Image Credit:  Gift Habeshaw - Public Domain Image - via Freely Photos

After a long summer break, our church has begun a new ladies Bible study.  I’m so excited to get back!  For the next 6 weeks, we will be studying from Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed:  A Study of David by Priscilla Shirer, Beth Moore, and Kay Arthur.  Last fall, we studied A Woman’s Heart:  God’s Dwelling Place by Beth Moore.  That study made me more interested in studying the Old Testament Tabernacle than ever before.  Relating the Old Testament Tabernacle to the Holy Spirit living inside me, the New Testament Temple of the Holy Spirit, under the wisdom of Beth Moore was amazing.  I look forward to studying the subject of David under the wisdom of these three anointed ladies.

Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed:  A Study of David

Our first session was on the topic of “The Anointing.”  Have you ever thought about what it means to be anointed?  Called?  Anointed and called out by God for His specific purpose for your life?

If you have received the gift of salvation by accepting Jesus as your Lord, then you have been called to fulfill a purpose.  God has a plan for your life. He has a specific purpose for you to accomplish His purpose here on this earth.  You are hand-picked by God.  Your purpose on this earth is different from the purpose of David, but you are hand-picked just the same.

If we are hand-picked by God, then our focus must be God-centered.  If we develop what Priscilla calls a “God-consciousness,” then every decision we make will be based on that God-consciousness, making it easier to discern God’s will and purpose for our lives.

If we are hand-picked by God and we have developed a God-consciousness, then we are also sustained by God.  Our “purpose work” can become exhausting at times.  Facing adversity can be discouraging.  We might become anxious.  I KNOW I become anxious but God is my sustainer.

Here is how Priscilla puts it:

Our anxiety always stems from a desire to control and indicates that we have ceased to trust the Lord.  When we are depending on the Lord to handle the people and circumstances in our lives, the outcome will be an existence virtually free from worry, anxiety, and fear.  Peace will begin to flow like a river in our everyday living. – Priscilla Shirer

Priscilla’s quote is based on scripture from Matthew 6:30-32:

But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

Now we’ve determined that we are hand-picked by God, centered on God, and sustained by God, we need to know that we are established by God.

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “God doesn’t call the qualified.  He qualifies the called.”  That is probably one of my most favorite phrases.  So often I feel inadequate for a task I feel God wants me to do, but God doesn’t call us out based on our earthly skills or lack of them.  Instead, He calls us out and then gives us what we need to accomplish His purpose.

One of my favorite excerpts from this section of the study is this:

He didn’t select us to lead the study, mother the children, marry the man, lead the meeting, run the office, evangelize the tribe, or start the ministry because He knew we were already capable.  Rather He picked us up, dusted off our incapability, replaced it with His ability, and secured our success when we chose to rest and trust in Him to work supernaturally in us.  – Priscilla Shirer

My friend, if you have been called out by God, He will establish you for His purposes.

Finally, once we realize we are handpicked by God, centered on God, sustained by God, and established by God, then we must know that we are strategically positioned for a purpose.

When God calls us out, He calls us out to reach people.  Our purpose always has everything to do with other people.  When God called out Abraham, Esther, Paul, all our heroes and heroines of the Bible, and Jesus, it was always for the purpose of reaching other people.

I’ll leave you with this final quote from this first week of this study:

Our God is one of purpose and intent, and He intends to impact the lives of people.  He never gives a blessing, extends a gift, offers an opportunity, or creates a solution without a specific purpose.  Those whom God has handpicked for a specific calling, established with His power, and anointed by His Spirit have been given the privilege of being a conduit through which those blessings can flow to others. – Priscilla Shirer

This summary is just a brief sample of the wisdom contained in Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed:  A Study of David by Priscilla Shirer, Beth Moore, and Kay Arthur.  If this brief summary sparked your interest, then please consider completing the study at home or with a small group.

You can get the DVD Leader Kit here.

The DVD Leader Kit is available here.

You'll find all my posts about the Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed Bible Study here.