It is always humbling seeing God WORKING and MOVING in the lives of the ladies. This cohort of ladies participating in the weekly Bible Study has been revealing on so many levels. Let me share…
Every week I have the ladies celebrate their sobriety. The Holy Spirit revealed to me some time back Jesus had already healed the ladies from their addiction. When Jesus died on the cross… it was FINISHED! They had been set FREE from their addiction. Now, it was up to them to WALK in their sobriety NOW! Of course, their sobriety will look different for each of them.
I have to admit I was sensing some of the ladies were not embracing their sobriety and FREEDOM. One of the ways we celebrate is thanking God for the number of days He has kept them sober. It’s no secret that drugs find their way in jails/prisons. We hear about it in the news. So opportunities are there for people to indulge.
I asked God why some of the ladies were not embracing their sobriety. God shared sobriety, like everything else He has promised us, is for “Whosoever”. The Bible uses this term throughout scripture. So I knew it was the Holy Spirit that revealed this to me. Specifically, Mathew 16:24-26 talks about denying ourselves and following Jesus. It is where the abundant, victorious life on Earth is.
I shared my observations with the ladies and what the Holy Spirit had shared with me. I explained to the ladies the celebration, counting the days of sobriety, receiving their sobriety was only for “Whosoever”. Those who wanted it. Furthermore, the healing comes through Christ, who keeps us everyday. Moreover, He is able, if we lean and depend on Him. If we try to do it on our own we start to sink like Peter walking on the water with Jesus. Invariably, when we take our eyes off of Him, we start to sink. Since sharing this revelation with the ladies, the ladies have embraced it enthusiastically and with thanksgiving.
The other strange occurrence I observed with this group was their knowledge of the Bible. There are diverse populations in jail. Different races, ages, educational backgrounds, cultures, disabilities, etc., are there. Two ladies in particular had a keen knowledge of the Bible. As a former educator, I would suspect these ladies may have had additional educational support services in school. I encountered many instances of them quoting scriptures and finishing my sentences about scriptures before I completed them.
This happened frequently. Curiously, I asked the ladies how they knew so much about the Bible. One recounted how a deacon in her church used to teach the scripture to her as a child. The other talked about growing up in the church. I had to ask God what was this. Once again, the Holy Spirit revealed to me it was lip service. He took me to Isaiah 29:13 and Matthew 15:8-9. It talks about people serving God with their lips. Yet, their hearts are far away from Him.
I shared this observation with the ladies, too. Immediately, one of them agreed that she needed to be more committed in her relationship with God. There was a consensus of head nodding and speaking aloud this was true for the rest.
The Holy Spirit never fails to show up and provide what is needed during our Bible Study sessions. Wonderfully, it is an opportunity and a privilege! It is a BEAUTIFUL thing! More deeply, it is God reaching out to these ladies and providing them with TRUTH and HOPE as He does with us all… Amen. Love & Blessings!