The Christian Bachelorette

Week 7: Bible study

I play with Belle with worship music playing while the cookies finish baking. Time seems to fly by and I rush to wash my hands before pulling the cookies out once the timer goes off. After the cookies are out of harm's way of being burnt, I decide to call Two-Mama. She picks up after a few rings, and she asks if I am excited about tomorrow. I begin to tell her about my dilemma instead of answering her question.

"Little bird, it is going to all work out. God is going to guide you to the exact path you are meant to be on. I know you don't want to break either of their hearts, but you will no matter what. Both of them will be okay with whatever your decision you make. I'm going to pray for you, and then you are going to do whatever you feel like you need to do to make your decision whether that be spending time alone or spending time with both of them one last time. Okay?" She responds.

I murmur my agreement quietly.

"Dear God, I pray to You this very moment because my precious granddaughter is struggling greatly over this important decision. She is fearful and anxious of making the wrong choice for her present and future self.

"Lord, I pray to You for guidance in putting our trust in You. Once we put our trust in You completely, we will not fear because we know everything will be in Your almighty hands. I pray that we can learn to trust in You and Your plan for all of our lives. I know that You are all-knowledgeable and that no matter what happens, You will be with us every step of the way.

"I pray that my beautiful granddaughter will find peace in Your guidance and Your presence and an ease of mind as she focuses on the plan that You have already created for her instead of her own because Your plan is always greater. I ask that You would open her eyes to this plan that You have created specifically for her. I pray that no matter what she will endure in her future, that she will always turn to You for both guidance and thanks. God, thank You for directing the way for me. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen."

"Amen," I whisper with a salty taste as tears flow. "Thank you, Two Mama."

Shortly after we hang up, I find myself heading over to the guys' house with my Bible in my arms and Belle following behind me. Reece had texted me to come over for a Bible study to end the same way we started.

Reece opens the door for me and happily picks up Belle to cuddle her before closing the door. I take a seat on the loveseat, and Reece sits in a chair after setting Belle in the floor; Dallas is sitting on the couch.

"So, I haven't really done this before, but I'm excited. You both know that I'm a pretty simple guy, so I'm keeping it simple. Psalm 23 is only six verses, but it is jam packed with so much information. I'm going to break it down verse by verse. Feel free to add to what I say too," he smiles. "I'm going to pray before I start if that's okay."

Dallas and I nod our agreement. I add a smile to encourage him.

"Hey, Jesus, it's me again. I come before You now to ask for Your blessing during this Psalm 23 study. It is important that we know Your word, and I ask that You would help me to only represent Your truth. I thank You for this day. It's our last time spending time together before things change, and I just ask that You bless this time we have. Fill this room with Your holy spirit. Amen."

"Amen," Dallas and I echo.

"I compared different translations of Psalm 23 and kind of put them together. The first verse says, 'The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want because I have all that I need and I lack nothing.' A shepherd is very important to sheep; he does everything to keep them alive. It goes more in depth later on. God provides for everything that we need. Sometimes we are greedy and want more, but truly we don't need anything. It is perfectly fine for us to ask for things; sometimes we are confused about our wants and needs.

"Verse two: 'He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet, still, peaceful waters.' God takes care of us and guides us. He gives us rest by making us lie down and be in the best places for our lives.

"Verse three: 'He refreshes, restores, and renews my soul and my strength. He leads and guides me along the right paths for His name's sake bringing honor to His name.' His rest is the true rest. Sometimes I can go to sleep and wake up exhausted, but God's rest isn't like that. He will refresh, restore, and renew our souls and bodies. He guides us to the best path for each of our lives. He has a plan for each one of us. Sometimes we might have a different plan, but His is so much better for us than we could ever imagine. The best part is that He will get the glory from it. We are just a living sacrifice for Him; it says that somewhere in the New Testament I believe.

"Verse four sticks with me the most. 'Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death (or the darkest valley), I will fear no evil for You are with me and close beside me. Your rod and staff, they comfort and protect me.' No matter what we go through in life, we don't have to be afraid. I think it says in the Bible 365 times, 'Do not be afraid.' We don't have to be afraid because He is with us, close beside us. God is our comforter and protector.

"Verse five: 'You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.' God will honor us by anointing us with His spirit and blessings. We are blessed beyond measure, and it is easy to overlook all the blessings He has given us.

"Verse six is my favorite. 'Surely (ONLY) goodness and mercy (unfailing love) will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.' We are being pursued by goodness and mercy all the time. I think some people think of God as a cruel, judgmental God, but clearly this verse says otherwise. God definitely judges His people, but He shows them mercy over and over until there is no hope left of repentance from them. We will live in the house of the Lord forever." Reece finishes with a smile.

"I really like verse six, but I think my favorite verse is verse three. I had just talked to Two Mama before I came over here. She prayed for me, and she mentioned leading, guiding, and a plan for my life. This chapter is so familiar with the Christian community that I think some people just over look it, but it is too good to overlook. Each verse has its own meaning, but all of them fit together perfectly. I'm amazed every time I read the Bible," I add.

"Yeah, each verse is definitely special, but mine is verse four. When my mom had cancer, it was the scariest thing that I have ever gone through. God was with us every step of the way, and now we know that He will be with us through anything. This is my mom's favorite chapter. We memorized it so we could repeat it while she was going through her treatments. There are a lot of situations that can cause us to fear, but we just have to bring them before God and remember that He will be right there beside us," Dallas adds.