Moments
Mother to Daughter, Friend to Friend—Together in Scripture at the Table of God’s Presence
by
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-At the Table-
Centered in the middle of my dining room is a near century old printing press table salvaged from a dusty corner of a second-hand store. The damage and imperfections in the wood remind me that it has served others’ before our family, but for me, it becomes a sacred place when I come to it during regular times of the week to meet with God.
Do you have a quiet place? Perhaps a table to gather around at a regular quiet time? Is it free from interruptions and distractions? What do you need to do to make it that way? Find a moment at your table, and God will meet you there as you intentionally come into His Presence. I invite you to bring friends and family to this same table to grow together spiritually.
During your time at the table, follow these simple study steps each week during your time of scripture study. At first it may feel new to work through, but you will quickly make this process a simple part of your study habits with whatever verse or passage you are studying. Using the acronym STILL is helpful to me in the Bible study process. Here’s how it works:
Begin with prayer whenever you are in God’s Word. Then . . .
STILL
Search - Write out this week’s Bible verse in the first section of your journal. Don’t skip this step. Writing scripture helps bring the words into your heart. As you write, read the verse out loud. With a highlighter, mark any key words or phrases that are most meaningful to you. Take a few minutes to focus on these key words or phrases that you have marked and think about what makes them meaningful. Reading the verse in a couple different translations of the Bible is a great way to glean more meaning from the scripture as you search the passage for truths.
Takeaway - What are your “takeaway” lessons from this passage? In your own words, journal any important truths that you find. Don’t worry about parts that may not make sense today, focus on the parts that do. You may want to read and reread the verse several times to process what it is saying.
Inquire - After thinking and writing about what is important in this verse, record a few personal application questions you may have. An easy way to get started is with the words-Who, What, When, Where, How, and Why. In essence, you want to focus on questions that connect you to the lessons you just recorded. The important part is often just in thinking deeply about scripture and making connections with your own life. You may find that some of your inquiry will lead you to a deeper study of a word or topic at a later time.
Listen & Live - What was most meaningful in your study time today? What are you thinking about as you come to the end? Is there an action that this study time has made you think about, something you feel called to do? Write a personal prayer of reflection to God.
Close your time by praying mother to daughter . . . friend to friend. Ask God to hold the message of scripture deep within your hearts, and thank Him for the powerful truths of His Word.
+1 Experience - Use these suggestions as a way of strengthening your relationship with God. You may choose to use them regularly or on a more occasional basis. There are no rules. Use them in a way that will be most meaningful to you. I’ve included these suggestions as just one more idea to discover new ways to provide optional enrichment to your weekly lessons.
-Still –
Psalm 46:10
Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
When can you carve out some time today to be “still” and quiet with God so that you might “know” Him? Not to “know of Him,” but to “know Him” in some personal moments today? Don’t put it off for tomorrow. There is something of His divinity and lordship in your life that He needs you to understand and experience today.
This very day.
Tomorrow will have its own experiences.
Will you then exalt Him? Praise Him not only for the blessings but also for the weakest areas of your life. Praise Him for those things that continue to trouble and confront you. Exalt Him for those very things, recognizing that your greatest weaknesses allow Him to infuse the most powerful spiritual blessings deep into the middle of your story. The impossible becomes possible. And then allow the praises and exaltations to flow as you know and recognize God’s touch in and around your life.
He is worthy, oh, so very worthy of our praise!
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About the Book
Life is full of moments—how do you fill them? It is all too easy to find our time filled with the day-to-day activities of life, but how often are we able to be still with our thoughts and carve out opportunities for the most important moments we have—our moments with God?
Moments: Mother to Daughter, Friend to Friend—Together in Scripture at the Table of God’s Presence invites mothers, daughters, and friends to spend intentional moments of their lives sharing time in scripture with an open heart and Bible. Author Danielle Opitz gives encouraging, insightful messages with each intimate study, providing a relevant resource for anyone wanting to grow in a relationship with God and better understand His Word. She offers the STILL scripture study method— Search, Takeaway, Inquire, Listen and Live—to guide women of all ages in taking these first steps into the meaningful experience of Bible study.
“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
Being present with God’s living Word can offer us enormous and rich insights— so grab your Bible and pull up a chair to the table. Invite a friend, mother, or daughter to join you. The conversation may get personal at times, but you will experience a real and genuine love as you come to know yourself, your loved ones and God in the ways that matter most.
About the Author
Danielle Opitz is a wife, mother, teacher, and Bible study leader in the western mountains of Wyoming that she calls home. With a quick smile and a ready laugh, Danielle is not afraid to be real in her teaching and the personal stories she shares. Through her own experience with Bible study and her background in education, Danielle continues to encourage women of all ages to listen to the voice of God as they pause to spend quiet moments in the pages of His Word.