Hi.
Welcome to the fe2 Women’s Mentoring Network.
Welcome to the fe2 Women’s Mentoring Network.
Read Hebrews 12:14-15. According to these verses, does bitterness run deep? What word is used to depict the depth of bitterness? Does it lead to peace and holiness or trouble? In scripture, if your translation shows quotations around phrases in the NT, it typically implies an OT teaching. The audience would have understood the allusion, but we have to dig deeper for the full meaning.
Read Deuteronomy 29:16-19. Moses is telling the Israelites to be diligent and aware of the people around them who could serve as the root that feeds the vine with poison. According to verse 19, the root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit is a person who is consumed with what? Do you know anyone stubborn in their heart and consumed with self? Does it affect the people around them? How does that lead to bitterness in people?
What does Hebrews 12:14 mean when it states “without which no one will see the Lord”? Read Matthew 5:8. The Greek word used in both passages is horao, which means to take heed and to become acquainted with by experience, to discern clearly God’s holiness, our sin and need for a Savior. What do you need to strive for (or eliminate) to see and discern the Lord more clearly based on these verses?
Take a few minutes to dig deeper into the root analogy used to describe bitterness. When you pull weeds, which ones are easy to pull? Which ones require extra work and tools? Do you have any weeds of bitterness in your life that should be plucked away before they become deeply rooted? Describe your weeds of bitterness.
If we are to “horao” the Lord, to take heed and become acquainted with Him by experience, we cannot be consumed by self; but rather, we must strive for peace and a pure heart to be consumed with the Lord’s commands. How does bitterness cloud our vision to see the Lord more clearly?
Bitterness is deeply rooted in focus on self and is an anger provoked by what is perceived as unfair. Life is full of inequitable situations. How do we strive for peace and holiness during those times? Read Psalm 56 and see how David models for us the pattern of turning our focus off of self and taking heed to discern the Lord more clearly in the midst of terrible circumstances.
Did David still have fear and frustration in this passage? What did he choose to do? See verses 3-4. As we saw in Deuteronomy 29, when we choose to trust our own stubborn strength instead of a sovereign Lord then we not only hurt ourselves but also the people around us. David chose to trust the Lord. We have a choice in who we trust - self or the Lord. Who do you tend to choose most often?
Read Psalm 13. Again David pours his heart out honestly to the Lord about how unfair life is and how wrongly he’s been treated. Does he wallow in his self-pity and stubborn strength? Read verse 5-6. What does he choose to do despite the bad situation? What do you need to do to choose to trust even when it does not make sense?
Read Ephesians 4:31-32. We are to put off what? We are to put on what? Why? Are you willing to dig up the root of bitterness and choose to trust a God who was willing to die for you and love you even when you didn’t deserve it? Can you do that for others?
Suggested ReadingTraveling Light by Max Lucado