Bible Study Fellowship

Great study this (my first) year, the book of Isaiah. My understanding is next year will be the Acts of the Apostles. Anyway, I have really enjoyed BSF. It was hard to get into the strict and streamlined format, but it is meant to get you into the Word daily and to figure out answers for yourself, not to be spoonfed any answers. This week we studied the "Little Gospel" Isaiah 53. As we studied it I remembered my Dad. He memorized this passage and recited it in church one year long ago. After he died I wanted to honor him somehow so I memorized it too and recited it in church last Easter. This week as we pored over it in BSF, I realized that having memorized it, I was better able to actually study it and remember phrases and sentences. This truly enhanced my ability to understand the passage. I have heard about people who memorize whole passages, whole books of the Bible, not just merely as a feat of "look what I did," but rather, to really immerse the self into the Scriptures. To really have that buried deep inside. When tough times come, the passages, having been rooted down into the mind and heart, get called up and can help one to bear fruit (blossom) at that difficult time.

The AWANA program at churches is a great start to this. Kids get the Word buried into their hearts at an early age. Years and years later those words can bear fruit in lives. Praise God.

"He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him; there was nothing in his appearance that we would desire Him. He was bruised for our transgressions; crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that was meant for us was put on Him; and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned each one to his own way, and the Lord laid on Him the sins of us all." .....He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. ....by oppression and judgment He was taken away...and who can speak of his descendants? He was cut off from the land of the living. ........Yet.....it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer. ... and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and will prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in His hand."

The Word of the Lord is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword. It is powerful.