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What the Lord wants to tell us ….
When we are discouraged

Luke 5: 1 – 11

What are the principle causes of discouragement? Both lengthy and brief situations can provoke dejection. Can you think of examples of both? What are some of the causes of depression? Can you think of a situation in which the effort and attention you invested didn’t produce the results you hoped for?

v. 1 -2 This episode takes place at the beginning of the Lord’s ministry. What is the setting? What two different groups are the main actors in this story? What was the focus of interest for each group? Image the scene. What is the difference in the” emotions” of these two groups? Compare verses 1 and 5. How would you have felt in Peter’s shoes?

v. 3 Jesus decides to talk to the multitudes from a different podium. What does he resort to using? To whom did the boat belong? What other name did Jesus later give to this fisherman?
Note: This isn’t the first encounter of Jesus with Simon, but it is here where Simon changes from a follower to a disciple. One can only ponder this incident’s powerful and life-changing impact when we read at the end, “Leaving everything, they followed Jesus”!

v. 4 – 5a What would Peter be doing while Jesus was teaching? What does the Lord decide to do after concluding his teachings? What does the Lord tell them to do? How does Peter respond to Jesus? What do you think Peter was feeling? Remember he was the expert in fishing, while the Lord was a carpenter. What might have been passing through the mind of Peter? In Peter we find our own humanity reflected. When God talks to us, our tendency is to object.

v. 5b In spite of his objection, what does Peter decide to do and why does he do it? Do you see an act of faith on Peter’s part? His behaviour reminds us that many times, a step of faith and obedience to the Lord develops in the midst of many hesitations and counter arguments. What can we learn from Peter here?

v. 6- 7 What was the result of the catch? The blessings caused some difficulties. What were they?

v. 8 – 11 What impact did the Lord’s miracle have? How did Peter react to it? What provoked such behaviour? What was it that made Peter recognize that he was a sinner? As we mentioned before, it was from this point onwards that the Lord’s disciples left their fishing nets to become fishers of men. What lesson was the Lord trying to teach them?

What about us? When we’re “washing our nets” of discouragement, where is Jesus? What does he invite us to? What would be the grounds for us to try again? How is the Lord going to act? Will we be willing to surrender ourselves to the Lord? What is the formula for turning a failure into personal triumph?

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What the Lord wants to tell us…
When jealousy emerges

John  3:22 – 36

What contributes to the origin of jealousy? How do people motivated by rivalries proceed? What bad behaviours could jealousy lead us to? Do you believe in such things as benign versus unhealthy and malignant jealousy? Can you give some examples? What about us? Do you battle with jealousy? In what areas? We are all vulnerable at being victims of jealousy.

v. 22 – 24 The incident that concerns us today is from the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. It was the beginning of the discoveries of the identity and mission of the Master by a handful of followers. The passage begins with “After this”, to what incident is it referring? Jesus leaves the city of Jerusalem and goes to the nearby regions. What type of ministry was he doing during this time? What other distinguished leader was carrying out a similar task?

v. 25 – 26 Something sparked the discomfort of John’s disciples, what was it? It’s possible that this approach was what triggered their anger, since, was there a relationship between that which initiated the dispute and what they expressed to John? What was it that really bothered John’s disciples? In what way was the ministry of Jesus a threat to them? Have you ever been in a similar situation where you felt displaced by someone else? How did you react?

v. 27 – 29 What was John trying to communicate with that he expressed in verse 27? What is he trying to remind his followers about the nature of the mission he came to accomplish?

Note. Although it’s possible that John the Baptist wasn’t aware of the tragic and imminent future that awaited him (his imprisonment and beheading), he knew that the purpose of his ministry was to prepare the way for the Messiah. Jesus had already manifested himself publicly and John anticipated that his ministry was next to finish. Obviously, his followers hadn’t grasped the temporality of his labour.

Now, imagine that John the Baptist had never been a man of such a grand personality and spiritual profile. How could he have reacted?

John’s response puts into manifest an absolute certainty and acceptance that his identity and mission were determined by God. How would we apply to our situations the principle that “No one can receive anything unless God gives it”? In what way does this ratify the certainty of his mission? Subsequently, it illustrates that his affirmation appeals to an analogy. With whom does John identify in this figure? What produces such profound joy in John?

v. 30 The last words of this portion (verse 30) give testimony of John the Baptist’s godliness. In what ways does his attitude set an example and inspiration for us? This proves why the Lord said of him “I say to you that among the mortals there is no one greater than John”

The jealousies and the rivalries that appear and battle in our hearts point to our desires of ennobling ourselves and defending our rights. This biblical incident teaches a principle of God’s kingdon that is the antipode of the values that our society cultivates and the desires that our hearts demand. In what way does God call me to apply this principle of conduct in my life? In what situation of competition and rivalry does the Lord want us to apply the example of John the Baptist?

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What the Lord wants to tell us with regard to….
Our Petitions

John  2: 1 – 12

The main reason why we approach God in prayer is to ask and plead. Isn’t that your experience? Requests constitute the main ingredient in our prayers. In this study we will attempt to learn some valuable principles from the person who knew the Lord the best. The one who, for thirty years lived under the same roof; his mother Mary

v.  1 – 2 What was the occasion that is recorded in this passage?  Where did the event take place?  (This city was about 16 kilometres from Nazareth, the town where the Lord had grown up.)  Who were the guests?

v. 3 What was the crisis that came up?  What implications did this have for the organizers of the party?  Who noticed what happened?  (Some hold that this detail proves that the bride and groom were very close friends of Jesus’ family.) What feelings might these circumstances have provoked in Mary?  Who did she go to first? 

Notice the brevity of Mary’s message to Jesus.  Returning to the theme of prayers to God, what do we learn from Mary’s action?  What was the first thing she did when faced with the crisis?  Why did she do it? Pay attention to her strategy. Did she give Jesus orders or suggestions about what he should do? Why not?  Do our prayers reflect Mary’s approach to inform her son about what was concerning her?

v. 4 How did Jesus respond to her?  What tone do these words have?  What does he mean when he says, “My hour has not yet come.”?  Who was the ultimate authority that determined his steps?  (The Word “hour” appears some fifteen times in the Gospel of John. This denotes how profoundly the Son understood the importance of moving in submission to the designs of the Father.)

v. 5 How did Mary react to the slightly disobedient response of her son? What would we have done in similar circumstances? What does this attitude show? In what way does Mary express her faith in Jesus?  What do we learn from Mary’s behaviour regarding the worries that we take to the Lord in prayer?

v. 6 – 11 How did he solve the problem? What did Jesus do?  How did he proceed?  Through this extraordinary first miracle, did he make a spectacle to call attention to himself in front of his companions at the start of his public ministry?  What do we learn about the way the Lord responds to our prayers after observing how He worked at the wedding in Canaan?

What aspect of Mary’s behaviour reflects a very close knowledge of her son?  How do our ways of presenting our petitions to Jesus differ from Mary’s?   What step of faith are you willing to take to carry your worries to the Lord as a result of what you learned today?

Now, to add to this, we observe Mary’s calm response to her son’s abrupt answer. Unlike us she did not explode, exhort, complain or nag him. What can we learn from this virtuous woman, chosen by God to give initial guidance to His son on this earthly journey?

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Prayer: Lord, before coming to you with petitions I want to express my immense gratitude for giving me the privilege and the blessing of being a mother. Thank you for each one of my children, for their virtues and their uniqueness. Make me like Mary, the mother of Jesus, who said, “my soul praises the Lord”

Promise: But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a palm tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. Jeremiah 7: 7-8.

Reflection: Here we can substitute “the man” for “the mother”. The first word is indeed a promise. What conditions must exist before being blessed? Reflect on the significance of the analogy of the tree. What hope does this analogy provide?

Encouraged? Why not share some thoughts for others. You can add your reflections in the comment section at the bottom of this post. You must be logged in to post comments to this site. Use the login screen in the right hand column. Not registered? Click here to register – it is free and easy. Registration is immediate, but comments will be screened for spam or other abuse, but they will appear shortly.

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Prayer: Father, I pray for my child, who has not accepted you into his (her) life yet. You know the reasons and the situation. I know that you do not get tired of knocking at the door of his/her heart. Meanwhile, protect him/her from all danger and from any poor decision that could cause him/her harm.

Promise: For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!  Matthew 7: 8-11.

Reflection:  This passage makes an association between earthly fathers and our heavenly Father. What similarities and differences are established between them? What is the moral that Jesus teaches his followers?

Encouraged? Why not share some thoughts for others. You can add your reflections in the comment section at the bottom of this post. You must be logged in to post comments to this site. Use the login screen in the right hand column. Not registered? Click here to register – it is free and easy. Registration is immediate, but comments will be screened for spam or other abuse, but they will appear shortly.

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Prayer: Today I thank you for my children who have accepted you and have you into their lives. Help them to persevere, grow and be your light and salt in the world. I also beg you for my children who, although they know you, are not walking with you. Protect them, correct them and bring them to yourself.

Promise: Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6.

Reflection: Think of a potter. Contemplate the steps that the clay goes through in the hands of this artisan as he turns the clay into the form of a jug or bowl. If your children are like clay in the hands of a skilled potter, which step in their spiritual formation process would you say each of your children is at in this moment? What is the period of time that God has established to finish his work? 

Encouraged? Why not share some thoughts for others. You can add your reflections in the comment section at the bottom of this post. You must be logged in to post comments to this site. Use the login screen in the right hand column. Not registered? Click here to register – it is free and easy. Registration is immediate, but comments will be screened for spam or other abuse, but they will appear shortly.

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Prayer: Lord, I pray for the friends of my children. Help my children to choose their friends wisely. Protect them and keep them away from bad influences. Equip and strengthen them to be your witness to their friends.

Promise: So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.   I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10.

Reflection: What emotions are sensed in this passage? What is the relationship between anguish and fear? Can you identify the principle areas in your life that incite such emotions? What is the hope that God offers?

Encouraged? Why not share some thoughts for others. You can add your reflections in the comment section at the bottom of this post. You must be logged in to post comments to this site. Use the login screen in the right hand column. Not registered? Click here to register – it is free and easy. Registration is immediate, but comments will be screened for spam or other abuse, but they will appear shortly.

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Prayer: Today I pray for my children’s teachers, people who have a profound influence on the lives of children and young people. Thank you for those who are good examples, who take an interest in my children and inspire them to succeed. I pray for the ones with whom the relationship is not good and who may provoke negative attitudes and emotions in my child. Work your healing in this relationship I pray.

Promise: The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Isaiah 40: 28-29.

Reflection: Here we find attributes of God that liken him to and differentiate him from humans. What are these attributes?  Even though God is great, in what way does he come closer to us, we who are weak?

Encouraged? Why not share some thoughts for others. You can add your reflections in the comment section at the bottom of this post. You must be logged in to post comments to this site. Use the login screen in the right hand column. Not registered? Click here to register – it is free and easy. Registration is immediate, but comments will be screened for spam or other abuse, but they will appear shortly.

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Prayer: Lord, today I intercede for my husband or the father of my children. You understand the importance of his role. Thank you for him and for his virtues. Strengthen his weaknesses. Strengthen the relationship between him and my children.
Note: Friend, if your children live without a father’s presence, pray for people who do or may take on that role.

Promise: If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.  Psalm 37: 23 – 24.

Reflection: Who, when all is said and done, supervises our walk?  Another translation says, “and approves his path” with “when his way of living (life-style) pleases him.”  Who is this promise for?  What hope do we find in God?

Encouraged? Why not share some thoughts for others. You can add your reflections in the comment section at the bottom of this post. You must be logged in to post comments to this site. Use the login screen in the right hand column. Not registered? Click here to register – it is free and easy. Registration is immediate, but comments will be screened for spam or other abuse, but they will appear shortly.