This is a rather lengthy post that I recently shared within a Ning group that I am part of. I felt lead to share it here as well. Hope it ministers to you as the passage did to me.
During my recent bout with sickness, I arrived at Monday of this week, I was once again finding myself bundled upin the same bed with the same symptoms and I decided it was time for me to ask God what I considered to be rather fair and simple question at this juncture of my sickness. So, I proceeded to simply ask Him, "Ok, what are you trying to teach me here?" Often, I have found this to be a question better avoided. LOL!
As some of you may know, it is a hard thing for me to relax. Oh how awesome our Father is to find a cleaver way to get those of us who 'rest' (only for 8 hours a night and then hit the floor running again) to actually 'rest'. This word 'rest' kept rolling through my heart and mind. 'Rest. Rest. Rest.' "Ok", I thought, "this must be the lesson......'rest'...ok, God, I can do that." Interesting to note her that my 'one word' from the Lord for last year was 'rest'. Huh....
So, on Monday morning, Dale and I talked and we decided it would be best for me to stay home as I did not want to pass this sickness along to anyone attending the birthday celebration for Eloise. Monday became Tuesday, and Dale and Alyssa headed out in the morning for Portland. Somewhere in the late evening, I decided that I can't take it any more! As many of you may know, I am also a very patient person. Not! So, I proceeded to state matter-of-fact to the Lord, "This is enough!" I got out of bed and made my way to the kitchen where I was determined to run a load of dishes through the dishwasher. I had put exactly three dishes into the dishwasher when I bent down to place the fourth one in and my head became so dizzy and painful that I fell to the floor holding my head as I let out a scream. I had to literally crawl back to bed on my knees while holding my head the entire way. My simple 'plan' was to load the dishwasher. 'Plan'...that is a funny word! My sister-in-law posted on her
Facebook once that "We plan.....God laughs." How true that is sometimes.
Anyway, Tuesday night was probably the worst evening of my life...no joke. I felt physically horrible and I thought it was too late to call anyone to take me to the hospital. The ambulance didn't seem to be an option for me as I did not have the money for that expensive ride, so out of bed I got, crawled toward the front door wearing my PJ's, a pair of slippers and a jacket, my purse dragging behind me. My 'plan' was to drive myself to the hospital. I made it to the front door and the pain was so bad that I almost passed out. Again, no exageration. It was scary. As I lay on the floor for about 15-20 minutes, I got an idea. I thought to myself, "I'll talk to God until I can get to the car....brilliant!" I mean, really 'talk' with Him......not the type of prayer that I have going on in my life throughout the day for a variety of things....nope, out loud, talking to Him as if He is in the room, on the floor with me...because technically, he is there with me...right?. Anyway, great idea it seemed...my 'plan' seemed like the 'right' thing to do. As I remained there on the floor, I began with something that went a little bit like this,"Ok, really, God. What is it that you are trying to teach me here? I am ready to listen....reallylisten.....but I really need to get to the car and get to the hospital. I know you can help me out, I know you can do this, Iknow that You know I am really sick, so really, what is the deal here?" (As if God makes deals.) The simple response He spoke into my heart was, "Go back to bed. Rest. Listen and rest. Trust me."
As I have said when I have shared with you all before, I am usually one to obey God the first time I hear Him ask me to do something. Occasionally, I will ask a few questions, maybe even a lot of questions, (yes, sometimes too many questions) before I 'do' what it is He is asking of me. Sometime, as Tuesday becoming Wednesday, I made my way back to my bed....and I rested....I mean really rested. For my rest was now in His hands. As I began to fall asleep praying to Him (for me, there is no better way to fall asleep) as I have each night since I became a Christian, I began to sing a Chris Tomlin song called, "I Will Follow". The main chorus states:
"Where You go, I'll go; When You stay, I'll stay; When You move, I'll move; I will follow You. Who You love I'll love, How You serve, I'll serve, though this life I lose, I will follow You."
What I was soon to discover, is that I really don't know much of anything and that what I really thought of as right thinkingreally isn't that at all. And what I thought I know to be true about myself is a far cry from the reality of myself sometimes. And that the words to this song along with the Word He was soon to reveal to me in a fresh, new way, was a far cry from where I would have been willing to go had I not been brought to my knees, literally, in obedience to Him. I fell asleep fast as I felt Him close to me and safe in His arms, singing these words to this song as a prayer.
Walking up the next afternoon to use the restroom, I saw our Bible on the back of the toilet. This is the one we have had since early into our marriage, our first 'our' Bible, and for some reason we have always kept it there on the back of our toilet. It is the one Bible we own that we always know where it is! True, a strange place for a Bible and we always talk about getting a book shelf in there or something to put it on or in, but nope, there it is....in it's place on the back of the toilet. It is a torn and battered NIV version. As I took the Bible in hand, I turned to the front inside cover to see where I written 'our' names in the upper left corner. Headed back to bed, I return to my bed to rest again. As I slip in and adjust the covers, I realize that at this particular stage of my sickness, I felt a bit better when laying in a somewhat upright position. So I propped myself up a bit and as I opened our much used and looking-slightly-abused Bible, I ask the Lord to show me what it is He would want for me to learn from the passage I am going to dive into.
Since I couldn't make it to church, I missed the sermon, but in talking with my mom on Sunday evening, she said that the lesson was about going to your brother when he/she has sinned against you. Honestly, when she mentioned the gist of the subject, I did say to her, "Oh, then maybe it was a good Sunday to miss!" LOL! We both laughed about my comment, but looking back now, there was some truth behind my thought. Anyway, for some reason, I ended up in chapter 7 of John and continued reading through John 8:11. This is the encounter that Jesus had with a woman brought before Him because she had been caught in the act of adultery.
Many times in my life, I have read this passage or heard a sermon on it or even thought about it when being attacked by another person verbally about something in my own life that they feel is 'not right' about me. As I often do when reading Scripture, I imagine myself in the place of someone in the story. Usually for me, I have identified with the woman in this story. Not that I have been caught in nor participated in adultery, but in the fact that I have been 'called on the carpet' so to speak about a particular area of my life that needed a Godly encounter......a Godly realignment. This was soon going to be just such a day. The difference, however, was that it was the Lord that was calling me on the carpet about my own sin.....just as He did in this passage with the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law.
Rather than placing myself in the shoes of the women of this story, on this particular day, I began by placing myself in Jesus' shoes. Yes, big shoes to step into, I know, but what I discovered is that when I 'stepped into His shoes', I began to see the story in a very different light...for I saw it through the eyes of The Light. As I often do when reading Scripture, I applied a method of studing the Bible known as the "S-O-A-P" method. Some of you may know what this is, but if not, in a nutshell it stands for:
S=Scripture (read the passage)
O=Observation (observe what is taking place, rather info about people in the story, etc)
A=Application (ask myself "What is it that He has for me today from this passage?", ask myself questions as to how the passage, lesson, story can be used to grow me and mature me spiritually)
P=Prayer (end by praying and thanking God for giving me insight into His Word and asking God to show me how to implement the lesson(s) I have gained from the passage)
As I broke this passage down, here is what the Lord revealed to me as I placed myself in His shoes as I read through it.
John 8:1-11
(S) but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
(O) First off, I observed the word "but" and went back to chapter 7 to see what everyone else was doing. Putting myself in His shoes, I realized that Jesus was setting himself apart from the others and He was going to His prayer closet. He chose the wiser thing. "Of course, He did!", I thought to myself, "He is Jesus!w Why wouldn't He have done the wiser thing?" Still, I placed myself there, because just like you and I, Jesus always had a choice and a free will and I wanted to experience His view of this passage.
(A) I need to become more disciplined in my prayer life. I've always thought I was doing well in my prayer life as my day consists of constant dialogue between Him and I, but honestly, I could work on being more like Him in approaching the Father in the morning before I head into my day. Just like falling asleep praying to Him, how sweet the day will be when I am waking up in prayer as well...whoot!
(S) At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.
(O) Jesus was an earlier riser! He was up at dawn......oh, sweet! Jesus and I do have something in common....LOL! Oh, wait, reading on, I observed that others were there too, so I'm not that special. As I continued reading, I realize that Jesus had gone to His prayer closet (in verse 1) in preparation for something. From this observation, I learned that it is important to go to Him in the morning with my prayers and get equipped for the plans He has for me. How often do I make my own plans and never ask Him, "What are Your plans for me today?" How better my day is and the more I feel I do for the advancement of His Kingdom when I prepare in advance for the things and people He will bring to me each day.
(A) I need to be better prepared! For although I don't see what is just around the bend, He does and so therefore it would be best to follow Him (again, I remember the words in the song above.
(S) 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
(O) This is where I began to have trouble with being in Jesus' sandals and to think and feel and react as He would. I observe that He is about His Father's business, as He always was. He was 'prayed up' and teaching what I can only imagine was a perfect lesson since all that He is and all that He does and all that He says would be perfect as well. Observation accepted. This leads me to think that if I accept this truth, then it would make perfect sense that all that Heisn't and all that He doesn't do and all that He doesn't say would be equally important to observe in this passage as well. Me being me, my first reaction would be to get upset that these teachers of the Law and Pharisees had interrupted my lesson! But, I quickly remember that I am attempting to step into Jesus' shoes today, and so I try to wrap my mind around how He reacted the way that He did, why He reacted that way and what He did and didn't say or do in this situation. I begin to read on and observe that not only did they intrude upon His lesson, they bring the woman up in front of all of the others there, and proceed to spill the beans about her sin! At this point, I observe, Jesus has not done or said anything. Seriously? Knowing myself pretty well, I feel if put in this situation, I would simply freeze...then explode! Asking questions of them such as, "Who are you to judge anyone?" Honestly, I might ask, "Who do you think you are? Do you think you are God?" But, I am trying to be in His shoes this time....not my own shoes, not in her shoes, not theirs in their shoes, but HIS shoes...so I read on.
(A) To be like Jesus is so hard! I know that He said it wouldn't be easy and that it would be worth it (my paraphrase) but sometimes, I think, "Ugh. I can't do THAT! I mean I know Jesus did that, but come on, Lord. You cannot possibly expect me to really be able to pull that off, right?" Yes, He does! He gives me all of the strength and the power and the ability found in Him to do anything that He asks me to do. In fact, His word tells me that I will do even greater things than some of the things He has done. Wow! I need to be a person who seeks Him for ways to be more like Him. To react more as He would and less like, well.....less like me. I need to stop being the person that is so willing to put someone out there in front of everyone to show others how badly "so-and-so" hurt me or offended me or treated me or how they____________...well, I know if you are honest with yourself, you can fill in a few of the blanks that I may have missed. Ladies, I'm gonna get a bit more honest here, hope that is ok with everyone. My 'hard drive' actions, my gut reactions and 'quick to judge' reflexes are something that are a part of me, hardwired in due to experiences all throughout my life, my upbringing, influences and situations that I have taken place. My entire life, and yes somehow even throughout the Genesis program, my drilled-in sense of 'right is right and wrong is wrong', my feelings that others need to 'own it' when confronted by me about a hurt, offense or action toward me, my inner questions of "why do they judge me when I know that they have done 'this and that' or 'such and such'.....well, frankly, they need to go by the way side. They need to be left at the feet of the cross where they belong...not to verbally be driven around town posted on a neon flashing sign on the roof of my car for all to see as I yell through a megaphone the details of a time that someone else offended me and I feel that they need to be brought to justice. Hurts have turned into wounds for far too many years and I need to allow the Father to repair the damage, fix the wounds and I need to learn that people will say and do what they want. The important thing is not 'fairness' or 'justice' or for them to 'do the right thing'. The truth is, He has been calling me to a higher way of living and I have been so stinking mad at past situations (some as far back as I can remember), that I literally have not been willing to get beyond this to move forward and grow and mature and move into the things He has for me. I have stubbornly stayed in this spot, arms folded, bottom lip out, leg crossed as screamed,"No I won't! Hmph!" I have justified myself (to myself and to others) by saying that what I am sharing is the truth...in fact it has always been the truth...my customer's often times are unfair and say untrue things about me, someone close to me may have hurt or offended me, someone may have spread a nasty lie or rumor about me, someone may have unjustly accused me of something I knew nothing about...but it is not my place to 'set them straight' nor is it my place to in a sense, drag them up in front of everyone else and ask, "Well, what should we do with this one?" During this time of sickness, I have released a lot to Him and He has shown Himself faithful to me time and time again. I have cried more than I ever have, dug deeper than I ever wanted to, and grown more than I thought possible. Yes, there is still work to be done, but as my grandma used to say, "The truth is in the pudding."
(S) But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
(O) This is where I began to have trouble with being in Jesus' sandals and to think and feel and react as He would. I observe that He is about His Father's business, as He always was. He was 'prayed up' and teaching what I can only imagine was a perfect lesson since all that He is and all that He does and all that He says would be perfect as well. Observation accepted. This leads me to think that if I accept this truth, then it would make perfect sense that all that Heisn't and all that He doesn't do and all that He doesn't say would be equally important to observe in this passage as well. Me being me, my first reaction would be to get upset that these teachers of the Law and Pharisees had interrupted my lesson! But, I quickly remember that I am attempting to step into Jesus' shoes today, and so I try to wrap my mind around how He reacted the way that He did, why He reacted that way and what He did and didn't say or do in this situation. I begin to read on and observe that not only did they intrude upon His lesson, they bring the woman up in front of all of the others there, and proceed to spill the beans about her sin! At this point, I observe, Jesus has not done or said anything. Seriously? Knowing myself pretty well, I feel if put in this situation, I would simply freeze...then explode! Asking questions of them such as, "Who are you to judge anyone?" Honestly, I might ask, "Who do you think you are? Do you think you are God?" But, I am trying to be in His shoes this time....not my own shoes, not in her shoes, not theirs in their shoes, but HIS shoes...so I read on.
(A) To be like Jesus is so hard! I know that He said it wouldn't be easy and that it would be worth it (my paraphrase) but sometimes, I think, "Ugh. I can't do THAT! I mean I know Jesus did that, but come on, Lord. You cannot possibly expect me to really be able to pull that off, right?" Yes, He does! He gives me all of the strength and the power and the ability found in Him to do anything that He asks me to do. In fact, His word tells me that I will do even greater things than some of the things He has done. Wow! I need to be a person who seeks Him for ways to be more like Him. To react more as He would and less like, well.....less like me. I need to stop being the person that is so willing to put someone out there in front of everyone to show others how badly "so-and-so" hurt me or offended me or treated me or how they____________...well, I know if you are honest with yourself, you can fill in a few of the blanks that I may have missed. Ladies, I'm gonna get a bit more honest here, hope that is ok with everyone. My 'hard drive' actions, my gut reactions and 'quick to judge' reflexes are something that are a part of me, hardwired in due to experiences all throughout my life, my upbringing, influences and situations that I have taken place. My entire life, and yes somehow even throughout the Genesis program, my drilled-in sense of 'right is right and wrong is wrong', my feelings that others need to 'own it' when confronted by me about a hurt, offense or action toward me, my inner questions of "why do they judge me when I know that they have done 'this and that' or 'such and such'.....well, frankly, they need to go by the way side. They need to be left at the feet of the cross where they belong...not to verbally be driven around town posted on a neon flashing sign on the roof of my car for all to see as I yell through a megaphone the details of a time that someone else offended me and I feel that they need to be brought to justice. Hurts have turned into wounds for far too many years and I need to allow the Father to repair the damage, fix the wounds and I need to learn that people will say and do what they want. The important thing is not 'fairness' or 'justice' or for them to 'do the right thing'. The truth is, He has been calling me to a higher way of living and I have been so stinking mad at past situations (some as far back as I can remember), that I literally have not been willing to get beyond this to move forward and grow and mature and move into the things He has for me. I have stubbornly stayed in this spot, arms folded, bottom lip out, leg crossed as screamed,"No I won't! Hmph!" I have justified myself (to myself and to others) by saying that what I am sharing is the truth...in fact it has always been the truth...my customer's often times are unfair and say untrue things about me, someone close to me may have hurt or offended me, someone may have spread a nasty lie or rumor about me, someone may have unjustly accused me of something I knew nothing about...but it is not my place to 'set them straight' nor is it my place to in a sense, drag them up in front of everyone else and ask, "Well, what should we do with this one?" During this time of sickness, I have released a lot to Him and He has shown Himself faithful to me time and time again. I have cried more than I ever have, dug deeper than I ever wanted to, and grown more than I thought possible. Yes, there is still work to be done, but as my grandma used to say, "The truth is in the pudding."
(S) But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
(O) Looking at this from my standpoint my first obvious question is, "What did He write on the ground?" But, when looking at it through His eyes, I guess it is something to be revealed on the other side of Heaven if it is important for all of us to know it. The observation I made is that He didn't say anything at first. Then when He did speak, it spoke to their sin, not hers. Knowing that Jesus is without sin, I realize that His comment shut them all up. Further pondering it, I realize that because Jesus is without sin, His statement made Him the only eligible person to throw a stone at this woman....that day or any day. Jesus is the only One who is sinless and has the 'right' to throw a stone when I sin. Yet, what I have experienced throughout my walk with Him is that all He has ever thrown my way is mercy, grace, love, peace, comfort, understanding and acceptance.
(A) Who am I to throw a stone at anyone? Afterall, the One who could throw a stone at me never has and if I claim to be striving to be like Him it is time that I put down the stones.
(S) 9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.
(O) Maybe the older ones went away first. It seems that for me, the older I have gotten, the more sins I have gathered and the more readily I become aware of these sins and are convicted of them. Maybe this was the case with those who began to walk away after their 'Jesus encounter.' Continuing to read, I see Jesus and there He is only with the woman brought before Him for judgement. His reaction? Well, priceless! Wait! Back on track....getting a little ahead of myself here.
(A) Seek the Lord and ask forgiveness for judging others. Stop holding grudges and let God be God in every situation I face. Remember my place in all of this and do not try to take over the seat that belongs only to Him. Really grasp and take hold of His truth that I should "Judge not lest ye be judged."
(S) Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
(O) Maybe the older ones went away first. It seems that for me, the older I have gotten, the more sins I have gathered and the more readily I become aware of these sins and are convicted of them. Maybe this was the case with those who began to walk away after their 'Jesus encounter.' Continuing to read, I see Jesus and there He is only with the woman brought before Him for judgement. His reaction? Well, priceless! Wait! Back on track....getting a little ahead of myself here.
(A) Seek the Lord and ask forgiveness for judging others. Stop holding grudges and let God be God in every situation I face. Remember my place in all of this and do not try to take over the seat that belongs only to Him. Really grasp and take hold of His truth that I should "Judge not lest ye be judged."
(S) Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
“No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
(O) Jesus turns to her asking where her accusers are....even though He knows full well where they have gone, and that none stayed around to throw a stone.
(A) He desires for me to learn from this passage and just like this woman, caught up andcaught in her sin, I am to go now and leave my life of sin.
(O) Jesus turns to her asking where her accusers are....even though He knows full well where they have gone, and that none stayed around to throw a stone.
(A) He desires for me to learn from this passage and just like this woman, caught up andcaught in her sin, I am to go now and leave my life of sin.
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