Marilyn Meberg--Women of Faith

Part I
Of Human Bondage--great book
What do you do with the feelings when God doesn't answer your prayer the way you wanted?
What does God want to show us rather than stuffing it in a box?
Mary, Martha, and Lazarus--Lazarus died.
Psalm 94: 19 When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.
Consolation #1, we can fuss at God, accuse Him, complain to Him.
Consolation # 2, He has empathy with us. When Mary and Martha did so, Jesus wept. He felt their pain.
Consolation # 3, He hears us. Jesus prayed with Mary and Martha saying to God, I know you hear My prayer. We have access through Jesus, who is our Mediator with the Father.
Consolation # 4, He teaches us that God is Sovereign. He does it all, He chooses what, when, how, things in our life occur. Nothing is random with Him.
Ephesians 1:11 " . . for He chose us from the beginning and all things happen just as He decided."
Job says there is not a solitary day we have beyond what God has ordained.
Psalm 139 says He knows our days from the beginning to the end.
He cares more about us than we do.
God is in control of everything, even the pain that comes into our life. Sin abounds, and we face the effects.
Take one pain out of your box. Then do the following:
Psalm 100 "On your feet now, applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter. Sing yourself into His presence. Enter with the password: Thank you!" Doing so goes against everything in our humanity, but when we thank Him for it, we release it to His Sovereign control, His presence. Lift these to Him.
Romans 8:28

Part II
God is for our pleasure.
I Timothy 6:17 "God richly gives us all we need for enjoyment.
James 1:17 Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God.
The problem is in our overstimulation of pleasure--keeping the pleasure in balance is our task.
Satan uses our pleasure center to try to get us out of balance. More is better lie.
Be aware of the vulnerability I have to swallow the hook swinging before me.
I cannot risk a platonic relationship with someone of the opposite sex. There is an underlying tide. There is nothing that is more dangerous than someone who makes you feel attractive, worthy, listened to.

8 Questions to ask yourself to test if the hook is dangling, and how close you are to swallowing it.

1. Do you consider your more person a soul mate.
2. Does your more person know more about you than your spouse?
3. Have you confided private and personal weaknesses in your marriage.
4. Would you be uncomfortable if your spouse knew you had confided?
5. Would you feel uncomfortable if your spouse joined you on future times spent with your more person?
6. Do you and your more person flirt with each other?
7. Have you imagined having sex with your more person?
8. Have you mutually agreed each of you feels sexual chemistry?

If you answer yes to the last three questions, your roof will cave.

From Marilyn's book What to Do When the Roof Caves In.

Story of David and Bathsheeba
If you yield repeatedly to the same hook, confess it to God and dig deeper to see why you keep swallowing, what makes you continually vulnerable. Be free of shame and know you are forgiven. God forgives and forgets.