Prayer Point for the Week – Please pray that God would give His grace to the Persecuted Church in abundance.
Questions for Reflection:
The most common scripture about godly joy is Nehemiah 8:10. What is the blessing of living in God’s joy? Why were they grieving? Why was it wrong for them to grieve? After reading the preceding chapters of this book, what events led up to this celebration? How, if it all, did their faith lead up to chapter 8?
In Genesis 17 & 18 Abraham and Sarah respond to God’s promise of Isaac with laughter? To whom did the Lord respond to when they laughed? Why do you think He responded to one and not the other? What 2 types of laughter does this indicate?
Scorn and delight can both bring a person to laughter. Was is the difference between the 2? How do each of these attitudes affect your spiritual and emotional well-being? Where do feelings of delight eventually lead us? What about feelings of scorn, if we do no address them?
One can respond to a promise of God with either scorn or delight? What is necessary to be delighted with God’s promises despite their occasional absurdity? Have you ever despised the promises of God? What can be done to transform our scornful heart into an attitude of delight?
When Sarah was confronted with her laughter, how did she respond? Have you ever lied to God about your true feelings? Have you ever lied to yourself? Why is this futile? Did her momentary lack of faith nullify God’s promise to her? What does that tell us about God’s nature and our spiritual growth?
