Would God do this?

[confused]

I'm going to be completely honest here. As honest as I think I have ever been in my entire life. And it's scary... but I've come to the point where I need answers. This is (or at least the majority, I'd hope) an assembly of believers, and is close to a "Church" as I have, so that's why I'm asking. If I had a preacher, or someone else, I'd ask them.

Here goes.

I'm 27 and my life is not great. There is absolutely nothing that makes me happy or gives me extended joy. I have no money, no job, students loans I have to get a unemployment deferment on, I had to move back in with my parents over a year ago, I constantly fight with my family, difficulties with the people in my neighborhood, I have barely any friends, no church, etc. I could go on and on.

I AM a Christian and have been for a long, long time, though, obviously, my life doesn't show it. I always knew God was there (I guess) but my life has been so hard, that honestly, faith was hard to come by, so I all but gave up. I did my own thing.
Like I said, it sucked, but at least I didn't have to worry about trying to please God. I did want I wanted.

Well, three weeks ago tonight, I had a breakdown and God and I reconciled (or so I thought). I started going to a new church and really reading the Bible. Doing "everything right" so to speak. Or at least mostly. I prayed all the time and even saw some of those prayers come true. But most of all, I gave up everything I knew was bad, even "addiction type things" that had been plaguing me for years. I truly felt different.

Sounds good, I know...

The thing is, I. am. tired.
I guess I just thought God would help me out and make my "thorns" go away, or at least dull them, if I really tried. He wanted me to change who I was and follow Him.... so why, when I finally did after running all my life, does He not move? I have begged and begged Him to just do something....

What it comes down to is this, this "new me" is exhausting and I'm not sure how long I can do. I feel like I'm constantly running up hill, on eggshells.


So here's my moral dilemma [for those who are still with me, thanks] .

I am so close to just giving up and going back to where I was because though I wasn't "doing right" so to speak, I wasn't anymore miserable than I am now... at least my hangups and "thorns" gave me something to do, something to occupy my time.

The only thing that keeps me from giving in is that I'm afraid. I'm afraid this was my last chance at hope. At a future.
I am afraid that if I go back now God will look down and say "You know that Godly Husband you've been praying for? Well, you were going to meet him in six months.... but now, no... " or "You know those student loans you wanted me to take care of? Well, I was going to, but I'm not now."

It's not fear of God and His wrath that keeps me going, its the fear of lack of blessing. I know this isn't right, but I felt as long as I was trying and not giving in, I at least had a shot at joy.


What I want to know is, like my title says, is this how God works? Would He do that? Does He have a hand full of great things (like a husband) that I would get, but won't if I backslide??
I am not theological at all, and I was hoping I could hear from someone that was. Someone that knows God and how He works, so to speak.


I am exhausted, you guys. If nothing changes, I can't do this.

It's just too hard.

[Kelly]

Oh hon, I'm so sorry you're going through this!!! But you must know you are DEFINITELY not alone!!! So in your words....here goes.

I'm 28. I graduated college a little over 2 years ago, and the only real job I've gotten since graduation, I was let go from after just over a month! I could create NOVELS with the amount of applications I've filled out, resumes I've submitted, etc. And still I have no job. I moved back in with my parents when I graduated and although I have a bed to sleep in at night, I don't really feel like I have a place I can truly call my own. I'm living in our "garage" apartment which is just a big room....and half of which is used for storage that my brother refuses to come get. And part of it is all my kitchen/bathroom/misc stuff that I can't use here just piled in boxes. Even though I've been here 2 years now, I still feel like I'm living in a "loaner" so-to-speak. Not a place to call my own.

And the kicker is that I don't drive. I'm in a wheelchair & it took me a lot longer to get into, and through, a program for handicap drivers. I have my license (which I FINALLY just got a few months ago). But I don't have a car because I can't afford it since I don't have a job. Both of my parents have full-time jobs, and I don't really have many friends here in town. I live in one of those small towns that most people grow up in, then move away from. But I love it here and plan to stay as long as possible. But basically, this means I get up everyday with nothing to do, no one to talk to, and nowhere to go. It's VERY hard sometimes! I feel like I'm just getting up to waste time away, you know? I have a few friends at church, but there are only a SMALL handful of people my age there. We tried to start a group where we all do something once a month. I thought it was going to be so great. Then after just two get-togethers, it kinda just fizzled out.

I can't tell you how often I go through those times of feeling like I'm just waiting for the next step....wondering when my life is really going to start. When am I going to have a job & be able to support myself, live on my own, be my own person. Be the person I want to be. It's very hard! But in the end, when you have nothing, all you have left is faith. So you have to make sure you keep that in tact! That's what gets me through!

It's interesting though...just today, our sermon was titled "What is the Kingdom of God." And we talked about how most people have compartmentalized God. We say "Oh we have to spend 15 minutes reading our Bible every day, we have to go to church, we have to pray, etc" But that's not what the Kingdom of God is about. All it really is, is giving your WHOLE life to Him!

And I know it's hard, but if it feels like you have unanswered prayers, it's only because He knows His plan for you & He knows what you need to get through His plan. I can't tell you how many times I've found a job listing that I thought sounded PERFECT & thought, "Wow, this is it! This is the one!" Then didn't get the job...even if I went in for an interview that went well! Times when that happens, I do get those feelings of "Why God? Do I not deserve it? Is it because I did this? Or is it because I didn't do that?" I start listing a whole bunch of things I did wrong to miss out on a great opportunity. But I honestly don't think that's why. Sure it's true, you only reap what you sow. But reading your Bible and going to church aren't the only ways to "sow". Just living a life for Christ, loving others...that's sowing!

Just read Jeremiah 29:11...it tells you everything you need to know!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."

Psalm 13 is another good one:

How much longer, Lord,
will you forget about me?
Will it be forever?
How long will you hide?
How long must I be confused
and miserable all day?
How long will my enemies
keep beating me down?

Please listen, Lord God,
and answer my prayers.
Make my eyes sparkle again,
or else I will fall
into the sleep of death.
My enemies will say
"Now we've won!"
They will be greatly pleased
when I am defeated.

I trust your love,
and I feel like celebrating
because you rescued me.
You have been good to me, Lord,
and I will sing about you.

Just dig into the Word! One of the Bibles I own is a topical Bible so anytime I'm feeling a certain way, I just go look up that topic & read verses listed. You can certainly do this on the web as well.

Know that I am (and I'm sure everyone else will agree with me here) praying for you and I am with you! Just hang in there and never be afraid to express yourself here! We're all here to "listen" :)

*hugs*

[cori]

i can't think of a better way to do this, so....i'll do it this way:

confused: I'm going to be completely honest here. As honest as I think I have ever been in my entire life. And it's scary... but I've come to the point where I need answers. complete honesty is very difficult - it is vulnerability in its purest form! and, even people who pride themselves on being honest to a fault have SOME things that they aren't COMPLETELY honest about. but sometimes, it takes that pivotal moment of desperation to get us to allow ourselves to BE that vulnerable - and...in THIS time of vulnerability is when it is the easiest to hear Him.

I'm 27 and my life is not great. There is absolutely nothing that makes me happy or gives me extended joy. at THIS point, it might not be so encouraging, but...know that you are NOT alone in this! i can say with absolute certainty that every one of us here have a lot of areas in our lives that we are not happy & have to really struggle to feel joy about ANYTHING. and, for some of us (myself, anyway!), those areas make me feel like a failure, because, as a "christian," i am supposed to be filled with the JOY of the Lord. 'round & 'round the vicious cycle of lies goes....JOY has nothing to do with happiness. JOY does NOT equal happiness, nor does happiness equal JOY. anyway...all of that to say that you are NOT alone - each & every one of us can identify with everything that you've shared in this paragraph...some of the details may differ, but....the struggles are the same for each of us, at one point or another.

I did my own thing. Like I said, it sucked, but at least I didn't have to worry about trying to please God. I did want I wanted. trying to please God is an unhappy task, indeed! especially when there are so many conflicting & confusing ideas constantly being shoved in our faces about Him. plain and simple, if you are doing your best to walk with Him and to hear Him, He is pleased. He looks at the HEART...if you are earnestly trying your best to do what's right, and seeking Him FIRST to help you KNOW what's right, He is pleased with you. He loves you. if you are trying to please Him by works, you will constantly come up feeling empty & exhausted...knowing that you still haven't "measured up." (this, of course, does NOT give us license to do whatever we want! the fruit of our lives is the EVIDENCE of our desire & efforts to walk HIS way, WITH Him...). what He wants is your HEART...if you have given that freely to Him, and continue to do so on a daily basis, in each decision that you make, He is pleased with you. and...when we "mess up," His anger lasts for a moment, but His love endures for a lifetime (i wish i could remember the reference for that, but it IS in the Bible! psalms, i think?)

Well, three weeks ago tonight, I had a breakdown and God and I reconciled (or so I thought). I started going to a new church and really reading the Bible. Doing "everything right" so to speak. Or at least mostly. I prayed all the time and even saw some of those prayers come true. But most of all, I gave up everything I knew was bad, even "addiction type things" that had been plaguing me for years. I truly felt different. that is amazing! a very powerful testimony, for sure! over time, you will be able to reach so many people by sharing your story with them!

I guess I just thought God would help me out and make my "thorns" go away, or at least dull them, if I really tried. He wanted me to change who I was and follow Him.... so why, when I finally did after running all my life, does He not move? I have begged and begged Him to just do something.... when i read this, i immediately flashed on 2 corinthians 12:7-10 ->to keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of satan, to torment me. (8) three times i pleaded with the Lord to take it away fro me. (9) but He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." therefore i will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me. (10) that is why, for Christ's sake, i delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. for when i am weak, then i am strong. - the "thorns" in our lives will NOT go away. they serve as constant reminders of the grace of God in our lives (and why my signature says "i wish i could forget everything that i've done, but then, if i could forget, then i wouldn't remember all that He's done for me" ... or something along those lines...). satan will use them (the thorns - usually constant reminders of our failures & stumbling blocks) to keep knocking us down, to hold us in our fears & failures....to keep us from His grace. but...if we can just keep our eyes on Jesus, and ON that grace....He is able to lift us out of the oppression of those thorns, to set us on the right path again when we've stumbled, and to show us a better way. so many times i have prayed for my "thorns" to be taken away...or at least made a little easier, but....He just keeps taking me back to this passage. He never promised me an easy life, He simply promised to walk with me all the way through it.

What it comes down to is this, this "new me" is exhausting and I'm not sure how long I can do. I feel like I'm constantly running up hill, on eggshells. as paul says, keep fighting the good fight...keep your eye on the prize...keep pressing forward (jumbled reader's digest version of several different verses! lol). it IS hard...it is the proverbial statement about "walking to school uphill both ways in the snow." the harder we TRY, the harder it seems to become. all of us are tempted to quit when it gets tough...all of us have times when we feel like we simply cannot take another step. in those moments, it's ok to sit down & wait on the Lord to regain your footing and keep going, but absolutely do NOT give up. (if you've seen facing the giants, insert the blind death crawl portion of the movie right here for illustration! hehe) if you feel like giving up, talk to someone. a tangible person is best, but..if you just don't have anyone you're comfortable sharing with, share on the boards. wherever you feel comfortable sharing, talk to someone about your struggles. you don't have to share a lot of personal details, but at least let someone know that you ARE struggling. talking to people is such an encouragement, and, even if you don't find any encouragement, i GUARANTEE you will find prayer support. :)

The only thing that keeps me from giving in is that I'm afraid. I'm afraid this was my last chance at hope. At a future.
I am afraid that if I go back now God will look down and say "You know that Godly Husband you've been praying for? Well, you were going to meet him in six months.... but now, no... " or "You know those student loans you wanted me to take care of? Well, I was going to, but I'm not now." absolutely NOT! God does NOT work that way. He gives us free will, and there are definitely consequences for wrong or bad choices, but He does NOT "punish" us in THIS way. you will meet that godly husband when He has already PREORDAINED you to meet him. He's not holding the answers to our prayers in front of us like the carrot in front of the donkey - He does not give answered prayer in exchange for worship & praise. i know this is a common misconception, but...He answers prayers based on HIS WILL, NOT based on our performance (or lack thereof!). of course, in situations like your student loan - that will probably be answered by telling you how to manage different stages of the situation, but again, His answers to prayer are based on His will, and on His will ALONE.

It's not fear of God and His wrath that keeps me going, its the fear of lack of blessing. I know this isn't right, but I felt as long as I was trying and not giving in, I at least had a shot at joy. press in to Him, and read your Bible..see if you can find the root cause of the FEARS you are feeling right now....He is not a God of FEAR, but a God of peace and of love. the fears will keep rising up until you can pinpoint what is triggering those fears and deal with the root causes.

What I want to know is, like my title says, is this how God works? Would He do that? Does He have a hand full of great things (like a husband) that I would get, but won't if I backslide??
I am not theological at all, and I was hoping I could hear from someone that was. Someone that knows God and how He works, so to speak. like i said before, answers to prayer are not a manipulation tool. He gives us only what is best for us (even when it makes absolutely NO sense to us! and seems like the exact OPPOSITE of "best for us"). sometimes our choices can cause a delay in the answers to a certain prayer, but it does not change the answer. that's the beauty of His hand working ALL things together for our good - He can take our mistakes & failures, and re-work them into something beautiful that brings us back around to His will. He loves you. He has ALWAYS loved you, and He always WILL love you.

i hope this has been helpful & at least a LITTLE bit encouraging, and not totally overwhelming for you!!! and, we are all praying for you!!!!

[cori]

psalm 69 is very encouraging, if you have time to read through it...meditate on it. :)

**edit to say: it's a very dark chapter, but it is encouraging to know that we are not alone in our struggles - in our darkest times when we feel the MOST alone. read through chapter 70 & 71, too, if you have time - you can see the hope begin to rise in the middle of the darkest hour....

[Convicted]

His anger lasts for a moment, but His love endures for a lifetime (i wish i could remember the reference for that, but it IS in the Bible! psalms, i think?)


Psalms 30:5: For His anger is but for a moment, His favor it for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. (NKJV).

[cori]

thank you! :)

[LauraA]

Do you have my phone number? I can't remember if we've talked before....a couple years ago maybe?

Please don't lose hope. Keep giving God your best and remember that we are saved by His grace. Our works are not going to measure up to His pureness, but our works can show where our heart is. In other words, what you do should be from a heart of love for the One who died to give you life, not to earn salvation. That cannot be done. Think of it this way. When you first meet someone, you like them. You think they are pretty neat. You spend a little time with them. That causes you to like them more and desire to be with them more. That grows, multiplies and develops into something pure and beautiful. This is what should happen with Jesus. Don't force yourself to "love" Him. Put your little toe into the river of life and feel the warmth. Little by little, move closer to Him. Let it be natural and progressive. Grow in love with Him. Taste and see that He is good.

You must remember that intentionally going back to sinful behavior is going to hurt YOU. There are consequences to it that will bring you sorry and pain. Look back to those days and remember the emptiness it brought you.

Are you involved with what is going on at church? Are you giving your time to worth while ministries? If you are spending much time expecting others to meet your needs and make you happy, you won't be fulfilled. You will find joy in serving. Look around and find simple needs in the church. Do you see anyone who is lonely? Talk to them. Do you see someone who is hungry? Feed them. Do you see anyone who could use a little Jeremy music?! lol. Share a CD with them. It sounds simple, but I promise you that the Lord gives joy through service.

So much more I'd like to say, but you have enough to read for now. Please keep this going and let us help you through this. Lots of good advice and thoughts from these wonderful people here. We will stick with you through this valley. Stay with us. We love you.

[confused]

You guys have totally filled my heart to the brim and overflowing! Thank you all so much!!!

After I wrote all of that the illogical side of me that was tempted to slip my "metaphorical hand" away from God had greatly lessened. It wasn't gone, but just by simply writing this, I felt better somehow.
I don't know whether God wanted me to write this so I could get answers, or so I would stop being selfish and think about someone else for a change, or for a combination of both, or for some other reason, but I'm so glad I did!!

So full of wisdom you all are! Thank you all!


Kelly-
You make me want to just shut up, quite frankly. :) Which is a good thing. Thank you for who you are, and for showing your strength so mightily!
Thank you so much for that passage! And, that Jeremiah verse is one of my top favs! (I have it starred and underlined and circled and highlighted and pretty much anything else you can do to it!)
Speaking of your topical Bible, one thing I would LOVE is more Bibles. I want one of every version!! I only have a NIV, which is how I've always done all my reading and memorization and etc, but I would to love to compare and contrast, and read things differently you know??
Thank you for you're honesty and for reminding me I'm not alone! And at the same time, inadvertently reminding me that there are others in need just like me. Some less so, some more so, and that everyone's struggles should be recognized and validated and never, never downplayed. Were all in this together...

Cori-
Thank you for reassuring me and answering my big (yet selfish) question. I feel so much better to have someone tell me I was wrong, honestly. I did think of God as a rider with a carrot on a string and me as a donkey sometimes.... just being lead for what ever reason, and then if I messed up or missed a step He'd say, 'oh well never mind!' Thank you for telling me otherwise! I can't tell you how secure (for lack of a better word) that makes me feel.
Also, I hadn't thought of my myself as having such an big testimony. Thanks for saying that. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that you were right... God brought me "cold turkey" out of things I had been wrestling with for forever. It's breathtaking when I think about it, though its only been a short time. I pray for the courage to tell everyone that will listen!!

Ms. Laura (aka my jc message board "mom")
No, I don't think I have your number.
Thank you so much for the "toe in the river" analogy. I have been crying out desperately for God to show me how to love him. And I think he is!
Also thank you for the reminder that falling back will only hurt me. In my times of temptation I try to justify it by saying, "But it's all I knew!" and it's like He's saying- "Well then, let me show you something new"
It's SO ironic that you mentioned the list of all the things I could be doing because just today I was reading day #23 in the 40 days of purpose (I skip around though) and it was how being like Jesus is a 2 step process: Step #1 is to stop thinking immaturely (thinking a/b yourself) and Step #2 is to start thinking maturely (thinking about others). I need to pour myself into others, just like you said.

I could write so much more to each of you, but you gave me SO much to think about that I'm still processing it.

Thank you all so much! I def count each one of you in my blessings.


(Just so you know, I emailed an edited copy of my original thread to one of my former theology teachers, just to see what he's say, and though he hadn't responded yet, I know in my heart he will NOT do any better or be more profound or honest than you guys!)

[Kelly]

Hehehe, that comment scared me and cracked me up at the same time! I was like "Wait...did she just tell me to shut up?" :eek: :p

I LOOOOVE Laura's comment about the toe in the river! So true! If you try to jump into anything, you're going to wear yourself out! You need to ease into it. I tend to rush myself at times too...I just have moments of being totally overjoyed & I want to just read my Bible from cover to cover in a night....but it doesn't work that way. Even recently, I felt God leading me to study Psalms. I decided I would do one a day and really focus on it, study it, meditate on it, etc. I started reading & I couldn't stop. Next thing I knew, I was at Psalm 12! So I'm going to start over again tonight...just ONE Psalm a day! Just as Laura used the relationship analogy, you don't learn EVERYTHING there is to know about your mate in a day....most often not even in a lifetime! You learn just a little each day! Same with your relationship with God! You have to just take it one step at a time...or one toe at a time ;)

And you're right! Writing things out often helps! Do you keep a journal at all? I highly recommend it! I don't write in mine every night...only when there's really something pressing on my mind. It truly does help, even if just a little, to get things out in the open. Even my responses to your post have been therapeutic for me!

As far as Bibles go....I absolutely LOVE mine! I shouldn't even have it! A while back I decided I wanted a good study Bible because neither of the ones I had were study Bibles. So my grandma took me shopping. We looked at a few that were around $20 or so...then she pulled out one & just the LOOK of it screamed at me! I loved it already and I hadn't even opened the box yet! So I did, and I pulled the Bible out & it was a women's devotional study Bible. It had devotionals w/ reflection questions, related verses, memory verses, etc. It was PERFECT! Until I looked at the price, that is....

$50!!!

I put it back on the shelf & said "Oh well." Then my grandma grabbed it & said "Come on, let's go pay for it." I felt SO guilty for having fallen in love with the most expensive Bible in the store, but it was absolutely worth it! I LOVE it! It's the New Women's Devotional Bible from Zondervan Publishing. If there is ANY way you can get it, I STRONGLY recommend it. But of course, you need to find a Bible that suits YOU! :)

Hang in there & take it, as our man J would say, "One Day At a Time" *wink*

One day at a time I will walk this road I've traveled so far
One day at a time I know I'll carry on
One day at a time I can see you took my life this far
One day at a time I will take this faith along

All this hope I breathe is given by the hand that carries me
Until I'm complete
And i'll take all I will
To understand this plan you have for me, for me

I've been shut up, shut down, held out, held down
In ways i never knew I would
But I can feel your fullness in my life
Well i've been burned out, broken, torn out, torn down
In ways I never knew I would
But I can feel your fullness in my life
One day at a time

One day at a time I will take these words you've given me
One day at a time I will rest in knowing you
One day at a time I will share this gift you've given me
One day at a time I will walk these valleys through

All I know is that I see how much my heart
Is longing to be cradled by your side
And i'll give all i can to one day soon
Be held by your hand, by your hand

I've been shut up, shut down, held out, held down
In ways i never knew I would
But I can feel your fullness in my life
Well i've been burned out, broken, torn out, torn down
In ways I never knew I would
But I can feel your fullness in my life

In all these things i will press on
I'll be with you i know it wont be long

I've been shut up, shut down, held out, held down
In ways i never knew I would
But I can feel your fullness in my life
Well i've been burned out, broken, torn out, torn down
In ways I never knew I would
But I can feel your fullness in my life
One day at a time

[cori]

you know, sometimes it takes an actual POURING OUT of our hearts to get out of the cloudiness in our minds. i know for me, if i can just empty all my yuck here (on the boards! i can honestly say that we have a VERY loving group here!! lol) or in my journal, or wherever..just to unload it all & get it OUT of me....it loses its power. i mean, it still has the potential to REGAIN that power, and it is definitely still there trying to take me down. but....carrying it alone is what makes it unbearable, and trying to do that is what takes so many of us down. we were created for fellowship with each other (of course, fellowship with HIM first!), and we are told to love one another & carry each other's burdens. we dont know when someone needs help unless they tell us - which is definitely easier said than done (telling, i mean). i'm so glad that you are already feeling so much better. we are still praying for you, and, as laura & kelly have said, we are in this with you til the end - we will walk with you as long as it takes, and then some. :)

as far as your testimony - what i have learned by observation (ie - JEREMY CAMP'S testimony!) AND by personal experience, the most powerful testimony is the transparent one. people want REAL people. they can relate better to someone willing to share the nitty gritty of what they were like BEFORE Christ, and then how things changed when they began to walk with Him, and who aren't ashamed to admit that there are still struggles. when we try to minister under the impression that it has been a piece of cake since accepting Christ, we make ourselves unrelatable to most people, and it seems either phoney to them, or unattainable (and tends to leave them feeling like there IS no hope - how sad, that we can be so close to giving someone the ultimate hope & throw it away in a snap decision made by our pride!). as time goes on, and you are brought more and more into wholeness with Him, you will be able to share more openly with people about all that you have been through. THAT is what is going to grab people's hearts....THAT is what is going to show people that you are a genuine, God loving person...THAT is what may convince them that it IS a good idea to come to Him, too.

i'm of the opinion that ALL testimonies are incredibly powerful, but..in this day & age of instant pleasure and soooooo many addictions (not necessarily even "BAD" things! computer time, tv time, reading...ANYTHING is addictive if we're not careful!), people are really touched by stories of being delivered from addictions! especially an INSTANT deliverance.

God gave you the story of your life to BE your testimony....whenever you are ready, He will equip you with how to share (as well as who to share with, how much to share, what details to share, etc...). it is a very powerful tool, and it's no wonder that satan will try to use those details of our lives to tear us down! :)

keep your eyes on Him, and...never, EVER forget to know that you can ask for prayer. :) we don't even need DETAILS! just a quick, "please pray, i'm really struggling" is all we need to keep you covered. :)

hugs!

[cori]

kelly, i have that Bible, too! :) i didn't enjoy it near as much as you are, though! lol (not that i DIDN'T enjoy it - i just really love the amplified for studying!)

i SO want to go get a topical Bible now, though, after reading your post. for SOOOO long i had been wishing they had one like that, and now feeling kinda dumb at finding out there IS one like that! :eek: *blush* lol

[Kelly]

Hehe well it's not EXTENSIVELY topical, but it does list SEVERAL different situations you might find yourself in (ie, worried about money, losing faith, losing a job, birth of a baby, celebrating special occasions - and speaking of that it also has several verses listed for each major holiday) and lists several verses for inspiration on each topic.

I got it in college. It's the Contemporary English Version
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?r=1&ISBN=9781585160556&ourl=Holy%2DBible%2FStaff%2Dof%2DAmerican%2DBible% 2DSociety

*As a side note, mine doesn't have the picture of the church on the cover...that's too cool!* :)

And the third Bible I have is one I took from church. Our church issues their own Bibles so that if someone shows up without one, they can pass them out for free. I keep it so that I can use it to follow along in church (I hate when someone is reading from a Bible & you have a different version....so hard to keep up!).

This site is also very helpful...it has an EXTENSIVE list of topics found in the Bible!

http://www.bibletopics.com/

[cori]

thanks kelly! topical is topical! so many times i'll need encouragement, or someone will come to me for encouragement, and i want to go to Scripture, but i either can't find a verse suitable for the situation or i can't remember the reference to the verse i want. i'll definitely check out those links....probably not til AFTER swc....now it's time for ME to start packing!!! :) sarah will be here in LESS THAN TWELVE HOURS!!! :D yay! but...i am definitely going to look into getting one! :)

[cori]

I keep it so that I can use it to follow along in church (I hate when someone is reading from a Bible & you have a different version....so hard to keep up!).


hahahahaha, i SOOOOO know what you mean! i stopped taking my amplified to church on sundays because my pastor usually reads from the message! talk about being a week behind while you're reading along!!! lol..the amplified version is EXCELLENT for study, but..not so much for sunday morning! hehe i thought i would use the message a LOT, because i really like it on sunday mornings, but...i find myself using the NIV (other side of the message - yay for parallel Bibles! :D) or the amplified when i'm at home & not even glancing at the message unless i'm reading along with someone else.

[LauraA]

(((Hugs!!))) I'm praying for you.

God has a continuing plan for you and I look forward to seeing it happen as it unfolds... and seeing you blessed.... and seeing you find true joy. This WILL happen!

[Kelly]

Yeah the main pastor for our service actually reads from The Message but he puts it up on the big screen so we can follow along & our associate pastor (who is about to become our service's main pastor when our's leaves next month :() uses NIV (which is what our Bibles are)...so I can really only use it when he preaches. But at least I'm able to see what our main pastor is reading when he reads The Message.

hahahahaha, i SOOOOO know what you mean! i stopped taking my amplified to church on sundays because my pastor usually reads from the message! talk about being a week behind while you're reading along!!! lol..the amplified version is EXCELLENT for study, but..not so much for sunday morning! hehe i thought i would use the message a LOT, because i really like it on sunday mornings, but...i find myself using the NIV (other side of the message - yay for parallel Bibles! :D) or the amplified when i'm at home & not even glancing at the message unless i'm reading along with someone else.