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If you have a group of friends that might be interested in this study, maybe you can call them up and get together once or twice/week. The study is free as each lesson is provided to you week-by-week! It’s also a great study to do with your husband.
Option 1:
If you would prefer to pick up a copy of the study guide instead of printing the lessons out, Faith & Provision: 4 Week Bible Study Journal is available now at Amazon.com. By purchasing a journal, you are helping to support both this ministry and MarriagePrayers.Today to spread the gospel and encourage women to grow in their faith.
Option 2:
Scroll down the page to find a FREE PDF version of this week’s lesson. Look for the image with the gold seal on it. Come back each Monday as I’ll be providing them week-by week.
* With either option, make sure you come back on Fridays for my thoughts on each lesson.
Scroll down the page to find the reading assignments for this week, or simply go straight to the Bible study journal below.
If you would like to share your thoughts on the study, you can do so in the comment section below.
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Reading Assignments – Week 4
MONDAY – Read 2 Kings 4:8-37 “Elisha and the Shunammite’s Son”
WEDNESDAY – Read 1 Kings 17:8-24 “Elijah and the Widow”
FRIDAY – Read Exodus 14:1-29 “Parting of the Red Sea”
On each day of these days ask yourself the following questions:
- What have I learned from this scripture?
- How was faith exercised?
- How can I apply this to my life?
On the alternate days, dig deeper by reading the surrounding chapters. You might also like to use the resource links provided below to study further. Once you dig deeper, ask yourself the following question:
What have I learned about God’s provision?
ONLINE RESOURCES:
These are my favourite online Bible study tools!
Bible Gateway – Every version you can imagine is online
Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible
Looking for an easier commentary? Here’s the Concise Version
Other commentaries you might preferInterlinear Bible – I love this one!
Blue Letter Bible – Dig into the Hebrew and Greek
Bible Word Search
Week 4 – Faith Can Move Mountains Intro.
This week, we see God’s hand at work orchestrating every detail from the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart to a multitude of Israelites marching to freedom. We see mountains move as people rise from the dead, and the forces of water pushed to the side as the sea is parted in two.
When God directs our steps, it won’t necessarily make sense to us, in fact it might be daunting, overwhelming, and stressful at times. And so, it’s important for us to remember that we’re right where God wants us to be. We must keep in mind that nothing is impossible to God. He excels us in wisdom and power, and He’s always at work in our lives.
Those who put their trust in Him are wise to remember that He’s at work in their lives whether they understand it or not. A difficult situation is an opportunity to connect with God in ways that would otherwise be missed. It opens a door to deliverance, it opens a door to His glory and power, it opens a door to His grace.
How often do I miss those opportunities? How often do I grumble and complain when I don’t understand?
I think about the Israelites hemmed in to that section of land with the desert on one side and the sea on the other, while 600 chariots raced on in pursuit. In situations like that it’s hard to remember that we’re right were God wants us to be. In times like that it’s easier to question God than it is to trust in His provision and grace.
Most of us truly want to be rescued by God, but we don’t have the patience to wait for His timing. We don’t have the strength to lean on His wisdom. And we don’t have the sense to get out of the way and let Him do His work.
But here’s the thing, when we allow God to lead us through desert places, we open up a world of opportunity for His glory and grace to be displayed in our lives.
What they deemed as an impossible situation was an opportunity for God to not only bless them with the gift of deliverance, but to also reveal His glory to the world.
His provision comes by grace, and is often displayed in unexpected ways. Rarely the way that we think it will happen and always for the good of our soul. Faith is possibly the hardest thing to exercise. It calls us to sacrifice, to humility, and to patience. Faith tells us to step aside so that God can work through us.
Think about that next time you’re in the midst of a trial. Grab hold of anticipation, and hold fast to your hope, while you patiently wait for God’s plan to unfold.
As you’re reading this week, take time to focus on faith one day and God’s provision the next. What do you learn about each? Use the resources provided at the beginning of this study guide to dig deep.
Faith & Provision: 4-Week Bible Study Journal available now @Amazon.com
Available now at Amazon.com
- Weekly Reading Assignments
- Encouraging Quotes
- Weekly Prayers
- My Thoughts on Faith & Provision
Want a peek inside the journal? Click here to view it on Amazon.com
Faith & Provision: Printable Version – Week 4
Note: This download is for week 4, the final instalment of this study. . Click here to view and download this week’s lesson.
That’s all for today. I’ll see you on Friday for part two of week four.
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THIS WEEK’S CHALLENGE
Trust in the wisdom of God even when situations don’t line up the way you hoped that they would. Remember that His provision is often displayed in unexpected ways. Rarely the way that we think it will happen and always for the good of our soul.
BIBLE VERSE
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. – Proverbs 3:5-6, KJV
About the Author
Darlene Schacht and her husband Michael live in Manitoba Canada where the summers are beautiful and the winters are cold. Together they’ve come to learn that relationships aren’t always easy, but that marriage, the way God intended it to be, is a treasure worth fighting for.
She began her publishing journey about twelve years ago when she pioneered one of the first online magazines for Christian women, known at the time as “Christian Women Online Magazine.” After three years, Darlene left CWO to blog as a solo author at Time-Warp Wife Ministries.
It was also during this transition that she worked alongside actress Candace Cameron Bure to write the NYT Best-Selling book, Reshaping it All: Motivation for Spiritual and Physical Fitness. Reshaping it All was the winner of both the 2011 USA Best Book Awards and the 2012 Christian Reading Retailers Choice Awards.
Author of more than 15 books, Darlene continues to write and to minister to her readers through her blog at TimeWarpWife.com.
Connect with Darlene:
Facebook: @timewarpwife
Instagram: @timewarpwife
Pinterest: @timewarpwife
Twitter: @timewarpwife
You are loved by an almighty God,
Darlene Schacht
The Time-Warp Wife
I have always love the story of Elijah and the widow at Zarephath. The end of v9 caught my attention this morning .. “I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food.” You see I figured that God would appear to the widow before hand to tell her that a man will arrive who needs food so feed him. I thought God would have warned her like he has done with others – I think especially of Joseph, Mary’s husband. But in this case it doesn’t appear to be that way. She genuinely seems to not have expected him and wasn’t prepared for him. But the Lord HAD commanded her….
He uses our lives for His purpose! Without her truly knowing he was orchestrating her decisions to fall in line with His will. This speaks deeply to me today. As a child of God I WANT to do His will and to KNOW I’m doing it right and well. Today’s story encourages me that if the Lord can command a heart that isn’t surrendered to Him, then how much more will He command my heart that wants to do His will. Note to self ‘Quit stressing and just be still and know He is God …. in quietness and trust is your strength’.
Thank you Lord for this one verse that spoke a whole lot of truth to me this morning!
I loved your take on it. Yes! Amen!
The absolute sovereignty of God is my greatest comfort – I’m so thankful to be His!