This past weekend, Kevin and I (along with my grandmother and Savannah) travelled up to Baltimore for the weekend. I went up a few days early with my grandmother and Savannah and he joined us on Friday, so that he could watch Savannah while the ladies in my family (my mom, sister, aunt, and grandmother) went to hear Beth Moore speak downtown.
Since the Friday session would go into the evening and the Saturday session would start early in the morning, we decided to stay downtown near the arena. We made a little girl’s weekend out of it! As you can imagine, the event was such an encouragement and all of us ladies left with a renewed sense of God’s great love for us.
The theme of the weekend was “The Net.” It amazes me how the Lord speaks to Beth only a week or 2 in advance as to what the topic of her events will be, yet she is has sufficient time to delve into and thoroughly research scripture so she can present a cohesive message. God is just awesome like that! Here are some of the notes from the weekend. I’m sure my notes won’t do the message justice, but hopefully it might encourage some of you wherever you are in your life and no matter what “net” you find yourself in.
The Net – Psalm 25
Key Verse: “My eyes are ever toward the LORD, for He will pluck my feet out of the net.” Psalm 25:15 ESV
1. A net is something you don’t see coming.
- The OT refers to nets in a negative context (except for 1 occasion).
- The NT refers to nets in a positive context.
- Hosea 7:12 – the net drops on top
- Psalm 9:15 – people who set nets for others end up in it themselves
2. A heart can twist into a net.
- This is possibly because we choose to live or reside in a net.
- Ecclesiastes 7:26 – And I find more bitter than death the woman who is a trap, her heart a net, and her hands chains (the audience of this book was men, so it makes sense that the author gears it towards men).
- What does a “netty” heart look like?
- Ingratiate: to bring oneself into favor with someone by flattery or trying to please them
- Proverbs 29:5 – affirmation with a motive
- Flattery spreads a net for the feet – can become an addiction.
- Habakkuk 1:15-17 – “he sacrifices to his net”
- Can we say goodbye to people/relationships? = NETTY heart!
- This is not: genuine encouragement and affirmation
3. Shame can knot up an insidious net.
- Many of us have an innate fear of: bringing shame or being shamed.
- The enemies favorite net is woven by shame.
- Shame keeps us embedded in sin much longer than repentance.
- Psalm 25:2 – do not let my enemies laugh at me
- Shame affects your posture – we are so preoccupied with the net we often look down at our feet so we don’t trip.
- Luke 21:27-28 – Our redemption comes from above
- Psalm 130: 7 – full redemption is when the darkness is diffused and then is used by God (through our testimony)
- There is a difference between guilt and shame.
4. The Gospel casts a new kind of net.
- In the Gospels, the net catches us for good.
- Luke 5:1-11
- vs. 4 – Jesus knows more about fishing than Simon Peter – God can use our vocation to teach us/use us for ministry.
- vs. 7 – signaled – was a nod
- vs. 8 – we try to push God away (Why would he want us?) but He won’t go.
- vs. 10 – catch men – catch them alive
5. Gospel fishing is catch and release.
- vs. 10 – “from now on…..”
- We stay in our nets because we are afraid.
6. Nets will one day be cast into mended waters.
- Ezekiel 47:1-12
- vs. 8 – “fresh” – ratha (Hebrew) = healing: He will heal the waters.
I began thinking about what my net might be after the first session on Friday, and while the analogy may not apply perfectly, I’d have to say my net would probably be control. The one thing I’ve always wanted in life was to be married and have a family. While God blessed me early on with a wonderful man, the whole family portion has been a bit of a struggle with both some infertility struggles and loosing Andrew when he was full term. As happy as we are with our precious Savannah and as much as we love our little Andrew in heaven, we still long to have more children.
If I’m not careful, I can quickly get fearful and discouraged wondering…
Will God grant us another child?
Will it take a long time to get pregnant again?
Will we loose another baby?
Only 10 months into parenting Savannah, our beautiful miracle baby (or redemption baby as Molly Piper mentions here), I am already becoming fearful of what struggles could come. I need to let it go, but the good news is that God is working on me and I’m at least aware.
Aside from the great time hearing Beth Moore, us girls had a great time together! We stayed up later than we should have on Friday night waiting for room service and gabbing. There is just something so sweet about being together with ladies! I hope you all had a great weekend too!
