Lighthouse Bible Studies

by Katy Kauffman

Guilty, guilty, guilty, I told myself as I waited for the judge’s verdict. My head hung low as I waited for his decision.

I can’t believe I did that again. What was I thinking?

I glanced over at the gallery of spectators. Their condemning glares held my attention. Faces of disapproval. Their eyes penetrated my soul. I saw the faces of those who had made me feel inferior in the past. Who made me feel despised. Among them sat an envoy of the enemy, an ambassador of guilt and shame. He had harassed my spirit too many times. Of course, he would show up now. Truly I felt condemned before the judge even confirmed it.

by Lauren Craft

Have you ever tried carrying a week’s worth of groceries from your car to your house? If you can shoulder the bags all at once, you’ll avoid making multiple trips, right? Not quite. When I’ve tried this, something is usually dropped. A potato slips out of my hands, an apple rolls under my car, or a milk carton lands on my front lawn.

More than anything, though, carrying too much is exhausting. My muscles ache and my breaths become labored. This reminds me of how it feels when resentment weighs me down. Its heaviness sucks joy and peace out of me, leaving unpleasant, sinful thoughts in their place.

Recently, I was upset with several people in my life. They’d made comments that seared like an electrical shock to the heart. I tried to clear the resentment on my own, telling myself, “I’ve made mistakes too” and “They probably didn’t mean to hurt me.” 

Forgiveness. It’s one of those church words we like to throw around. “Well, I just need to forgive him and move on.” “Forgive and forget.” But when we’re honest, we say things more like this: “I know I’m supposed to forgive, but why is it so hard?”

We know we’re supposed to forgive, but sometimes we struggle with the gap between the knowing and the doing. 

This Bible study, written by Beebe Kauffman (my mother), has helped me to better understand how God works in our lives on a daily basis. He is always working—guiding, transforming, equipping. I want to share with you a passage from Isaiah: Setting Things Right that I love. It describes the sanctification process and how God works in our lives.

What’s involved in God setting things right?

This is a Five Minute Friday post. Today’s word: release.