Jeanie Miley - Women at Midlife: Embracing the Challenges

Women at Midlife
PUBLISHED BY W ATER B ROOK P RESS
12265 Oracle Boulevard, Suite 200
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80921

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (NRSV) are from The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

eISBN: 978-0-307-75819-4

Copyright 1998, revised edition 2001 by Jeanie Miley

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Published in the United States by WaterBrook Multnomah, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House Inc., New York.

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Contents

Welcome to the Women of the Word Series
by Ruth Haley Barton

Welcome to the Women of the Word Series

BY R UTH H ALEY B ARTON

W elcome to the Women of the Word studyguidesa series especially designed to encourage women in their spiritual journey. No matter what season of life we may be in or how long we have followed Christ, we all face similar issues as women in todays world. Discovering who we are, living in relationship with others, choosing a vocational path, satisfying our spiritual hungerwe women face an unprecedented array of options. At times we are exhilarated by the opportunities, running enthusiastically from option to option like shoppers in a brand-new superstore. At other times we are confused and desperate for guidancealmost paralyzed by a panoply of choices far beyond what women in previous generations could have imagined. We need wisdom that speaks to the complexity of our lives.

Perhaps even deeper than our need for answers to lifes questions is the desire for an intimate encounter with God. We long for a fresh expression of Gods loving concern for us, a sense of personal attention in the midst of an alarmingly impersonal world. And so we approach the Scriptures with high hopes. We know that the Bible is a book like no otherGod-breathed not only at the time of its initial writing but also alive and active in the present moment (Hebrews 4:12). Yet were not always sure how to access it for ourselves. We might wonder, Will I really have a life-giving encounter with God through the words on these pages, or is that a privilege reserved for others? How do I receive the life-changing power that is present in this ancient text?

One concrete and effective way to open ourselves up to Gods work in our lives is through inductive Bible study. This approach involves a dynamic interplay between the mind and the heart. First we engage our minds to read and unravel the meaning of the text. Through careful study and thought, we consider the historical context, explore the meaning of words, concepts, and principles, and reflect on what these might have meant to the original listeners. But the task of observing and interpreting information about the text is just the beginning. It is the front porch that leads into the main house of our relationship with God. No matter how nice a front porch is, we dont want to stay there forever. We want to be invited to come inside, to get comfortable, to share food and fellowship with the Master of the house. Inductive Bible study offers us just such an invitationto engage not only our minds but also our hearts as we listen for Gods Word for us today.

Our spiritual companions on this journey include the ancient women of the Bible, whose lives bear striking similarities to our own: single women making choices about relationships and lifestyle; young mothers trying to figure out how to balance love for children with other life callings; married women wrestling with the joys and the challenges of long-term commitment; women learning how to answer Gods call to service and leadership in the church, the marketplace, and the global community. Regardless of differences in historical and cultural settings, their experiences and life lessons, their successes and failures speak powerfully to our own. Like us, they harbored deep and perhaps inexpressible desires for a life-transforming connection with God. Their lives demonstrate that the God who cared for a slave girl and her baby in the wilderness, answered an infertile womans prayer, granted wisdom, political savvy, and protection to a Hebrew beauty queen, and extended loving, human touch to women who had looked for love in all the wrong places is the same God who reaches for relationship with us today.

All Scripture, including the stories of those women who have gone before, is given for our instruction, inspiration, and spiritual formation (2 Timothy 3:16). The Women of the Word studyguide series offers you a powerful tool for engaging the Scriptures for spiritual transformation. As you embark on this study, I encourage you to engage your mind by being disciplined in your study of historical context, biblical language, and concepts through the notes provided and other trustworthy study materials that you might have on hand. I also encourage you to engage your imagination as you reflect on what the biblical teachings might have meant to the women who first heard them. But dont stop there! Take the most courageous step of all by engaging your heart and making it your top priority to listen for Gods word to you in the present moment.

Each time you open Gods Word begin with a quiet prayer: Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. Trust that he will speak and then, when he does, listen and respond with increasing faithfulness so that you become a woman whose life and character are shaped by the Word.

How to Use This Studyguide

F isherman studyguides are based on the inductive approach to Bible study. Inductive study is discovery study; we discover what the Bible says as we ask questions about its content and search for answers. This is quite different from the process in which a teacher tells a group about the Biblewhat it means and what to do about it. In inductive study God speaks directly to each of us through his Word.

A group functions best when a leader keeps the discussion on target, but the leader is neither the teacher nor the answer person. A leaders responsibility is to asknot tell. The answers come from the text itself as group members examine, discuss, and think together about the passage.

There are four kinds of questions in each study. The first is an