Session Five: Day Three- One Life Under God

"Submit to God."

James 4:7

Short and sweet today, isn't it.  Submit.  It's a tricky word in our culture.  Most of us aren't raised to submit to anything, let alone a God who might not always give us what we want.  But before we can submit, we have to hear the words from the preceding verse.  "He gives greater grace."  How often do I feel like I give and give and there is little left over for myself.  I end up feeling empty and used up.  To sit in the knowledge that He gives me the grace I need to be restored is refreshing.  I want to remember to sit every day and let Him fill me up, so that I can pour into others.

Beth asked us to list in the margins the five things James tells us.  They are:

1. Submit to God
2. Resist the Devil
3. Come near to God
4. Wash your hands
5. Purify your hearts.

She admonishes us to be deliberate in what we resist and what we draw near to.  We can't have it both ways.  Something always gets pushed and something else gets pulled.  What Satan hopes is that we will get worn down from pouring out or from the trials of this world and then he can sneak in and turn our hearts hard towards God.  But if we stay in Christ, in his Word, in prayer, in active conversation with Him, there is no room for Satan to sneak in.  I love the picture Beth paints when she says, "He (the Devil) doesn't flee from us.  He runs from God who is standing right there over us every time we submit."   I picture Him standing with His arms crossed shaking his head no.  And the Devil is terrified and runs away.

Pretty.  Awesome.

What light does Matthew 16:23 shed on Satan's schemes to frustrate our walk with Christ?
Satan only has lies and deceit and trials in store for us.  He calls him a stumbling block.

Lisa: Satan strategically places himself between us and God as a stumbling block.  He throws worldly things at us, and then waits...

If you feel comfortable share which Submit to God encouragement most spoke to you.  
I think this would be a great one to go over when we are next together.

Lisa: Agreed.  I really liked this lesson a lot.  And I mean Uh Lot!  I can't wait to go over it with my FRIENDS FACE TO FACE!!!  So glad we're meeting on Friday!
  
Love you girls and look forward to seeing you on Friday!