BSF lessons

There have been some interesting lessons coming from studying Isaiah at Bible Study Fellowship. One recently had a big impact on me and I think David too. I usually discuss what I have discovered from my lesson with David and I like hearing his thoughts about the Bible verses. Recently one of the girls in my small group at BSF shared her story as it related to the lesson that week. She had been training for a marathon for 10+ weeks and it was coming up in a few days but over the weekend she had some pain in her hip that caused her to stop running. After resting a few days she got back out there and ran a few miles, but the pain came back and she went to the doctor. She had a hip fracture and was devastated by the news, which meant she would not be able to run in the marathon. The lesson we are studying is about glorifying God, putting him first, not our idols, or ourselves. In this lesson we are learning how God punishes us too, which is a totally new concept to me. I've been taught about a loving God and a God that should be feared, but not one that punishes. It makes sense though, he is Our Father and teaches us lessons. Well, the girl my group had just been taught a lesson by God. She feels that God is punishing her by putting the marathon before Him. I often put other things before God, most recently and most often it's my child. This is something I will probably struggle with for a long time, but I feel I can turn this into teaching Isaac about God.
Although this study of Isaiah is very difficult and often times doesn't make sense when I'm doing the homework, the discussions we have and the lecture clarify some of the scriptures and I often come away from class with a new view of God's work.

FYI-I got her permission before sharing her story. It made such an impact on me that I felt I needed to share it.