Hosea 1 is an object lesson. The whore that Hosea marries is the world. She tries to do the right thing by marrying, but is staying true by will power. Hosea 2 is about how the whore goes back to her lovers to get bread, water, wool, flax, oil, and drink. She does not know that God gave her the corn, wine, oil, silver, and gold, but the world has prepared it for Baal.
This next object lesson is a six part series. Scroll down to find the first one.
This is the last one in the quilt series.
This next object lesson is a six part series. Scroll down to find the first one.
This is the last one in the quilt series.
Galatians 3:24 Binding
My Quilt
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Wherefore the law was
our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Galatians 3:24, KJV
The
last job for the quilt makes the edges neat. It is common to all quilts. A long
narrow band of cloth, called the binding or bias tape, finishes the edges of
the quilt so it will not fray. The binding is usually one color, matches colors
in the quilt, and does not distract from the rest of the quilt’s beauty.
The
binding in my life consists of rules and boundaries. The Ten Commandments
(Exodus 20:3-17) come readily to mind. God also has boundaries unknown to me
until late in my life, like boundaries for waters (Job 26:10).
The
latest boundary God gave me to learn is to quit when I should. One time I was
knitting a shawl. I kept making mistakes, taking it out and re-knitting it. I
kept thinking, one more row, and I’ll quit. God convinced me He would not let
me finish even one row that night. I was to go to bed.
Like the boundaries of the binding,
rules keep me safe, and lead me to a more divine like nature.
PRAYER: Thank you for boundaries which
teach me to be more like Jesus.
Psalms 119:10-12 Stitching
in My Quilt
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Your word have I hidden
in my heart, that I might not sin against You. Psalms 119:11 NKJV
Stitching in a
quilt goes through all the layers. It keeps the middle layer from shifting or
making an uncomfortable wad. A lot of stitches are needed to go around each piece.
Since quilts vary, so do the stitch patterns. The end results are beautiful
patterns on both the top and the bottom layers.
Stitching in my
life’s quilt is like saying a Bible verse every day. Memorizing verses, like
stitches, are done little-by-little. Some stitches are hard to see for all the
color of the piece, like emotions color the verse about loving enemies. Other
stitches are easy to see. The verse about not killing seems easy because I have
obeyed it for so long.
God
uses those verses to comfort, correct me, and keep me on track to obeying Him.
Seeing those verses work in my life gives me a glimpse into the pattern He has
for me.
PRAYER: Thank you for Your Word that
shines a light on my path. Help me to read the Bible every day and apply it to
my life with Your wisdom.
John 14:6 Jesus
Backs My Quilt
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Jesus said to him, “I
am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through
Me.” John 14:6 NKJV
Common to all
quilts is the bottom layer. The one large piece of material backs all the smaller
pieces on the top side. It goes next to the body, so it needs to be strong
enough to withstand rolling and sweat. The bottom layer draws less attention
than the top because it does not demonstrate the showiness or hard work.
In God’s quilt of
my life, the bottom layer represents Jesus. It is only one piece of material
just as He is the only way, the only gate, and the only door to God.
Some people get
the cheapest backing they can find. Jesus, my backing, valued my life so much
He went to the cross. No other backing can replace what I have found in Jesus.
PRAYER: Thank You for paying the price
through Jesus so I may have a relationship with the Father. Control my words as
I tell others about Jesus.
Matthew 19:16-22 In the Middle of My Quilt
THOUGHT
FOR TODAY: Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you
have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come,
follow Me.” Matthew 19:21 (NKJV)
Quilts are known for comfort and
warmth. The middle layer of the quilt, the batting, is flat, soft, flexible,
and often made of cotton. Because batting is not seen, it is considered less
important than the top and bottom layers. Quilts without stitching shift and
bunch up.
In the quilt of my life, the batting
represents physical possessions. My husband always wanted a new tool or
implement and more heifers. I was no better. I spent more time and money with
my dairy goats than with my children.
Just as batting can bunch
up and shift, we were piling up belongings and shifting them from one spot to
another. Now when I let possessions become too important, God allows problems
to start. Problems drive me to prayer. Prayer leads to trusting more. It is
amazing how God can work out problems.
PRAYER:
Thank you for food, clothing, shelter, and the conveniences of life. Wake me up
when possessions become more important than You.
1 Corinthians 13:12
My Crazy Quilt Life
THOUGHT FOR TODAY: For now we see through
a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part, but then shall I
know even as also I am known. 1 Corinthians 13:12 KJV
Quilts have
patterns: Nine Patch, Flying Geese, Wedding Ring. Crazy quilts exhibit no
pattern. Pieces of different colors, shapes, and sizes are randomly sewn
together. Scraps too small for other quilts make it just right for a crazy
quilt.
I see myself as
being the quilt and God the Master Quilter. People who learn to obey God early in
life will have yards of good material for the Master Quilter to use in any
pattern He chooses.
Personally, I only
have scraps to offer, so mine must be a crazy quilt.
My scraps are lessons
learned. When I could have been at my mother’s death, it showed me I had no
compassion. More scraps come from people’s influence: Sunday School teachers,
my aunt who listened, and an old spinster who took an interest in me. The
ladies included God in their daily lives by talking about the Bible and sermons.
From my viewpoint,
the working out of His plan for my life looks like a crazy quilt. I will not
know what the finished product looks like until I get to heaven.
PRAYER: Thank You for the variety of
patterns in life. Help me to let You always control my life.
Quilt Material and Pieces
Read: Romans 8:28
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling,
not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which
was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. 2 Timothy 1:9, NKJV
Pieced
quilts have great value in modern times. They demonstrate planning and hard
work. No two quilts look alike. Hand stitching makes it even more valuable.
Some are made as heirloom quilts. The quilter chooses the size based on the end
use: child sized, adult sized, or king size bedspread. Crazy quilts use various
size, color, and shape pieces.
God
as the Master Quilter chooses the purpose of the Christian life. His material
is strong and made of submission to God’s rules. Obedience to His commandments
yield solid colors like missionaries who are single minded, and flowered prints
that blossom like children and grandchildren. God trims by events in our life to
make the pieces necessary for God’s pattern.
Quilters
do not throw away leftovers, and neither does God.
We will not see God’s quilt of our life until we get
to heaven, but we can enjoy seeing how God is working in our lives today.
Always remember, God can still make a crazy quilt out of leftovers from a life
that is not perfect.
Facets
of Stone
Memory Verse: A gift is as a precious
stone in the eyes of him that has it; whithersoever it turns, it prospers.
Proverbs 17:8
Object: flashlight and any kind of jewelry
with a stone which has facets (diamond ring, pendant on a necklace, etc.)
Message: A facet is a small flat surface.
Some stones have several of them. (Shine flashlight on the stone and show them
the light reflects off each facet as you turn it and look at it.)
The word of God has names for Jesus. He is
called the Bread of Life because we need to listen to Him daily like we eat bread
every day. He is the Living Water because He refreshes us when we start getting
tired of doing what is right. He is like a Brother because He can understand
everything we are going through.
Just like turning the stone makes us
notice a new facet, so understanding what Jesus does for us makes Him more
precious to us.
A
Magnifying Glass
Psalms 69:30 : I will praise the name of God with
a song; and will magnify Him with Thanksgiving.
Object: magnifying glass
Message:
Do you know what a magnifying glass is
used for? It makes things look bigger. It is easier to see what it is and what
it is like.
A lot of people don’t think about God very
much.
We can tell people we are thankful for
something God has given us or has done for us.
Just like looking through a magnifying glass makes thing look
bigger and easier to see, telling what we are thankful for will make people
think of God as being bigger and better than before.
Wii
Fit Games and the Christian Life
Wii Fit Games are like the Christian life.
If you don’t practice the games every day, you will not get better at them, nor
get physically fit. If you do not read the Bible and put it into practice every
day, you will not increase in wisdom nor grow close to God.
The balance game with balls and tilting
board take thought and coordination. Just like the balls, God gives many gifts.
You have to balance use of your money on car gas versus DVDs and junk
food. The better you get with the balls,
the more balls you get, along with a different shaped platform at the next
level. The more responsible you become, the more responsibility God gives you.
God knows what you can handle. That is shown by the parable of the three men being
given different number of talents. (Matt. 25:14-30, KJV)
Sometimes decision in life have to be made
fast. You need fast reactions in slalom game. When you are skiing, you don’t
have time to figure out why you didn’t make the last gate. If you do, you are
taking too much time to decide what to do at the upcoming gate. Paul in Phil 3:14 (KJV) says, “I press toward
the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ.” It is good
to look back to learn from mistakes, but not until the end of run and not to
the exclusion of pressing forward.
Why Salt?
Object:
salt and a container to hold a small amount.
Scripture:
Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth”.
Recipe
for homemade Play-Doh: 4 c. flour, 1 c. salt, 1 ½ c. water. Mix. Can be baked
in a slow oven until dry, but you will have to warn the children it may crack.
If kept, need to store in airtight container to prevent drying.
I
have something for you to taste. Lick the tip of your finger, dip it in this
white stuff, and pass it around.
Do
you know what it is? It’s salt. It’s useful for many things. You can make
homemade Play-Doh with it and have fun making something with it. (Hand each
child about ½ c. of the dough. Should be
enough for about 10 children.) You can make what you want with it while I talk.
Salt
makes food taste better. Any one like
potato chips? Or bacon? They just wouldn’t
be the same without salt.
In
winter, salt can be put on the road to make the ice melt faster. Have you seen your parents put salt on an icy
sidewalk?
Jesus
said Christians are like salt. Just as salt can do many jobs, God can use us to
make a difference when we obey Him.
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