Elohim is God the Creator.  KA reminded us of a very important thing in this chapter…God created everything, He is the Author of Life.

Too easily we are able to separate, in our minds, the Creator from the creation.  We love God and want to honor HIm and serve Him yet we do not honor His creation – we murmur against our circumstances and when we do, we are  murmuring against Him.  All the while He is saying, “Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent,children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the Word of life.” (Phil 2: 14-6).

Still we criticize ourselves and others; we complain about the way our lives are going; we strain and pull against His yoke. But He says, “Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; for my yoke is easy and my burden is light and you will find rest for your souls.( Matt 11:28-30).

Sadly, we have an innate inability to accept that all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose (Rom 8:28). Here are two verses to keep in mind (and a larger passage down below that I love):

• But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.” Jeremiah 17:7
• “It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.” Lamentations 3:26

Please watch this video about someone who knows Elohim as good in every circumstance, Lt. Scotty Smiley, and reflect on these questions from the Small Group Discussion Questions on p. 14 (or anything else you would like to discuss!)…

#1 Elohim identifies God as Creator. From your study, why do you think it is important to know Him as Creator?

#7 What is currently happening in your life or circumstances that is easier to deal with now that you know God as your Elohim?

Just a Girl…just like you!

Isaiah 55    The Compassion of the LORD

¹“Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
²Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
³Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love forDavid.
⁴Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
⁵ Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know,
anda nation that did not know you shall run to you,
because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.

⁶ “Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
⁷let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
⁸For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
⁹For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

¹⁰“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
¹¹so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
butit shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

¹²“For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
¹³ Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the LORD,
an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”