| |

For Your Deepest Needs And Most Complex Questions

For Your Deepest Needs And Most Complex Questions  -christyfitzwater.com

I was fascinated by Helen Keller when I was younger and even made an attempt to learn sign language after hearing her story. Can you picture the scene when Helen, after her years in complete silence, finally understands the meaning of the letters her teacher is making in her hand?

That’s how I felt after my first Bible study with Michelle Buster.

Since I was young I had loved the Bible, and I sat attentively through every study my church offered. But Michelle was the first person to give me the how.

I was 30 years old and 30 years into the Bible, but under Michelle’s teaching I was Helen Keller. For the first time, I opened my Bible and could learn on my own. I could understand on my own, with the tools Michelle was giving to me.

It was like I was seeing the truths of God for the first time, and I was getting to know God in a way I had never experienced before.

You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees.  (Psalm 119: 68 NIV)

 

For Your Deepest Needs And Most Complex Questions  -christyfitzwater.comThis last week Michelle wrote me a letter from her home in Australia, and it so inspired me that I want to share it with you. I hope you’ll catch her love for God’s truth and see how the Bible has everything we need.

I have not taught in quite some time, and I really miss it. But I have continued to study on my own using all of the tools in your cheat seat, and the Word has met me in my deepest needs, answered my most complex questions (or left me content not to know), expressed my highest joys, and carried me through the dark nights of the soul when I could not even read my Bible but the Holy Spirit brought back the bright truth of God’s Word to hold on to in the night.

I think that possibly the best benefit of all is that I know my God intimately and am very sure of His character. The fact that He is GOOD and SOVEREIGN is something that is now embedded in my soul. This has come through long and continued study of the Word as I have seen Him at work across the centuries (through 66 books of the Bible) always being true to His promises and His character.  So although I am in a place that I never anticipated being at this stage in my life, I am quite OK with it, knowing that God’s purposes are at work even when I cannot see it.

I have left Revelation as the last book to inductively study and I am high with anticipation to see how this culminates all of the 65 previous books. And then, of course, I will start all over again. Each time I am in a book, it is my favorite book. My family teases me about this. But I am also excited about going through the Bible again as I am constantly surprised and frustrated at how much I have forgotten!

The Word is alive and never gets old.  And the neat thing is that you can never plumb the depths of it, unlike any ordinary book.  It is like you keep going through layers, so that when you circle back around your previous knowledge leads you to see the next layer.  (Makes me think of Shrek, “Layers like an onion. No , layers like a cake. Most people like cake better than onions!”)

I want us to circle around and come to God’s Word together, because we know this is where the Lord will meet our needs and guide us through our hardest questions.

6 Comments

  1. Elizabeth Colucci says:

    I was thrilled when I first attended EBC to find a great Bible teacher in Michelle. I was so sorry when she was sent (God’s design, I’m sure) to the middle of our country. I am happy to read this letter that was sent to you and to know that she is still implementing what she taught. God Bless you for sharing Christy.. Please convey my utmost respect to Michelle.

    1. I sent this note on to her, dear friend. I think about how she has influenced Matt and I. He learned how to study the Bible under her teaching, and now he’s a preacher, implementing her lessons every week!

  2. Thieu-Tiet says:

    So busy right now but I must make time just for this, b/c your sharing always, so far :), touches my need & my thoughts like it was written just for me..

    I must ask where can I find the “cheat sheet Bible study”?

    I am a computer operating, blog reading challenged and almost no short term memory. I got your Bible study questions for Psa 25, sheer miracle.

    Thanks a tons for sharing. And yes, congratulations on the new book…

    1. You are so encouraging to me. Thank you for your kind words!

      Okay, the cheat sheet is easy. Go to my website (christyfitzwater.com) and open to the blog page. On the right side of the page you’ll see where it says “Get Your Free Cheat Sheet”. Type in your email address, and the cheat sheet will be emailed to you within 24 hours. Enjoy!

  3. Does Michelle have a book we can see to incorporate her Bible study techniques into our Bible study?

    1. Great question! Michelle taught us using studies from Precept Ministries International (precept.org) The cheat sheet I offer to my subscribers is my own condensed version of what I learned about inductive Bible study, and the monthly newsletter I’m going to be sending you is going to have what I am calling “micro-lessons” in this method of study. It’s possible that someone is teaching a Precept Bible study in your location. If you go to the website, I think they can connect you with local studies. I would call these college-level Bible studies, and they are homework intensive but worth every bit of the work!

Comments are closed.