The Mountain
You may be aware that I do workshops from time to time that equip folks to do more effective personal Bible study. I am in the midst of one now at my church, I am leaving in a few weeks to conduct a week long workshop in another country, and there is another one scheduled in yet another country sometime this fall.
The Climb
For the past several weeks I have been preparing the materials I need for the week. I sent the file for the handout to the translator yesterday. Today I have been working on the PowerPoint presentations. Much of that work has been changing the scripture in the slides I normally use from English to a language I do not speak or read.
Doubt
More than once in the past few days as I look at handouts and slides that are increasingly undecipherable I have questioned my sanity. Can this really work? Can I stand before a group of people of whom the majority do not think or speak in any semblance of the same way I do and effectively lead them through this process? The prep is tedious. It is difficult to separate the voice that is the Lord’s from that of the accuser.
Belay
The anchor in this for me has been the knowledge that one of my friends took this material to two other countries and 600 pastors were turned on to digging into the Word for themselves. That and the certain promise in Isaiah 55:8 – 11, His Word will not return empty.
I feel better now. Thanks for letting me vent… Pray if the Lord brings this to mind…
You may be aware that I do workshops from time to time that equip folks to do more effective personal Bible study. I am in the midst of one now at my church, I am leaving in a few weeks to conduct a week long workshop in another country, and there is another one scheduled in yet another country sometime this fall.
For the past several weeks I have been preparing the materials I need for the week. I sent the file for the handout to the translator yesterday. Today I have been working on the PowerPoint presentations. Much of that work has been changing the scripture in the slides I normally use from English to a language I do not speak or read.
Doubt
More than once in the past few days as I look at handouts and slides that are increasingly undecipherable I have questioned my sanity. Can this really work? Can I stand before a group of people of whom the majority do not think or speak in any semblance of the same way I do and effectively lead them through this process? The prep is tedious. It is difficult to separate the voice that is the Lord’s from that of the accuser.
Belay
The anchor in this for me has been the knowledge that one of my friends took this material to two other countries and 600 pastors were turned on to digging into the Word for themselves. That and the certain promise in Isaiah 55:8 – 11, His Word will not return empty.
I feel better now. Thanks for letting me vent… Pray if the Lord brings this to mind…
I've seen it "work" in at least two other undecipherable (to me) languages in a powerful way. The key is the work of the Holy Spirit, who understands perfectly in every language, dialect, even idiom and heart meaning which is far deeper than any other.
ReplyDeleteBe encouraged! You have the promised Power! Acts 1:8 as just one example....