I AM A WOMAN…

 

I am a woman of confidence – God is my Confidence.

             Psalm 71:5        Proverbs 3:26

 I am a woman of strength – God is my Strength.

             Psalm 28:7        Psalm 140:7

 I am a woman of courage – I will not be afraid.

             Psalm 27:1        Psalm 46:1-3     2 Timothy 1:7

 I am a victorious woman – With God I will gain the victory.

             Psalm 60:12      Psalm 108:13

 I am a powerful woman – The God of Israel gives strength and power to His people.

             Psalm 68:35

 I am a woman with hope – The Sovereign LORD is my Hope.

             Psalm 71:5        Colossians 1:27

 I am a woman with a message – I will proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD and will proclaim His righteousness to all generations.

             Psalm 71:15-18

 I am a wise woman – I fear the LORD for the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.

             Psalm 111:10    Proverbs 9:10

 I am a woman of joy – singing to the Rock of my Salvation and filled with joy, for the LORD has done great things for me.

             Psalm 95:1        Psalm 126:3

 I am a woman blessed by the LORD – crowned with His love and compassion.

             Psalm 115:13    Psalm 103:4

 I am a woman with insight – my insight comes from meditation on God’s Word.

             Psalm 119:99

 I am a woman of peace – for I love God’s Word.

             Psalm 119:165

 I am a woman under God’s protection.

             Psalm 121

 I am a woman of purpose – for the LORD will fulfill His purpose for me.

             Psalm 138:8

 I am a woman with focus – for my eyes are fixed on the Sovereign LORD.

             Psalm 141:8

 I am woman who is loved – for God loves me.

             I John 4:10, 16

 

            

GOD WORKING HIS PURPOSE IN MY LIFE

GOD WORKING HIS PURPOSE IN MY LIFE

(Musings on I Corinthians 10:13)

Temptations, trials and testing are common to every one of us, including me. The Greek word used for “temptation” in this verse may apply to trials and testing as well as to well as to temptation to sin.  I choose to include both ideas in this verse, for God has a purpose for allowing such into the life of each believer.  Tested glass is tempered to withstand a certain weight; gold and silver are purified by extreme heat and fire to remove unwanted dross.

 

God is at work in my life conforming me into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. God will provide all that I need to enable me to endure each temptation, trial or testing for the time He has allotted to me.    Victory is mine when I submit to Him and let Him do His work. He may provide a quick escape route, esp. when temptation to sin is present; or He may wish me to go through the period of trial or testing for a short time or an extended time.  He will provide me with the strength, courage and joy needed during that period. (Did I say “joy”? Yes, joy – for there is joy in knowing the God has said, “It is the LORD who goes before you.  He will be with you: He will not leave you or forsake you.  Do not fear or be afraid.” – Deut. 31:8) Jesus promised to be with me forever and to never, ever, under any circumstance whatsoever to leave me. (Matt. 28:20)  God may be refining me or He may be preparing me for service.  Maybe I will be able to comfort another in like circumstances because I have found God faithful when I went through such difficulties. 

 

With God all things are possible. God knows my frame; He knows what I can stand and where my breaking point exists. He knows my strengths and my weaknesses and will not go beyond my ability to endure. Whatever the intended purpose, God is faithful!  God said it in His Word and I believe it!

 

May these shared thoughts be of help to you when you find yourself wondering why God is allowing certain difficulties to come into your life.  They have encouraged me, and often I need to be reminded that God is working His purposes in my life.

His Love......Reaching

"Right from the beginning God's love has reached, and from the beginning man has refused to understand.  But love went on reaching, offering itself.  Love offered the eternal...we wanted the immediate.  Love offered deep joy...we wanted thrills.  Love offered freedom...we wanted license.  Love offered communion with God Himself...we wanted to worship at the shrine of our own minds.  Love offered peace...we wanted approval for our wars.  Even yet, love went on reaching.  And still today, after two thousand years, patiently, lovingly, Christ is reaching out to us today.  Right through the chaos of our world, through the confusion of our minds.  He is reaching...longing to share with us...the very being of God.   His love still is longing, His love still is reaching, right past the shackles of my mind.  And the Word of the Father became Mary's little Son.  And His love reached all the way to where I was."   (Gloria Gaither - "Hymns for the Family of God", p. 200)


This is so beautiful, so touching, so real that I had to share it with you.  God does love me.. and you.. and all mankind, and He desires a relationship with you. You need only to Admit that you are a sinner, Believe that Jesus, God the Son, died to pay the penalty for your sins and that He is alive, and Commit your life to Him, receiving His free gift of eternal life.  Then He will pour His love into your heart and call you His own and make you His child forever.

Open My Eyes That I May See

I remain amazed at new truths discovered in Scripture which I have not seen before.  They were always there; but my eyes were not opened to them until the present reading.  In reading Luke 24:13-32 - the meeting on the road to Emmaus of 2 disciples and Jesus "that very day", the day of Resurrection - I was struck with the fact that the eyes of understanding of the disciples were kept from recognizing Jesus. (Lu. 24:16)  As they walked, Jesus explained the reasons of why it was necessary "that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His glory", beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." (Lu. 24:26-27)  How precious it must have been to be in the physical presence of the living resurrected Lord Jesus Christ and to have Him explain the words that He had given to men to write - His very words!  As Jesus supped with them and broke bread, "their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him.  Their hearts had burned within them as they had listened to Him open the Scriptures to them.


As I read Scripture, I, too, desire my heart to burn within with new truths. Only Christ, the Light of the world can open the eyes of understanding.   I desire the risen Christ to "Open my eyes that I might see glimpses of truth Thou has for me; place in my hands the wonderful key, that shall unclasp and set me free."  That is the Song my Saviour gave to me for today.  What song has He given you?

Walking Through the Valley of Deep Darkness and Distress

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, (valley of deep darkness) I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."  Psalm 24:4


Last evening our Life Group shared thoughts on Psalm 23; it has kept me thinking.  The day before I had meditated upon Psalm 118:507a.; "Out of my distress I called on the LORD.  The Lord answered me and set me free.  The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.  What can man do to me?  The LORD is on my side as my Helper..."  The two Scripture readings seemed to dovetail.


The Good Shepherd must sometimes lead His sheep through deep ravines or up steep and narrow mountain paths in order to reach the rich pastures and quiet streams of water that will nourish His sheep.  Those areas can be areas of deep distress and danger. In the caves may be robbers waiting in the shadows to steal a sheep. In the shadows of the rocks or bushes may be wild animals waiting for their next meal. Rain and moisture on the trails can cause a fall, as can narrow trails edged by cliffs. But the sheep must pass through.


The sheep who have come to know their Shepherd are not afraid.  They know that He will take care of them, just as He has in the past.  For the Shepherd carries a rod to drive away the robbers, wolves, bears and lions.  He carries a staff with a hook on the end to gently guide the sheep, keeping the sheep on the path and pulling back the one who is straying or is starting to fall.  The shadows are real; the dangers are real.  But "The LORD is on my side; I will not fear."  "....I will fear no evil."


Why, then, as I in distress?  My Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, is always with me to tenderly care for me and to bring me great blessing.  I must come to know more and more about Him;  I must learn to trust Him completely.  When I sense danger or am in distress, I must cry out to Him.  He will always answer me.  O, what a wonderful Shepherd this ewe lamb has!!

Bless the LORD

Bless the LORD!



      Often, in my Scripture reading, I come upon a word or phrase that catches my attention.  I muse on it all day (ruminating like a cow, savoring each bit of thought as it comes to mind). A few days ago, while reading Psalm 135:19-21, I was struck with the phrase, "Bless the LORD!"  What does it mean to bless the LORD? I know He blesses me many, many  times in many, many ways; but how do I bless Him? The greater blesses the lesser; the lesser is blessed by the greater. So how can the greater be blessed by the lesser?
     My conclusions were thus: I bless the LORD as I thank Him for His blessings bestowed upon me.  I bless Him when I pay attention to His Word (just as my parents were blessed when I listened intently to them.)  I bless the LORD when I obey His revealed will and commands (just as I felt blessed when my sons obeyed me without complaint.)  I bless Him when I respect and care for that which He has created.  I bless Him when I praise Him in thought, word and son.  And I bless Him when I praise Him to others and tell them of His greatness. The LORD is blessed as I acknowledge His as my God and as God alone for there is no one greater than He!
   I choose to bless the LORD each and every day.  What about you?

FEAR NOT, O JESHURUN!

FEAR NOT, O JESHURUN!

"Thus says the LORD, who made you, who formed you from the womb and will help you: Fear not, O Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen." (Isaiah 44:2)

"But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked; you grew fat, stout, and sleek; then he forsook God who made him and scoffed at the Rock of his salvation." (Deuteronomy 32:15)

"Thus the LORD became their king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people were gathered, all the tribes of Israel together." (Deuteronomy 33:5)

"There is none like God, Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in his majesty. The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms." (Deuteronomy 33:26-27)

"Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, the shield of your help, and the sword of your triumph?" (Deuteronomy 33:29)

"Jeshurun" (upright one) is a poetic designation for Israel, relating to the ideal nations, holding before the people moral and spiritual character, the object of their creation. In Deut. 32:15 Israel is reproached by God for failing the ideal. Israel was to be the righteous people, but they rebelled and scoffed at the Rock of their salvation. "The LORD became king in Jeshurun." Later the nation would reject their King and demand a king like the nations around them. In Deut. 33:26 God reminded Israel that He "rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in His majesty." What a powerful picture of God coming to the aid of His people! "The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms." They were "a people saved by the LORD, the shield of your help and the sword of your triumph." No wonder Isaiah could remind them of this: "Fear not, o Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen."

There is no need to fear when the LORD is my King. My King formed me before birth in the womb – no, before I was even there. Before I was conceived, God formed me in His mind and in His plan and numbered the days of our life. At that time I was without human substance. In the womb I became flesh and bone and was given the breath of life. The One who formed me and who chose me will help me in any situation. He rides through the heavens to get to me. His mighty majesty approaches! My King comes to my aid! Why fear? Just cry out to Him. He sees, He hears, He already knows what is taking place and how I am reacting to the circumstances. Yet He "waits" for me to call on Him. No- before I call He answers, for He has already planned the solution. The Eternal God is my dwelling place; underneath me are the Everlasting Arms, holding me, protecting me, comforting me, guiding me, taking care of me. I am "Jacob my servant"; I am "Jeshurun"; I am "a people saved by the LORD", who is the Shield of my help and the Sword of my triumph! Oh, what a King I serve!