2009 May | Paula Wiseman - Part 2

Study Tip: Chapter Breaks

When God inspired men to write His words, divisions for chapters and verses were NOT included in that divine revelation. In fact, it was hundreds of years before those were added. I’ve heard one story that a monk rode his donkey while he copied the Scripture. Whenever the donkey’s gait caused the monk’s pen to jerk, that became a new verse. Whatever method was used, the man-made system is sometimes less than perfect. Sometimes, if we get away from the chapter divisions, we see some fresh connections.For example, my Sunday school kids have studied these verses in the last couple of weeks-

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

(That’s Matthew 3:16-17 and 4:1) Of course, we studied the baptism of Jesus one week and the temptation the following week. And of course, these are two separate incidents, but the chapter break may prevent us from realizing the connection between the two events. God the Father had identified Jesus as the Messiah, the sacrifice for sins. Now the Lamb was going to be examined to ensure that He was without any blemish or defect. He would be tested to prove He was an acceptable sacrifice. Matthew’s whole point in writing a gospel was to demonstrate that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament, that He fulfilled all of God’s law.

Matthew 4 into 5 is another example of a bad break. Chapter 5 begins “And seeing the multitudes…” And? You can’t start a chapter with ‘and’… What multitudes? Where’d they come from? The end of chapter 4 tells you that Jesus healed a bunch of folks and so huge crowds were following Him from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and beyond Jordan…” (We’ll save the geography lesson for some other time.)

As you study, watch the words at the beginning of a chapter and notice how they connect to what precedes them.

A Prepaid Fund of Grace and Mercy

By Paula

Good Monday morning! I am getting ready for our last week of school. Alan has two weeks, then we have one week to breathe before church camp!I’m searching for some answers from God right now, and Saturday morning I was reading wherever God led me and I ended up in Isaiah 53. In the NLT (2nd edition- I found out there is a difference) the second half of the verse reads like this:

He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.

Whatever issues I have, whatever injustices have been committed against me- He paid for. He was beaten so the effects of sin didn’t do long-term damage to me. He suffered, so I wouldn’t have to. He was whipped so the emotional, psychological and spiritual pain -whether caused by my own sins or the sins committed against me – so I could be healed.

This is a whole new dimension of deliverance from sin, of redemption, of freedom and grace.

In some ways it reminds me of our reimbursable health care plan. Jon contributes to it every paycheck and the company matches a portion of it and we pay all our medical expenses from the fund. Jesus Christ has established a limitless fund of grace and mercy that I can access anytime I need. Whenever a ‘headache’ of thoughts or ideas creeps in, I can make a withdrawal. Whenever a ‘heart attack’ occurs that leaves me discouraged or fearful, I can use the fund. At times, I have a little trouble ‘walking’, and the fund is available. Unlike our health care fund, there are no restrictions on how often or the situations to which it can be applied. The only catch in the plan lies with me. I have to ask for the grace and mercy.

Filed Under: Living Tagged With: healing, Isaiah

Writing Update

By Paula

Happy Friday- The older kids are in a wedding this weekend AND my niece is getting married back home tomorrow. Blessings, Ashley and Kyle!

From this week’s Bible study – “I will be glad and rejoice in Your [unfailing love] for You have considered my trouble. You have known my soul in adversity.” Psalm 31:7

A quick writing update- I was ready to start edits/ revisions on chapter 20, but Amanda pointed out some holes in 19. I had cut a chunk of exposition, but left some plot points unresolved. Now I’m crafting a new scene to get some of that info back in.

Here are the steps- 1.) Decide point of view (Rita’s, I think) 2.) Set the goals for each character coming into the scene 3.) Determine what the conflict is 4.) Hit our beleaguered protagonist with another setback. 5.) Square this scene with the rest of the book.

A reading update- As part of the submission process for Contingency, I’m checking out the competition so I can demonstrate there is a market for my theme, but that mine story is still unique. This week I read Healing Stones by Nancy Rue and Steven Arterburn. In a modern day take on the story of the woman caught in adultery, a professor at a Christian college is photographed with her lover. The book then explores her journey through repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation. It is smart, intense and well-crafted. Demi is sympathetic from the outset even though she has been in a five month affair with a colleague. My only issue was that Christopher never confessed to his father all the lies he had told.
Bottom Line: I’m hard to please in fiction and I highly recommend it.

Filed Under: Books, Friday Update, Writing Tagged With: Contingency, Healing Stones, Nancy Rue, Steven Arterburn

Stormy Weather

By Paula

It’s spring and we’re having our share of rain, but we’re also getting a healthy dose of thunderstorms. Yesterday, it was almost constant beginning in early morning and continuing all through last night. At one point, the winds were strong enough that I got up to make sure we weren’t under a tornado warning. Most of the storms skirted by us, but we still heard the thunder and saw the lightning. Then this morning as Alan and I walked to school we had to take care to step around all the slugs, snails and worms on the sidewalks. He said, “Look, the rain washed out all the ugly things.”

Sometimes life is like that. Storms aren’t just isolated events, but we find ourselves in a season of storms, under relentless attack. Lying in bed trying to get back to sleep early this morning, I was reminded of how many times the Psalms talk of God’s voice as thunder. You only have thunder when a storm is going on. It’s in the storms that I most clearly hear God speak. (Now, Elijah and his still small voice… that was a different lesson.)

Storms in my life wash out all those ugly things, too. The worms left out in the sunlight will eventually die. A storm gives me the opportunity to bring all those long-harbored sins, attitudes or actions, out into the light for God to deal with them.

Storms can be frightening and remind me how powerless I really am. If you in the middle of a storm, hang in there. After a day and a half of rain and thunder, this morning, it’s bright and beautiful.

Filed Under: Living Tagged With: Psalms

Separated

By Paula

I didn’t post Friday- needed a ‘personal’ day. It happens every so often.We were headed to the park one evening as a perfect day drew to a close. Before we got off the property, though, my son got in trouble. He’d ignored his dad’s instructions about riding his bicycle near the street. So after a short confrontation, we headed back to the house and he got sent to bed.

Isaiah says ‘your iniquities have separated you from your God and your sins have hidden His face from you’. That verse crystallized for me in those moments. Here was the son, separated from the father because he had transgressed the father’s counsel. Sin divides families. It hurts innocent people. My daughters were robbed of a trip to the park, but hadn’t done anything wrong. The rule was for my son’s protection, and although he understood that, he thought it was no big deal to skirt it. Then he’s very good at playing the remorseful penitent.

I’ve done the very same things myself. Often I even whine that God isn’t listening without even realizing I’ve been ‘sent to my room’. Thank God that ‘His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life’. While the separation is temporary, the relationship is unbreakable.

Filed Under: Living Tagged With: Isaiah, Psalms, separation