrible car accident. I had to run to the P.O. that morning. I has just left the house and pulled out of the subdivision onto a large 4-lane road. You can go 55 mph on the road. I was in the right lane, and a pickup was beside me in the left lane. We were crossing a large intersection going 55 mph, and a Suburban comes from the intersecting road and pulls out in front of us. He crashed directly into the pickup! It was HORRIBLE!!! I have never in my life seen such a thing, and I have been driving for 27 years. I praise God that I JUST missed getting hit too. I immediately called 911, and I was SO shaky that the 911 operator thought I was in the accident too. She kept me on the phone for a long time because I was the witness and first caller. There were 4 people in the Suburban (which was COMPLETELY smashed). One man was unconscious, and the driver kept asking me what happened because he couldn't remember a thing. There was also a woman and a 10 year old girl in the Suburban. They had gotten out of the car but I told them to sit down until emergency crews got there. I never got to the pickup driver. His car was pushed completely out into a farm field because they hit SO hard. I cried a lot after I got home, and for several days it was hard for me to drive through that intersection. Days after the accident, I realized God’s amazing protection of me through it all. First, my girls were not with me. Second, it was a miracle as the cars spun that they didn’t crash into me, and third that I wasn’t in the accident in the first place. God is my great protector!

Week 13 Challenge Word: Protection

God cares about me, and He cares about you. Who can be against us when He is for us? He protects us from troubles and dangers each day (one’s we aren’t even aware of). I knew He protected me from being in the accident; however, what else did He protect me from that very same day that I am not even aware of? What has He protected me from today that I don’t know about? When He answers your prayer differently than what you were hoping for, have you ever thought that maybe He was protecting you from something? Maybe you didn’t really understand what you were asking for and the result of that prayer if He had answered the way you wanted Him to answer. He is Sovereign, and He sees the big picture; we don’t. He protects us because He loves us. He loves us even more than the love we have for our own children. His love and protection is incomprehensible.

Have you thanked Him for the protection He gives you? Have you thanked Him for His protection of your children whether they are at home, at school, or out living on their own? I know I feel a great sense of peace when I know He is with the girls’ at school when I am not. I know He is their great protector too. What an awesome God we have!

The scripture verses I chose this week are:

Psalm 32:7 “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble.”
Psalm 40:11 “. . . may your love and your truth always protect me.”
Psalm 91:14 “. . . I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.”

I used the Tinkering Ink Beloved collection for my card this week. I love the colors and designs. So beautiful! If you haven't used these papers yet, they are a must!

Enjoy your study this week and be sure to join us in our discussions this week on the message board! I look forward to hearing from you and seeing your work. Blessings for a joyous week everyone!