“At the Well” Fermo, Italy
Sorry for the publishing error, all online bible study posts are now on the home page of this blog, thank you for the grace:)
“Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, Lord. They rejoice in your name all day long; they celebrate your righteousness. For you are their glory and strength, and by your favor you exalt our horn. Indeed, our shield belongs to the Lord, our king to the Holy One of Israel.”
Psalm 89:15-17
I am starting this study today with this picture taken during our sabbatical while in Italy. This picture at the well symbolizes something the Lord spoke to me during our season of rest, regarding my time in His presence. In the most simplistic of terms it is this, “How can you ever expect to draw from my well if you don’t come near enough to lower your bucket into the source that is reserved for you?” Oversimplified? Maybe, but more than that it is simply true. God’s never ending resource, His very presence so near to me all the time, yet I miss the depth of it when I run parallel instead of intersecting the very promise of His presence. His presence calls me to BE present.
There are four areas of His presence that call a response from me:
1. His Presence is a Promise:
- “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
2. His Presence is Purifying:
- “When I kept silent (about his sin) my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord” — and you forgave the guilt of my sin” Psalms 32:3-5
3. His Presence Protects:
- “You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.” Psalm 139:5
4. His Presence fills us with Peace and Joy:
- “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalms 16:11
As you work through the worksheet that is attached, you will find ways to explore these truths for yourself. My prayer is that you will encounter God at the well of His word, and that each of us will be women at the well drawn into His presence.
In the Word with You,
Cheryl J
Cheryl Jamison / For His Name's Sake 
Jesus. He’s got me. He gets me, He never CAN let me go,,He has nailed me to His hands.
Love this Kathleen, yes He has nailed you to His hands, powerful!!
It’s with great anticipation and trepidation that I join this Online Bible Study. I am the last woman on earth without a Facebook, Twitter or Instagram account and I have NEVER participated in a Blog. It is not from a lack technical knowledge. It is a deliberate choice based on my observation of the negative repercussions.
So I ask myself, is God trying to draw me in to a realm I have so cleverly avoided? I can’t wait to find out!
Rachel, your comment makes me smile! Looking forward to our journey together, today’s topic about His Presence calls me to BE present will make you smile too:) Thanks for being a part, it’s a new thing for me to lead this way as well!!
You are not alone in the “no Facebook” page and it is OK. I too am not on Facebook. I want my relationships to be real and live in person. I do follow blogs and online events.
Just moved to Beaumont CA and haven’t found a Church yet. Glad to have a study to follow.
Good to hear from you Gayle! Praying you find a great church to be a part of soon, love having you in our online community from California!
Good evening ladies 🙂 I just received my link ….so I am here and I pray that God with His great love will allow us to feel Him and open our heart and our eyes so that we can be guided with the message that our Lead woman of God Mrs.Cheryl is sharing. I am honor to be part of this group and the word that we are about discover. Because, it does not matter how many times we study the Bible and read it, it always has a message for that particular season we are experiencing. So, with this we start and embraced to receive. My God bless us and keep us constant with a joyful spirit and a candle burning demeanor to be examples to others.
Welcome Rita, we are honored to have you be a part of the journey! Love your words about us having a joyful spirit and a candle burning demeanor, great word pictures. Looking forward to hearing more from you!
Amen! I’m happy to hear of an online bible study! Thank you for stepping over any hesitancy and challenges in putting this together. Now if only my home internet would start working again so I can stop squinting at my cell phone screen! Each day I’m amazed at the number of obstacles God bulldozers over to reach his children. I’m so blessed that he loves me!
Shout out to you Bernadette! We are excited to have this online forum to walk in the word together! Hoping you can get your home internet working soon and enjoy the journey on a big screen:) Blessings!!
Love your question from todays handout: “5 places of blessings to give God thanks for.” After you shared at Savor the Season last year, I started my own 1000 gifts of things to be thankful for (today #449) This has changed my perspective; and not by accident during a season of challenge in my life. God is truly my Source, my Joy, my Strength, my Redeemer, and I am complete in Him. Thanks for this study, looking forward to tomorrow!
Kim, how exciting to hear of your giving thanks journey! Wow, #449, way to go…I hear the passwords of praise in that:) Giving thanks for you and your faith-filled journey. Thanks for being a part, your voice adds so much to the discussion!
Pondering today’s question: Can I honestly pinpoint an area standing in the way of my communing with God? Trust has been a word that God has been putting in front of me for a long time now. When I come into a God-ordained place that is stretching my faith like never before, I find it difficult to sit and commune with my Lord. I am too busy trying to figure it all out or trying to fix it. All that pondering is like interference on a TV screen. I can’t see the beautiful picture God has in store for me! Once I finally choose to trust Him, communion with Him is such sweet peace.
Me too Marlene! Well said and I agree.
Thanks Marlene for your heart and honesty that you shared in your post. I think many of us can agree that trust in a definite obstacle in our faith journey, and then it causes us to be slower to move towards God as we know we should. Love you TV analogy, it makes so much sense! Committed to growing closer to God with you!!
Wow thanks Cheryl for this challenge as well as your spirit filled words of wisdom. I am finding each day I am learning how God gives me more moments to remind me how He loves me. I feel time is always my struggle, never enough in a day! But then God shows me how I need to stop and take a breath and count my blessings and not be discouraged by the hurdles or mountains I have to climb. Thank you again for doing this becuase I feel this email was one of the perfect blessings I needed today and the days to come as I climb another mountain!
Salena thanks for being a part of this journey!! Breathing deep with you and counting blessings as well. So great to hear from you!
Thank you Cheryl for this awesome reminder about drawing near enough and being present in God’s presence. I get so caught up in business and to do lists, that what gets left incomplete is often the most important thing that should have been on the top of the list, drawing near enough to the source to be filled with his peace, joy, and presence. I love the quote “His invitation to come and BE”. When I find myself getting caught up, that is the invitation I will remember. Already looking forward to tomorrow…….
I love the online format which makes it much easier for me to participate! ( but I will say to Rachel above that I am not on Facebook or any other social media either, so there are two of us. Maybe we could “friend” each other over a cup of coffee, like the old days) This past year I lost 3 friends
to cancer. All were strong Christian women and praised God every step of the way. Two of these
women were under 40 and left precious children behind. Both of them were stage 4 at diagnosis and lived with unspeakable pain, as the cancer spread everywhere before they died. I spent a lot of time with these women in the last year of their lives. They were thankful for each day they had, thankful to see a child learn their multiplication tables, thankful when they could make it out of bed for a few hours to see a child receive an award at school. I never heard either woman ask “why me” or say “it isn’t fair”. I sat next to friend 2 at friend 1’s memorial. Friend 2 was in a wheelchair, going downhill quickly, and we both knew her own memorial was not far off. Friend 2 spoke excitedly about the testimony and glory given to Jesus at friend 1’s memorial and she reminded her family again to make sure her own memorial did the same. Friend 3 was a woman I have always wanted to be when I grow up. She was a mentor to me in so many ways. She lived 7 years after being diagnosed with Mesothelioma, which is unheard of. She told everyone that she was a walking miracle and that The Lord just had more for her to do before she went home. I took her to the hospital several times to have fluid drained from her lungs, which was an incredibly painful process for her. She squeezed my hand so hard it hurt, but all the while she was telling the nurses what she was doing with the time that God was lending her, everyday. Walking through that puts a lot of things in perspective. It makes you remember to stop and breathe and enjoy the blessings in life because you can, not because they are slipping away. A few weeks ago I met a woman at the PCC juice bar. It was one of those God things where you just know He has dropped a person in your life for a reason. I sat and enjoyed my juice with her and learned that she is a passionate believer, completely surrendered to God(that is not very normal at PCC) that she is lonely and somewhat alone in this world, that she recently lost her job and is struggling financially, and that she has terminal cancer. I chatted with God about this on the way home, telling him that I knew this woman needed someone to be her friend right now,but that I did not have the time or energy to walk down this path again. God was so good to remind me, “honey, you aren’t the blessing, she is.” Ouch. Good reminder. And so I have been meeting this woman for juice, and when I am obsessing internally about how to get out of my dinky Townhome that is worth half what I paid for it, my friend tells me how grateful she is that she found a room in someone else’s home, that she can stay in. When I am feeling grouchy because darling hubby is traveling again and I am exhausted form the single mom routine, my friend says how blessed I am to be a mom, which is something she had always prayed for. Perspective opens our eyes to our blessings, and there is an awful to to give Him praise for.
Really amazing story. Thank you for taking the time to share that.
It definitely causes me to pause….and to feel grateful!
I just wanted to like this. So true!
Passing by the well was a great thought. The source is always there but maybe we aren’t thirsty enough. Don’t wait until you are parched, to drink the refreshing water. Fill your thermos every day so that you can be refreshed when you need it. You wouldn’t go on an all day hike without water would you? God’s well, His presence, is there to satisfy all day, every day. Drink of His presence.
Love this! Each week at worship practice, even for Sundays we have been challenged to “practice the presence” at home before we try to lead. It is a simple truth let so life changing and life breathing. When we choose to live in step with the Spirit we find more order, find it easier to see the blessings in our life and are in tune with what God speaks to us throughout the day! Also the more we practice the more permanent (not perfect) those actions become! I hope the presence of God is practiced so much in my life that it is permanent!
What stands in the way of communing with God? Good question. Recently I have been made very aware of the TRUTH of His presence. What hinders me ?- the ” the cares of this world”. When I allow myself to dwell on the worries of the day or the concerns of life instead of Him, I lose my focus and “forget” about His constant presence. So when I am feeling disconnected, out of touch, it is a reminder to refocus.
As Phil.4:8 reminds me. ” … whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. “
Good morning to all! Got up this morning with Psalm 92: 1-2 swirling around my spirit …”It is good to sing to the Lord; to make music to Your Name, O Most High. To proclaim your lovingkindness in the morning and Your faithfulness at night”. This is one way I practice His presence. To wake up reminding myself of his lovingkindness, that is expressed in so many ways. And then when I lay down at night I can recount His faithfulness that was shown to me during my day. I think practicing His presence is simply about ENJOYING HIM! (In His presence is FULLNESS of joy, right? Ps. 16:11) So thankful to be doing this study with all of you! Love and hugs –
I woke up early this morning with concerns and worries. I went to my phone to check my schedule for today and saw your invite to participate. Just reading the daily devotion and the scripture before jumping into the shower lifted my heavy heart. I’m amazed at how when I take time to move one small step towards Him, He rushes to meet me and help me find perspective. Truly amazed. Thank you for making this process so accessible! Right at my fingertips! I’m in!!
For me to bring praise into my daily routine, well… I have just made a thing to do…Listening to praising music which have become my music of choice for 99.9% of my selection, it can be when I am driving, sitting home or going places. I sing along even when I do not know the words, you see me praising and rejoice while repeating the words, but to me those word signify much more…because is telling me the love the Jesus Christ have for me/us, so it becomes easy to be child like in my actions even when adults do not understand because they do not have Jesus like I do. Another way that I have found to bring praise, is celebrating with others and everyone that comes my way. I always tend to Smile 🙂 in total JOY! when I greet people an even when some do not received it well, that does not stop me from continuing to spread JOY and blessings to those who do accept them. I know that I am or reflect happiness all the time and often you see me smiling: let me explain… well, I was born in Costa Rica and if you ever have visited that country you would understand what I am expressing. The people in Costa Rica are very friendly and they will smile to every body and they are known for that characteristic, so is not difficult to try to bring a smile to others and even more so when I am Honoring Jesus Christ and giving blessing with His presence for He is with me and in me.
Today I am praying your prayer Cheryl, that I won’t simply “run PARALLEL to the Lord, but that I will INTERSECT the very promise of His presence!” – Such a powerful truth that will save me from living in the pitfall of religion for religion sake!
Well….now, let see…..areas in my life that are standing in the way of me communing with God??? I know it should not be one, but as I pray and ask God to keep me in His righteous way and fill my heart with His Love, I see something that I feel is not an obstacle but it does concerns me and disappoints me when I still see many when in congregation/service people that are servicing the church or church goers demonstrate cultural differences toward minorities. This is something that exist around the globe but to me and my perception in how church and brother and sisters in Christ should act I feel that this way of being should be kept out of church and not demonstrate when in the presence of God or at least not in church.
Thank you for making this study for us! I have found writing is a form of praise. I write a letter to God most mornings. It is my way to feel closer to him.
As I look back through the day I have seen God pour His blessing as He always have done.
1- I open my eyes when I awake early in the morning.
2- I have a roof over my head.
3-My children and grandchildren are well and healthy.
4- I have food on my table.
and
5- the most important blessing of all is that I feel God’s word and His commandments have become part of my life style, so what else can I say……than to submit and be humble in His presence.
I pray that we all can benefit with the fellowship online with the women of God. Thank you Ms. Cheryl. Much love in Christ.
I am new to eastridge ( about 7 months). I was looking forward to women’s bible study to help me meet people. I am looking forward to this on line study. I am on a journey that I really don’t know what God has planned for me. What I am learning is to trust him and follow in faith.
I’m reminded of the old hymn, “Count your blessings, name them one by one, count your blessings, see what God hath done!”
I’m looking forward to join this online study. I trust HIM. Even the path seems to be strange to me, I trust that HE know what He is doing.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this format.
I’m a single mom and an entrepreneur, trying to build my business. I’ve absolutely loved our Bible studies but haven’t been able to be there as regularly as I would like.
Just last week I encountered a business situation I’ve not encountered before. And, being so busy trying to figure out a resolution, I’ve not been dipping in deeply enough to the One I know has me hemmed in. I’m tend to be anxious and fearful about providing and covering just the basics.
This first study brought much needed encouragement–and just the right variety of encouragement.
Thank you!
My name is Michelle, by the way. It shows up as mfgolay. : O)
On a warm Saturday, the sun sits low on the horizon, the light glints off small flying wings, the scent of fresh grass fills the air, and I am sitting on the sidelines watching my son play. Tears flow. My heart overflows with gratitude, for I am so grateful to be alive in this moment. For it is by Gods choice that I am here.
Some days, it seems like God just suddenly shows up and I am overwhelmed by His presence. Praise is the only language possible, and is only spoken with my heart. Other days, I feel distant from God’s blessing, distracted from His provision, and unaware of His presence. Hmmm….it seems like it’s a matter of awareness vs unawareness. Funny, my memory of the field is like a crystal clear treasure I still hold, whereas the stumble-through-them-alone days I don’t even know what I was doing. I want less of the latter and more of the former.
Food for thought
I love this! It’s like a little piece of home, here!
Love this! A little piece of home here 😊
Love the time for devotions