Day by Day | -kjv-bible-studies

Day by Day

A Bible Study for Women using the authorized King James Bible, the only inerrant Word of God

By Patricia Dowers

Introduction

As believing women we know the importance of walking in daily fellowship with our Lord Jesus. We reap so many benefits from this personal walk. We have the companionship of the One Who loves us more than any other. We have the comfort of He Who knows our pain and understands our trials. We have the security of never being torn from His side because we have the sealed contract of redemption by His blood. We have all of this and more, but we also have the responsibility of obedience to His daily direction. When the Lord saves us we are enlisted in His plan to fulfill His will. The Lord has authority over every day, hour and minute that transpires in this world. This includes our own time, however insignificant we may feel it is. He may not call us to do great things in our own estimation but obedience in what He gives us is just as important to Him.

How do we discern the Lord's direction? How do we know when the Lord is moving us to change direction, or perhaps, step outside of what is comfortable? What happens when fear becomes an obstacle in the path? I believe there are five "must haves" that we need to consider. We must:

1. must have a heart to hear

2. must have a heart to obey

3. must have faith that God will enable and provide

4. must have faith to step out

5. must have gratitude for His provision

It is my hope that we will find examples of the "must haves" in the Biblical characters of this study. Please join me in this Bible study to discover how Jesus keeps His promises for daily victory. We will look at examples from Scripture of people who are going about their daily lives when suddenly they are faced with a new direction and new responsibilities. We will see how the Lord works in miraculous ways to stay ahead of the fear these circumstances can create. I pray you will find valuable truths from His Word that you can apply in your own lives.

Please note: In this study, as in all others, it is important to read all Scripture references for yourself that you may know what God has to say.

Session I

Have you ever been faced with an important task that others are depending on you to complete successfully? You may have little or no confidence that you will succeed. In Gen. 24:1-19, Abraham's trusted servant finds himself in this circumstance. Please read this passage with your group. The Bible does not name this servant but if we look back at Gen.15: 2, I think we can assume it is Eliezer, the steward of Abraham's household. He is identified in this passage and is so highly valued that he is named to inherit in Abraham's will. I believe Eliezer and the unnamed servant of Gen. 24 are one and the same. If, in fact, they are different people he is, at the very least a respected servant of Abraham's household. Please read Gen. 24:2-3 and answer the questions below.

What was Abraham's main concern?

How do we know this was critically important to him?

In v.4 Eliezer is told to go back to Abraham's homeland and kindred to find a wife for Isaac. This meant Isaac's future bride would be a blood relation. Abraham became a servant of God back when he was called out of Haran but the family that remained was still pagan. Why do you think this marriage was preferred over a bride from the Canaanite women?

A clue may be found in Gen.15:18-21. In this passage, the Lord is confirming His covenant with Abraham as He has on other occasions. Abraham's seed is to inherit the land that the Lord has promised him and they are to dispossess the current inhabitants which included the Canaanites. If Abraham's seed was half Canaanite the covenant would not be fulfilled.

I am sure Eliezer was overwhelmed but things were about to get even more difficult. In Gen. 24: 5, what did Eliezer ask Abraham and was it a reasonable request?

In v. 6 Abraham issues a warning to Eliezer. It is equivalent to him saying "Don't you dare!" He is quick to follow up however, with the assurance he has been given from the Lord God of Heaven. What is the assurance in V.7?

This is quickly followed up with another oath in v. 8 and 9. Eliezer received the message and his marching orders and the journey began. V. 10 tells us he departed with quite a caravan of camels, men and goods. Eliezer was on a mission to impress these people but he was still doubtful he would succeed.

Sometimes, even when supplied with talent, education, gifts, and motivation, we can still feel inadequate for a job. Perhaps it is because none of these things guarantees success. Perhaps it is because of the heightened responsibility and the fact that those who matter are counting on us that we may become paralyzed with fear. I have been there. The easy thing is to say "This isn't for me", or "I am just not up to this." Sometimes, I have even resented the one making the request. No one wants to disappoint or fail. Have you ever been asked to step outside of your comfort zone, perhaps at church or at work? If you are comfortable please share your experience with the group.

Eliezer got as far as the well outside the city of Nahor. It was a long journey and his camels needed water. It was the custom for the women to come out at evening with their pots and jars to draw water for their households. V. 12 tells us he prayed to the Lord. We don't know if he had been praying all along or if this was his first prayer on the matter. At any rate, he puts everything he can into this one prayer. How does he address God in v. 12?

I find it interesting that Eliezer prays on behalf of Abraham not himself. This may be because he knew of Abraham's good standing with God and his prayer would more apt to be answered. Perhaps he felt unworthy for some other reason. If this was the case, we must remind ourselves that as born again believers we are always welcome in the throne room of grace and never need to hide behind the spirituality of others. God sees through all of this anyway and still welcomes us with open arms and a heart to listen.

In verses 13 and 14 Eliezer lays out a detailed plan before God designed to reveal the future wife of Isaac beyond a shadow of a doubt. First, he will ask if she will let down her pitcher for him to drink. Next, she will need to agree. Lastly, without prompting, she will offer to water his camels. This would be a great deal of work for one young woman to do for a perfect stranger. From the human perspective, there would be little chance of meeting all of these requirements without the Lord's intervention. Of the many women arriving at the well Eliezer will need to approach only the one that would rise to the standard for his master' son.

She would need to be related to Abraham's family. How was this standard met (v.15)?

Verse 16 reveals two more standards. What are they?

Verses 17-19 Show that Eliezer received every assurance he has asked for. What a blessing that God shows such patience with our insecurities. I hope you did not miss the best blessing of all in this account. Please look back at v. 15. The first part of this verse says, "And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out." This servant of Abraham passed all of the "must have" standards identified in the introduction. What a wonderful God Who is so tuned in on us that He answers our prayers even before we pray them! Why do we ever hesitate to call on Him at the earliest moment and in every situation. Please join me in the next session for another example of God's providential love.

Session II

We will begin this session by reading Exo. 3:9 - 4:18. We have here the account of Moses and the burning bush where God lays out His plan to Moses regarding the deliverance of His people, the Israelites. In Session I, we learned about a willing but overwhelmed servant. In this account, we have an unwilling and extremely overwhelmed servant. The Lord God is very specific in His expectation but the more Moses heard, the more he backed away. It is amazing how we fear God's direction but we do not fear to argue with Him.

What was the instruction in v. 3:10?

What was Moses' response in v. 3:11?

A little background concerning Moses' fear may be helpful. Moses was actually in hiding in the land of Midian from Pharaoh because he was wanted for murder. On the surface, that seems like a good reason to not return to Egypt. Moses feared for his life. Moses, however, had just heard the voice of God speaking to him from the burning but unconsumed bush. Should not that be enough for him to put aside his fear? Please read Psa. 27:1 and copy it in the space below.

The Lord knows the quaking hearts of His children and He knew the heart of Moses in this moment. What does He assure Moses in the first part of Exo. 3:12?

If we were to hear these words from God audibly we might think that would be enough to obey. God has used the same words multiple times in Scripture yet we still sometimes hesitate. I am so thankful that we have a patient God who will show His patience to a point. When we try His patience, we are stepping outside of His will. He is still Holy God and will accomplish His will with or without us.

God's desire was for Moses to trust Him. Trust and obedience are equally as important to God as the task. When Moses voiced his concerns God addressed them with power that only God can demonstrate. Please answer the questions below.

What was the concern in v.13?

What was God's answer in v. 14?

In v.15 and 16, how did God further identify Himself?

God gave Moses step by step instructions in verses 17-22 that should have addressed any other concerns. None of it was enough for Moses. God continued to patiently listen and reassure him. What was Moses concern in Chapter 4:1?

God gave Moses three proofs of authority in verses 2-9. What were they?

Who can we trust if we cannot trust the great I AM? When fear erupts within us like a volcano, why not trust the God Who holds the world in His hands? It is ridiculous to think we have a better option but many times we choose to just do nothing. Let us look at this from the Lord's perspective. When He tells us to move and we do nothing we are not really doing nothing. We are doing something. We are sinning. That is why God's patience cannot last indefinitely. He will move on with His perfect plan with or without us. Do we really want Him to move on without us. I do not need to think about it very long before I have my answer. Please share with your group a time when you were led to move on in spite of the fear.

Moses had one more concern. We read about it in Exo. 4:10. What was it?

In v. 11 and 12 we see God losing patience in His response. What is it?

Was that enough for Moses? Sadly, no. In verse 13 we read that Moses pleads with God to just send someone else. He has failed all of the "must haves" we read about in the Introduction. But God is not done with Moses. What does the first part of v. 14 say about God?

I do not think any of us would want to be in this position. I would rather face ten pharaohs than an angry God any day! I am sure by this time Moses was feeling the same way. We must not miss one of the most wonderful aspects and demonstrations of how much God knows and loves us at the end of this passage. Before this conversation even took place God had moved Aaron, the older brother of Moses, to set out on the long journey across the wilderness from Egypt to Midian to meet Moses. Being naturally eloquent, he would be the spokesman before Pharaoh (Exo. 4:14-18). Moses would still be the leader but Aaron would be his voice. Instead of presenting himself before Pharaoh with the full power and authority of God behind him, he would stand there in humility while his brother spoke for him. One day soon Moses would regain his vocal authority but only after he learned to trust God.

King David knew much fear in his life but he also knew Who he trusted. Please read Psalm 27 aloud with your group. V. 1 describes trust. David asks two questions. Who is the answer to both?

V. 14 describes obedience. What is the reward for having courage in the Lord?

Please join me in the next session as we learn about God's faithful servant who has been entrusted with frightening information.

Session III

No one can deny that the prophet Daniel was a life-long, faithful servant of God. He was kidnapped and brought into the pagan nation of Babylon. As a teenager and he was expected to turn from his own faith in the one true God to worship the false gods of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. We find the amazing account of his life in the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament and I hope this lesson moves you to read or reread the book in its entirety. It is full of life and death adventure and miracles, plus prophecies of future events that impact all of us.

One would think that someone accustomed to trusting God for every moment of his life would not have a problem with trusting God for something revealed to him towards the end of his life. Let us take a look at what that was and I think we will see that sometimes much knowledge can be more troubling than less knowledge.

Daniel had been a faithful servant to his God his entire life. God rewarded him by revealing much of Israel's future right up until the Lord's return. God, Who knows the hearts of all men, entrusted this vital information to a select few, one of which was Daniel. The information was glorious and terrible all at the same time. Much of it was futuristic, and contained events that Daniel had no prior experience to understand. We can read about Daniel's visions beginning in chapter seven of the Book of Daniel and they continue through chapter twelve at the end of the book.

Next to his love for God, Daniel loved his people Israel and their homeland. Let us look at how much this prophecy was affecting him. Please read the following verses with your group and answer the questions below.

Dan. 7:15 How does Daniel describe what he was feeling?

Dan. 7:28 How did Daniel deal with his troubled thoughts?

Dan. 8:27 How was Daniel's health effected in this verse? (Note how he managed to carry on with his work.)

In the next few verses we see how Daniel begins to be proactive about his troubled heart.

In Dan: 9:3,4 What is Daniel doing before the Lord?

Finally, in 10:3, we find Daniel waiting on the Lord for understanding and assurance. What was he doing?

There are many lessons to be learned in Daniel's reactions and the outpourings of his heart. I hope we can find many similarities in our own Christian walk. We may not be dealing with the fate of nations and governments but wherever the Lord has placed us or whoever we love with our deepest emotions, can produce in our hearts and minds the same reactions as Daniel's.

The best part of Daniel's account is the way the Lord assured him that he was heard and how much God wanted Daniel to be assured. God sent His angel, most likely, Gabriel to deliver a personal message. Please read Daniel 10:11-14 with your group and answer the questions below.

In v. 11, how does the angel describe Daniel?

In v. 12, when was the angel first dispatched?

In v. 13 how was the angel delayed?

In v.14 what was the angels mission?

We must not suppose that the prince of Persia was such a problem for God that he caused a delay in getting the message to Daniel. God had other reasons for the delay that he chose not to reveal. It is however, a wonderful insight into the work of angels and all they do to protect us. God does everything in His perfect time. He wants us to trust Him for the timing as well as the result. God knows it is hard. The peace He sends will heal the pain. Please read Phil.4:5-7 aloud with your group and copy v. 7 in the space below.

It has been my own experience that in order to know the true peace of God I must be still and wait on Him. When I do, the peace arrives before the solution. The Lord promises it will. I know that if you are trusting in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Who took all of your sin on his own innocent self to pay your sin debt, as I am trusting, then you, too have experienced this peace. If you have not trusted Him as your Savior, the time is short. There is not much of Daniel's prophecy yet to be fulfilled. God always keeps His appointments.

In the next session we will look to the New Testament for another example of trusting in the Lord in a seemingly helpless situation. I hope you will join me.

Session IV

In the New Testament in the book of Acts we find the account of Saul of Tarsus, a zealous Jew on his way to Damascus to persecute Christians. Please read Acts 9:3-18 with your group. God had a mighty plan for Saul (whom He would later rename, Paul), but first Saul needed to be humbled and place his trust in Jesus.

In v. 3 how did the Lord appear to Saul?

In v. 5 how did the Lord identify Himself?

In v. 6 what instruction did the Lord give to Saul?

In v. 8 What happened to Saul as a result of seeing the light of the Lord?

Here we have Saul, blind, with his life turned upside down in a moment and completely defenseless. He could have asked his companions to take him home but he did not. There was no mistake in his heart and mind that this was Jesus, the Son of God, and he was prepared to follow Him in obedience.

How quickly our day can change from simple routine to catastrophe. Often without warning or prior preparation we are left unable to see our way. The Psalmist David knew such times. Please read Psalm 18:4-6 with your group. and answer the questions below.

How did David describe his fear in v. 4?

What did David believe was the source of his trouble in v. 5?

To Whom did David cry and how quickly was he heard in v. 6?

How wonderful it is to know the Lord is aware of our need before we are and is ready to respond. We cannot always see the answer in the moment but we can trust the answer is already in process and turning out for our good.

David had the benefit of trusting God from his youth but Saul had no experience in trusting the Lord at all. His salvation amounted to being plucked out of the storm and he had no idea of his next steps. Some of us come to a saving faith in Jesus in just such a way but more often we are quietly led to the Lord through gentle witnessing or quiet instruction in the Word. Either way, the Lord has the same expectation of us. We must trust him with our lives. There is no other way. If I trust Him for salvation of my soul, shouldn't I be willing to trust Him with my life?

Back in Acts 9, we read that God led Saul one step at a time. First he was led to the city of Damascus, then to a street called Straight, then to the house of a disciple called Judas. There, Saul was left to pray and rest. I wonder if Saul even knew how to pray, but thankfully we have the Holy Spirit to help with that. Please read Rom. 8:26 aloud with your group. What two things does the Holy Spirit do for us when we pray?

While Saul was praying, the Lord was already working. In Acts 9:10, we read that the Lord came to a disciple named Ananais in a vision and told him to make his way to Straight Street to a man named Saul. Saul was having a similar vision. What was Saul's vision in v.12?

In v. 13-14 why was Ananais reluctant to go?

The Lord did not owe Ananais an explanation but He graciously gave him one in V. 15-16. Why was Saul chosen in v.15?

Saul was healed of his physical blindness and over time, his spiritual blindness. All he knew in the moment when the Lord met him on the road to Damascus was that he was having a terrifying day. He didn't know until later that, at the same time, the Lord was working His miraculous plan to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles. Sometimes the process is a long one and like Saul, later Paul, we need to check in with the Lord daily to be sure we are still on the right track. No one lived closer to disaster and tribulation than Paul. As we read in his New Testament Epistles, I am sure that one of God's purposes was to remind you and I that He can bring us through any storm and provide us with all that is needed to be successful and honor Him.

Below is an often-sung hymn by Carolina W. Sandell Berg (b. Froderyd, Sweden, 1832; d. Stockholm, Sweden, 1903), better known as Lina Sandell, the "Fanny Crosby of Sweden." "Lina" Wilhelmina Sandell Berg was the daughter of a Lutheran pastor to whom she was very close; she wrote hymns partly to cope with the fact that she witnessed his tragic death by drowning. Please ask someone in your group to read through this hymn aloud without the music and listen for the comfort He provides daily in every situation.

Day by Day

Day by day, God’s gracious love surrounds me
As a balm to soothe my troubled heart.
Countless cares and worries that confound me
Fade away or quietly depart,
For His heart is kind beyond all measure,
And He comforts us as He knows best.
Ev’ry day, with all its pain and pleasure,
Mingles tears with peace and rest.

Day by day, the Lord is ever near me,
Granting loving mercies for each hour,
And my care He gladly bears, and cheers me
With His counsel pure and holy pow’r.
I’ll not fear for what may come tomorrow,
Though the path ahead I cannot see.
He assures that in all joy or sorrow,
“As thy days, thy strength shall be.”

Help me rest in quiet consolation.
Help me trust Thy promises, O Lord.
When I’m faced with daily tribulation,
Help me find the strength to live Thy word.
Then, dear Lord, when toil and trouble find me,
Hold me steadfast in Thy pow’rful hand.
Day by day, Thy strength will bear me kindly
Till I reach the promised land.

We have such a wise and loving and mighty God. I hope you pray with me that we will trust Him for the big things in our lives as well as the small, and that we especially trust Him ...

day by day.