Breaking Free Part 8

Easter is tomorrow and we are preparing in this household. There are tarts and cookies and other things being baked as I am typing this. Again this seems to be a great weekend to sit quietly and reflect on what Christ has done. As part of it I am reviewing each lesson of my bible study each day and hopefully will have "caught up" with the lessons by the end of the weekend.

Day 1: Isaiah 54:10 "Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,' says the Lord, who has compassion on you."
This day's emphasis was on finding God's unfailing love.

• Psalm 136 - His loving kindness is everlasting.
  
• Romans 8:38-19 - Nothing can separate us from the love of God.
  
• Proverbs 19:22 -the Hebrew word for desire means "a longing" and it come from the word avah meaning "to covet, greatly desire". Everyone desires unfailing love.
  
• Proverbs 20:6 - No human has unfailing love
• 1 John 4:18 - Unfailing love casts out fear

Day 2: Psalm 107:15-16 "Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men, for he breaks down the gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron."

This day emphasis was on the freedom of God's unfailing love. Two points are drawn from Psalm 107.
1. God's unfailing love extends to the most rebellious captives and most afflicted fools. Hebrews 12:5-11.

• God allowed them to sit "in darkness and the deepest gloom (v10). The question asked was: Why do you think rebellion could lead to a deeper depression in the life of someone who has experienced closeness with God?
• He subjected them to bitter labor (vs 12).
• He allowed them to stumble (v12).
• He allowed "no one to help" (v12); Psalm 62:1-2,5-7.
  
• He allowed some to suffer affliction (v17).

2. God strives with His captive children until they are free. Psalm 119:67-68; Ezekiel 33:10-11; Luke 7:47.

Day 3: Psalm 90:14 "satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all out days."
This day's emphasis was on the fullness of unfailing love. Finding satisfaction and fullness in Christ is meant for every believer. (2 Peter 1:3) The day was spent going through Ephesians 3:14-21 one phrase at a time:
1. To be rooted and established in love (v. 17). The deeper we are rooted in God's love the less we falter when life hits.
2. To have the power to grasp the colossal love of Christ (v. 18) - Ephesians 3:16 tells us that we get this power through His Spirit.
3. To know Christ's love that surpasses knowledge (v.19).
4. To be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (v.19)- Psalm 90:14 .

Day 4: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
This day put the empathsis on the failure to believe God's unfailing love. According to Isaiah 43:10 we are to know and believe God. The main portion of the lesson was on 4 evidences of God's love:
1. God tells us He loves us: Deuteronomy 7:8; Psalm 86:5; Psalm 89:31-33.
2. God demonstrates His love for us. Romans 5:8; Isaiah 52:14; 53:10-11; Matthew 27: 32-54; 1 John 4:10.
3. God thinks about us constantly. John 17:24.
4. God testifies to others how He loves us. John 17:23.

Day 5: Hosea 10:12 "'Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until He comes and showers righteousness on you'"
This day put an emphasis on the fruit of unfailing love.
1. The child of God who trusts God's love possesses security in God's leadership. (Exodus 15:13)
2. The child of God who trusts God's love possesses security in her salvation. (Psalm 13)
3. The child of God who trusts God's love possesses security in God's mercy. (Psalm 51:1)
4. The child of God who trust God's love possesses security in His comfort. (Romans 8:38-19; John 15:9)
5. The child of God who trusts God's love possesses security in His defense. (Psalm 143:12; Lamentations 3:59; Psalm 35:1,10,19

Well that is all for now. It is the end of the day and tomorrow will be a bright new day of resurrection.