Looking for the other posts in this series? Click here for the table of contents.
This post contains affiliate links.
Note to email subscribers: If you have any trouble with the images or links on this page. Click through to the blog at TimeWarpWife.com
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.
Hey, I also have some printable quotes for you further down the page, so make sure you don’t miss those!
If you would like to share your thoughts on the study, you can do so in the comment section below.
Subscribe so you don’t miss a post.
Reading Assignments – Week 3
MONDAY – Read 1 Kings 18:16-45 – “Elijah and the Fire from Heaven”
WEDNESDAY – Read Daniel 6:1-26 “Daniel in the Lion’s Den”
FRIDAY – Read Daniel 3:1-30 “ A Fourth Man in the Fire”
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 3 – Faith Glorifies God Intro.
Few are as bold as the men we read about this week. Standing firm in the face of affliction, their faith doesn’t waiver or fail.
I remember growing up as a child and hearing the story of Daniel in the Lion’s Den. My first thought was that this man was brave, his faith was strong, he glorified God… The thing is, my focus was off. My eyes were on Daniel, when they should have been focused on the power of God working through him.
In Philippians 2, Paul writes, “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” (NIV) And so we see that these men were nothing without the grace of God working in them and through them.
This wasn’t a secret to Daniel. He understood that every detail of his life—both the good and the bad–was written according to plan. He knew that the heart of the king was in the palm of God’s hand. In fact, when Daniel set out to write this book, he began by writing, “In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand.” (Daniel 1:1-2, NIV)
Boom—right there Daniel gives glory to God. He doesn’t leave interpretation open to chance. Instead, he clarifies the fact that God is the one at the helm, steering this ship.
Keep reading through the book of Daniel and you’ll see this point driven home again and again: God is the one in control. Whether there’s one faithful man in the lion’s den or three in the fire, God’s the one changing lives. He’s the one giving strength to the weak. He’s the one deciding when and how a heart will be softened.
“The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” – Proverbs 21:1
Turning to the story of Elijah, we see an unusual yet faithful man. The Bible tells us that he was fed by ravens who brought him bread and meat in the morning and again in the evening. He healed a widow’s deceased son, and when his days were finally numbered, he was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind.
This man was bold, as we see in the story of the fire from heaven. He stood alone against 450 prophets of Baal, and in fact, the Bible tells us that he mocked them. Who does that? Most people don’t have the courage to stand up to one man let alone mock 450 unbelievers, yet this man stood there boldly declaring his faith believing that God in turn would be faithful.
Like Daniel and his friends, Elijah did this for one simple reason–to glorify God. He knew that there wasn’t anything he could do to change their hearts and minds, but he was well aware that God could.
“Answer me, Lord, answer me,” he said, “so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” (1 Kings 18:37, NIV)
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 3
Note: This download is for week 3 of the study. Come back next Monday for part 4. There are four parts in total. 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 three.
Download This Week’s Printable:
Click here, or click the image below to download this week’s printable. The cards are about 4.5 x 5.5 inches each. There are four in total. Click here to find last week’s cards.
Considering a gift to Time-Warp Wife Ministries? Click here to donate.
THIS WEEK’S CHALLENGE
Witness God’s hand as it moves in your life. Look past every gift to give thanks to The Giver. Look past every victory to give praise to The Victor.
BIBLE VERSE
For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. – Philippians 2:13, NIV
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
Oh so many thoughts about the readings this week (so far) but regards to Daniel – I love that there was no corruption in him (Jesus) that he prayed so often during his days and it struck me that even though he prayed he was still attacked which encourages me today. Often we can think that if we do all the right things we will be more protected from harm. But God works in opposite worlds and I see time and again and even today that often as we draw near to God to be strengthened in Him, He can ‘sometimes’ put us through deeper trails in order to show that (His) powerful strength in us. I love that thought this morning and it gives me hope in the midst of my circumstances to keep trusting! Also, I get a lump in my throat over the kings decree at the end. ‘that in every part of the kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel’ I pray the blessing that follows over the land that God has planted me in. Lord work deeper faith, trust & obedience into me so that people will want to worship Shelley’s God!
Yes. I love this. I’ve seen it happen often too, where we experience trials as we draw closer to God. If we can only persevere we’ll move much closer yet!
Amen!
Thank you, Darlene for your insights into God’s Word. What I am learning is that in our sufferings and trials we can experience a deeper level of fellowship with Christ–one that we may not previously known or experienced. I don’t like trials (who does!) but I am so thankful to our heavenly Father for His presence and and how He does conform us to the image of Christ through them.
Love this Giveaway! Shared on FB! ??
Love this Giveaway! Shared on FB! ??
Nice article Guys!! Enjoyed reading it. Great source of knowledge. Would like you guys to go through my site as well and share the feedback. A bit out of box. We are the Best wedding planners in Bangalore India. We offer Destination weddings, wedding stage decoration, Guest managemet services and Photography.
To know more about Marriage planners in Bangalore, click at http://abigaanaweddings.com/