As Was His Custom: Solitude
One of the truths that most strongly stood out to me in studying Jesus’ practice of solitude is the foundation from which he operated. Jesus knew and operated from the truth that his strength, security, and purpose came solely from his place with the Father. Thus, he prioritized time to connect solely with Him.
As Was His Custom: Studying Scripture and Meditation
Although many secular scholars label Jesus as a country bumpkin, who probably couldn’t read or write, there’s adequate reason to believe that He could do both. We know from Luke 4:16 that Jesus was invited to read on the Sabbath in his hometown synagogue. While the other Scripture that talks of Jesus’ writing is not found in the earliest manuscripts (John 7:53-8:11), we can deduce that if He knew how to read, He would have also learned to write.
As Was His Custom: Reading scripture
Nazareth. It’s a small village nestled down in the middle of the cliffs and high hills north of the Jezreel valley. Back in Yeshua’s time, this valley was a major intersection for non-Hebrew people groups to travel through and sometimes settle as it was the easiest to navigate east to west from the coast to the Sea of Galilee. (I mean, who wouldn’t want to settle there when there is 365 feet of topsoil in the Jezreel Valley?!?!) This valley holds so much deep meaning for Israel and Christians alike. (For a video by Daily Bread featuring my professor, John A Beck, regarding the importance of Jezreel Valley, click here.)
Today, Nazareth is the fastest-growing city in what was ancient Israel. But this small village is where Yeshua’s parents raised him. (Essentially, he was a small-town boy). Surrounded by high cliff faces (see in the above video at time stamp 0.01-0.38), Nazareth was isolated from these Gentile and pagan people groups, to say the least. It was tricky navigating to Nazareth back in Yeshua’s time (probably only accessible by climbing on foot or with a donkey or mule). Even today, they’ve had to blast the cliffs to provide transportation to the community.
As Was His Custom
Right then, it occurred to me that Jesus led a life filled with habits and customs that He had done His entire life! And He had a lot. If you've heard the term "spiritual disciplines"- they are taken from the habits of Jesus. There's a reason for them- so that we can literally follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
The (Literal) Never Ending Story
Why are parallel passages so important? Because they help us interpret verses that are harder to understand. We can USE the Bible to interpret ITSELF. A parallel passage is another verse/passage in Scripture that is similar to another passage. We can use these correlating verses for comparison or to add deeper meaning to the text we’re studying. The most straightforward parallel passages we can find are in the Gospels.
Women of Valor: Corrie ten Boom
Corrie ten Boom, known today as one of the “most remarkable evangelists of her time,” was a Dutch woman used mightily for God, who, during WWII, launched a significant underground resistance to protect Jews in Holland, lived and ministered through the horrors of the German concentration camps, and later traveled the world sharing about the love of Jesus. While her story consisted of remarkable impact, Corrie began her life as a watchmaker’s daughter in the town of Haarlem, Holland, and lived an ordinary and obscure life until she was in her 50’s. Born in Holland in 1892, the first half-century of Corrie’s life was anything but exceptional. The faith of her family and the depth of their life in God was the only nod to the events that lay ahead.
BEHOLD’S Swedish Study Method
If written Bible studies aren't your thing, or you'd rather dig into Scripture with just the Holy Spirit, your Bible, and a couple of easily memorized questions, this is the Method for you.
The Swedish Study Method was started by a woman discipling college aged Swedish students, hence the name. With this method, her students were soon discipling others with these same questions.
Women of Valor: Harriet Tubman
She pushed ahead when no one else would. She rose above when her first husband remarried (after she hadn’t returned for some time) and forgave him by offering to help him if he and his new wife (and child) wanted to escape. She worked alongside men to help free people and push our country towards freedom for all. She also continued to work towards women’s rights while maintaining her faith and hope in the God who gave her heart freedom.
Women of Valor: Elisabeth Elliot
I grew up hearing the story of Elisabeth Elliot and her great empowerment of Christian women. However, I remember hearing her once answer a question on her radio show to a woman who asked a question about what to do since her husband physically abused her. Elisabeth’s response stunned me. She told the woman to stay and submit to her husband. I was appalled. I couldn’t reconcile the eighty-year-old woman whose voice cracked across the radio waves and the brave woman who faced the murderous jungle tribe with a toddler strapped to her torso. For years, I struggled to want to read anything that she wrote. Why would she tell a woman to stay with an abuser?
Women of Valor: Catherine Booth
When I first heard of the Salvation Army and its ministries, I had primarily heard criticism. So, I was astonished when I learned more about what they believe and their dedication to the call of God upon their lives. When I listened to another fellow seminarian speak about Catherine Booth, I felt like I had a soul sister in her.
Women of Valor: Amanda Berry Smith
I first heard of Amanda and her faithful obedience from a fellow seminarian, Faith Kendall Gibson, whom I must thank profusely for introducing her to me. The older I get, the more I see and acknowledge the many strong women of faith who have gone before me.
Women of Valor: Amy Carmichael
As I read the words of Amy Carmichael, she seemed to be a friend that I already knew. The sister I never had. The woman who discipled me to Christ without me knowing. She wrote, "There are times when something comes into our lives which is charged with love in such a way that it seems to open the Eternal to us for a moment, or at least some of the Eternal Things, and the greatest of these is love. It may be a small and intimate touch upon us or our affairs, light as the touch of the dawn wind on the leaves of the tree, something not to be captured and told to another in words. But we know that it is our Lord. And then perhaps the room where we are, with its furniture and books and flowers, seems less "present" than His Presence, and the heart is drawn into that sweetness of which the old hymn sings. The love of Jesus, what it is; None but His loved ones know."
Hailing All Women… Who Love Jesus
Sitting in one of my final seminary classes, I looked around at the people surrounding me, and my heart sank. Eighty percent of the class was men. I was one among the four other women. When I attended Ozark Christian College for my Bachelor’s degree, the percentage between men and women was more equal. (There may have actually been more women attending Ozark in the late 90s). In 2021, 55.3% of the Ozark Christian College degrees awarded were to women and 44.7% to men. The question I ask is this: where did these women go?
It’s no longer winter
If you were to ask me, I’d tell you the best thing about winter is when it’s over. I despise the cold, I hate that the sun spends so much time hiding, and I do not enjoy being stuck at home when it snows or the roads are icy. These are all signs of Seasonal Affective Disorder which I have battled for as long as I can remember. Some years I feel it worse than others but I can almost guarantee that once the time changes in the fall, I’m going to start experiencing some signs of depression. As someone who has walked through many seasons of various depths of depression, I’ve learned a few things about how I can manage it with a little more grace and not let the battle in my mind steal my joy. I’d like to share with you what I’ve found helps get me through these times…
What to Look for In a Bible Study
I’m constantly being messaged about what to look for in a Bible study.
“Hey Meg, have you heard anything about this new Bible study author?”
“Do you know of any Bible studies on anxiety?”
“Are there any Bible studies I need to avoid?”
I love getting questions like this. And I generally have answers to these questions. But it does seem as though every time I turn around, I find another new Bible study author, and they don’t always have credentials I’m comfortable with. But I digress. What I initially look for in my study now may surprise most people…
Psalms to Read: For Anxiety & Depression
I recently saw something, and it made me stop in my tracks. The quote had been posted on a video via social media and said something to the effect that men use their trauma to build. Whereas women become destroyed by their trauma.” Was that true? The fact was, I had seen both men and women destroyed by their trauma, and I had also seen men and women grow stronger through their trauma. When I began to research, the National Center for PTSD stated, “The lifetime prevalence of PTSD for women is 10-12%, compared to 5-6% for men.”
So, as women, we do hold onto our trauma longer. However, we are more likely to experience the kinds of traumatic events that have a higher incident rate for PTSD, and we are more likely to seek help through therapy and antidepressants. It may be that we just reached out for help sooner…
Here are some psalms that can speak to your depression and anxiety.
Is the Bible Literal or Figurative?
I’m a writer who loves to write about the world in my imagination. But when I write stories, I want people to understand that it is not an autobiography but a version of a reality I know personally or a combination of real stories I’ve put together. It’s important to me that the reader understands where I’m coming from; otherwise, they will miss the important truth that I’m trying to illustrate with my words.
And I have a feeling that if we don’t look at the author’s intended meaning (whether literal or figurative), we will (as readers) misconstrue or overinterpret things found in scripture. (See my previous post on the Author’s Intended Meaning.)
Another main thing you must identify when reading through scripture is to ask yourself, “Is this to be taken literally or figuratively?” If you are reading through the Psalms and you are applying it as though it is literal- well, have fun with that. When you’re delving into the prayers of men, and possibly women, interlaced with poetry… you are in for a wild ride.
Who Is the Bible Written To?
After 20 years of ministry, my husband and I found ourselves “church shopping.”
Ugh.
The pairing of those words feels so gross to us.
Maybe it’s because after spending years of ministry in local churches when newcomers mentioned those words, it usually meant that they would compare this church to the others they had visited. It felt like judgment. But after the last two years of “church shopping,” the pairing of words felt different to us…
What’s the Deal with Context?
How can you understand the Bible? When you understand the context, you’ll be closer to understanding the author’s intent, the audience, and the message the passage is trying to get across.
How Can I Understand the Bible?
How can we understand the Bible? Books of the Bible are written for specific audiences. And it’s pretty slim that you fit into that original audience. I mean, there aren’t many of us from first-century Israel… or earlier. If we don’t understand who the author was, where they were from, or who they were writing to, we won’t understand the main depth of the message.