Since ancient times no one has heard,
no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.
- Isaiah 64:4
“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,
“and my servant whom I have chosen,
so that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor will there be one after me.
I, even I, am the Lord,
and apart from me there is no savior.
I have revealed and saved and proclaimed—
I, and not some foreign god among you.
You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God.
Yes, and from ancient days I am he.
No one can deliver out of my hand.
When I act, who can reverse it?”
- Isaiah 43:10-13
However, as it is written:
“What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”—
the things God has prepared for those who love him—
- 1 Corinthians 2:9
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
- John 8:36
The Boilerplate
My wife took a Bible Study in 2011. (There was a note in the study guide that identified September 2 and that the study was being held on Friday mornings, or I might not have ever figured out what year.) My wife had become a Christian in 2000. She greatly respected the pastor’s wife who was also a pastor. The pastor’s wife spent time as the interim associate pastor, and this Bible study might have been during that time.
My wife passed away in March 2023, and I found this study guide as I was cleaning up. It is a Beth Moore study guide. Most of the questions are close-ended, mostly fill-in-the-blank. But my wife was eager to learn. She wrote her thoughts in the margins, sometimes encouraged to do so by Beth Moore. I will use her comments as I did once before, calling this a “with a little help” series in that my wife contributes. There is more to follow in that she wrote Scriptures and prayers in a notebook. Probably what she found in her personal Bible study, giving her encouragement through the long illness that took her life.
So, instead of writing about a topic at random, I am going to write on my wife’s comments in the Study Guide. It may follow the study guide topics, but it may not.
Discussion on this topic
Beth Moore starts by asking for a paraphrase to John 8:36.
“Jesus Christ is our freedom if we believe in Him.”
- My wife’s inner thoughts
Beth Moore spends some time on the groundwork. Isaiah 64:4 and 1 Corinthians 2:9 talk of no one seeing or hearing God, but then Isaiah 43:10-13 says that we are to be God’s witnesses to those around us in this world. If you cannot see or hear God, then there must be a method in which God reveals Himself to us.
I learned, as for my personal life, that God only revealed Himself in a deep meaningful sense when I trusted God enough to completely surrender to Him. Beth Moore asked in this Bible Study if you knew how long you have been a Christian and whether that relationship with God was close and personal.
My wife checked the box for a very close and personal relationship with God.
“I know about Christ – but my awakening was February 10th 2000 in Indiana at 3:16.
“I tell Him my deepest concerns and thoughts. I also feel His presence and something always happens to assure me that He’s there for me.”
- My wife’s inner thoughts
One of my earliest posts was about “Silly Prayers.” My wife would pray for a parking place near the entrance to the store because my back was hurting that day or my ankles were swollen. Note that she prayed for my comfort, not her own. And she took 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to be literal. She prayed continually. She prayed about every little thing. And from her answer above, those things were not little things. The positive answers that she received assured her that God listened to her prayers. And when we had to do a little walking, she understood that God was saying that we needed the exercise. But it amazed me at how many times her prayers were answered.
Another example was when she had multiple doctor visits. She started with kidney dialysis. Then two doctor visits plus a little light grocery shopping. She prayed, “Lord, today is such a busy day. Please, would You part the clouds.” But as we were getting dressed, there was thunder, lightning and pouring rain. It showed no signs of stopping. But then as we walked to the car, the rain stopped. By the time I got her situated in the car and then got in the car myself, there was a drop or two of rain coming down. By the time I had turned the car around in the back yard, it was as if the flood gates had opened. I had to put the wipers on the fastest setting, which is rare in the Pittsburgh area. Rain is usually closer to a drizzle than a downpour in Pittsburgh, but not this day. On this day, it was heavy enough to remind us of the tropical downpours that you often get in the South along the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts. As I pulled onto the short little street where the dialysis center was, the sun peaked beneath the clouds on the horizon, just past dawn, and the rains stopped. I helped my wife into the building, and I heard rain outside while I waited in the lobby for the nurses to take my wife inside the dialysis room, but the rain stopped again as I walked back to the car. Again, a downpour while driving home, only stopping as I got out of the car. This continued all day long. Picking her up from dialysis. Driving her to the first appointment. Having lunch between appointments. Driving her to the second appointment. Going grocery shopping, and then back home. We were never rained on when we were outside. There was a torrential downpour if we were inside a building or in the car, but when we parked the car or were walking to the car, the rain stopped. All … day … long.
That was such a silly prayer. My wife had a collection of umbrellas. We gave two or three that had never been used to the church when she passed away. But God’s answer was profoundly, “My precious child, I want you to know that I am there for you.”
I guess I might have to say for those who try that prayer that “results vary,” and on other occasions, we have been drenched. And on this occasion, I said once, with maybe just the grocery shopping left, “Have you noticed that the rain stops and starts …” She said, “Hush!! Just enjoy it!!”
And what did my wife learn from this bit of studying?
“A Christian is held captive by anything that hinders the abundant and effective Spirit-filled life God planned for her.”
- My wife’s inner thoughts
I would love to add “or him” to that. But my wife added a personal prayer.
“Thank you for knowing me inwardly and outwardly. You’re there for me even when I myself have doubt and worry. Thank you Lord, for all the past, present, and future blessings you give me.”
- My wife’s inner thoughts
And how should we respond to what God shows us each day?
“With thanksgiving and Joy that He’s alive and will work in your life.”
- My wife’s inner thoughts
Yes, God is alive. God cares for us so much that just to let us know He hears our prayers, He can on occasion, give us parking places up front or part the clouds. He loves us that much to do such things. Can we see Him? Can we hear Him? No, but He lets us know that He is right here with us.
Soli Deo Gloria. Only to God be the Glory
Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley 
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