Glorious Church

Following After God's Heart

2009-06-23T09:28:00.000-07:00

When you and I take seriously our assignments from God, He blesses our obedience, and the resulting growth is astounding. Oh, there are pleasant tasks and bright moments, but there is also plain old hard work -- work that may be unexciting but gives birth to God's blessings.

As we end this book committed to following hard and close after God and doing His will, let's consider what we can do to nurture, prune, and train our hearts so that we can enjoy the lovely fruit God intends His people to know when they honor Him. What can we do to place ourselves before God so that we can know His beauty and serenity in our hearts and under our roofs?

Plan Your Day

Making God's plan for our lives a reality calls for planning on our part. The first challenge we face is gaining control of one day -- today. We must tackle the day at hand, and it is helpful to consider each day's agenda at least twice.

First, the night before, take your planner (in whatever form is best for you) and list the next days events in chronological order. This would include appointments, classes, meetings, carpools, school and work schedules, and breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Ask the Lord in prayer to guide and bless your day, then turn off the light.

In the morning, welcome the day with the psalmist's words of praise -- "This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24). Then take out a sheet of paper and get ready to create a plan for practicing God's priorities throughout the day. Begin by praying.

Pray Over Your Plans and Priorities

What exactly should you pray about? Here are a some very practical, detailed steps as you pray and plan according to your priorities.

God

First write the word "God" on one side of your folded paper, and pray, "Lord, what can I do today to live out the fact that You are the Ultimate Priority of my life?"

As an answer to this question, the Lord may be leading you to certain actions like pray, read His Word, memorize Scripture, walk with Him, etc. Write it down.

Husband

Next, write the first name of your husband. Again, go to the Lord and ask, "What can I do today to let my husband know he is my most important human priority?" (And if you're not married, move on down the list.)

At that point, for instance, the Lord might remind you that you can choose to be "up" when your husband arrives home at the end of the day and to stay "up" throughout the evening. You can choose to be physically available to him. You can make plans for a special date night. And the list goes on and on.

Children

Now it's time to pray, "Lord, what can I do today for my children (name them individually) to let them know that, after my husband, they are more important than all the other people in my life? What can I do to communicate this fact? How can I show each one my love? (Again, if you don't have children, move on down the list.)

Many times the answers to this question are "sweet speech," "kindness," "a servant spirit," and "no nagging." Just write down the answers and ideas.

As your children grow older, other ideas may come to mind like selecting a special card for each of them and writing a love note, or preparing a favorite snack for them after school.

Still later, when they are married, make plans to communicate daily with each through email. Send them good books as surprise gifts and encourage them in their personal growth and interests. Truly, the loving and praying and planning never cease. And then there are the grandchildren! Well, you get the picture.

Home

Everyone lives somewhere, including you, married or not. So land here and start praying because this one's for everyone. Pray, "Lord, what can I do today regarding my home? What can I do today to make our home a little bit of heaven, our own home sweet home?"

Something like "be faithful in daily cleaning tasks" will appear on my home list. "Complete a task" may be another item on your list.

Self

Lay your life before God and pray, "Lord what can I do today to grow spiritually? In what specific ways can I prepare for future ministry?"

"Read" may appear on your list. "Exercise" and "food selection" may show up often. Completing a Bible lesson, typing out a quotation that you want to remember, copying a Bible verse to display in your view, and getting to bed on time are other items.

Ministry

"And, Lord," continue praying, "what can I do today to serve and minister to Your people?" This may be your longest list as you write down people to call, friends and missionaries to write, lessons to plan, organizing, researching, preparing food for church events or new mommies, or visiting the hospital. Because of this, you might ask the Lord, "Which one thing do You want me to do today?" Opportunities for ministry are alway all around us!

Other activities

You have noticed continually that this book focuses on our top priorities, those God-given assignments found in His Word. But God knows there are other facets of life.

That is why in this category you'll list shopping for Christmas, browsing in a library or bookstore, getting together with a friend, planning another trip to visit a grandparent. Again, this list goes on and on.

Schedule Your Plans and Priorities

Now that we have our list, it's time to schedule! Items on the list only represent dreams and desires and convictions until we put them into practice. And scheduling helps us do just that. So at this point begin prioritizing with pen and planner in hand. Pray, "Okay, Lord, when will I have my devotions? When will I meet with You in our special place?" Then write "devotions" in a specific time slot on your schedule. "And when will I run that errand for my husband?" And then write it down. Go all the way down your list in this manner.

When your time of prayer and scheduling is over, you hold in your hand a master plan for the day -- a plan that reflects your priorities, a plan that enables you to be the woman after God's own heart that you and I desire to be. Wisdom always has a plan.

Proverbs 21:5, "The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty."

Following These Steps

You'll soon discover how comforting it is to get up from your time of prayer with a clear plan for your day. Your plan is most effective when it comes a s a result of much care and prayer -- when it comes as a result of committing your day and its activities to God for His glory!

Practice, Practice, Practice!

"Every day is a little life, and our whole life is but a single day repeated."

If you desire a good life, focus on having one good day, one quality day -- today. Concentrate on today and, at day's end, slip that single pearl onto your strand. The pearls on your strand will add up to a good life!

But what if yours was a day of failures? A day of neglecting things you wanted to focus on? We all have those days. But thanks be to God who enables us to forget the days that is done, to reach forward the next morning, and to press on toward the goad -- the pearl -- again and again and again!

Philippians 3:13-14, "Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended, but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Peace as You Rest

When such a focused day is done, you'll probably be tired as you drop into bed. But you'll also know an unmatched peace in your heart. A peace that comes from resting in the Lord and doing things His way. A peace that comes from knowing that because you lived out God's priorities for you, all is well under your roof.

A Heart That Seeks First Things First

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Colossians 2:6-7, "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving."

Proverbs 8:10-11, "Receive my instruction, and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold; For wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her."

A Word About Priorities

Because our lives are complex and demanding, we need a plan if we are to live by God's priorities and obey His call to us. God's order for priorities makes the day-to-day, moment-by-moment decisions easier and simpler.

Life management can bring order to our cluttered life and will enable you and me to see more clearly when the storms of life start to rage. God's unchangeable Word gives guidance when the tyranny of the urgent beats on our door, trying to shove aside the very few really important tasks in life. The grand duties and chief works of a Woman After God's Own Heart consist of:

Loving God and following after Him with a whole heart,
Loving, helping, and serving my husband,
Loving and teaching my children and their families,
Loving and caring for my home in order to provide a quality life for my family,
Developing myself so that I have something to give to others, and
Loving and serving God's people.

A Word About Choices

"The choices we make are key to the priorities we practice!"

From the first pages of this book, we've been trying to choose good over evil, better over good, an best over better. The importance of such choices cannot be overestimated or overemphasized. As we've all heard, if you want to know what you'll be like in the future, just look at the choices you are making today.

A Word About Others

The "other" categories have not been mentioned thus far in our study. We haven't mentioned parents, brothers, sisters, or extended family. We also haven't discussed jobs or careers, friends, neighbors, hobbies, pastimes, social life, or a myriad of other ingredients that make up your full and unique life.

So for now, simply add those "others" to the end of the list of the six priorities listed above because those six don't change. God will reveal your priorities when you pray, search the Scriptures and seek wise counsel.

A Word About Waiting

It's impossible to read the book of Proverbs and not get the message that wisdom waits. As a general principle for practicing your priorities, know that it is safer to wait and do nothing than to rush in and do the wrong thing.

Proverbs 19:2, "He sins who hastens with his feet."

Heart Response

It sure is easy for priorities to get out of whack and making the choices to get back on track can be tough, but if you are wanting to do God's will, then you are willing to make the right choices even though they're the hard choices.

A Heart That Encourages

2009-05-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

Take Time to Be Filled

If you take time to sit at Jesus' feet and be filled by God's Spirit as you study the written Word, if you focus on overcoming internal obstacles to doing God's work, you will never lack for ministry. God's fullness in you will naturally overflow into the lives of others.

Memorize Scriptures of Encouragement

Colossians 4:6, "Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one."

You can have the "ministry of encouragement" with everyone you meet. Your life and lips will offer refreshing encouragement to all who cross your path. Like our Messiah, you will be able to "speak a word in season to him who is weary" (Isaiah 50:4).

It's good to memorize some pertinent words of encouragement from the Bible to share with people in need. Knowing Scripture gives you a "word in season," something timely and appropriate to the situation.

Make Phone Calls to Encourage

Proverbs 12:25, "Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad."

An easy way to encourage and make a heart glad is to reach out and touch someone by phone. I'm not talking about calling long lists of people or even making lengthy calls. A simple, quick call can do much to gladden the heart of the recipient.

Write Notes of Encouragement

Writing notes -- by mail or email -- to those who need encouragement is another way to share a good word that makes the heart glad.

Try the "3-Sentence rule" whether you're writing to the sick, the bereaved, those in leadership, or a recent hostess:

Sentence #1 conveys I miss you, I appreciate you, or I'm thinking of you.
Sentence #2 lets readers know they are special to you and why.
Sentence #3 says I'm praying for them and includes an appropriate Scripture verse.

Live Your Priorities

By living out your priorities you will teach and disciple many women -- without saying a word. The best way to teach priorities to others is to model those priorities. After all -- and this is another principle for us women after God's own heart -- one picture is worth a thousand words.

Simply concentrate on being who God wants you to be and doing what He wants you to do. Concentrate on mastering your priorities. Don't worry about organizing your thoughts, preparing a lesson, and getting up in front of a group. Just walk among the women at your church and in your neighborhood doing with all your heart what you are supposed to do.

Heart Response

When you and I made our way through the section about our spiritual growth, we stretched ourselves. We set goals. We decided to do the work that growth requires. Our aim was to let God fill us up and prepare us for future ministry and service to others.

Now consider the simplicity and ease of the ministries we've considered here!

Writing a note.
Making a few phone calls.
Speaking words of grace.
Modeling God's priorities.

These are next to effortless. Each one, however, requires a heart filled with God's love and with sensitivity for others. Ministry is always a matter of the heart. If your heart is filled with a watchful concern for God's people, you will be privileged to refresh many souls in need of encouragement just like a rain cloud delivers much-needed moisture to a parched earth.

A Heart That Shows It Cares

2009-05-19T17:39:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 15:58, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."

Reflecting on God's Plan

So far we have spent eighteen chapters looking at God's Word and seeking to determine what His priorities are for us as women after His own heart. We know of God's command to love Him supremely as found in Luke 10:27.

"So He answered and said, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.'"

Beyond that we have culled through Titus 2:3-5 over and over again where the priorities of husband, children, and home are spelled out.

"That the older women...admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers..."

And finally, we finished considering our self -- the nurturing of our spiritual growth. And now we come, by God's grace, to the out pouring and the overflowing of all that's gone before -- a life ready for rich ministry to others.

Learn to Reach Out

Again and again Jesus tells us to give -- to give to everyone; to give hoping for nothing in return; to give in the generous way God, who is kind to the unthankful and evil, gives; and to care for others by giving. You and I can learn to give in this way, to overflow with care for all others.

Yes, But How?

Your presence and sometimes a single touch are worth a thousand words.

When it comes to reaching out, remember this principle of ministry: Your very presence is a source of comfort. You may not have the exact words to say or the perfect Scripture to share, but in most situations, your touch can bring comfort far greater than words.

Be a giver.

Just as you and I learned with our husbands and children, we can give the smile, the greeting, the warm question, the touch, the hug, and the name (always use the person's name!).

Be bold.

Be bold and give to the people God places in your path, If, however, you find yourself avoiding a certain person, ask God to show you why. Sin in our hearts -- hearts meant to overflow with care for others -- keeps us from being confident in our relationships.

Become a generous soul.

Don't just give, but give liberally, cheerfully, bountifully, hilariously, extra, above and beyond.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7, "He who sow sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver."

Determine to withhold nothing.

Proverbs 3:27 exhorts us, "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so."

What are some of the good things "in the power of your hand"? Praise, encouragement, thanks, a greeting, kindness, good deeds, and a note of appreciate are a few of the good things we hold. And you and I choose whether or not we will share these blessings.

Heart Response

I hope that your heart is at rest and that you have found your deepest fulfillment in seeing how God extends His love to so many through you. First His love flows to those people closest to your heart, those people at home. Then His love moves on through you to invigorate and refresh countless others.

As this happens, your gracious and generous God miraculously refills you, replacing and multiplying all that you selflessly give away to others.

A Heart Enriched by Joy in the Lord

2009-05-12T12:24:00.000-07:00

Spiritual Growth Is Aided by Discipleship

God's ideal plan for us as His women -- and another aspect of His job assignment for us -- is that we teach other women the "good things" we have been learning, that we mentor or disciple them, that we pass on all that God has taught us.

Titus 2: 3-4, "But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: [that] the older women ... be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things ... that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children."

The word discipleship can call to mind a variety of scenarios. Most often we equate discipleship with one-on-one, weekly meetings with another woman for years on end. While that would be wonderful, for most of us that is neither a reality nor even a possibility. We can, however, choose from some enriching alternatives if we really want to grow.

Classes

Churches in every town offer Bible studies and Bible classes. Correspondence courses are also available -- all you and I have to do is enroll, do the work, and let God grow us.

Books

Books offer another avenue for growth and help you develop skills for ministering to women. Book stores and libraries are brimming with volumes written by Godly women that tell of the Lord's faithfulness in their lives. You will also gain valuable insights and inspiration from reading biographies of great Christian men and women of history.

Counsel

Another valid form of discipleship is counsel from fellow Christians. If you're having a problem, ask a trusted and godly person.

Interviewing

Make an appointment with a godly woman and ask questions from a list that you have already prepared.

Observation

Make sure you are watching, watching, watching! It's a great way to learn. In fact, one way to learn how to love, respect, and support your husband is to watch other women. When it comes to admiring your husband, for instance, "keep a list of how other women show admiration for their husbands." Watch, learn, write down what you learn, and then try those new behaviors yourself.

Spiritual Growth: Experiencing the Joy of the Lord

Your desire to grow in the Lord will empower you and inspire you to grow more.

In your mind, picture a real woman you admire. Most likely, she is stimulating, challenging, energetic, and joyful. She is growing and fresh, excited and exciting, learning and willing to share what she is learning. She motivates you, and you love to be in her presence. She has nothing to fear, and you never hear her sigh or see signs that she's bored. For her, life is never dull!

Such a woman is probably involved in and committed to spiritual growth. She has spent time with God and been filled by Him so when she's in public, she can't help but share her love for Jesus.

Heart Response

You are blessed indeed if you know one of these joyful, enriched women who have responded to God's call on their lives. You will be even more blessed if you accept the invitation to do likewise. So take a moment and wait upon the Lord as you consider these questions:

Exactly how am I spending my precious God-given time and energy? Am I wasting it on choices that have no heavenly value or am I making the good, better, and best choices?
Do I acknowledge the value -- the necessity -- of time spent in preparation?
Is allowing God to prepare me for ministry even a goal of mine? Or am I letting time, and life, slip away unused, uninvested in eternity?

Catch His vision for you. Set aside time to make growth in Him a goal. Trust Him to provide you with opportunities to minister. The result?

A heart enriched by joy in the Lord!

A Heart Strengthened by Spiritual Growth -- Chapter 17

2009-05-08T17:58:00.000-07:00

2 Peter 3:18, “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Spiritual Growth Begins in Jesus Christ

You and I have two options for how we live. We can live our lives with Jesus Christ or without Him. It’s a clear-cut black/white, either/or situation. The Bible says, “This is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life,” 1 John 5:11-12. As this Scripture tells us, there is no life without Jesus Christ!

A New Beginning

When you and I come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, we are given a new beginning, a fresh start, forgiveness for the past, wisdom for handling life, and power for doing what’s right. The apostle Paul explains it like this: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17.)

God’s Love and Acceptance

No matter what has happened, no matter what life looks like, no matter what you’re feeling, you are accepted in the Beloved – and nothing else matters! Indeed, God has “made us accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6)!

God’s Power in the Holy Spirit

Can you imagine having the power of God at work in your life? When Christ is your Savior, that’s what happens. God empowers you through His Holy Spirit to do good, to effect change in your life, to make your life fulfilling and meaningful, to help others, and to minister for Christ. Jesus said, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8).

God’s Total Sufficiency

No matter what the problem, the hurdle, the struggle, the suffering you face, God promises, “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Whether you’re dealing with temptation, a difficult marriage, problems with the children, needs in the home, personal challenges, loneliness, demands at work, health issues, a stretching ministry, or any other difficult situation, God promises, “My grace is sufficient for you.”

Spiritual Growth Involves the Pursuit of Knowledge

Luke 2:52, “Jesus increased in wisdom.”

Proverbs 15:14, “The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.”

Put another way, an intelligent person purposefully seeks knowledge, but fools nibble randomly, vacantly chewing on words and ideas that have no value, no flavor, and no nutrition.

What are you and I feeding our minds? Are we heeding this biblical warning about the danger of “garbage in, garbage out”? May we purposefully seek knowledge and guard against spending precious time on things that have no value.

Spiritual Growth Includes Stewardship of Your Body

You may have been hoping this subject wouldn’t come up, but we’re told in the Bible that how we manage our body affects our ministry and the quality of our lives. The apostle Paul put is this way: “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:27).

The goal in the physical realm is discipline, the self-control that is a gift of God’s grace. His Spirit in us gives us strength to resist temptation, control our appetite rather than allowing it to control us, and to train our body into obedience.

Spiritual Growth Means Becoming Like Jesus

Increase in Knowledge

As we’ve seen, Jesus is our model. God desires for us to follow in His footsteps and grow in the knowledge of God as well as in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Like Paul’s prayer for the church in Philippi, our prayer for ourselves should be that our “love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment” (Philippians 1:9).

Have a Plan

When it comes to increasing your knowledge of God, you have to do a certain thing (sit down) in a certain place (your place) with certain items (pen, paper, reading schedule, study guide, whatever you need) at a specific time (your time). When you do, you’ll enjoy a feast from God and His Word!

Do Something

So develop a plan, remember once again that something is better than nothing.

Spiritual Growth Blesses Others

Try these three ways to improve your relationships with people.

Mind your mind.

Your actions will reveal your attitude toward people. That’s the message of yet another Proverb: “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). Thoughts that are critical, negative, harmful, and jealous not only go against God’s Word, but they spawn actions that are the same.

Mind your mouth.

Our relationships with people are enhanced when we follow in the steps of the Proverbs 31 woman who “opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness,” Proverbs 31:26.

Mind your manners.

The Number One way to be pleasing to God and approved by man is to be the servant of all. Our servant assignment from God is to give honor and preference to one another.

Heart Response

God calls you to love Him, first and foremost, will all your heart, soul, strength, and mind and to allow that rich love you enjoy in Him to overflow into your family, into your neighbors, into the lives of others. That’s why a heart strengthened by spiritual growth in Him is so very important.

A Heart That Weaves a Tapestry of Beauty

2009-04-22T15:49:00.001-07:00

Titus 2:4-5, "Admonish the young women . . . to be homemakers."

Beauty from Busyness

As God's women, you and I are blessed with the God-given assignment to weave a tapestry of beauty in our homes. However, I don't know about you, but I had an aversion to that word homemaker -- until I discovered what God had in mind. Before that, it sounded like dull labor and mundane chores!

What I discovered is that to be a homemaker means to be a stayer-at-home, to be domestically inclined, a good housekeeper, and a keeper at home. Another sources emphasized that a woman's primary sphere of activity and contribution is the home, and still another concluded that we are to be active in or busy with household duties. The commentary that most moved my heart said that I am simply to be a "home lover."

Any woman who carries in her mind and heart that thought "Home sweet home!" qualifies as a home lover. That term definitely portrays a fitting attitude in response to the call of Titus 2:4-5, but weaving a tapestry of beauty in our homes also calls for action.

Yes, But How?

How does a woman who wholeheartedly wants to weave a tapestry of beauty in her home begin?

1. Understand the beauty and blessings of God's will for you.

God is teaching us His will when He calls us to be homemakers. And I figure that if God calls me to serve at home, to be on top of things, and to see that my good housekeeping chores get done, then I want to do just that.

2. Purpose to be home more often.

Proverbs 17:24, "Wisdom is in the sight of him who has understand, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth." In other words, wisdom sees the thing straight in front of us, the thing between our own two feet -- and that is our home. The wise woman realizes the value of being home. But the foolish woman is always looking "out there" (in the mall, in the outlet stores, in a friend's home, etc.) for fulfillment, excitement, activity, and meaning.

3. Organize your outings.

For instance, I learned that I just couldn't run to the cleaners. Instead, I understood that I needed to stop by the cleaners when I was running all my other errands.

Heart Response

Now, dear fellow weaver, take God's teaching to heart. Do you cherish your home? Is it "home sweet home" to you? When you are away from it, do you yearn fo it? Is your heart truly centered in your home? Are the place and the people there more important to you than anyone or anything else?

The "I will's" of the Heart of the Homemaker:

I will get up before my family in order to prepare myself spiritually and physically.
I will prepare breakfast for my family and sit with them while they eat.
I will work diligently to send every member of my family off in a good mood.
I will consult my husband every day to see if there is anything special he wants me to do for him.
I will keep a neat and orderly home.
I will respond positively.
I will put my husband before my children.
I will be predictably happy.

Is yours the heart of a homemaker? For help, ask God for His transforming touch. As He empowers you to obey, He will give you joy at the task to which He calls you and enhance the beauty of the tapestry you are weaving.

A Heart That Creates Order from Chaos

2009-04-22T14:59:00.000-07:00

Responsibility and Accountability

The following verse in the Bible addresses the subject of creating order out of chaos. 1 Timothy 5:14, "I desire that the younger [women] ... manage the house." Other versions of the Bible read "guide the house, or preside over a home, or be mistress of the house." Whichever way, the message was clear to the women of Timothy's day.

Furthermore, the why of this statement is clear. Here's the situation Timothy faced: The young widows of Timothy's church were "idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not" (I Timothy 5:13). Their loose, undisciplined behavior led those outside the church to think and speak poorly of Christianity. Obviously, having a home to manage would contribute positively to these women's lives by, at the very least, eliminating the opportunity for these negative behaviors.

To"guide a house" means to be the head of or to rule a family, to guide the home. The one who manages a house is the goodman of the house, the householder. Yet this management has built-in accountability, describing as it does the work of a steward or a servant. The woman who manages her house is not the head of the home (her husband is if she is married, and God is if she is not). Instead, she is the householder, the home manager.

Every day we are called to manage what God has given us, what He has provided through our husbands' efforts and our own. What a blessing it is to us when we serve Him well in this capacity. And what a blessing we are to our family when we properly manage the house.

Yes, But How?

How does a woman who wants what God wants, a woman who wants to know order instead of chaos, a woman after God's own heart, manage her home?

1. Understand that home management is God's best for us.

God isn't asking His women to like being a home manager (although that comes with time as we reap the multitude of blessing that result from better home management). And God isn't asking us to feel like managing our home. He is simply calling us to do it. Home management is His plan, His way. It's His good and acceptable and perfect will for us (Romans 12:2).

2. Decide to take home management seriously.

God uses the management of the home as a training ground for our usefulness in the church. How well you and maintain our personal relationship with God, how devotedly we love our husbands and our children, and how effectively we manage the home indicates how well we would manager a ministry. It's true that what we are at home is what we are!

3. Live as though you will be accountable for the condition of your home and the use of your time ... because you will!

When our husbands (or anyone else) walk in the door and look around the house, we have just revealed what we've been doing in response to God's call to us to manage the home.

Tips for Time Management

Plan in detail. Have a planner and write everything down in it.
Deal with today. All God asks of you and me is to handle and manage today, only today.
Value each minute. Know how long it will take you to complete each task in your home.
Keep moving. Remember the principle of momentum: "A body at rest tends to remain at rest, and a body in motion tends to remain in motion."
Develop a routine. Try doing the same thing at the same time each day.
Exercise and diet. Studies show that exercise increases metabolism, creates energy, causes you to sleep better and produces pleasure hormones that contribute to positive attitudes.

Heart Response

Before we leave the subject of order in the home, let's take a look at the heart of the home -- which is your heart! What is your attitude toward your home and your housework? Is your heart in tune with God's? Are you desiring what He desires for the management and guidance of your home? Ask God to help you move toward better management -- and don't worry: Slowly but surely counts!

Chapter 14 - A Heart That Watches Over the Home

2009-04-14T13:54:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 31:27, "She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness."

To Watch

"To watch" means "to hedge about" as with thorns, much like a mother bird or animal might do to protect her young. The verb expresses the active guarding, protecting, saving, and attending to something precious. This kind of watching involves observation and preservation.

To better understand the significance of the word watch, consider its use in Psalm 5:3 -- My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up."

"To look up" is the same Hebrew word as watch. The psalmist carefully prays to God in the morning and then becomes a lookout, keeping watch, being on the lookout, expecting his prayer to be answered.

To Work

As we head into this section, let's realize that we're not addressing working outside the home at a job. No, this has to do with work you do inside the house, at home, the work that turns your house into a home.

We're going to be doing our own study into the Scripture, consulting it to learn what God teaches us about work. Of course we'll want to look at some wonderful proverbs!

Proverbs 10:4, "He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich."

Proverbs 12:11, "He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread, but he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding."

Proverbs 14:23, "In all labor there is profit, but idle chatter leads only to poverty."

Proverbs, 20:13, "Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty, open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with bread."

Proverbs 31:13, "She seeks wool and flax, and willingly works with her hands."

What a blessing you can be to your family as you watch, as you keep lookout over the various functions of the home. And what a great way to be a helper for your husband as you anticipate, perceive, and act on needs (work) in the home. Before your husband even thinks of something, you have taken care of it!

Yes, But How?

How can we place ourselves before God so He can grown in us hearts that effectively watch over our precious homes?

1. Understand that his role as helper and guard is God's plan for you.

A woman after God's own heart - married or not - watches over the ways of her household and refuses to eat the bread of idleness. When we realize that these instructions are from God -- and not from our mother, or husband, or Bible teacher -- we must allow the Truth of God's Word to penetrate into our hearts.

2. Begin watching over your home.

It's time to make some real -- and difficult -- decisions about watching (the positive) and about not eating the bread of idleness (the negative).

3. Eliminate idleness.

Identify the following time robbers in your daily life, and then purpose to buy back the time for watching and working in your precious home.

Procrastination

Inadequate personal planning and scheduling

Interruptions by people without appointments (This includes interruptions by way of the telephone. And please note, your children are not interruptions -- they are your greatest work and the best investment of your time.)

Failure to delegate

Poor use of telephone or computer

Reading junk mail or e-mail

Lack of concern for good time management

Unclear priorities

Ladies, we must pray for eyes to see the vision God has for our precious home and for hearts to understand how important what happens in our home is to Him. May our goal be that our houses be made into homes that show forth God's desires for the beauty and purpose of those structures.

A Heart That Makes a House a Home

2009-03-31T16:14:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 14:1, "The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her hands."

In the above verse, the infinitive "to build" means, literally, to make and to set up a house. This verse refers not only to the structure and upkeep of the home, but also to the family itself. You see, a home is not only a place - it's also people! One insightful scholar explains the verse this way:

Although the Hebrew word for "house" and "home" is the same, "home" is the preferred word here. A house is not always a home and this verse does not speak of house construction, masonry, or carpentry but of home building; the knitting together of family and the day-be-day routine of creating a happy and comfortable place for a family to live.

And who is responsible for the quality of life in that place where the family lives? The woman! She sets the mood and maintains the atmosphere inside the home. In fact, this proverb teaches that if the woman is wise, she diligently and purposefully creates that atmosphere. She doesn't just hope it will happen.

Creating the Atmosphere

Creating the atmosphere of a home is very much like using your thermostat to regulate the temperature inside your house. You decide on a ideal temperature for you family and set the dial to a comfortable level.

Proverbs 15:1a, "A soft answer turns away wrath."

James 3:18, "Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."

Proverbs 12:25, "Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad."

Building a Refuge

At the center of family life, the home ministers to our family far more than we might imagine. Our children as well as our husbands benefit from our building efforts. One counselor reported that "a secure home life tends to reduce frustration and uneasiness in a child's life, and it gives them the ability to cope with pressures more effectively."

Webster's Dictionary defines a refuge as a place of protection, a shelter or a sanctuary where one can be safe from pursuit, danger, or trouble. Even the word "refuge" brings a calmness to heart and soul.

Avoiding the Negatives

It would be wise to take another look at the second part of our verse this week. "...but the foolish [woman] pulls it down with her hands."

To pull down a home means to break or destroy it, to beat or break it down - to ruin it. How can a woman pull down her own home? How can she be a one-woman demolition machine?

First, a woman can cause great damage actively by working destruction. What, for instance, does anger out of control do? It throws, it slams, it tears, and it rips. It also breaks things as well as rules.

The second way to ruin a home is passive - by simply failing to work. We can slowly erode the foundation of our home by our laziness, by simply "never getting around to it," by neglect, by forgetting to pay a bill...or two, by successfully putting things off, by not spending enough time at home. Then there's the problem of too much - too much TV, too much reading, too much shopping, too much time with friends, too much time spent on the phone or internet.

Yes, But How?

How does a woman who desire sin her heart to make a house a home carry out the building process? What can we do to be used by God to create the kind of place He has in mind for our families?

Understand that wisdom builds.

The wise woman is aware that she's on assignment from God and knows that building a home is a lifelong endeavor. The teaching of the Bible is clear, and so is the sharp contrast between the wise woman and the foolish woman. Wisdom builds -- and builds and builds -- avoiding any attitude or act that doesn't build. And this kind of building effort is wise whether you're building a home for yourself or for a husband and children.

Decide to begin building.

It's never too late to begin - or begin again - to build your house, to create an enchanted oasis called "home."

Each day, do one thing to build your home.

Look around your home, inside and out. Make a list of the things that need to be added, repaired, set up, etc., so that your area is more of a refuge. Then do just one item on your list each day -- or even one each week.

You may also want to deal with one attitude that, if improved and transformed by God, would enhance the atmosphere of the home.

A Heart Response...

Search your heart and your home. As you consider the wise woman and the foolish woman, which one is most like you? Where are you placing your focus and investing your energy? Look beneath the cleaning and cooking ... to your heart.

A Heart Overflowing with Motherly Affection

2009-03-03T14:32:00.000-08:00

Titus 2:3,4, "[The older women] admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children."

Phileo is the word God chose to convey mother-love here in Titus 2:4. This is an affectionate love, a love that cherishes its object. It is friendship love, a love that enjoys children, a love that likes them! God calls parents to build the family on a foundation of Biblical teaching, instruction, and discipline. The home gains a heart, however, when parents not only love their children but like them as well.

1. A Heart That Prays

The greatest gift of love you and I can give our children is to pray for them. Beginning each day by praying for your children benefits them in countless ways even as it draws them deeper into your heart. What kind of prayers are you praying for your dear children?

2. A Heart That Provides

A heart overflowing with motherly affection lovingly and graciously provides the necessities of life for her precious family -- nourishing food, clean clothing, and a safe home. Although we may not get too excited about running our homes on a schedule or cooking another meal or doing another load of laundry, a heart filled with motherly affection does just that. It puts self aside and loves the people in her home by caring for their physical needs.

Many mothers wonder why their children act up, talk back, are grumpy, and require so much discipline. Maybe it's because Mom isn't providing the basics of nutritious, scheduled meals, clean bodies, clean clothes, and adequate sleep and rest.

3. A Heart That Is Happy

When our children (and our husbands!) can count on us to be happy, home life and family relationships take a leap toward heaven. When the alarm has just gone off in the morning, or you're picking the children up from school, or they're walking in the door after their own activities, they need to know that you will be happy.

Proverbs 15:13a, "A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance."

Proverbs 17:22a, "A merry heart does good, like medicine."

3. A Heart That Gives

The Bible is full of exhortations for Christians to be about the business of giving. As we've seen several times already, that's how our Savior lived. Here are a few principles that can help us be mothers who give, mothers who serve -- and who do so with affection, warmth, and energy.

Give because it is your role.

Mark 10:45, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Because of who God is, a woman after His heart is a woman who gives. As Christians we are to give, as wives we are to give, as mothers we are to give, as singles we are to give, as members of a church body we are to give. We give the smile, the cheerful greeting, the hug, the compliment, the encouragement, the praise, the meal, the time, the listening ear, the ride . . . and list goes on and on.

Give generously.

Take heed of these two sowing and reaping passages from the New Testament:

2 Corinthians 9:6, "But this I say: He [She] who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he [she] who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully."

Galatians 6:7, "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked, for whatever a man [mother] sows, that he [she] will also reap.

Give expecting nothing in return.

Even as we consider the principle of sowing and reaping, we must remember that mothers are to have no ulterior or selfish motives when it comes to giving. We serve and take care of our children simply because God says to.

5. A Heart of Fun

Living in your home should be an absolute ball for every family member. Learn to smile and laugh -- a lot! Don't take yourself too seriously.

Lord, just for today, help my heart overflow with motherly affection by filling me with your joy. Help me realize that it's okay to laugh and it's okay to have fun. Amen.

A Heart That Prays Faithfully

2009-02-24T15:47:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 31:2, "What, my son? And what, son of my womb? And what, son of my vows?"

This verse reveals a mother's anxious care for her child's good. He is the son of her vows, meaning a son she asked God for in prayer and dedicated to God. "Son of my vows" also suggests that her child was the object of her daily vows and prayers, "a child of many prayers."

How lovely is this image of a mother who thinks, loves, acts, speaks, and prays with a large and passionate heart! In her godliness she asks God for a child, dedicates that child to God, and then teaches him the ways of the Lord.

But this mother's passion for God and for training her son in His ways doesn't stop with mere verbal instruction to the child. No, she also speaks to God on behalf of the child. The desires of her mother-heart go deeper and higher than basic teaching and training. She is a mother who prays, who expends her greatest efforts to nurture a righteous walk with her God so that she may effectively pray for her child.

As a woman after God's own heart, she is vigilant about her own walk with God, dealing with sin in her own life (we're back to our first priority!) in preparation for entering God's holy presence and interceding for her beloved child.

Psalm 66:18, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear."

Yes, But How?

How does a woman after God's heart foster a love for and a commitment to pray for her children?

1. Learn from godly and praying mothers and grandmothers.

Real life examples will encourage you and model for you the role of prayers.

2. Ask God for His insights for your children.

As you read about the remarkable mothers in the Bible and all their children accomplished for God, you can catch a glimpse of how God might work through your children.

A Passion for Godly Training

As important as it is to pray for our children -- for salvation and for Christian spouses -- we must not stop with prayer. We must also model a life dedicated to the Lord and train our children to follow His ways. Many times a woman starts off well -- she gets married, wants a baby, prays for a baby, has a baby, and goes through a ceremony at church where she dedicates the baby to God. But then something happens -- the baby becomes a reason for missing church.

We must realize that attending worship faithfully instills an important habit in our children's lives and something into their hearts that nothing else can give them. Our decision to take our children to church communicates to them the importance of worship and fellowship in a corporate body.

Hebrews 10:25, "...not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."

And this decision reaps untold dividends. For starters, your children will never know an option for Sunday!

And so...

...The Bible tells us to examine ourselves. You and I need to do that often to, first, live a life that pleases God and, second, fuel our passion for godly training. God's kind of training takes time and dedication, and sometimes the passion needed for the long haul wanes. Ask your own heart, Am I committed to getting my children to church so they can be exposed to truth, no matter what it costs me? It's never too late to shore up any weak areas in hour heart or in your parenting.

Our Heavenly Father is waiting to hear our prayers and enable us to raise our children to know Him and love Him and serve Him. Let's pray for the passion and wisdom to take the next steps.

A Heart That Values Being a Mother

2009-02-13T10:57:00.000-08:00

A Passion for Teaching God's Word

A woman after God's own heart is first and foremost a woman who has in her own heart a deep and abiding passion for God's Word. And her children - not the children at her church, not the women at her church, not her friends, her neighbors, or anyone else - are to receive the firstfruits of this burning personal passion.

You see, God's Word - the divine law - has value for salvation and value for eternity. God uses His Word to draw people to Himself, and of course this would include our children.

Romans 10:17, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

2 Timothy 3:15, "and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."

Isaiah 55:11, "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."

In light of this saving power of God's Word, we must place His Holy Scripture first on the list of things our children must know.

A Passion for Teaching God's Wisdom

Closely related to our call to teach God's Word to our children is our call to teach them His wisdom. Wisdom encompasses principles, counsel, traditions, models of praise, guidelines for decision-making, and godly practices based on the Bible -- practical and scriptural wisdom for daily life!

Deuteronomy 6:6-7, "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up."

As mothers who want to raise children after God's own heart, we make a decision to "go all out for the Gospel" and relate every tiny thing to God. We need to talk about God with our children whether it's the "in" thing or not.

Also, we must be aware that the practical wisdom of God is taught in two ways. The first is what we've been discussing, that we teach by our words, by our talk. But we also teach by our walk - by the way we live our lives. Our walk encompasses all that we do and say and all that we don't do and don't say. Our children are watching and we are constantly teaching our children something, either positive or negative.

How's your walk? What are your children seeing about God in you? What are you teaching your children?

A Heart That Loves - Part 2

2009-02-03T22:22:00.001-08:00

What can you and I do to show our husbands affectionate, indulgent, friendship love? Whisper a prayer for your husband as you consider the following ways that will complete the list of suggestions from the last post.

Prepare for Your Husband Daily.

Preparing for your husband's homecoming each day shows him that he's a priority and communicates your heart of love.

Prepare the House. Take a few minutes before your husband is due home to pick up. The goal is not perfection, but instead an impression of order and neatness.

Prepare Your Appearance. If company were coming, you would do a little something to freshen up, wouldn't you? Well, your husband is your Number One human priority and is far more important than company, so he should get the most special treatment of all.

Prepare Your Greeting. You probably know approximately when your husband will get home from work each day, so warm his welcome as you wait and watch for him.

Please your husband.

If your husband is the king of the castle, you will surely delight in pleasing him. And pleasing him means paying careful attention to his wants, his likes, and his dislikes -- and this takes a little doing.

Protect your time with your husband.

You make your husband your Number One human priority when you protect your time with him instead of treating him as a built-in babysitter and darting out the door to shop when he gets home.

Physically love your husband.

A fundamental principle for marriage is "rendering affection" to one's mate.

Positively respond to your husband.

Your simple but positive response means no power struggle, no hurt feelings, no bitter words, no raised voices -- and a much better start and finish to our day.

Praise your husband.

A primary "never" in your life is never speak critically or negatively about your husband to anyone. Instead, blessing your husband in public, and in private, is one of the best ways to sow seeds of love for him in your heart.

Pray always.

We began with prayer, and we end with prayer. A woman after God's own heart is a woman who prays. When does prayer make a difference?

...Take every opportunity throughout the day to ask God to enable you to be the kind of loving and supportive wife He want you to be!

A Heart That Loves - Part 1

2009-02-03T21:36:00.000-08:00

Titus 2:4, "That they [the older women] admonish the young women to love their husbands."

As we consider the most exciting insight about being a wife, we must discover the meaning of the word "love" as it's used in Titus 2:4.

God loves (agapeo) you and me unconditionally, regardless of our shortcomings, and certainly we wives are to love our husbands with that kind of unconditional love. But when God instructs us to "love" our husbands in this verse, the word is phileo, meaning friendship love -- a love that cherishes, enjoys, and likes our husbands! Each of us is to value our husband and build a friendship with him. We should see our husband as our best friend and want to be with him more than with any other person.

Yes, But How?

How can a wife nurture a heart of love, a heart prepared to support her husband in practical ways "until death us do part"?

1. Decide to make your husband your Number One human relationship. Our relationship with our husband is meant to be more important than the relationships we enjoy with our parents, friends, a good neighbor, a brother or sister, a best friend, and even our children -- and the way we use our time should reflect that ranking.

2. Begin to chose your husband over all other human relationships. Again, this includes your children. We must avoid over-investing in children and under-investing in the marriage.

3. Ask of your lifestyle, "Am I spoiling my husband rotten?" This is what loving your husband is really all about -- spoiling him rotten.

Here are two ways to "spoil" your husband and some creative suggestions to help you follow through:

Pray for Your Husband Daily.

James 5:16, "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." As you invest your time, your heart, and your life in prayer for him, you'll find arguments decreasing and mellowing.

Create a page for him in your journal, and write his name at the top! List aspects of his life you want to faithfully hold up to God -- his relationship with God, his spiritual growth both at home and in the church, his schedule for each day, and so on.

Plan for Your Husband Daily.

It's a fact. Nothing just happens -- including a great marriage. Make some plans that will help you show your husband -- and the watching world -- that he is your highest human priority.

One idea is to plan a special dinner that he likes! Make a point of learning all of his "favorites" and then treat him like the king of the castle that he is.

Lord Jesus, thank you for the love that You have placed in my heart for my husband and help me share it with him today. Thank you in advance for the grace to obey your promptings. Amen.

A Heart That Follows -- Part 2

2009-01-24T16:58:00.000-08:00

Giving the Gift of Leadership

Let's review Ephesians 5:22 in another version, "You wives must learn to adapt yourselves to your husbands, as you submit yourselves to the Lord."

The verse shows us that a wife is responsible for whether or not she submits to her own husband. This means submission is a wife's choice. She decides whether or not to follow her husband. No one can do it for her, and no one can make her do it. Her husband can't make her submit and follow, her church can't make her, her pastor can't make her, and neither can a counselor. She must decide to choose to defer to her husband and follow his leadership.

The "who" of submission for a wife is also clear here -- "submit to your own husbands," not to other people we admire and respect. And this is an important distinction.

Why Do We Hesitate?

The main reason why we wives hesitate to follow our husband's leadership is fear. We are afraid of what will happen if our husbands do things their way instead of our way ... or another way. Clearly, underneath God's call to us to submit lies a much deeper, more fundamental call to live a life of faith in God.

1 Peter 3:5-6, "For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror."

Faith is the opposite of fear, but how does faith fit with following a husband's leadership? It is by faith that you and I believe God works in our lives directly through our husbands.

It is by faith in our all-knowing God that we trust that He knows our husbands' decisions and the end results of those decisions, and trusting that God redeems, if not guides, those decisions.

And, it is by faith in God that our fear is dispelled and we gain the strength to submit.

Yes, But How?

1. Dedicate your heart to honoring your husband. Change requires a decision, and that's definitely the case with submission.

2. Remember to respect. Develop the basic heart attitude of respect. Ephesians 5:33b, "Let the wife see that she respects her husband."

3. Respond to your husband's words and actions positively.

4. Ask of each personal word, act, and attitude, "Am I bending or bucking?" Whenever tension wells up in your heart and you're resisting or questioning your husband's direction, ask yourself this question. Your answer will point out the problem.

A Note from the Author

Oh, dear one, don't let this look at God's guidelines for marriage be a cold exercise. We are talking primarily about a heart response! Your husband is your life mate. Whatever he is like, he is God's good and perfect gift to you, part of God's plan for your personal fulfillment and more important, for your spiritual development. Your Christian character becomes evident each and every time you choose from your heart to bend, to yield, to honor, to submit, to follow your husband. It's one way that you, as a woman after God's own heart, honor God.

A Heart That Follows -- Part 1

2009-01-10T20:52:00.000-08:00

Ephesians 5:22a, "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord."

The Christian lifestyle - for men as well as women - is one of submission. Each one is called to be "submitting to one another" (Ephesians 5:21). God's desire for us -- married or single, young or old, male or female -- is to honor, serve, and subject ourselves to one another. Let's consult the following Scriptural examples of this truth:

1 Corinthians 16:16, "...that you also submit to such, and to everyone who works and labors with us."

Ephesians 5:21, "...submitting to one another in the fear of God."

Hebrews 13:17, "Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you."

James 4:7a, "Therefore submit to God."

1 Peter 2:13-15, "Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men."

1 Peter 2:18, "...be submissive to your masters [employers] with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh."

1 Peter 5:5, "Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility."

It's clear that we reflect Christ's character as we move away from selfishness and, acting out of honor for other people, defer to them. A heart willing to follow and submit, dedicated to honoring and yielding to others, is to be the heart of God's people, His church, and His women.

When it comes to marriage...

...God arranged for the sake of order that the husband lead and the wife follow. For marriages to run smoothly, God has said, "The head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God" (1 Corinthians 11:3).

God, the perfect Artist, designed marriage to be beautiful, natural, and functional by giving it a single head, the husband. However, his headship does not mean that we wives can't offer wise input, enter into a discussion, or ask questions for clarification during the decision-making process. The husband's headship does mean that he is responsible for the final decision.

In the end, the husband is accountable to God for his leadership decisions, and we are accountable to God for how we follow that leadership.

A Note from Karen

Take heart and please stay with me in this Bible study. The author is spoon-feeding us some very important truths from the Bible that for some may be very hard to swallow! What we are seeking out is the whole counsel of God, and this is going to take more than one or two posts to explain. I hope that you'll prayerfully consider these Scriptures and consult the study guide personally. The Lord has a perfect design for our marriages and I pray that we'll all find His will for us.

Matthew 6:33, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

A Heart That Serves

2008-12-09T21:42:00.000-08:00

Genesis 2:18, "Then the LORD God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.'"

A woman after God's own heart is a woman who carefully cultivates a servant spirit, whether she is married or not. She desires to follow in the steps of Jesus, who "did not come to be served, but to serve" (Matthew 20:28). Of course, if you are a married woman, that attitude and service starts at home with your family. And more specifically, with your husband.

God has designed the wife to be her husband's helper, and a helper is one who shares her man's responsibilites, responds to his nature with understanding and love, and wholeheartedly cooperates with him in working out the plan of God.

Since marriage is a partnership designed by God, we must go to Him and ask, "How, Lord, can I develop a heart committed to service, a heart intent on emulating You in service to another person? How can I take action in order to prove my desire to serve my husband?"

Here are some proven steps to take as you seek to be a "suitable helper."

1. Make a commitment to help your husband. Let your words reflect your decision to help your husband be successful, to be a team with him, and to make helping him the priority focus of your every day.

2. Focus on your husband. God wants us wives to focus our energy and efforts on our husbands. Each of us is to focus on his tasks, his goals, his responsibilities.

Ask: "What can I do for you today?"

Ask: "What can I do to help you make better use of your time today?"

3. Ask of your actions, Will this help or hinder my husband? That simple question can be a good lens through which to look at how we act in our marriages.

Helping is a simple and noble assignment - and it reaps rich rewards. Living out God's assignment certainly benefits our husbands and anyone else we serve, but we benefit as well as we learn to serve as Christ did.

Philippians 2:7, "but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men."

Matthew 20:26-28, "It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

The Lord Jesus is our ultimate example of One Who served. Because being a servant is a sign of Christian maturity, we must ask ourselves if we are truly ready for it. If so, you must set your heart on it.

In your marriage, do you see yourself as a team player, free of any competitive actions, thoughts, or desires? Is bettering your husband's life your primary concern? Is helping your husband the main focus of your energy?

Pray this prayer.

Lord, my desire is to be the helper to my husband that you designed me to be. Help me, Lord, take the steps necessary to become a better team player. Amen.

A Heart That Obeys

2008-12-02T14:34:00.000-08:00

Acts 13: 20-22, "Up to the time of Samuel the prophet, God provided judges to lead them. But then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul, son of Kish, out of the tribe of Benjamin. After Saul had ruled forty years, God removed him from office and put King David in his place, with this commendation: 'I've searched the land and found this David, son of Jesse. He's a man whose heart beats to my heart, a man who will do what I tell him.' "

God took away Saul's crown and stripped him of his kingship because He refused to obey God from the heart. After that, David was chosen by God to reign in Saul's place because He found pleasure in David's heart attitude. As we explore the contrasts between Saul and David, let's note the differences in their character and behavior.

1. In his heart, David was willing to obey, but Saul was satisfied with merely external acts of sacrifice.

2. David served God. Saul served himself and did things his way.

3. David was concerned with following God's will, but Saul cared solely for his own will.

4. David's heart was centered on God, and Saul's was centered on Saul.

5. Even though David didn't always obey God, he had what mattered over the long haul -- a heart after God. On the other hand, Saul's devotion to God was impulsive and sporadic.

6. Although David was well-known for his physical prowess and might as a warrior, he was humbly dependent upon God, trusting in Him and repeatedly acknowledging, "The Lord is the strength of my life" (Psalm 27:1). Saul, in contrast, was proud. He relied on his own skill, his own wisdom and judgment, and his arm of flesh.

How can we follow after David in our devotion to God?

A heart committed to doing God's will is an important ingredient when it comes to living out our love for God. What leads to a life of obedience? ...A heart reponsive to God and His ways!

Here are some proven guidelines that can help us stay on God's path:

Concentrate on doing what is right. When God looked into David's heart, He saw what He wants to see in us -- a heart that will do His will.

Cease doing what is wrong. The split second you think or do anything contrary to God's heart, stop immediately. It is this practice in quick obedience that is the key to training your heart to be responsive to God.

Confess any wrong. Because Christ covered our sins by His blood through His death, you and I are forgiven. We may not feel forgiven, but you and I only need to know that we are.

Clear up things with others. Confession makes things right with God, but if we've hurt another person, we need to clear things up with that person too.

Continue on as soon as possible. Our enemy Satan delights when our failure to obey God keeps us from serving Him. When that's the case, we need to turn to another truth from God's Word and let it lift us up, dust us off, refresh us, and set us back on His path.

Pray this Prayer

Lord Jesus, we know that obedience is a foundational stepping-stone on the path of Your will and this is the path that we want to follow as women after Your own heart. Mold us and shape our hearts so that we are willing to follow hard after You. We want to obey you, and we ask for the grace that will enable us to obey. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus Name, Amen.

A Heart Committed to Prayer - Part 2

2008-11-18T13:28:00.000-08:00

Let's continue our look at the blessings of prayer in Chapter 3 of A Woman After God's Own Heart:

Blessing #4: Improved Relationships

You cannot think about yourself and others at the same time. As we settle our personal needs with God in prayer, we can then rise up and focus all our attention outward -- away from self and on to others.

You cannot hate the person you are praying for. God changes our hearts as we pray for our enemies. Matthew 5:44, "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you."

You cannot neglect the person you are praying for. As we invest ourselves in prayer for other people, we find ourselves wonderfully involved in their lives.

Blessing #5: Contentment

Day after day, we must place our needs in God's hands, letting Him meet those needs. Psalm 84:11, "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly."

Blessing #6: God-Confidence

As the Holy Spirit works in us, God-confidence comes upon us. As we pray and when we make choices that honor God, the Holy Spirit fills us with His power for ministry. The result of His filling is that we are confidently and effectively able to share His love and joy.

Blessing #7: The Ministry of Prayer

Edith Schaeffer stated, "Interceding for other people makes a difference in the history of other people's lives." This means that each of us can actually have a role in the mysterious ways of God.

It is important for each of us to realize that prayer is a ministry, and understanding this fact can end our feelings of uselessness and ineffectiveness.

Yes, But How?

How can we cultivate a heart of prayer and enjoy the blessings that accompany a life of committed and devoted prayer? Here are some quick thoughts.

Start a prayer log to record prayer and answers to prayer.

Set aside some time each day to linger with the Lord in prayer. Remember that something is better than nothing.

Pray always and in all places, enjoying God's presence with you wherever you go.

Pray faithfully for others -- including your enemies.

Take seriously the powerful privilege of the ministry of prayer.

A Heart Committed to Prayer - Part 1

2008-11-10T14:14:00.000-08:00

The third chapter of our Bible study lays out for us some of the blessings of prayer. Let's take a look at them now and take note of how God wants to pour out His grace as we expand our reading time to also include prayer.

Blessing #1: A Deeper Relationship with God

Prayer increases faith as we make a prayer list of people and situations that we take to the Lord. This might involve a small notebook where we can write down what we have prayed for, and then note when the prayer is answered.

Prayer provides a place to humble ourselves and unload burdens. 1 Peter 5:6-7, "Therefore humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."

Prayer teaches us that God is always near. Psalm 46:1, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

Prayer trains us not to panic. Turning to God for every need during regular daily prayer will ingrain the habit of prayer, leaving us with fewer temptations to worry and fret.

Prayer changes lives, partucularly ours! The peace of God will reign in us as we learn to trust Him with our whole heart.

Blessing #2: Greater Purity

Becoming pure is a process of spiritual growth, and taking seriously the confession of sin during prayer time moves that process along, causing us to purge our life of practices that displease God. By confessing our sins to God, he will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

Blessing #3: Confidence in Making Decisions

When we take the time to pray about every decision that comes our way, we are developing a routine of seeking God's will in all things. God has a plan for our time and by consulting Him before we say 'yes' or 'no,' we are acknowledging Him as the Lord (boss) of our life. Proverbs 3:6, "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."

Instead of the dread or fear that results when we make a quick decision without God's involvement, we can experience a solid confidence - confidence in God - and the excitement of anticipating what He will do.

A woman after God's own heart is a woman who will do His will -- not her own.

Acts 13:22, "And when He had removed him [Saul], He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.'"

On the Subject of Scheduling Personal Devotions

2008-11-05T16:01:00.000-08:00

Psalm 121:1-2, "I will lift up my eyes to the hills -- From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth."

By now you may have found that distractions are abundant. We have attempted to pick a place, time, and plan for our devotions with the Lord, yet we can get side-tracked so easily! Elisabeth Elliot has some thoughts on this subject, and they are included here:

Distractions to Prayer

No one who has tried to pray for more than a few seconds at a time would claim that he is never distracted. It is astonishing to note how insistently and immediately irrelevant matters come to mind, noises occur, things to be attended to are remembered, people interrupt, and even physical discomforts or pains bother us which we had not noticed until we tried to pray. These things are, of course, the work of the master saboteur of souls, who knows how to render our spiritual machinery useless, by the loosening of the tiniest screw or the loss of the smallest nut.

Distractions can be useful. They provide constant reminders of our human weakness. We recognize in them how earthbound we are, and then how completely we must depend on the help of the Holy Spirit to pray in and through us. We are shown, by a thousand trivialities, how trivial are our concerns. The very effort to focus, even for a minute, on higher things, is foiled, and we see that prayer--the prerequisite for doing anything for God--cannot be done without Him. We are not, however, left to fend for ourselves.

"The Spirit too comes to help us in our weakness. For when we cannot choose words in order to pray properly, the Spirit himself expresses our plea in a way that could never be put into words, and God who knows everything in our hearts knows perfectly well what he means, and that the pleas of the saints expressed by the Spirit are according to the mind of God" (Romans 8:26-27).

Shall We Stop Trying?

No! It may be that the plan you have for devotions needs to be tweaked a bit. Perhaps you must choose a different time, or maybe you should find another location where distractions are less. It's perfectly okay if you tailor-make it to fit your life-style. Let's not allow discouragement to set in. Take heart! God loves you and is very pleased when you make the effort to be with Him.

A Heart Abiding in God's Word -- Part 3

2008-10-28T17:11:00.000-07:00

How does a woman draw near to God's heart? What is our part in the relationship that God desires with you and me?

1. Schedule a personal quiet time for drawing near to God.

Only through routine, regular exposure to God's Word can you and I draw out the nutrition needed to grow hearts of faith. Developing the habit of drawing near to God helps make our devotional life what we need it to be, and what God wants it to be.

Pick a time. When do you think you could be most consistent in having a quiet time each day? Examine your schedule and pick a time. Set the appointment and then write it on your daily to-do list.

Pick a place. Where do you think you could enjoy the peace and quiet you need for your quiet time? (You might have to try out a few places.)

Pick a plan. Do you prefer your Bible only? How about a concordance, or a notebook; sticky notes, or highlighters. "Personal" means that it's yours alone, and you know the things that will enable you to keep on track and pay attention. You also know the things that will provide distraction!

2. Develop goals for your growth.

Motivation is key when it comes to nurturing a heart of devotion, and dreaming helps motivate us. God will take you as far as you want to go, as fast as you want to go. And so, where to you want to be spiritually in one year? What kind of woman do you want to be?

Now, think about ten years from now. How big is your dream?

Here we stand, staring at the very core of God's heart -- God's own Word.

Romans 11:33, "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!"

Psalm 33:11, "The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations."

1 Peter 2:2, "...as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby."

Psalm 119:105, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

Lord, just for today, help me to draw near to you. I have a deep desire to be the woman that You want me to be, and I realize that it takes one step at a time. Help me, Lord, as I purpose to spend a daily quiet time with You. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen.

On the Subject of Roots

2008-10-21T09:28:00.000-07:00

Excerpt from Charles Swindoll's "Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life."

Strong roots stablize growth. If that's true of trees it is certainly crucial for Christians. Roots strengthen and support us against the prevailing winds of persuasion. When the mind-bending gales attack without warning, it's the network of solid roots that holds us firm and keeps us straight. Beautiful branches and lacy leaves, no matter how attractive, fail to fortify us as the velocity increases. It takes roots, stubborn, deep, powerful roots, to keep us standing.

That explains why the Savior said what He did about the plant that withered. It had a root problem, so it couldn't handle the blistering rays of the sun. And why Paul's prayer for those young energetic Ephesian believers included the thought, of "being rooted and ground..."

But before you get excited about whipping up a strong set of roots, better remember this: It takes time. There's no instant route to roots. And it isn't fun 'n' games either. It's hard work. Nor is it a high-profile process. Nobody spends much time digging around a tree trunk, admiring: "What neat roots you have!" No, the stronger and deeper the roots, the less visible they are. The less noticed.

Check it out in the Bible:

Mark 1:16-17, "These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble."

Ephesians 3:14, 16, 17, 18, "For this I [Paul] bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...that He would grant you...to be strenghened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love...may be able to...know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

Take note

Spending time with the Lord deepens our root system which readys us for the inevitable turbulence of everyday life. Five minutes a day. When we read in our Bibles for just five minutes daily, the Lord nourishes us with His food, His strength, His power. Just five minutes.

A Heart Abiding in God's Word -- Part 2

2008-10-14T19:48:00.000-07:00

Our Heavenly Father loves you and me so much that He desires that we spend time with Him. In addition, He has created a deep need in each one of us -- a need for Him. Therefore, it is necessary for us to slip away and be alone with God, especially when the pressures of life mount. When we place Him at the top of our list of priorities, He then chooses to bless us beyond measure.

As we take a look at Isaiah 58:11 in the Message Bible, notice how God describes the blessings that will be poured out upon those who seek after God in the right ways.

"I will always show you where to go. I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places - firm muscles, strong bones. You'll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry."

As women of God, we draw life from God's Word just as surely as a healthy fruit tree draws nourishment from its hidden root system. Let's consider two more facts about this vital part of a tree that grows downward into the soil.

3. Roots are for storage.

As we soak in needed refreshment from God's Word, He creates in us a reservoir of hope and strength in Him. Then, when times are rough, we won't be depleted. We won't dry up, disintegrate, or die. Instead, we will simply reach down into our hidden reservoir of refreshment and draw out what we need right now from what God has given us.

4. Roots are for support.

Without a well-developed root system, we become top heavy -- lots of leafy, heavy foliage appears above ground but nothing supports it from underneath. Without a network of strong roots, sooner or later we have to be staked up, tied up, propped up, straightened up -- until the next wind comes along and we fall over again! However, with firm healthy roots, no wind can blow us down.

We know that the healthiness and strength of a tree is dependent upon the root system. In the same way, our spiritual healthiness and power is dependent upon what goes on "underground" in the quiet solitude of time spent with the Lord. This is where the beginning of abiding takes place; this is where our relationship with God thrives; this is where the real work is done.

A Heart Abiding in God's Word -- Part 1

2008-10-07T15:02:00.000-07:00

Jeremiah 17:7-8, "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit."

Psalm 1:2-3, "But his [the righteous man's] delight is in the law of the Lord,and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper."

If God is going to be first in our hearts and the "Ultimate Priority" of our lives, we must develop a root system anchored deeply in Him. We must seek to live our lives near to God -- indeed, hidden in Him!

Join me as we consider two facts about roots.

1. Roots are unseen.

We are going to compare the root system of a tree to your private life -- the life that you enjoy with God out of the public eye. The underground root system of a tree causes the tree to thrive when it is planted in rich, moisture-laden soil. The tree grows strong, with green healthy leaves, and abundant fruit.

In the same way, if you and I want to thrive as Christians and impact others, we must spend a great porportion of our time hidden in quiet, in reflection, in prayer, in study. Our strength (or lack of it) in public is explained by what goes on in private between us and God.

2. Roots are for taking in.

Do you know what happens when you and I are able to slip away to be with God in study and prayer? We receive. We take in. We are nurtured and fed.

Away from public view, we can go to the Lord with our weakness, with our weariness, and with our darkness, and we can be renewed.

We find great benefit when we purposefully make time to read and study His Word. We must willfully choose Him over the "good" things of life.

We can alter our schedules and, when we do, the blessing are abundant!

A Heart Devoted to God -- Part 2

2008-09-30T12:34:00.000-07:00

Mary chose the one thing needed -- Because Mary was a woman after God's own heart, she was preoccupied with one thing at all times -- Him!

And isn't this a wonderful place to be! Well, yes, it is, but the question remains: How? How can you and I become women devoted to God, women who love God deeply and live for Him daily? It has to do with the choices we make. Seemingly small decisions that we make every day can position us so that God can impassion our hearts toward Him.

1. Choose God's ways at every opportunity.

Proverbs 3:6, "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."

We want to learn to prefer God's way in all things, and so we must ask Him to help us make the right choices. Our quiet prayer during our busy day is, "Lord, what do you want me to do?" When we acknowledge to Him that His ways are better than our ways, He will answer our prayer. When we submit to His instruction, He will direct us in mind, action, and attitude, and will show us the way to go.

2. Commit yourself to God daily.

Our devotion to God is strengthened when we offer Him a fresh commitment each day. One idea is to say the following out loud: "Lord, today I give myself anew to you."

3. Cultivate a hot heart.

Revelation 315, "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth."

To have a "hot heart" is to be fervent, to possess a God-given and intense passion for our Lord.

Passion and excitement for the things of God is the fruit of a life that is totally sold out to Him. This fervancy springs from an interactive relationship with our Heavenly Father.

May each of us experience the wonderful presence of the Lord Jesus Christ that we may speak of His mercy and goodness.

A Heart Devoted to God -- Part 1

2008-09-23T16:21:00.000-07:00

We are busy women! We are wives and mothers who are family-minded, career-minded, and ministry-minded. Within this framework, each of us wants to be a woman after God's own heart. We want to choose our priorities carefully, because we want to invest our lives into things that will last. But, how do we accomplish this?

The Bible must have the answer. It is life's handbook, God's love letter to His children. By applying its principles and instructions, we are sure to find peace and order for our time here on earth.

Join me as we investigate the question of priorities. As we consult the Scriptures, we find an account of a woman named Mary of Bethany. She is mentioned three different times in the New Testament, but this is the first:

"Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me."

And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."

Notice that the Lord did not condemn Martha's industriousness, but neither would He condemn Mary. In fact, He praised Mary for choosing "that good part." This involved enjoying Christ's presence rather than simply doing things for Him. Mary recognized that Jesus provided a spiritual meal that would satisfy more than a physical meal.

We can learn much from the example of Mary and her worship of the Lord.

A New Year, A New Look, A New Topic!

2008-09-05T12:26:00.001-07:00

We will be studying out of the book, "A Woman After God's Own Heart" by Elizabeth George, and you are welcome to study along via this blog. You can purchase the book only, or the study guide only; you can choose to buy both, or neither one. It's totally your decision because you know what is right for you!

We will be meeting on Wednesday mornings at my house, beginning September 10th.

Let God fulfill His greatest desire for you. Allow Him to transform you by preparing your heart and mind to embrace His incredible work. You'll find lasting joy and peace in a life of prayer, a life of priorities, a life of relationships.

I'll want to share with you here many points from the study of God's Word. Until then, prepare by asking the Lord to soften your heart and make it pliable so the He can mold you into what He wants you to be.

God Bless.

The Final Wrap-Up

2008-06-10T17:07:00.000-07:00

The Gospel of John concludes after Jesus is raised from the dead, and before He ascends to Heaven. John records in the twenty-first chapter that Jesus appears to the disciples three different times. It was during His final appearance that Jesus takes the time to talk with Peter, the disciple who had denied Him.

John 21:15-17:

So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?"
He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You."
He said to him, "Feed My lambs."
He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?"
He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You."
He said to Him, "Tend My sheep."
He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?"
And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You."
Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep."

We find here a very humble Peter. It was not the same Peter as before, when he had declared boldly during their final Passover together that he would gladly lay down his life for Jesus. Later that evening, when the soldiers had come to the garden as Judas betrayed the Lord, Peter drew His sword and with all valiance sliced off the ear of an attending servant!

Many things happened during that night, among them the fulfillment of Christ's prediction that Peter would deny Him three times. When Peter realized what he had done, he wept from shame. However, before Jesus ascended to Heaven and before sending the Holy Spirit, He wanted to have one final chat with Peter. He did not ask Peter about his faith, or his faint-heartedness. He did not inquire about his courage, or his cowardice. Jesus simply asked, "Do you love Me?"

Thank You, Lord, for all Your care for us. Thank You for seeing our condition and loving us so much that You came to die that Your shed blood might save us from Hell. Thank You for not leaving us in our hopeless state. Your mercy is everlasting. Amen.

Learning to Love One Another

2008-06-03T16:45:00.000-07:00

John 15:17, "These things I command you, that you love one another."

Throughout the fifteenth chapter of John, Jesus takes great care in preparing His disciples for life without Him. We are now at a place where He is about to change subject matter, but before He does, Jesus echoes a vital theme one more time. He wants so much for the ones who perhaps had followed Him into the vineyard to remember this one thing. It had become a familiar phrase, one that their Rabbi deemed important enough to restate. "Love each other."

The word "love" in this case indicates a direction of the will; in other words, we can choose to love or not to love. If our choice is not to love, then we have disobeyed a direct command of the Lord.

It's interesting that God gives us everything that we need and not necessarily everything that we want. And yet, He is Love and therefore loves genuinely and perfectly. When we follow God's example of loving others, we are learning how to love the way He instructs.

1 John 3:17, "But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?"

1 John 4:7, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born or God and knows God."

John 13:34-35, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

Jesus had forewarned His disciples that He was going to send a Helper to them. The Helper is the Holy Spirit, Who "convicts the world of sin, and of righteousness" (John 16:8). Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to comfort, counsel, and teach all things to the ones He was leaving behind. He will open our eyes to the needs of those around us and guide us to find ways to give. As we seek to abide in Christ every day, may others see His character by our actions.

Christ Chose Us

2008-05-20T13:24:00.000-07:00

John 15:16, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you."

Here, the Lord Jesus teaches a truth that has existed throughout history, and that is:

God is the Initiator.

He gives because we are in want. He chose us because we find ourselves hopelessly poor and in need of a Savior. He bestows His favor and grace upon us because that is Who He is. It certainly is not because of man's wisdom and goodness that we are chosen of Him. He chose us because He loves us, not because He has needs.

Deuteronomy 7:7, "The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all people; but because the Lord loves you..."

The Lord made the first choice - to love and to die for us, to invite us to live with him forever. We make the next choice - to accept or reject his offer. Without His choice, we would have no choice to respond to His eternal love.

1 Corinthians 1:27, 29, "But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty...that no flesh should glory in His presence."

Philippians 19-11, "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernments, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."

As we learn to run to the Lord and abide in Him, we will know and enjoy wonderful fellowship with our Father. We will experience the genuine love of God, and we will desire to share it with everyone we meet. Finally, we will be joyfully and willingly obliged to express this love by the good works we do as the Lord leads us. In this way, the fruit will remain.

Jesus Wants to Call Us Friends

2008-05-12T15:25:00.000-07:00

John 15:14-15, "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you."

Because Jesus is our Lord and Master, He should call us servants; instead He calls us friends. A friend enjoys spending time with another friend. It is a valued relationship where each one can converse freely and laugh openly. You have learned to trust your friend, and so you confide feelings and dreams, as well as personal failure. Friendship is a choice.

Jesus was on His way to the cross, and He knew that His time on earth with His friends was short. In the upper room, Jesus had taught them about serving. Then, in the vineyard, he talked with them about genuine love -- the kind of love that comes from the Father. He explained that they could use this same love to love one another, and that the result would be a life full of joy.

As the time approached when Jesus Christ was to lay down His life according to the will of the Father, He shared openly with the eleven men He called friends. He told them that He had held nothing back, but that He told them everything that He heard from the Father. Everything.

The clock was ticking, and Jesus was interested in relationships. It tells of His nature that this was a priority to Him. He truly desires an intimate relationship with His disciples, one that is voluntary, not one of compulsion.

James 2:23, "And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.' And he was called the friend of God."

Proverbs 18:24, "A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."

A Christian's heart cannot contain the love that is sure to grow as a result of abiding in God. Our lives will spill over with unexplainable joy as we learn and practice abiding in His presence. He will share with us everything we need to know, and we will experience a continual filling as a result of our friendship with our Lord.

Thank you, Lord, for wanting a relationship with me. I would not know the way if you did not guide me. I love you. Amen.

Points to Ponder

2008-05-12T15:15:00.000-07:00

1. Read James 1:1. Why do you think James called himself a bondservant?

2. Is it possible for a person to love someone, but not to be a friend?

3. Are you a friend of Jesus?

Greater Love Has No One Than This

2008-04-21T17:33:00.000-07:00

John 15:12-13, "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends."

The Lord has revealed a treasure of insights to us as we've studied the fifteenth chapter of John. One principle that we are reminded of frequently is that what Jesus calls us to do is impossible. It is not merely difficult. It is not simply a struggle. No, our Lord asks us to do the impossible! Remember that in the early part of John 15, Jesus gives us fair warning, "I am the vine, you are the branches, He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

With great clarity, Jesus spells out His instructions to all Christians everywhere concerning their love for each other. He says just what He means, all the while knowing that we will fail to obey His commandment should we refuse to abide.

The good news is that the Lord did not set us up for failure. He has provided a Way* and, furthermore, has openly revealed it to us: Living the Christian life is possible in Christ. Let us remember that abiding in Him is our responsibility, while producing fruit is the Lord's responsibility.

Greater Love

Love is perfected as we abide in Him, and perfect love is powerful. It causes one to risk his own life to save another. "Greater love" is costly because it leads one to sacrifice his own soul for another human being. Of all the noble fruit in the character of a man, there is none greater than love.

1 Corinthians 13:13, "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

Nothing is Impossible

We are dependent on the Lord Jesus for every breath we take, any good work we accomplish, and every right attitude we maintain. We can do nothing apart from Him, but "with God nothing will be impossible," Luke 1:37.

*Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."

Points to Ponder

2008-04-21T15:30:00.000-07:00

1. Read John 13:37-38, and John 18:25-26. Why do you think that Peter wasn't able to follow through with his good intentions?

2. Read 1 Peter 1:22 and 4:8. How do you think Peter changed?

What the Bible Says About Joy

2008-04-15T13:57:00.000-07:00

What are the Blessings of Joy?

Nehemiah 8:10, "...for the joy of the Lord is your strength."

Proverbs 17:22, "A merry heart does good, like medicine."

Proverbs 15:13, "A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance."

Proverbs 15:30, "The light of the eyes rejoices the heart..."

Proverbs 15:23, "A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, and a word spoken in due season, how good it is!"

Joy tends to be contagious, so the blessings of joy are extended not only to the one who is joyful, but also to those who are around a joyful person. Joy is also attractive; consequently, others will be drawn to you and will soon want to know the reason for your joy.

What Produces Joy?

Psalm 19:8, "The statues of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart."

Luke 10:20, "...rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

Jeremiah 15:16, "Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your Word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart."

3 John 4, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."

Acts 8:7-8, "For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city."

Luke 24:51-53, "Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen."

We rejoice when we see righteousness triumph over evil, when we discover a truth in Scripture that we haven't noticed before, when a person comes to know Jesus as his Savior. We have great joy when we witness a young Christian mature in the Lord, when God answers prayer, or when we have been in the presence of the Almighty.

How do we Experience Joy?

1 Thessalonians 5:18, "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Psalm 118:24, "This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

When we remember the Lord's great work, past and present, our hearts fill with thankfulness. Our response is to thank Him and praise Him, because as we go over His great deeds in our lives, we realize once again that it's all about Him, not us. We will purpose to rejoice in Him because of Who He is. Focusing our attention on the Lord will cause an outpouring of praise and thanksgiving.

The Lord gives us joy so "that [our] joy may be full."

Psalm 27:6, "And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; therefore, I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord."

The Fruitfulness of Joy

2008-03-31T13:46:00.000-07:00

John 15:11, "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."

When things are going well, we feel elated. When hardships come, we sink into depression. But true joy transcends the rolling waves of circumstance. Joy comes from a consistent relationship with Jesus Christ, one in which we abide in Him as He abides in us. When our lives are intertwined with His, He will help us through adversity and the trials of life. He will keep us from sinking into debilitating lows and help us manage prosperity without moving into deceptive highs. The joy of living with Jesus daily will keep us level-headed, no matter how high or low our circumstances.

Our verse identifies a joy that is "Christ's joy," and a joy that is our joy. Our joy by itself gives no lasting fulfillment, while the joy of Christ abiding in us makes our joy complete. As we abide in the Lord, we experience the fruit of joy in our lives.

Lord, Jesus, may others know that I am a Christian by the joy they see in my life; may others come to you for salvation because of Your joy in me; and may You be glorified through me. In Your Name I pray, Amen.

Points to Ponder

2008-03-31T13:00:00.000-07:00

1. How do you know when you are abiding in the joy of Christ?

2. The characteristics of Wisdom are listed in James 3:17. How do these characteristics compare with the fruit of the Spirit list in Galatians 5:22-23?

3. Meditate on the following: Psalm 16:11, "You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

Discovering Christ's Commandments

2008-03-25T15:00:00.000-07:00

John 15:9-10, "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love."

This week we are going to be consulting the Scriptures for an explanation of what Jesus calls, "My commandments." We want to know whether His directives are different from the Old Testament Ten Commandments, or the same. Another objective is to be able to recognize and identify His commandments as we read and study the New Testament. Finally, we will endeavor to discover their significance for our lives today.

John 13:34, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another."

1 John 2:7-8, "Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write to you which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light in already shining."

1 John 5:2-3, "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome."

Romans 13:9, "For the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not commit murder,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'You shall not covet,' and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Some Specific Commands

The Lord Jesus, Who is our Master and our "Commander," has given certain imperatives to His disciples, which are specific precepts for us to heed. In order to learn what these commands are, we must go to the gospels. Here are a few of Jesus’ commands:

Matthew 4:17, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

John 14:15, "If you love me, keep my commandments."

Matthew 18:10, "Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven."

Luke 12:15, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."

John 3:7, "Do no marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'"

Matthew 4:19, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."

When Jesus said, "Follow me," He was expressing the goal of God in all creation -- God walking with man in perfect fellowship. If we attend to His Words, if we carefully observe the Lord's directives, and if we regard them uppermost in our hearts, then we keep His commandments. The Lord still desires the intimacy of abiding for each of His children. It is true that He wants the same fellowship with us as He once had in the garden with Adam and Eve.

He has provided a way, and by His grace we walk with Him. Amen.

Points to Ponder

2008-03-25T14:45:00.000-07:00

1. Can you think of another command of Christ found in the Gospels?

2. Read Matthew 5:17-20. What does this mean?

3. Loving God and loving others must be our central focus, because it is the sum total of all of the Lord's teaching and of all the rest of the Scriptures. How does this fact cause you to respond?

Fruit is the Proof of Discipleship

2008-03-18T15:07:00.000-07:00

John 15:8, "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples."

The Lord is teaching us that the Heavenly Father is honored and exalted when we bear much fruit, and He is also saying that the fruit we bear is evidence that we are His disciples. In other words, because we are in Christ, He produces something in us that causes others to worship and reverently acknowledge the Father. All of this is the work of our Lord and it is nothing that we have done on our own. We cannot even take the credit for obeying Him because we are able to obey only because of His grace!

When we disobey God's commands, we are at the same time rejecting His grace. On the other hand, when we do what He commands, He calls us friends. (See John 15:14.) When we obey, we bear fruit and the fruit is proof that we follow Jesus.

Galatians 5:22 tells us that the same fruit Jesus speaks about in the vineyard is the inward character that the Lord develops in us as we abide in Him through life's circumstances. This character includes love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

God is glorified as the fruit is made evident through good works. Works done in obedience to the Lord with a good attitude makes Christ known on earth and gives Him honor and glory.

Matthew 5:14-16, "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

So, then, we realize that fruit and good works relate closely to each other, and that the Lord is glorified when His children walk in these ways.

Ephesians 2:10, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

Lord, my desire is to draw so close to You that Your character will be seen in me. Allow me to walk with you in such a manner that others would give You the glory for all good works they see. Help me to grasp your grace and not let go. Thank you for loving me. Amen.

Have a great week!

Points to Ponder

2008-03-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

1. How do fruit and good works compare, and how do they contrast?

2. Can an unbeliever perform good works?

3. What is the proof of discipleship?

Does the Word Abide in You?

2008-03-11T16:00:00.000-07:00

John 15:7, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you."

When the Lord makes a promise, He is good on His word, and His children can wholly depend upon Him to fulfill every pledge that He has made. The verse above is one example of a promise from the Lord. First, Jesus delivers an amazing command that His children must ask what we desire, and then He follows with a guarantee that our prayers will be answered.

However, it's important that we understand the conditions that Jesus has set before us. We have determined thus far that our part is the same as that of the branch that is attached to the vine: we as Christians must receive nourishment, which is to abide in Christ. This action will sustain our life, and will ultimately result in fruit. Now, our current verse introduces the comparable idea that the words of Jesus must abide in us.

The "new" realization that His words must abide in us enlightens us as to what is really involved in our side of the relationship. It is not enough that we say we love Jesus and we want Him to live in us. His very words, the Word of God, the Scriptures, the Bible -- must live within us and be "at home."

John 8:47a, "He who is of God hears God's words..."

John 14:10, "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own authority; but the Father Who dwells in me does the works."

John 17:8, "For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me."

Matthew 4:4,"But He answered and said, 'It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"

Ephesians 6:17, "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

The Lord provided a wonderful gift when He gave us His Word. Our need is great, and yet, the Lord only wants us to come to Him and listen. His counsel is relevant for us in this time of our lives, and He always offers a soothing voice, gentle instruction and calming advice. When we listen, we realize that we only want what He wants because we understand that our Heavenly Father only desires the best for us.

Thank you, Lord, for Your Word. I surrender to you that they might abide in me. Amen.

Points to Ponder

2008-03-11T15:45:00.000-07:00

1. How are "abiding in Christ" and "abiding in His Words" different to you?

2. Which Bible verse above means the most to you?

3. How can you know what God desires?

Withered or Wealthy?

2008-03-04T16:08:00.000-08:00

John 15:6, "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned."

As Jesus gives final instructions to His disciples, He is conveying the idea that every Christian has the option of either abiding in Christ, or not abiding in Christ. So far in Chapter 15, the Lord has explained with clarity the lasting results of either choice we might make. If our choice is to abide in Christ, to remain as one with Him, and not to become independent or different -- then we will remain useful; we will continue to be of service to Him; and we will stay connected and aware of our Lord. However, if a Christian chooses to maintain a "detached" existence, then that Christian is no good to the Lord Jesus, or himself.

Can we find a good use for the withered grape branch?

Unlike the olive tree, whose wood has found many uses since ancient times, the grape produces wood that is brittle and small. Ezekiel wrote, "Is wood taken from [the grapevine] to make any object? Or can men make a peg from it to hang any vessel on? Instead, it is thrown into the fire for fuel; the fire devours both ends of it, and its middle is burned. Is it useful for any work? Indeed, when it was whole, no object could be made from it. How much less will it be useful for any work when the fire has devoured it, and it is burned?'" (Ezekiel 15:3-4)

It seems that the withered grapevine has settled for offering one final "hand-warming" as it burns away to nothing. However, God has greater plans and desires for His children than we can ever understand!

Colossians 1:9-10, "Because of this, since the day we heard about you, we have continued praying for you, asking God that you will know fully what he wants. We pray that you will also have great wisdom and understanding in spiritual things so that you will live the kind of life that honors and pleases the Lord in every way. You will produce fruit in every good work and grow in the knowledge of God."

The fruit that the vine has produced on the branch is the result of the vinedresser's diligent effort and tender care. He has cleaned and pruned, and he has enabled the branch to receive the nourishment from the vine that results in a wealthy harvest.

The fruit of a Christian's life that our Lord has produced in us is the result of the Heavenly Father's gift of love and mercy. He has forgiven and disciplined, and He has poured out His grace that we might receive power to bring glory to Him.

Have a great week!

Points to Ponder

2008-03-04T16:00:00.000-08:00

1. What comes to mind when you think of a withered branch?

2. Why do you think that the Lord wants a relationship with you?

3. Why does He make it your choice whether or not you're going to abide?

Heart to Heart

2008-02-19T16:19:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking about the branch that abides in the vine and wondering about the intersection where the branch takes off to grow and bear fruit. I have wondered about the common denominator of the two and where the abiding takes place. How does the branch grow and gain nourishment from the vine? Then I realized:

The heart of the vine and the heart of the branch connect!

The stream -- the life-blood -- flows through the heart of the plant. The life-sustaining food spills from the heart of the vine to the heart of the branch and causes the yield of fruit, more fruit, and much fruit!

John 15:5, "I am the vine, you are the branches, He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

In the same way, we must maintain a heart-to-heart existence dependent upon our Heavenly Father. We must follow Him with all of our hearts and yearn to know how He thinks and what His nature is. What is God's character? What makes Him pleased? How can I hear His heartbeat?

The desire within must be for Him, or we are not in Christ. We cannot abide if our heart is not in it. There will never be true nourishment if we resist the grace of God and refuse to submit to His leading.

Jesus teaches a principle in the Sermon on the Mount that applies very well here. "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other," Matthew 6:24a.

If we have asked Jesus to come into our lives and to be our Lord, then we have relinquished our "rights" to being our own masters. When we attempt to leave Him out of some of our decisions, or resist Him in some areas of our lives, then we find ourselves competing with God for the lordship of our lives. In other words, we try to serve two masters. The Scripture tells us that we will have conflict if we try to carry on in such a manner.

To abide in Christ is to enjoy peaceful surrender to the One that loves us.

Lord Jesus, we want to be heart to heart with You. The fruit in my life is Your business, Lord, but it is my responsibility to learn about you. I want to get close to You, and I want You to lead the way. Thank you, Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 6:33, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

Points to Ponder

2008-02-19T16:00:00.000-08:00

1. Why is it vital to maintain a heart-to-heart relationship with God?

2. Why can't I make decisions on my own? Why must I submit to the Lord's leading?

3. In reading the Gospel of John, what have you learned about the Lord's character?

Abiding and Bearing Fruit

2008-02-12T15:16:00.000-08:00

John 15:4, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me."

The fruit of the apple tree is an apple; the fruit of a tomato plant is a tomato; the fruit of the coconut palm is a coconut; and the fruit of a peanut plant is a legume we call the peanut. When I reach up to the branch and pluck the fruit from a thriving, healthy apple tree, I am rewarded with a crunchy, juicy, sweet harvest that is wonderfully pleasant to my senses. I enjoy the way it looks, feels, smells, and tastes!

You could say that I am totally blessed by the fruit of the tree. It wouldn't cross my mind to say that I am totally blessed by the fruit of the branch. The branch does not get the credit for growing that fruit, the tree does. The reason for this is that the branch does not produce the fruit; it only holds it.

Let us turn our attention now to the vine and the branches of the vineyard. In the metaphor, Jesus is the true vine and Christians are the branches. Jesus teaches that as we abide in Christ, we can bear fruit, but if we separate ourselves from Him, we cannot bear fruit.

This is because we must remain in Christ in order to bear Christ-like fruit. It is vital that our hearts yearn for Him and that our eyes focus upon Him and His Word. When we have an attitude of faith and obedience, and when we draw our nourishment from the True Source, then the fruit we bear will be of Him.

The fruit of a Christian who abides in Christ is pleasant to the senses. It will bring love, joy, and peace to all who taste of it. The fruit will cause us to praise and give glory to our Lord Jesus because we know that we can do nothing of ourselves. We cannot take the credit for the fruit because He is the "Producer" of it!

Psalm 34:8, "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!"

Ephesians 5:9, "for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth..."

Lord Jesus, we know that we can do nothing that will count for Your Kingdom without You. Help me to abide in You in the same way that You abide in Me. I love You, Lord. Amen.

Points to Ponder

2008-02-12T14:00:00.000-08:00

1. Why can't a branch bear fruit by itself?

2. How would a Christian abide in Christ?

To Be Clean and Pure

2008-02-05T17:37:00.000-08:00

Part 1

We read and studied John 15:2 last week, but before we continue on to verse 3, let us review once again the verse that warns, "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away..."

A study of the particular phrase, "takes away" reveals the real action the Vinedresser takes when He finds that one of His own branches is not bearing fruit: He lifts up the branch! The same phrase is also cited in the following:

John 5:8, "Jesus said to him, 'Rise, take up your bed and walk.'"

Matthew 16:24, "Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.'"

There are stretches of time in a Christian's walk when fruit seems non-existent. Yet, the Lord tends to us by lovingly lifting us up, cleaning us off, disciplining us, and redirecting our efforts that we might bear fruit again. Clearly, this explains Jesus' meaning in the first part of John 15:2.

Part 2

John 15:3, "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you."

It is interesting that this verse is amplified by another very familiar Scripture found here and on the cover of our binders:

Ephesians 5:25-27, "...Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle of any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish."

You and I do not know how God works. We are not able to understand how the words of Jesus are able to make us clean. There is no way we can fathom how reading and hearing the holy Word of God causes us to be cleansed, purified, and fitted to bear fruit...but it does. It is an on-going process, and is applied to our hearts as needed.

Again, we must search the Scripture in order get God's perspective.

Hebrews 10:22, "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."

Matthew 5:8, "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."

The Best Part

Identifying Our Initial Need to be Cleansed

Our Heavenly Father is sinless and pure. In order for you and me to have a relationship with the Father, we must also be sinless and pure. We are not; and that presents the greatest problem of all humankind. Because of God's perfect nature, He cannot look upon us. We need a Savior!

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Perfect One. Our Father sent His Son from heaven to live on the earth and to die in our place. His blood will cover our sin and impurities, and it provides the remedy for our hopelessness. All we have to do is ask.

As we ask, Jesus comes. Then, Christ is in us, and He is our hope.

1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Points to Ponder

2008-02-05T17:00:00.000-08:00

1. In the light of our study, what does "takes away" mean in John 15:2?

2. What does Matthew 5:8 mean to you?

3. Who is the "Cleanser" of your unrighteousness?

A Branch That Bears Fruit

2008-01-29T14:09:00.000-08:00

John 15:2, "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit."

We are going to take a close look at our text and examine it with regard to its meaning for you and me in this time of our lives. We learned last week that Jesus is the Vine, and that our Heavenly Father is the Vineyard Gardner. Now, we read about the branch. The identity of the branch is revealed later in our chapter as "you." (See Verse 5.) In fact, the branch is everyone that calls himself or herself a Christian.

Our verse tells us that the Master Vinedresser takes away the branch that does not bear fruit and cuts back the branch that bears fruit so that it will bear more fruit.

Modern horticulturists agree that the purpose of pruning is to obtain maximum yields of high quality grapes and to allow adequate vegetative growth for the following season.

Whether we are referring to an orchard of grapes or a believer's walk with the Lord, it is clear that the motive for cleaning and pruning is for the yield of abundant fruit for the present and for the future. Our Heavenly Father made us for His glory, and He knows what it will take for each of us to lead successful, fruit-bearing lives today and tomorrow. He only wants our best.

The Word of God contains many lessons about bearing fruit. First, let's examine these verses found in various parts of the Bible, and as we do, expect to gain insights regarding what Jesus is teaching in John 15.

Psalm 92:12-15, "The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing. To declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him."

Matthew 7:18-19, "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

Titus 3:14, "And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful."

Matthew 12:33, "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit."

We were all born by God's purpose and for His purpose. Our study has caused us to remember that one of His main purposes for us is that we should bear fruit, and bear more fruit. As He washes us with the Word in our reading and studying, may our tender Vinedresser teach us and train us to draw closer to Him.

Points to Ponder

2008-01-29T12:10:00.000-08:00

1. Name one characteristic of a grape branch.

2. How does pruning benefit the fruit of the vine for the present?

3. What is the benefit for the future?

4. Why can't a bad tree produce good fruit?

The First Lesson of The Vine

2008-01-22T12:53:00.000-08:00

In the Old Testament, grapes symbolized Israel's fruitfulness in doing God's work on the earth. The psalmist refers to the God's people taking ownership of the Promised Land in Psalm 80:8 when he writes, "You have brought a vine out of Egypt; You have cast out the nations, and planted it."

Once again in the Old Testament we find a reference to a vineyard in Isaiah 5:1-7. The lesson of the "Song of the Vineyard" shows that God's chosen nation was to bear fruit, but the fruit was bad. Verse 2, "He expected it to bring forth good grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes."

As we consult our current passage in John 15:1, we read, "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser." Jesus had stopped on His way to the Garden, and turned to His eleven disciples who had been following in His footsteps. He had begun His final teaching with these words. They may have been surprised at the subject-matter, but it would be vital for each of them to listen intently, and to record it in their minds because they would most definitely need to remember what their Master had to say.

Jesus quickly outlined for them the structure of authority in terms that they understood fully. He identified His relationship to the Father, and confirmed His own authenticity. Jesus is the true vine; He is the genuine life-sustainer; He is the real Source of nourishment. However, the Father is the vinedresser, the farmer; the One Who owns the shears!

Jesus, the wise Pastor/Teacher, used something spiritually and culturally familiar as an object lesson in His final sermon. It was imperative that His students understood, and at this point in the lives of His disciples, only time would tell if they had grasped the meaning.

Heavenly Father, help us as we endeavor to lay hold of the teaching of The Vine. Open our spiritual eyes and touch our hearts that we might respond to You. Thank You for taking the time to patiently explain Your ways. In Your Name, Amen.

Points to Ponder

2008-01-22T12:02:00.000-08:00

1. Why do you think the Lord Jesus used a vineyard to explain this important doctrine?

2. Why were there only eleven disciples with Him at this time?

3. How were the disciples able to comprehend spiritual concepts?

4. What kind of duties would a vinedresser have?

A Quick Look at Chapter 14 of the Gospel of John

2008-01-15T15:48:00.000-08:00

We will be studying John 15 throughout this term, but before we begin, let us glance at the chapter before. As we familiarize ourselves with the setting, we will at the same time gain insight into how Jesus teaches His disciples.

During the Passover meal, Jesus had explained to His disciples plainly that He would be going away.

Three years previously, He had chosen the Twelve, and then He walked with them everyday. Jesus had invested into their lives, each and every one, by instructing them in the ways of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus had utilized several methods while He taught; one of His favorite ways was using objects or instances from everyday life. He had used something they could touch to illustrate something they could not fathom. Many times, the disciples were confused by a teaching, and they would ask for further clarification. Jesus would patiently accommodate them.

Upon review of the Gospel of John 14, we read that Jesus advises the ones closest to Him that He is leaving them, and that they will not see Him anymore. But then He says, "A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also." And, "I am going away and coming back to you." And, "If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I am going to the Father."

It is no wonder that His disciples are very troubled. They just do not -- they cannot -- understand.

It is interesting to note that when Jesus explained Himself forthrightly, His disciples often had a very difficult time understanding what He meant. Jesus was able to discern His students' capacities, and so He would often alternate His technique and teach in metaphors, parables, or analogies.

"If you cannot comprehend this way, then try to grasp it another way," is what the Lord Jesus seemed to be saying to them.

And so, we still need the interpretation of the idea, "I will be going away from you, but I will never leave you," two seemingly contrary ideas. No wonder the disciples were puzzled. Emotionally, they did not want to hear the truth. The daunting nearness of Jesus's departure meant sadness, separation, and loss -- which is all they could think about.

What does Jesus mean?

Jesus told the disciples that the Father would send the Holy Spirit to them in the Name of Jesus. The Holy Spirit would be with them always and would be their Teacher and Comforter. The Holy Spirit was going to trade places with Jesus in the lives of the disciples, and though they did not understand it at the time, it was very Good News!

May each one of us acknowledge and experience the comfort of the Holy Spirit. May the Lord give us grace to read His Word, and discern His meaning as we study.

Love, Karen

Just a Note...

2007-12-20T13:18:00.000-08:00

A new session of Glorious Church will begin again after the New Year. Our Bible study will continue each Wednesday, starting on January 9, 2008.

Please plan to join us @ 10:30 at my home in Warren as we study several chapters in the Gospel of John.

Meanwhile, have a joyous Christmastime as the Lord pours out His love on you and your families.

Love, Karen

The Greatest is Love Because God is Love

2007-12-18T18:56:00.000-08:00

Our study of 1 Corinthians 13 has explained many traits - patience, humility, courtesy, and generosity, to name a few - and we have determined that each one is a practical expression of love.

"...but the greatest of these is love."

Now that we are at the end of our journey through the chapter, we are told that even among the virtues that endure, love is the greatest. There is a wonderful reason why the Scriptures describe love as the one greatest virtue, and it can be found in the following Bible verses. Let us read carefully and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts.

1 John 4:7-16, "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him."

Love is the great motivator behind what God did for us. As each of us reflects upon God's involvment in our lives today, we see that love continues to be the reason for His work in us. Because God loves us, we are able to love.

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your love. Thank You for teaching me about Your love. Help me to practice what I have learned. Let my motivation be love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Faith, Hope, and Love Will Remain

2007-12-11T19:16:00.000-08:00

1 Corinthians 13:13, "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."

We don't often use the word abide in our everyday conversation, so let our study begin by taking a close look at abiding and what it means to us today. If someone asks you where you live, they mean something like, "Where do you carry on your life?" or "Where is the place in which you dwell?" "Where do you abide?"

In our verse, Paul characterizes the qualities of faith, hope, and love as those that have a place to stay. They have a dwelling place, and the three endure until the end. The transient things of this world will one day vanish forever. However, faith, hope, and love will remain. They will continue. They will stand. They will live.

But...Where do faith, hope and love live?

Our Lord Jesus dwells in each of His children. He abides in us and by His grace supplies us with the faith we need to believe and to obey Him; He pours hope into our lives that we might see with joyful expectation our home in Heaven; and He lavishes His love upon us so that we might love Him and love others.

Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

Colossians 1:27, "To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

Ephesians 3:14, 16-19, "For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

Pray this Prayer

Lord Jesus, since faith, hope, and love will endure until the end, let them dwell in me. Let me live in a manner that others will see You. To glorify you is all that I desire. Amen.

It's Perfectly Clear to the Lord

2007-11-19T11:46:00.000-08:00

"...but then I shall know just as I also am known." (See 1 Corinthians 13:12.)

It is frightening for most people to realize that God knows you through and through! They feel uneasy and even threatened by such knowledge. People wear masks to conceal their true character, and pretend to be one way while living another.

However, for the child of God, to be known by Him is the greatest encouragement in all the world. We can live a lifetime interacting with people who do not really know us, much less understand us; but, God knows and understands -- and still loves us!

Psalm 139:1, "O Lord, You have searched me and known me."

Hebrews 4:13, "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account."

Psalm 44:21, "Would not God search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart."

Jeremiah 17:10, "I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings."

1 Chronicles 28:9, "For the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts."

Psalm 38:9, "Lord, all my desire is before You; and my sighing is not hidden from You."

The Lord loves me and completely understands me. I am flooded with confident tranquility as I absorb this idea. He alone considers every outside force in my life that has caused me to be who I am. He knows my genetic makeup, and He knows precisely why I am the unique, special person I am. Consequently, He alone can properly appraise my heart and actions.

The Living Bible paraphrases our verse in the this way, "But then I will see everything clearly, just as clearly as God sees into my heart right now."

Lord Jesus, I trust the way you see me. Thank you for your love. Amen.

Access by Faith in Jesus Christ

2007-11-16T10:50:00.000-08:00

1 Corinthians 13:12, "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known."

Concerning our understanding of the love of Christ, we see through a veil. This is because we are sinful, and He is pure and sinless. We serve a God Who is wholly good and just, and Who is completely void of spot or stain. We want to know as much as we can so that we can be like Christ, but we are not allowed to look at Him because of our sin. We dwell in these mortal "tents" and to behold the full, glorious knowledge of the love of Christ is something that we are destined to someday experience, but not now.

King David expressed this idea in Psalm 17:15, "As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness."

Because of all this, it is only dimly that we can now perceive the supreme perfection of His wonderful, matchless love. Still, the hope within us is kindled and burns brightly with expectation that one day we will comprehend all things because we will be in His likeness.

Even though we may feel constricted in our knowledge, we are never limited in our access to our Heavenly Father. The veil that once prohibited us from His presence is torn and put away. By faith, we may approach Him through Jesus Christ. This wonderful news may escape our mental comprehension level, but we do understand by faith.

Mark 15:38, "Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom."

2 Corinthians 3:16, 18, "Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."

Becoming Christlike is a progression, and it is not dependent upon how much we know; it is dependent on how much we trust.

Love, Karen

Putting Away Childish Things

2007-11-09T10:34:00.000-08:00

1 Corinthians 13:11, "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things."

A new-born baby cries because he or she needs something. The mother is quick to meet the needs of her infant whether it be a diaper change, a feeding, or affection. When the baby becomes a toddler, some of his tears may mean that he has a desire rather than an actual need. The parents must distinguish the difference, because the child does not know that everything he wants may not be good for him. And so, the parents spend the rest of his childhood training him to look outside of himself. They begin to discipline the youngster when he displays selfishness, disobedience, and destructive behavior.

By the time the youth has become a man or woman, childish ways are put away. The adult has God-given responsibilities, maybe a spouse, children and a job. Grown-ups will be tempted to revert to juvenile behavior, but they must resist self-indulgence and deliberately choose the way of charity.

Paul speaks very matter-of-factly, as if the whole procedure is a natural step, even simple. We know that it is not. The only simplicity lies in remembering that our Heavenly Father is always there for us. It is through Him that we keep on the narrow path and grow as Christians. We have not achieved a permanent grown-up status just because we call ourselves adults. We always must run like a child to our Lord.

He will discipline us, love us, and deliver us from our bad behavior, if we ask Him. He always knows that everything we want may not be good for us. He reminds us to look outside of ourselves, and He will spend the rest of our lives nurturing us.

Lord, help me leave my childish ways behind. I want to spend my time looking out to the needs of others, not floundering in self-centeredness. Thank you for holding me up and walking with me on the way. Amen.

Love, Karen

Growing Up in Christ

2007-11-06T15:19:00.000-08:00

The definition of our English word "perfect" is "to be entirely without fault or defect." However, in our text it doesn't mean that at all! The New Testament meaning describes a person that is mature or full grown.

"But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away."

1 Corinthians 14:20, "Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature."

Colossians 1:28, "Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus."

James 3:2, "For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body."

The distinct mark of a mature Christian is the ability to convey genuine love. What does it look like? Paul has itemized love's characteristics and has painstakingly described how it will show up in our conduct.

A perfect man is not one without fault or defect: a perfect man is one who is maturing in his walk with Lord.

Lord, please don't give up on me. Forgive me when my attitude is wrong. Teach me to show genuine love, and help me to grow up in you. Amen.

Keeping the Proper Perspective

2007-11-05T12:10:00.000-08:00

"But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away," 1 Corinthians 13:10.

Now, we are toward the end of Chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians, and we understand that Paul has gently scolded the Corinthians for immature behavior. They had compared spiritual gifts, which only had produced strife, contention, and division. The Corinthian church had forgotten to seek God's will and had embraced worldly wisdom. This had caused confusion and disorganization.

In their youthful state, the Christians in Corinth rated a person's value to the church by that person's gifts. The Lord spoke to them, as He speaks to you and me, utilizing Paul's pen. He is telling us that we clamor over things that are only temporal. He tells us that love is greater than all things combined. He exhorts us to put the temporal in the proper perspective, and He reminds us that we would be much wiser to put our energy into something that is not fleeting, but will contribute to our heavenly existence.

The Lord promises that death will be swallowed up in victory. In the same way, the partial will be swallowed up in perfection.

Ephesians 4:11-15, "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head --Christ."

Lord, help me to focus upon you, the Giver of all good gifts. Help me to walk in the Spirit, and not according to my flesh. Above all, teach me to love. Amen.

The Miracle of the Fullness of God

2007-10-30T16:02:00.000-07:00

The Lord inspired the Apostle Paul to include the following heartfelt prayer in one of his letters to the churches.

Ephesians 3:17-19, "I pray that Christ will live in your hearts by faith and that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. And I pray that you and all God's holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ's love -- how wide and how long and how high and how deep that love is. Christ's love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with the fullness of God." (see New Century Version.)

We understand from this Scripture that God's love is total. It reaches every corner of our experience -- from the height of our celebration to the depth of our grief and sorrow. This love is too much to understand with our minds and much greater than we could ever comprehend, yet this wise apostle prays for a miracle! He prays that we would know God's love, so that we can be filled with the fullness of God!

It is impossible to know God's love completely, but that doesn't mean we should ever stop searching. The Lord promises that if we seek Him with our whole heart, we will find Him.

Is that where you are right now? Are you ready to seek to know God's love? Do you desire to know Him, to follow Him? Do you confess that you are unable to do so without His assistance?

Then, you are ready. Step out today and begin anew. He wants to show you a deeper love that will satisfy your hungry soul. Just ask.

Love, Karen

God is Not Limited

2007-10-27T18:15:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 13:9, "For we know in part and we prophesy in part."

Our best knowledge and our greatest abilities to teach that which we know are exactly like our condition: limited and temporary. This is the way it is and it is the way it will remain as long as we live in these temporary bodies on this earth.

Our Heavenly Father, the God Whom we serve, possesses three specific characteristics:

1. He is omnipotent: almighty, infinite in power, having unlimited authority.

2. He is omnipresent: present everywhere at the same time.

3. He is omniscient: having unlimited knowledge, awareness; perceiving all things.

Wherever I lack, God fulfills. Whenever I am not up to the task at hand, God can do it. When I cannot be in more than one place at a time, God is everywhere. When I do not understand, God does.

We have hope because we serve a Mighty God. We put our trust in the One that calls the earth His footstool. We can believe in the King Who is enthroned in the Heavens.

It doesn't make me feel bad to realize that I can only know in part, because I am acquainted with the One Who knows everything. And He is my God. He is my Savior. He is my Friend. I belong to Him.

...And He loves me.

Karen

God's Love is Constant

2007-10-20T09:20:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 13:8, "Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease, whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away."

The character of Christ is constant. When the world around us delivers confusion, change, and calamity, the genuine love of Jesus stands serene and sure. However, it is only as we open our hearts to Him that we can ever hope to share that same enduring quality of His eternal love.

If your religion centers on the admiration you have for oratory skills, spiritual gifts, and educational degrees, then you will be gravely disappointed. If you love the Lord because He has blessed you with possesions, good health, and a well-paying job, you are basing your Christianity on temporal things.

On the other hand, if your religion is based on a relationship with your Savior, then your foundation is sure. His love for you never fluctuates, and certainly never vanishes. This is His character.

The remarkable truth is that He wants to share this same love with you so that you can love Him back, and so that you can show this love to a chaotic world.

Lord Jesus, You are the same yesterday, and today, and forever. This thought stirs me to the depth of my soul. I can face the future knowing that You are with me, You never change, and You never fail. Thank you for teaching me about genuine love. Amen.

Defined and Developed...Only to Give Away

2007-10-12T13:35:00.000-07:00

Love..."bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things," 1 Corinthians 13:7.

"The New Testament in Modern English" translates it this way: "Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything."

What Kind of Love?

This kind of love - genuine and eternal - is supernatural. It is Christ-in-us that enables us to serve, to give, and to work so that others are drawn to Him. Souls are not saved by believing in our works, but by believing in the accomplished work on the Cross, so we always point to Jesus Christ. We must boast in the Lord and give Him the credit for what He has done.

How Do I Do It?

Matthew 22:37, "Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind."

John 15:12-13, "This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love has no one that this, than to lay down one's life for his friends."

We are not to try to divide our love between God and others, but let God love others through us. This is why we are to love God first, and then love one another. They're equal in importance, but in that order for a reason. We cannot love others with God's love without first loving Him - and we love Him because He first loved us. (See 1 John 4:19.)

How Will I Know I Have Love?

1 John 2:3-5, "Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, I know Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in Him. By this we know that we are in Him."

The proof of our love for God is seen in our actions and confirmed by our attitudes. As we seek the Lord daily in prayer and in reading His Word, He will cleanse us and make us usable. As we obey His instructions, He will give us eyes to see the needs around us and we will be willing to give selflessly.

Will I Receive More?

Ephesians 3:19, "To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." The more we know God's character, and the more we understand His love, the more our love for Him will grow.

Here we meet the essence of Christlikeness: love others with the love we have been given.

Love, Karen

Another Facet of Genuine Love

2007-10-09T11:21:00.000-07:00

The city of Corinth was located in the modern-day country of Greece. It was the most populated city in all of the land, and a very busy seaport. Paul had planted a church there, mostly made up of gentiles, on his second journey during his ministry. They were surrounded by idolotry and corruption. Their mythology was so imbedded in the culture that the new church members became confused and chameleon-like in their conduct within the structure of the church, as well as without. The pressure to conform to worldy behavior had overtaken them, so when Paul heard of their struggles, he wrote a letter, and today we refer to this as the first epistle to the Corinthians.

Over sixteen chapters, the Lord used Paul to explain a moral code that should be followed within the fellowship of the new believers. He corrected problems and answered questions. He reminded them of the simple Gospel message that they had embraced before. He taught them concerning worship, law suits, and spiritual gifts. Paul boldly confronted the Corinthians about their sins and shortcomings.

Throughout, genuine love is interlaced among the instructions Paul has for the young church. He conveys this thought even when he must discipline and rebuke. Then, with plain words he details the conduct of genuine love. He writes that love is never glad about wrong behavior, but rejoices when the truth wins out. Genuine love causes us to want to stand up for what is right and to rejoice with those that have the courage to do so. However, genuine love does not lord it over those that do not have that same grace quite yet.

It is true that mercy must go hand in hand with truth and justice. This is what Paul conveyed to the Christians in Corinth. He knew that they were young, that they had a long way to go in their walk with the Lord, and that with training they would learn.

Proverbs 3:3, "Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, and so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man."

Micah 6:8, "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"

Genuine love requires that each of us has a heart of mercy. The Lord has shown great mercy to us because He came to die on the cross in our place. He had compassion because we were like sheep without a shepherd.

We are like the Corinthians in many ways. We need correction along the way, but we also need mercy and compassion. We also must learn to give mercy and compassion.

Lord, it may take us a while to learn the scope of genuine love. Continue to give us the grace as we surrender ourselves to you. Teach us to love by loving through us. Amen.

Love Rejoices in the Truth

2007-10-05T15:25:00.000-07:00

Love..."does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth," 1 Corinthians 13:6.

Iniquity is an interesting word and deserves our careful consideration. It conveys an absence of moral or spiritual values which results in an unjust act. Other synonyms for the word are injustice, unrighteousness, and wrong. Love finds no satisfaction in this bahavior - whether in our own lives or in the lives of others. The Word of God instructs us to flee from it. "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity," 2 Timothy 2:19.

Truth, on the other hand, is what is really going on inside despite the outward appearance. Love motivates us to search out the heart of a matter.

"However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come," John 16:13.

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free," John 8:32.

All of us behave according to what is in our hearts. Do we harbor guilt, bitterness, or immorality? We must be vigilant to ask the Lord to reveal the iniquity in our hearts that we might be set free from this bondage. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness," 1 John 1:9.

When we have been set free, we can look at others through the eyes of genuine love which is exactly the way Jesus sees. He doesn't expect us to pretend we do not see, or to turn away from a person. However, the Lord does ask us to look with an unbiased mind and humble heart. We must receive God's grace to use the self-restraint which refuses our focusing on the weaknesses of others.

This kind of response to another's unrighteous behavior is genuine love in action. So we learn that truth without genuine love is iniquity.

Love, Karen

The "New" in New Commandment

2007-10-02T12:59:00.000-07:00

The Old Testament law commands us to love our neighbors. "You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord," Leviticus 19:18.

Why, then, does the New Testament reiterate this principle and label it as "new?" Isn't this the very same commandment?

John 13:34-35 says, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

The answer to these questions lie in Christ's fulfillment of the law. What makes this command brand new is the genuine love of Jesus. He instructed us to love one another in the same way He loved us! Such love will not only bring unbelievers to Christ; it will also keep believers strong and united in a world that is hostile to God.

Jesus explains in The Sermon on the Mount that He is the fulfillment of the Old Testament Law, "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill," Matthew 5:17.

Our Lord Jesus is the ultimate example of genuine love. When others notice the love that we have for one another, they will be drawn to the Lord and He will be glorified.

Lord Jesus, thank You for helping me understand that the reason You came to earth was because of Your genuine love. Thank You that you demonstrated this love so that we might have an example. Thank You for teaching me how to love. Amen

Opposites Hold True

2007-10-01T17:51:00.000-07:00

As we continue reading our Bibles daily, we discover that love is a theme throughout the Holy Scriptures. At times, the Word of God reveals an idea by describing the opposite of it, thus making the reader understand more fully. We know that, in simple terms, selfishness is the opposite of genuine love. By applying the "opposite method" to our Bible study, we are sure to grasp a fuller meaning of God's love.

We learn from 1 Corinthians 13:5 that love does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil. Since we know what love does not do, we will rightly conclude what selfishness does:

Selfishness = Rude Behavior, Bad Manners

Selfishness = Attention to Own Endeavors Only

Selfishness = Taking Personal Offense

Selfishness = Keeping Record

The purpose of studying the aspects of selfish behavior is so that we might identify it in our own lives. Selfishness is the result of allowing our worldly nature to rule us. This, of course, is sin and it is a natural inclination.

Just as surely as the above equations are true, so are the following:

Genuine Love = Showing Honor by Considerate Behavior
Genuine Love = Seeking Well-Being of Others
Genuine Love = Controlling Temper
Genuine Love = Eagerly Believing the Best

We study the attributes of genuine love so that we can identify it in others that it might be an example to us. What an encouragement it is when we witness genuine love flowing from a life of a believer! It challenges us to be examples to others.

Philippians 2:3-4, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interest, but also for the interest of others."

Proverbs 14:29, "He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, but he who is impulsive exalts folly."

Colossians 3:14, "But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection."

The essence of genuine love is selfless sacrifice out of concern for the needs of others. To actually put aside our own wants and needs is not only difficult to do, but it is impossible without the Lord. He is the one Who imparts this love and then supplies the grace that motivates us to act it out. May He continue to expand our understanding as we step out in faith.

Love, Karen

Love is a Heavenly Gift

2007-09-25T17:11:00.000-07:00

The Lord God is the Source of Genuine Love and is quick to liberally pour it out upon His children. Every thought that He has for us, every blessing that He bestows is because of His love, a love that we can never earn.

The description of genuine love in 1 Corinthians 13 reveals to us the importance of this virtue in our lives. As we learn more about the Greek agape kind of love, we will begin to understand that love is not complete without giving.

Defining genuine love is difficult, so Paul resorts to describing how it should look in the life of a Christian. He explains that this love is even more than action alone: it is the attitude behind the action. We must always ask ourselves, "Are my motives pure?"

We will recognize genuine love in our lives when we seek to serve with no expectations. In fact, our reward will be that the Lord gets the glory for any good accomplished. Genuine love is not an impulse of feeling, but it is a desire to help others see the Giver.

The Lord is the Giver of all good things according to James 1:17, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."

Lord Jesus, the desire of my heart is that others would look at me and know that I belong to You. Help me to be a witness of Your love, that others will turn to You for their salvation. Thank you for saving me. Amen

The Sum of All Virtues

2007-09-21T14:55:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 13

In our text, Paul uses vivid language to address the important subject of genuine love. It is as if He takes a pause in the middle of working out the problems of the church in order to define the basic behavior of Christlike character. Within the pages of Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians we find an almost-poetic description of how it should appear in our lives.

Why is this prominent place given to the subject of genuine love? It is because love is the sum of all other virtues. Scripture makes that clear by saying that the whole law is fulfilled in this one word. Jesus said that all the law and the prophets hang on two commandments about love: love God, and love your neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40).

1 Corinthinans 13:4, "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up."

Longsuffering is from a Greek word that literally means "long-tempered." So, think of what it means to be short-tempered, and then imagine the exact opposite. This may also describe someone who is wronged and who has the power to avenge himself -- but never does it.

Kindness, on the other hand, is an action of goodwill. It is an act of giving unselfishly. The recipient of a kind gesture smiles because it is refreshing and because nothing is expected in return.

Genuine love also can be identified by what it is not. The first of the not list in the verse is that love does not envy. Envy is a selfish, sinful desire and we must not make room for it. God's love is always giving, never taking.

James 3:16, "Where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there."

The rest of 1 Corinthians 13:4 speaks of boasting and arrogance. If envy is resentment over the blessings of others, boasting is the sin of trying to make others envious of us. Boasting is an attempt to elevate self.

When we look for the one perfect example of genuine love, our eyes will always rest upon Jesus Christ, for He alone embodies it. When we long for genuine love in our own lives, again, our eyes will always rest expectantly upon Jesus, for He alone is the Source...

...and He imparts it to us through the Holy Spirit.

Lord, may your love rest upon me. Amen

Genuine Love is From God

2007-09-18T12:14:00.000-07:00

In our daily Bible reading, we have no doubt discovered once again that references to God's love or Christ's love occur often. Love is the theme and purpose behind all of God’s Word. We cannot escape it, nor do we want to. The world's idea of love is in reality lust. As Christians, we have come to understand that love gives, but lust takes. God's love is genuine, pure, and unselfish.

In I Corinthians 13, the Apostle Paul wrote that we can have eloquent speech, prophetic powers, a mind full of understanding and knowledge, and faith to move mountains, and we can even give all of our possessions to feed the poor and give our bodies to be burned, but without love “it profits nothing” (see I Corinthians 13:1–3).

Genuine love is powerful because it produces action. John 3:16 says that God loved the world so much that He gave. The Scripture cautions us to let genuine love motivate us to good works, not the other way around. It is impossible to find this kind of love within ourselves; it is His love and He produces it in each of us as we surrender to Him.

When Christ perfects His love in us through His Word, our lives will demonstrate the power of Christ’s love.

Lord, perfect Your love in us. Amen.

Love, Karen

Welcome to a New Bible Study!

2007-09-14T15:26:00.000-07:00

I can always tell when it's time to re-organize my life and to weed out the activities that have made me so busy. How do I know? Well, it is when the air grows colder, the leaves turn color, and the sunlight fades sooner in the day. This season is also a great time to begin a new Women's Bible Study!

This year, there is no book to purchase and there is no homework to complete. Instead, let's do something a little different. Let's find a daily Bible reading shedule that fits each of our needs, and then let's read our Bibles every day.

These websites offer a variety of options: http://www.wholesomewords.org/family/bibleread/biblerea.html,
http://www.thebible.net/read/sched.html, http://www.studythebible.com/daily.htm.

A daily dose of the Word of God will be the nourishment that each of us needs. If you and I take the time to ingest a portion of the Scriptures on a regular basis, God promises not only to cleanse us, and keep us from sin, but also to equip us for the work He wants us to do.

Ephesians 5:26, "that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word..."

Psalm 119:11, "Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You."

2 Timothy 4:16, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."

I invite you to join me as we delve into the pages of the Bible, God's Holy Word. If you are already reading daily, maybe the Psalms and Proverbs of the day, please continue to do so. If you would like to begin a schedule today, choose one that you like, and then jump right in!

Lord Jesus, as we re-organize and reprioritize our schedules, guide us as we go. Help us to read in our Bibles everyday, even if it's five minutes at a time. We accept Your grace as we purpose to give Your Word a prominent position in our lives. Lord, give us a new desire to know Your Word. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Love, Karen

Above All, Love

2007-05-15T09:30:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 13

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Faith is Our Defense

2007-05-07T17:08:00.000-07:00

Once we choose the Truth and begin walking in it, we are at the same time rejecting the lies that Satan wants so much for us to accept. However, as we have learned, our uncontrolled emotions can complicate matters. It can be very difficult to sort out truth from untruth because of how we feel about a certain situtation. For these reasons, we must find the truth from the Word of God and act upon it. This is faith.

A wonderful aspect of faith according to Ephesians 6:16 is that it is a shield as we use it to "quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one." In order to refute Satan's lies, you and I must be fully persuaded of the truth of all God's promises. This kind of faith is wholly effective because it exposes the enemy's deception and reveals the Lord's perspective, which is true and right and just.

Let us always remember that our minds are the battle field. It is interesting that even when we choose to believe and act on the truth, the warfare continues the "noisy" uproar in our heads. The way to quiet the storm is by filling your thoughts with God's Word, even if you must read aloud. The enemy cannot stand against the Truth, so begin speaking it to those around you, on the phone, and to yourself.

"That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head -- Christ," Ephesians 4:14-15.

"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God," Romans 10:17.

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him," Hebrews 11:6.

By faith we understand that we are dependent upon the Lord for the grace and strength to stand firm against the fiery darts of our enemy. We know that our faith is the greatest weapon against his lies and deceit. The Lord is our defense, and all we are to do is run to Him.

Love, Karen

Choosing the Pathway of Truth

2007-04-30T13:54:00.000-07:00

Because we have spent time in our books and Bibles during the last several months, we have been reminded weekly that Satan is the author of all lies. He doesn't care what we believe as long as we do not believe the Truth. We have learned how to recognize his lies, and then how to immediately refute each one with the Truth of God's Word. If we find ourselves repeating a sin again and again, we must remember that we have power over it when we embrace the Truth and act upon it instead of the lie.

We will spin our wheels if we attempt to find the power to overcome sin anywhere except through Jesus Christ. He tells us, "I am the way the truth and the life..." Our own human reasoning cannot free us from the bondage of Satan's lies and our sin. We must not delay, but go quickly to the Word of God, which has the power to set us free. The Lord is faithful and will not hide His ways from us.

Isaiah 55:8-9, "'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' says the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.'"

Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."

Satan does not grow weary of lying, and he roams his domain "like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour" (1 Peter 5:8). His goal is to destroy Christians, so we must always stand ready and remain alert. The best way to prepare for battle is to know your Sword and how to to use it. Your Sword is your Bible.

Psalm 25:4-5 "Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day."

As we remain commited to always choosing the pathway of truth, may we also remain commited to always cry out to our Lord for His unending love and mercy as we take the next step. He will never leave or forsake us.

Love, Karen

Our Ultimate Goal

2007-04-16T21:03:00.000-07:00

Romans 8:18, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

2 Corinthians, "For our light affliction which is but for a moment is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

Our troubles must not diminish our faith or disillusion us. There is a purpose for our suffering; however, as we experience the problems, we are tempted to focus on the pain rather than on our ultimate goal.

When we are faced with terrible illness, persecution, or pain of any kind, we have a steadfast hope in the Truth of God's Word. Namely, the realization that this life is not all there is -- there is life after death! Knowing that we will live forever in Heaven with God where there is no sin and suffering can help us live above the pain that we face in this life.

Meanwhile, we have a comforting promise as we live in this world:

Psalm 34:17-18, "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit."

The Lord is near, and that knowledge brings us profound comfort.

Love, Karen

Responding to Persecution

2007-04-10T17:22:00.000-07:00

While we realize that much of the suffering we endure comes from sickness, accidents, loss, and death, we would be wise to examine other forms that result from what the Bible calls persecution.

Matthew 5:11, "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake."

It is not within our carnal nature to respond correctly when we are reviled, mocked, harrassed, or slandered. Our first response may very well be to shout back, to defend ourselves, or even to take revenge. That is why it is vital that we know the instructions of God's Word, and in the following instances, the Lord teaches us from the example of the life of Jesus.

Hebrews 5:8, "Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered."

1 Peter 2:20b-21, "But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps."

The twelve disciples all experienced great persecution, and yet Peter exhorts us in his epistle how to respond with a blessing when persecution comes, and then refers to Psalm 34.

I Peter 3:8-12, "Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling or reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For 'He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous; and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

Neither was it in the carnal nature of Peter to respond to persecution in a Godly manner, and yet "he learned obedience by the things he suffered" and he developed the qualities of compassion, love, and courtesy along the way.

We are learning that it is indeed necessary for us to experience suffering. Our author tells us that suffering is a pathway to sanctification, a doorway into greater intimacy with God.

May we embrace this Truth, and may we obtain mercy and grace from our Heavenly Father as we meditate on its significance.

Love, Karen

Thoughts on Suffering

2007-04-09T13:59:00.000-07:00

Acts 14:21-22, "And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, 'We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.'"

Paul and Barnabas returned to visit the believers in all the cities where they had recently been threatened and physically attacked. They understood the meaning of tribulation and received it as a necessary plight of their Christian experience. Their calling from God was to encourage the new believers throughout the region. On their first trip, they endured physical violence, and now they faced a second tour of the same area.

I Peter 4:12-14a, "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you."

The Lie that causes many Christians to fall away: "I Shouldn't Have to Suffer."

Many women dream of living a trouble-free, serene life void of contentions and conflict. What a wonderful picture! One day, for Christians, this dream will come true -- but not this side of heaven. Meanwhile, until that time, we live in a world that is not comparable to paradise, and we are surrounded by people who are not angel-like. Now what?

The answer is to draw near to your Heavenly Father, the One Who guides you, nurtures you, and loves you. He is with you in the suffering, teaching and instructing you how to endure, how to be patient, and how to cry out for deliverance. I Peter 5:10, "But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you."

Heavenly Father, thank You that I never suffer alone. You understand my weakness and stand ready to walk along side of me, comfort me, and rejoice with me as I rejoice in You! Thank You for counting me worthy. I love You. Amen.

Love, Karen

Victor vs. Victim

2007-03-30T12:13:00.000-07:00

We are beginning the ninth chapter in our book, which is entitled, Lies Women Believe...About Circumstances. As we address the first Lie, I am sure that we will recognize it as one that each of us have entertained sometime during our lifetime. It is:

If my circumstances were different, I would be different.

Unfortunately, this way of thinking makes us out to be the victim in our circumstance. In fact, if you know a lady like this, it is very likely that this outlook permeates every other area of her life. Conversation will eventually center on her being the victim in all situations. We must recognize that, as with every Lie that invades her mind with deception, Satan is the author. His purpose is to cause separation in her relationship with the Lord. Without the Word of God, she might conclude that since God is in control of her circumstances, then He doesn't want the best for her because He doesn't want her to be happy, and....and so the lie goes!

As we endeavor to look for and find the Truth of the matter, we must remember to make it a habit to always consult the Word of God. What does the Lord have to say so that we can gain victory over wrong thinking? Read the Scritures with me:

Philippians 4:11-13, "I have learned to be satisfied with the things I have and with everything that happens. I know how to live when I am poor. And I know how to live when I have plenty. I have learned the secret of being happy at any time in everything that happens. I have learned to be happy when I have all that I need and when I do not have the things I need. I can do all things through Christ because he gives me strength."

James 1:2-5, "My brothers, you will have many kinds of troubles. But when these things happen, you should be very happy. You know that these things are testing your faith. And this will give you patience. Let your patience show itself perfectly in what you do. Then you will be perfect and complete. You will have everything you need. But if any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. God is generous. He enjoys giving to all people, so God will give you wisdom."

Romans 8:28, "We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him. They are the people God called, because that was his plan."

It is clear that God has a purpose for every circumstance He allows in our lives, and that He is mindful of our particular situation. Great joy and peace enters our lives when we walk with the knowledge of His loving participation in the details.

Psalm 139:1-6, "Lord, you have examined me. You know all about me. You know when I sit down and when I get up. You know my thoughts before I think them. You know where I go and where I lie down. You know well everything I do. Lord, even before I say a word, you already know what I am going to say. You are all around me -- in front and in back. You have put your hand on me. Your knowledge is amazing to me. It is more than I can understand."

Amen.

Love, Karen

The Word of God is Our Instruction Manual

2007-03-26T14:01:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 4:14-16, "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to hlep in time of need."

Philippians 4:4-8, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy -- meditate on these things."

Colossians 3:1-4, "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory."

Pray with me.
Lord Jesus, as we meditate on Your Word, please renew our minds and teach us how to deal with our emotions. Remind us to seek You first whenever we encounter struggles or failures, disappointments or grief. Teach us to take every thought captive and make them obedient to you. Train us to run to you and not to run from you, for you will always forgive, always love, and always meet our emotional needs. In Your Name, Amen.

Love, Karen

When Sadness Enters, Run to the Lord

2007-03-22T20:58:00.000-07:00

"A study of depression and despair in the Scripture reveals that, in some cases, the pain we identify as emotional depression is simply one of the unavoidable consequences of living in a fallen world. In Romans 8, Paul indicates that the entire creation 'groans' under the weight of its fallen condition, longing for our final redemption from this sin-cursed world."

The above quote, found on page 204 of our text book, gives us one very adequate explanation of why we have all experienced some level of depression in our lives. As Eve reached for that fruit that day in the garden, she could have never forseen the far-reaching effects of her disobedience. Because of the first Sin, we live in a fallen world.

However, we are exhorted in James to keep ourselves unspotted from the world in which we live. So, we have a choice! We can actually choose to stay down in the dumps. Or, as we walk in the Spirit in obedience to the Lord, we can choose to exercise self control and willfully put aside the sadness that causes depression.

If believing a lie causes sadness, then take your sadness to God and pour out your heart to Him. Allow Him to show you truth from the Word, which will conquer the lie so that it will have no power in your life. "Because with lies you have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad." Ezekiel 13:22a

If living in a fallen world of sickness, hunger, and poverty causes a sense of hopelessness which could lead to depression, then again, turn your heart to God and cry out to Him. "'For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now I will arise,' says the Lord; I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.'" Psalm 12:5.

If mocking and persecution for righteousness has come your way, go to the Lord. Seek Him so that He will show you the great rewards that follows suffering with Him. "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Matthew 5:11-12

Anytime you feel the pain of living in an unfair world, you will find comfort and peace in our Heavenly Father when you turn your heart to Him. In Him is fullness joy. "In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John 16:33b

Lord, thank You for pouring out to us all that we need to take a firm grasp of our emotions. You have sent Your Word, Your Spirit, and Your grace to enable us to be the women that You have created us to be. Thank you for Your love, and thank You for knowing what we need even before we do. We love you. Amen.

Cry Out to God for Emotional Needs

2007-03-19T15:44:00.000-07:00

When David was distraught or full of fear, he did not fail to go to God. As in Psalm 6, He would take his pain to the Lord and express his feelings. He knew that he could not depend upon his emotions to help him lead an army or to rule a country, so he cried out to God who is steadfast and unfailing. David poured out his heart to the Lord because he knew he would receive forgiveness for the sin that may have caused his anguish. He also found comfort from sorrow and grief, refuge from his enemies, and assurance of the Lord's protection. King David, the ruler of Israel, received God's grace to obey.

We would be wise to use David as an example for our own lives. We, too, can go to God and cry. The character of our Lord is unchanging; He will always hear us, always receive our prayers, and always understand.

Psalm 6

O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord -- how long?
Return, O Lord, deliver me!
Oh, save me for Your mercies' sake!
For in death there is no remembrance of You;
In the grave who will give You thanks?
I am weary with my groaning;
All night I make my bed swim;
I drench my couch with my tears.
My eye wastes away because of grief;
It grows old because of all my enemies.
Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity;
For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.
The Lord has heard my supplication;
The Lord will receive my prayers.
Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled;
Let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly."

Surely, we are the same as David. We, too, will find strength and grace as we cry out to Him and express our emotions. Our Heavenly Father is faithful to give us all that we need. He is the unmoving Rock that we cling to when our emotions want to run wild. He gives us our reason back, and all we have to do is trust Him.

Lord, steady me that I might find peace in the midst of emotional swings. Allow me to be assured of your presence in my life, and help me walk in peace. Thank you for hearing my prayer and for understanding my frailty. Amen.

Love, Karen

Responding to Our Feelings

2007-03-17T12:40:00.000-07:00

"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trust in You," Isaiah 26:3.

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy -- meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you," Philippians 4:8-9.

"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth," Colossians 3:1-2.

One tactic that Satan uses is to persuade us to believe that we have no control regarding our emotions. While it is very true that emotions sometimes catch us by surprise, it is just as true that we can definitely have control over the way we respond to them. The Word of God indicates that we can exercise self-control over our feelings, and that when we do that God will pour out His peace upon us.

It is crucial for us to understand that the peace of God is not found in positive thinking or in absence of conflict, or in good feelings. It comes from knowing that God is in control. He is the Blessed Controller of all things.

When we begin to understand even a part of the character of God, we are moved to praise and worship Him. The psalmists wrote, composed, and sang to the Lord in response to their learning and experiencing God's magnificence. They expressed their emotions in the form of adoration and thanksgiving in melody. David and the other writers have taught us and left us a way through the Psalms to direct our emotions to the Lord.

Have a wonderful week!

Love, Karen

We Are Emotional Beings

2007-03-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

As women, we carry with us certain qualities that give balance to all humanity. As Christian women, we understand that those qualities are God-given, and that there is a purpose for our lives that a man was not created to fulfill. In chapter 8 we come to an aspect of our make-up that is very often difficult to understand -- our emotions. However challenging we find this topic, God's Word holds the truthful answers. Let our Bible study begin!

Psalm 30:5, "For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning."

Psalm 36:5, "Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds."

Matthew 26:38, "Then He said to them, 'My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.'"

We learn from these Scriptures that the Lord feels emotions, and so it follows that we also have emotions because we were created in the image of God. Therefore, we are emotional beings, but we are not to be controlled by them. It is a relief for many of us to be reassured that emotions are not wrong in themselves. The Lord showed emotions such as anger, jealousy, sadness, grief, frustration, pity, and joy.

As we study this chapter in our books, we will learn about the role that faith plays in gaining control of our own emotions. We will see that it is not necessary for us to ride a roller coaster of feelings. The Lord is our rock, and it is vital for us to run to Him. He alone provides a steadfastness that we will always be unable to provide for ourselves.

We are going to dispel a few different lies that come at us regarding our emotions. One tells us that we can and should trust our own emotions. Another lie lures us into believing that we really have no control over how we feel. We can come against the enemy and render him powerless in our lives by going to the Word of God, seeking His Truth, and obeying Him:

"Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I." Psalm 61:1-2.

May the Lord give us insight as we seek Him and His Word.

Love, Karen

Salvation Without a Doubt

2007-03-06T11:34:00.000-08:00

2 Corinthians 5:17
If anyone belongs to Christ, then he is made new. The old things have gone; everything is made new!

Hebrews 3:14
We all share in Christ. This is true if we keep till the end the sure faith we had in the beginning.

1 John 2:3-5
If we obey what God has told us to do, then we are sure that we truly know God. If someone says, "I know God!" but does not obey God's commands, then he is a liar. The truth is not in him. But if someone obeys God's teaching, then God's love has truly arrived at its goal in him. This is how we know that we are following God.

1 John 3:14-15
We know that we have left death and have come into life. We know this because we love our brothers in Christ. Whoever does not love is still in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer. And you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.

1 John 4:13, 15
We know that we live in God and God lives in us. We know this because God gave us his Spirit. If someone says, "I believe that Jesus is the Son of God," then God lives in him. And he lives in God.

It is unwise to assume that a son or daughter is saved, even though they repeated a prayer sometime in their past. If their behavior does not give indication of a true conversion, then it is important for you, their mother, to take note.

However, I think we will find great benefit if we examine our own condition first before considering our children's state. The Scriptures above explain the method we should use that will prove we are truly saved. The question, then, of how we can be sure can be answered in two parts:

1. Do what Christ says.

2. Live as Christ wants.

True Christian faith results in loving behavior; that is why John says that the way we act can give us assurance that we belong to Christ. It is so simple that it is complicated! The only way to gain salvation is to believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins; we prove we are saved to ourselves and others by our conduct. As Christians, we will obey the Lord by doing what He says, and we will live a life of love. It is a choice, not a feeling.

Now, let us focus back on our children. Do we see the evidences of a true conversion in each of them?

Lord, help me evaluate my children through the scope of Your Word. Lord, You know them, and You know exactly what each one needs in order to have a relationship with You. Help me guide them to You, and help me teach them by the example of my Christian faith. Oh, Lord, I fall so short of being the woman you want me to be. I ask for Your mercy. I ask that you pour out Your grace and love upon my children, that they would know You and love You, and that it would be evident in their lives. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Love, Karen

Avoiding Rebellion in Our Children

2007-03-02T14:06:00.000-08:00

As mothers, one of our many responsibilities is that of our children's religious education. Recently, I found an interesting meaning of the word "religion," so interesting, in fact, that it has a special place in this post:

Religion: a bond between God and man.

God commanded in His Word that the stories of His mighty acts regarding man in history be passed on from the parents to children. The Lord wants parents never to forget His work in their lives, and He wants them to share their "religion" with their children and their grandchildren. The reason for this is the same today that it was when He first had it recorded in the Old Testament: to help each generation obey God and set their hope in Him. It is the responsibility of parents to keep their children from repeating the same mistakes of their forefathers.

As we teach our children about the bond we have with God, they will listen to our words. As we tell of our successes and failures, they will learn of God's mercy. As we lead our lives with the "mantle" of genuine love, they will desire to serve the God that loves us.

Psalm 78:1-7, "Give ear, O my people, to my law; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old,
Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord,
And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.
For He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel,
Which He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children;
That the generation to come might know them, the children who would be born,
That they may arise and declare them to their children,
That they may set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments.

The subject of educating our offspring can loom as a giant before our eyes, and we are tempted to distress over the thought of it. However, the Lord shows us in this Psalm that His way is for parents to communicate with their children. Yes! Talking is communicating; communicating is sharing stories; sharing is teaching; teaching is education. Down goes the giant!

It is vital that we keep the lines of communication open with our children. As we encourage open and truthful conversations, along with a clear understanding of set boundaries, then their security is settled. They will not doubt our commitment and love. The truth is that our children do not have to go through a rebellious stage.

Deuteronomy 6:7, "You shall teach [them] diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up."

May the Lord bless you richly as you seek to have conversation with your children.

Love, Karen

Only Knowing What is Good

2007-02-26T12:00:00.000-08:00

Genesis 3:5, "For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

Genesis 3:7, "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew..."

Adam and Eve got what they wanted: an intimate knowledge of both good and evil. However, that was not what God intended for them, which is the reason He originally commanded them not to eat of the fruit of that fateful tree. When they disobeyed God, the experience of good and evil accompanied the knowledge. Thus, the serpent had persuaded Eve to take a bite based on a half-truth, and the results were disastrous.

God knows that the knowledge of evil is not necessary for a Christian's life. If we get to know God's Truth thoroughly, we will recognize evil at a glance. We do not have to study evil in order to understand it. Romans 16:19 teaches the point and the benefits of it very well, "But I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil. And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly."

The "real world" that we live in is the domain of the Father of Lies. Our children are exposed to things in our culture that tempt them to be swayed from the Truth according to God's Word. Although the following "Lie" may seem logical at first glance, when we take it through the process that we have learned, we begin to see the folly in it.

The Lie: Children Need To Get Exposed To The 'Real World' So That They Can Learn To Function In It.

The Process:

Realize...Satan's original tempation appealed to Eve's desire of wanting to have the knowledge of good and evil.

Reflect...In what areas must your children tolerate some evil in order learn good?

Respond...Make sure your household library contains entertainment and education that is edifying to the spirit.

Our challenge, then, as Christian women is to not allow ourselves or our children to be molded by the culture of the world. I would caution you at this point not to look around and compare yourself with others. Instead, go to the Lord and ask Him what He would have you do. You will be blessed as you endeavor to walk in the Spirit and to keep yourself unspotted from the world. (See James 1:27.)

I think that this Bible Study has changed some ways I have thought in the past. I am praying for each of you and asking the Lord to show you how He has revealed truth and brought freedom to you, that you might thank Him and praise Him for progress.

Love, Karen

For Such is the Kingdom of Heaven

2007-02-23T11:12:00.000-08:00

For the past several years, the media, public education, and certain secular organizations have slowly and methodically indoctrinated the world into a certain belief system that is absolutely opposite of what God's Word teaches. These have crept into the teachings of the Christian community, and we have accepted and finally embraced them as if the Lord Jesus Himself gave them to us. We must never forget that the father of lies is the prince of this world. His program propagates killing and destroying, and so he would certainly not encourage childbirth, as taught by Jesus in John 10:10, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

Jesus teaches more about children in Luke 18:15-17, "They also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to Him and said, 'Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.'"

When we observe a little child displaying faith in the smallest way, we are attracted to it. We think it is cute and sweet when a little one announces that it will not rain today because he asked God for sunshine. Isn't it amazing to you that the Lord desires our faith to be like that of a child?

It does not matter what the subject is, the Lord wants His children to trust Him. This is not and will never be taught in the secular arena. If you have been exposed to the way of thinking that is contrary to God's way, then "be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2)

Do not succomb to believe whatever your neighbor or co-worker believes. Believe in the Lord. His ways are true and right, and you will never be disappointed because He is faithful.

Love, Karen

Psalm 127

2007-02-19T12:56:00.000-08:00

Unless the Lord builds the house,
they labor in vain who build it;
Unless the Lord guards the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late,
To eat the bread of sorrows;
for so He gives His beloved sleep.
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
so are the children of one's youth.
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;
they shall not be ashamed,
But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.

In this well-known Psalm, King Solomon tells of the senselessness of life without God. Whether building a house or building a family, he shows us that the Lord must be the foundation.

As a husband and a wife build a home together, they will consider their future children. When this couple seeks the Lord, they will soon realize God's design for family has everything to do with His view of children.

The world insists that children are a liability, and the more you have, the more hardship they represent. However, the Lord God, the Maker of all things, declares that children are indeed a blessing. This means that children in your family are rich assets, and God will benefit your life as you welcome them.

Lord, I want to view children the way You do. Search my heart, Lord, and if there is any thought contrary to Your view, change me. I want to love all children because I realize that every one is a precious gift from You. Thank you, Lord. Amen.

Love, Karen

What is the Truth of the Matter?

2007-02-13T15:59:00.000-08:00

Many years ago, God created marriage between a man and a woman, and He intended for it to be an institution of sweet intimacy, meaningful fellowship, and lasting commitment. The serpent interrupted God's design by tempting Eve to disobey, and as we all know, she ate the fruit and induced Adam to join her. Thus was Satan's first assault, and it was on the marriage.

Today, Satan's main objective has not changed. His purpose is to destroy your marriage, and his first step is to plant the thought that divorce is a better option than staying in an unhappy marriage. If this thought is not recognized as a lie and rejected, then before long it is acted upon.

The purpose of this Bible study is for women to be made aware of the Lies we are told everyday. With our eyes wide open, we can be wise to the schemes of the devil, and we do not have to live our lives in ignorance. The Truth dwells in the Word of God, and when we receive it, the Holy Spirit will quicken it in our spirits that we might be set free from the lies we have believed concerning our wedded state.

Come with me and search the Scriptures:

Genesis 2:21-24
"And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place, then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said: 'This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; he shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.' Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."

Malachi 2:13-16
"And this is the second thing you do: you cover the alter of the Lord with tears, with weeping and crying; so He does not regard the offering anymore, nor receive it with goodwill from your hands. Yet you say, 'For what reason?' Because the Lord has been witness between you and the wife of your youth, with whom you have dealt treacherously; yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant. But did He not make them one, having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.

'For the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce, for it covers one's garment with violence,' says the Lord of hosts. 'Therefore take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.'"

Mark 2:2-10
"The Pharisees came and asked Him, 'Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?' testing Him.

And He answered and said to them, 'What did Moses command you?'

They said, 'Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.'

And Jesus answered and said to them, 'Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. But from the beginning of the creation, God 'made them male and female.' 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."

We find reinforcement in the Word of God that marriage is God's idea. We also find that we must be committed to permanence. Is there a lingering idea in the back of your mind that tells you that divorce is an option? Maybe you are entertaining the notion that when your children grow up, then divorce is possible. These ideas are directly contrary to God's design for you.

The Truth of the Matter is:

Marriage is a lifelong covenant. There is no marriage that God cannot heal. There is no person God cannot change. God's grace is sufficient, even in the most difficult or extreme circumstances.

May you find true joy and peace with the knowledge of His Word.

Love, Karen

Practice Waiting on the Lord

2007-02-08T10:38:00.000-08:00

Question of the Day

When a woman determines to wait on the Lord rather than taking the reins (in her marriage), what blessings could result in her life?

Whenever we open our Bibles with a sincere desire to search and find the Lord's heart in a matter, He allows us to see Him and to discover His truth. Deuteronomy 4:29 informs us clearly, "But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul."

Based on this promise, we are going to study the following Bible passages in order to find an answer to our question of the day:

Isaiah 40:31, "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."

Psalms 27:7-8, 14, "Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When You said, 'Seek My face,' my heart said to You, 'Your face, Lord, I will seek.' Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord! "

1 Peter 3:4, "...rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands."

Jeremiah 17:7, "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord."

The Lord God, the One Who loves each of us unconditionally, allows different circumstances into our lives that affect us deeply. Many times, we cannot do one thing about them on our own, even though we tend to want to rush to find a remedy. We try on our own to relieve the situation, but we realize that by ourselves, and with our strength, there is absolutely nothing we can do. This is when we fall on our knees and cry out to the One Who owns the solution to our problem. However, it is surprising how many times the Lord answers our prayers with, "Wait on Me."

Many of us have discovered that we can apply this Truth to our marriage. Are you now or have you been faced with a trial? Perhaps you have cried out to God, and His response seems to indicate that you should do nothing but wait. As you have read, the Bible has much to say about the blessings we all receive by waiting on the Lord. You see, as you wait on God, you are in reality allowing the Lord to work in your husband's life without interference from you. It is true that this practice requires much patience on the part of the wife, but that is part of the blessing. The inner strength a wife needs, such as patience, diligence, and endurance produces faith, which is from the Lord.

If you have found yourself with the "reins" of your marriage in your hands, perhaps it is time to give them to the Lord. The Lord will give them back to your husband, which is where they belong.

And now it is time to wait...

...but you can do it! God has already given you the grace to obey Him. He will not let you down because He is faithful to fulfill His promises.

Love, Karen

Clearing Up A Misconception

2007-02-05T17:42:00.000-08:00

The Father of Lies lures our minds away from Biblical thinking by framing foolish arguments as seen from his point of view. He persuades us to side with the world's thinking, and before long we become militant and angry. For example, somehow our enemy has convinced women of the "truth" of the following equation:

Submissive Wife = An undesirable position

You and I should know differently, because our Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated true submission by His life. As Christian women, we are privileged to have this example revealed to us from the Word of God. This is a good time to be reminded as we search out the Truth now. We are looking for Scriptural examples of "submission."

Matthew 20:28, "...just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Jesus gave His disciples an entirely new thought. His mission was to serve others and to give His life away, and He taught others to do the same.

John 13:1-5, "Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. And supper being ended, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded."

Christ was a wonderful teacher, and used various means to teach His disciples the truths of His Kingdom. One method He used to instruct was by example. He has actually shown us what it means to serve others by girding himself and using a towel to wash the feet of His disciples in the same way a household servant would in those days. He was fully aware of His position as the Son of the Father in Heaven, yet he made Himself lower, submitted Himself, for the sake of His disciples. This is love.

Philippians 2:5-7, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men."

Jesus did not give up His position of deity, but He set aside His high standing to make Himself of little regard. He did not relinquish anything, but neither did He demand recognition. As a result, He transformed our thinking by showing us a more excellent way.

And so, I believe there exists a much better equation that describes our view of submission in our marriage:

Submissive Wife = A Position Most Desired

Don't you agree?

Love, Karen

Desiring Only What God Wants for My Life

2007-02-01T16:21:00.000-08:00

The author of Psalm 106 writes a song of national repentance as the people return from the Babylonian captivity. It is a summary of man's sinfulness from the beginning of the Exodus. In the wilderness, the children of Israel were so intent on getting the food and water they wanted that they became blind to what God wanted for them. They were more concerned about immediate physical gratification than long-lasting spiritual satisfaction. They did not want what was best for them, and they refused to trust in God's care and provision.

We will focus on the following three verses as they apply to our Bible study today:

Verse 13-15, "They soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel, but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tested God in the desert. And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul."

We have all heard the warning, "Be careful what you pray for because you just might get it!" This caution may become more meaningful in the light of the above Scripture. We must ask ourselves if we have been "twisting God's arm" regarding any of the petitions we are bringing to Him. If we complain long enough, He may give us what we want, even if it is not good for us.

However, something interesting happens when we take our eyes off of our own desires. We are actually able to see the physical and spiritual needs of those that the Lord has positioned around us. This new eye-view causes us to see and to place others' needs before our own. Isaiah 58:11 tells us that when we do this, great blessing (not leanness) will come our way.

"The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail."

Praise the Lord for His Truth. He guides us and gives us balance in His Word to keep us centered on Him. He alone knows what is good for us, yet when we humble ourselves with the pure motive of desiring His will for our lives, He reveals Himself to us in a marvelous way. He alone truly satisfies.

Love, Karen

Put Your Future in God's Hands

2007-01-29T21:06:00.000-08:00

The "Lie" that wants to take residence in the souls of many single women is, "I have to have a husband to be happy." We are going to deal with this untruth in the same way that we learned to refute the former ones. We will recognize this statement as a lie that comes to us directly from the Father of Lies, our enemy. Following this realization comes a deep desire to discover the Truth from God's Word. It is time to go hunting for treasure!

"My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him." ~~Psalm 62:5

"It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes." ~~ Psalm 118:8-9

"Thus says the Lord: 'Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord. For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land which is not inhabited. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.'" ~~Jeremiah 17:5-8

If you are not married, consider your own desires for a husband. Have you believed that you could only be happy if you could get married? Perhaps your focus has been something other than what God lovingly knows is best for you. Perhaps your focus has been on "the man" and not on the One Whose desire is to supply all of your needs.

As you take time now to respond to God, remember that He knows your future. Therefore, He knows how to prepare you now for what He has planned for later. We have nothing to fear as we put all of our expectations in the Lord.

Lord, I realize that great joy comes when I trust you fully, and so I give you my future. I ask for the strength and grace to walk forward into what you already know. Help me in my weakness, Lord. I love You. Amen.

Love, Karen