Study Thoughts

Ok, so I know I just posted earlier but I just got back from the second of the two bible studies. The group itself is comprised of good people all of which are roughly my age. The study is a video course and coresponding book of things to read, questions, and hints. The group meeting is always fun and refreshing in the sense of fellowship, but tonight it was also refreshing in what I took from watching the video itself.

The video took place somewhere in the Negeve. (Though I doubt that's how it is spelled) I thought and contained many visuals which helped put things in context. It was about the "wilderness" and the relation of God to man as seen through the relationship of shepherd and sheep. Just a few things that I found interesting (but probly will not explain correctly) are;

- That the "wilderness" was not what I had imagined. It was majoritivly tall hills and steep rocky cliffs. Ceating a true need for shepherds to be active and truly devote their lives to their work. Keeping the sheep from starving was as dificult a task as keeping them from getting lost. But often they did so by simply moving onward. Their was rarely a place to stay at and graze for more than a few hours. Just enough to get a few bits in and then the group had to move to eat. Similarly, God does the same with us. He promised provision for the moment not for tomorrow. We aren't to find a good place and sit down. We are to be moving where He leads us trusting in Him for the moment we are in.

- Goats and sheep were grouped together in the herds. Goats wander off easily but sheep only follow whats in front of them. In relation (as stated in the bible) God will one day seperate the goats and the sheep. Which made me realise the connection that many christians have trouble with. Following, or going with the flow of, whatever is in front of them. Just like a sheep may end up away from the flock for having followed the goat who thinks he knows where to go on his own. In that way we sometimes take our eyes off the Fathers feet and do not heed his voice. Finding ourselves far from where we should be.

- The trees that are out in the middle of the apparent wasteland are few and far between, but do exist. The speaker made a similar metaphor to the strong trees are the ones who had been able to find water storages under ground. The waters were not visible on the surface. He related the water to the living waters of God and the trees were the people who had access to it. Nothing else good grew as well in those lands and so we can see how connected a person is at times to Gods living waters not because he seems to be sitting in a pool of it, but by the growth and fruit he will produce from a life fed by it..

Their were several other thoughts I or the group had, but the post will get very long if I dont stop myself. Maybe another time and post....(Sorry about the spelling/grammar, I didn't feel up to combing through it all.)