Women of Promise

    We hear often  about the importance of seeking out God and who He is. Did you know that God seeks us out too?  He is chasing after our hearts and desiring to draw us close to revive and renew us.  Isaiah 57:15 gives us a look at what kind of person God is looking for to accomplish this beautiful work of revival: For this is what the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, says: “I dwell in a high and holy place, And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit In order to revive the spirit of the lowly And to revive the heart of the contrite."        That word lowly is also translated as "humble" in some translations.  I don't know about you, but I desire that renewing of the spirit that only God can provide.  Isaiah tells me that God is looking for humble people to lift up and revive.  Revival is not for the lost.  Revival is for those who are Christ-follo...

     Are you familiar with the story of Nehemiah? What an amazing story! It is easily overlooked, yet it is in the Bible for a reason.  God has lessons to teach us from this book.   The book of Nehemiah is full of fascinating information and lessons for us today.  It is easy to get bogged down reading this little book, because some chapters are simply lists of names or details about rebuilding a wall around Jerusalem. Let's look at a few highlights of this special section of the Old Testament. 1. The passion of Nehemiah for God and his people.      Nehemiah 1:4 tells us that Nehemiah wept and mourned for days  after hearing about the state of the people and the wall in Jerusalem. Are we burdened for our families, our church, our community, our nation with a passion like Nehemiah? The rest of chapter one is Nehemiah's beautiful prayer where he begs the Lord to forgive the nation for turning their back on God. I pray for a passion lik...

 "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."  This quote always brings me to the brink of tears.  It was made by a man who gave all, literally, for the cause of the gospel.  If you are not familiar with Jim Elliot's story, here is a very brief synopsis.   Jim was a missionary to Ecuador in the 1950's.  He and his co-workers spent years learning the language and ministering to the people. One day they flew to an area that had not been reached by the gospel.  In fact, these Auca Indians had not even seen white men prior to these missionaries' arrival in Ecuador.  Jim and the others had spent months dropping gifts by plane into this area in an effort to gain the trust of these violent tribes.  There had been signs that these people would be willing to meet them in person.   However, something went wrong and the five missionary men were killed that day in January of 1956.  They gave all....

       I have been looking back at the topic of child training in the light of Scripture. I have found that the Lord does have a lot to say on the matter.  I was saddened to see that I have not always implemented Scripture very effectively during child training and have been challenged to dig into the Bible for guidance on this all-important issue. Parents, grandparents, extended family, children's church leaders and more could benefit from looking at Scripture as a guide for impacting our children for the Kingdom.     First, the Bible teaches us that each child is a blessing from the Heavenly Father.  Psalm 127:3 says, "Children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward."  Psalm 139:13-16 is a beautiful description of the how EVERY life is handformed by our Creator with a purpose.  From the very beginning, God has a plan and design for each one.  As a parent, my view of my child is impacted when I realize that I ...

       At all ages of childhood, from infanthood to the teen years, one major challenge of parenting comes in shepherding a child's emotions. As an infant, they really are incapable of controlling their emotions.  Everything they feel is expressed through their emotions.  By looking at a baby, it is pretty clear to see if they are upset by something, or content and happy. Crying or laughing becomes their primary communication. However, as a child grows they gain control over their emotions. A toddler does not have the same control as a teenager, and, generally, a teenager is still much more emotional than an adult.       Emotions are given to us by God.  They are part of our humanity.  God demonstrates many emotional traits and we are made in His image. We are made to experience love, sadness, fear, anger, and joy.  Conversely, God is not a God of uncontrolled emotions and learning to experience emotions without being rule...

       There is not much that feels better than to scrub something that is dirty and make it shiny and clean, is there?  Scrubbing a toilet or shower, mopping a floor, washing dishes  -- the process is tedious and even annoying, but the end result is so satisfying, right? A clean vessel is ready for use and it reflects the care and vision of the owner.       This example is what I see when I read Titus 2:11-14.     For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,  teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,   looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,   who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.     Jumping to the end of that l...

       Have you ever read through all the laws that God gave in the Old Testament? How incredibly detailed and thorough our God is.  Most of us can't even imagine attempting to keep even half of the prescribed rules for daily life laid out in in the first five books of our Bible.  We kinda skim over these precise directions and breathe a sigh of relief that we were born after the time of Jesus -- all is under grace now, right?  We don't have to worry ourselves with all that --right?     Recently, I am beginning to catch a glimpse of the blessing we may be missing by glossing over the Law of God too glibly.  Did God's Law just become obsolete, just because Jesus fulfilled it perfectly and paid the penalty for our breaking of the Law?  Is it just an interesting part of history?  No. It is far more.  Over and over again in Leviticus, God states that "this statute will last forever" or "you shall keep this commandment always."...