The Least Likely

Did you know that God uses the "least likely?" From Rachael and Jacob, Salmon and Rahab, Ruth and Boaz, and a little shepherd boy named David, (he was certainly considered least likely by his brothers) God used the most least likely people we can imagine to be the ancestors of His sinless Son.

Never discard yourself or anyone else as being "least likely" or not good enough. I'm sure Rahab and Ruth and all the other least like men and women in the lineage of Christ grappled with a lot of baggage and issues and feelings of inferiority among those good, moral women of Israel. I'm sure they felt least likely on most days, but they pushed through those feelings and emotions and they trusted God to lead them, guide them, and to bring them into His perfect will. I don't think we can ever grasp the bigness of what God has done in the past and is still doing today through the least likely.

So...do you feel least likely today? Well you are not! By God's supernatural grace you are the "most likely" to accomplish great things for His kingdom. Every morning, get out of bed and prepare yourself to be used of God for great things. And how do you prepare for that? Start your day with reading a portion of God's Word. I like to read from the Psalms, then read a chapter or two in the New Testament. And no preparation for the day can be complete without prayer. I like to start my prayers with praise: praise God for every single thing in your life, the good, the bad, and yes, even the ugly. Tell Him you love Him. Tell Him you adore Him. Tell Him He is the love of your life. Tell Him you are depending upon Him and Him alone for everything you need today. Do you keep a journal and a prayer list? If not, start one today. Write down the names of those you want to pray for each day and when God answers write "answered" beside their name. It is such a faith builder to acknowledge that God and God alone can answer our prayers. Then write down your own prayer needs, the needs of your family and faithfully pray over them each and every day.

Your see, it was the "least likely" people, with the "least likely" to give, who humbled themselves before the Lord, believed Him, trusted Him, gave Him the only true thing that they possessed, themselves, and He made them the "most likely" to build His kingdom and do great things.

Psalm 138:8; God will perfect (mature, grow) that which concerns me.

Penny

Would you like to know more about the importance of personal, spiritual growth? Leave a comment and I will answer. Thanks for reading and please share this post with a woman who may feel "least likely" today. Because through Christ, she is "most likely."  

My Children's Book is Back in Print!

 

When Our Saturday Comes. Written by Emily Harris

 This is a post by my granddaughter, Emily Harris. I hope you'll read it and leave an encouraging comment.

We know the story of the crucifixion: Jesus was crucified, placed in the tomb, and was raised back to life. We love that story: our whole faith and relationship with Christ begins with that story. God laid on my heart to think about, and study--what happened the day after He was crucified?

In the gospels, the only testament of that day which we believe to be Saturday, is found in Matthew 22:62-66 and even that is just telling us that guards were stationed at Christ' tomb to prevent someone from stealing the body. So what happened with the disciples the day between His death and His resurrection? Before His death, they had the hope of His coming: on the 3rd day, because of His resurrection, we have the hope of heaven and His return to take us home with Him. But I can't help but think how lonely and sad that Saturday must have been. And on Saturday, God was still good, still our Savior, still in control.

Have you ever wondered, "Where is God? Why does He not answer me?" Too often we turn back to sin because it is familiar and we think it will heal us. But how can we expect a broken world to fix our broken heart?

God has really spoken to me these past months since my son was born sleeping. God is not the author of suffering, but He is the Redeemer of suffering. 

We read in the Bible that so many have suffered. For instance, Abraham: He was old, Sarah was old and they had tried for many years to have children. They finally have Isaac and things seem perfect, "God has now given us everything." But then in Genesis 22:1-14, God asks Abraham to do the unthinkable. There is no doubt: that was NOT an easy decision, but Abraham knew, God is good, God will provide. What could have been the worst day of Abraham's life, God still provided.

Then there is Job. He had his family, his wealth, everything stripped from him. His friends, even his wife turned against him and begged him to curse God and die, but Job remained faithful. I love Job's wording: The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

The Lord owes us nothing, we owe Him everything. He allowed me to love and protect Lucas Aaron for 30 weeks and 2 days. I've constantly and continuously begged God to show me why this has happened or what I did to deserve this. God has slowly revealed to me, I didn't deserve Lucas, he was a gift to me for however long or however short God allowed me to keep him.

In Habakkuk 1:5 the Bible says, "Look among the nations and see; wonder and be astounded. For I Am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if I told you."

We can't see what God is doing all the time or even fully understand it. The devil will use our Saturdays against us. He will say things like, "You aren't good enough for God. Look, He's being quiet while you are begging Him to heal your heart. You are too far gone for Christ." The devil will do anything and everything to turn us away from God. God never promised us an easy, good life. In fact, He told us that the world hated Him and they would hate us. We aren't called to overlook suffering: we are called to go through it with Christ as Lord.

Pain and grief will blind us to what He is showing us and how we can use our testimony to help others. When our Saturdays come, Who or will you be clinging to?

Emily

Acceptable Thoughts, Acceptable Words

 Psalm 19:14; Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

Dr. James Dobson said this about the words we say: "Words are not only remembered for a lifetime, but if not forgiven, they endure beyond the chilly waters of death." 

I remember many hurtful words that were said to me by family, teachers, church family, and neighbors. And even if those who said them are no longer living, they are still remembered words. Words spoken to us as children are often much harder to forgive and get past than those hurtful words that are spoken to us as adults. And I must confess, if I choose to think about them, even though the person who said them is gone, they still hurt. Yes, we can forgive what was said, but for a long time after we've forgiven the person who said them, they can still sting, they can still hurt.

David knew the power of the spoken word. Spoken words build up, they tear down. They forgive, they hold a grudge. They speak hope, they speak defeat. They speak peace, they speak strife. They criticize, they compliment. They express love, they express hate. But David also knew that what we think about is equally important. What we think about, what we feel in our hearts, fuels what we say. Before it becomes a spoken word, our thoughts have already formed the content of what we will speak. When we purposely meditate on love, forgiveness, hope, peace, we will soon discover that those are the words we say. David knew from much experience just how powerful (and hurtful) his words could be. And he also knew that when our words are filtered through a heart that meditates on God, they will always be acceptable.

Today, meditate on God and His goodness, His gentleness, His kindness, His unconditional love, His protection, His loyalty to you. And from those thoughts about God, speak good things into the lives of those you love. (And don't forget to speak good words into your own life as well!)

Penny. 

Do You Believe God?

Do you believe God? I mean really, really believe Him? Paul did. In Acts 27 Paul, Luke, and many others (276 to be exact!) were on a ship bound for Rome. In verse 14 they found themselves in a cyclone and in verse 20 "all hope that we should be saved was taken away." And right there in the midst of their hopelessness Paul told them this: "Tonight there stood beside me the angel of God, the One to Whom I belong and said, fear not Paul, you and all on board will be brought to Caesar."

And then in verse 25 Paul said these words: "Be of good cheer, for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me."

God has told you in His Word Who He is, and He has promised what He will do. Believe Him. To believe that God is Who He says He is and that He can do what He's promised to do is a choice that only you can make for yourself. You either believe Him or you do not. Friend, choose now to "believe God that it will be even as it was told me." That one act of faith will literally change your perspective from doom and gloom to a biblical world view of faith, trust, healing, power, safety, security, and most of all hope. With those words, "I believe God," Paul turned a hopeless situation into a hope that God is in control of every circumstance of our lives and He will do for us everything that He has promised.

Do you believe Him? Really believe Him?

Have a great day and no matter what, believe God.

Penny

I hope you'll share this post with someone who is struggling in their belief; not believing IN God but believing God will do just as He's promised He will do. I'd love to hear your comments. 

Ask God to "Establish" You.

Life is hard. Some days are just more difficult than others. Whether it is a prayer you are waiting on God to answer, or wisdom to know how to handle a situation that threatens your peace, 2 Thessalonians 2:17 is a verse you can pray with confidence, knowing God will hear and answer: "Lord, comfort my heart, and establish me in every good word and work."

The word establish means to set something in place. Ask God to "establish" you today: He will establish you as you speak, giving you just the right words at the right time, and He will establish you as you work for His glory and in whatever you do in His name.

God wants you to succeed in living your life for His purpose and for His glory. He will "set you in place," He will "establish" you to do just that. 

2 Thessalonians 3:2; But the Lord is faithful, Who shall "establish" you, and keep you from evil.

What Are You Afraid of?

 As Jesus slept soundly in the boat, His head resting comfortably on a pillow, the storm raged, and His disciples were afraid. After many fearful moments they went below deck, woke Jesus and said, "Master, don't You even care that we are about to die?" Jesus immediately rebuked the wind, told the sea to be peaceful and calm, turned to the disciples and said, "Why are you so afraid? Why do you have no faith? (Mark 4:35-41)

When I allow my fear to dictate my faith, I have lost sight of the power of God to deliver me from the storm I am going through. But here's the good news! Even when I allow fear to overshadow my faith, God is still there to bring my circumstances together with His power to build me up again and give me His grace to overcome the fear. Isn't He awesome? He gave me the faith to be saved, then throughout my life He increases my faith to sustain me through every fear.

What are you afraid of today? Tell Jesus all about it, don't leave out a single detail, He will speak to your storm, and bring peace and calm to your fearful heart. I know He will do it for you; He has done it for me. I love Him so much.

Penny

He Is My Redeemer

I don't know about you, but past hurts and memories can often flood my mind and bring on stress, low self-esteem, and even depression that can plague me for hours and sadly, even days. Recently I was reading Psalm 44, and I read in verse 26 something I have read many times before, but it spoke to me in a new way. 

Psalm 44:26; Arise for our help and redeem us for Your mercies' sake.

To redeem means to "regain possession of something in exchange for payment." When Jesus died on the cross of Calvary He redeemed or regained possession of what the enemy had stolen. He defeated Satan. He redeemed my soul, but He also redeemed every part of me: my sin, my failure, past hurts, bad memories, He bought back all of it. He will redeem every part of you, too. 

Whatever is causing you emotional pain today, ask God to redeem it. Pray, "Lord, redeem this hurt, (name the hurt) and redeem it for Your mercies' sake." He will. He is my Redeemer.

Redeem Lord every hurt, redeem every shame.

All my fear, all my dread, redeem in Jesus' name. 

When my thoughts overflow, when my mind just won't cease,

Take back the enemies' hold, give me peace, sweet peace.

Thank You Lord that You are my Redeemer.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Penny                                                                                                               

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Lord, "Establish" Me Today

 Life is so hard. And some days are just harder than others. Whether it is a prayer you are waiting for God to answer, or wisdom to know how to handle a situation that threatens your peace, 2 Thessalonians 2:17 is a verse you can pray with confidence, knowing God will hear and answer: "Lord, comfort my heart, and establish me in every good word and work."

Ask God to "establish" you today: He will. He will establish you as you speak, giving you just the right words at the right time. He will establish you as you work for His glory and in whatever you do in His name.

2 Thessalonians 3:2; "But the Lord is faithful Who will "establish" you and keep you from evil."

God delights in His word, and He delights in our prayers. When we put the 2 together, we have supernatural power in prayer and the enemy cannot stand in the supernatural power of God. Ask Him to establish you today.

Penny

Kind, Tenderhearted, and Forgiving

Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32.

I recently was walking into a restaurant and there in the landscaping, right beside the door was a rock, painted blue, and in big white letters were the words, Be Kind. Maybe you've seen painted rocks with words like Compassion, Love, Hope, Joy, and just those one or two words made you smile, made you want to do better at being a kinder, gentler, more forgiving person.

In Ephesians 4 the apostle Paul told the church at Ephesus that it is important how believers treat each other. And in verse four he shared three very simple, yet powerful words that can change any relationship from tense and stressed, to calm and sweet. (yes, sweet)

Kind. Just be kind. It costs us nothing to smile, it takes hardly anytime at all to open a door for someone, pick up something that has fallen from an older ladies' cart in WalMart, or allow someone  who has 2 items at Kroger to go ahead of your loaded down cart. Just be kind.

Tenderhearted. Tenderhearted is defined as having a kind, gentle, sentimental nature. It may take some cultivating on our part, but I believe anyone can develop a tender heart toward those who are sad and hurting. To be tenderhearted means to have empathy and compassion toward someone in need. All it takes is to imagine yourself in the other person's shoes and treating them the way you would want to be treated.

Forgiving. I must confess, I can sure hold onto old hurts. And the more I "entertain" those old memories, the bigger they get and if I'm not careful, they will consume me and manage to invade every part of my day. Paul wrote in Colossians 3 that we are to forgive as Jesus forgives (immediately) and not to wait until we "feel like it." Forgiveness is the mark of a maturing Christian.

I have found that my day goes better when I am kind, when my heart stays tender, not judging, and when I forgive the person who hurts me. Kindness, responding tenderly to those who are hurting, and forgiving others will start the healing process in them, but it really starts the healing in me.

Have a good, Good Friday. I hope you will attend church this Easter Sunday. 

 

Fellowship With Christ Today

 I hate to remind you of this, I know you already know it, but here goes: in this life there will always be trials and troubles. There will be disappointments, hurt feelings, fear, betrayal, jealousy, loneliness, and sadness, you can count on it. But we have this promise that God will always keep:

God is faithful, by Whom we are called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 1: 9.

When our emotions run away with us (and they will), when we are overwhelmed with the troubles of this life (and we will be), we have a "fellowship" with Jesus that will sustain us no matter what we face today.

Fellowship is defined as "an associations with someone who shares our interest." As a believer, we can have fellowship with Christ because He is interested in me, and I am interested in Him.

When the sadness hits you in the face, and fear, jealousy, disappointments and everything else this world can throw at you threatens your peace and joy, spend some time with Christ and His Word. Do some one on one "fellowshipping" with Him today. You will feel and be so much better. Fellowshipping with Christ always brings back the peace and joy. He promised.

  

  

The Two Most Important Things.

 The most important decision you will ever make in this life is to ask Jesus Christ to forgive your sins and to save your soul. The second most important decision you will make is who you marry. Those two decisions will impact your life more than where you live, your education, your vocation in life, or any other decisions you will make. 

If you are reading this and you are lost, if you have never asked Christ into your heart, please, please, ask Him now. If you are reading this and you are married, or if you are reading this and trusting God to give you a godly husband, home, and family, here are three scripture verses that you can read and pray today that will help prepare your heart for marriage and strengthen your home and marriage today. God is always faithful to His word.

Proverbs 31:11; The heart of her husband safely trusts in her. Verse 12: She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

Today, ask God to guide you and help you be the wife that your husband needs. Look for ways to be good to your husband and be a safe place where he can share his heart. Let him know today that his heart is safe with you.

Psalm 121:1: I will lift up my eyes unto the hills, from where comes my help. My help comes from the Lord Who made heaven and earth.

Each morning, ask God to bless your marriage. Ask Him to guide you and your husband as you build and develop that "three cord strand that cannot be easily broken." (Eph.4:12) He will. He wants your marriage to succeed and prosper more than you do!

Ephesians 4:2; Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ' sake has forgiven you.

Ruth Graham, wife of evangelist Billy Graham once said this: "A successful marriage is made up of two good forgivers." Today, ask God to give you a forgiving heart. Don't focus on your husband's faults, we all have plenty of those, but instead, set your heart on seeing all the good things about him, all the good things he does for you. Choose your focus.

No marriage can succeed and be a marriage that brings glory to God without two tenderhearted, forgiving people who "esteem each other more than themselves." (Phil.2:3,4)

God's intent for marriage is one man, one woman, for one lifetime. And since that is His intent, He will help you and your husband accomplish those two most important things that are so precious to Him: your eternal soul, and your marriage.

Penny

Nobody Else Can be You!

President Theodore Roosevelt said this: "Comparison is the thief of joy." Yet, as women we just can't help it: we look at another mom and think, "I'm not doing as good a job with my kids as she is doing with hers." Or maybe we look at her house or her clothes or her husband makes more money, and before you know it, we're doom and gloom for the day.

Well, here's some really great news: God doesn't compare you to anybody. You are one of a kind, His unique creation, His love, joy, and delight. And I can prove it!

1. You are one of a kind. Psalm 139:14; I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Before you were born "God covered you in your mother's womb." (v13). 

As we developed safely in our mother's womb God had all authority, He "possessed" me from the very beginning. (v13) You are you by God's own design and He has plans for your happiness and success in life. Embrace who you are, always look for areas that need growth and maturing and let God's word develop you. Read His Word every day, keep a journal and write down what the Holy Spirit speaks to you from the Word. You are God's possession, His unique creation.

2. God delights in you. Psalm 18:19; God delivered me because He delighted in me.

The Hebrew word for delight means to incline toward someone or something. God demonstrates His delight in us through His grace, His forgiveness, and the joy He takes in our obedience. You are definitely His delight.

Please don't allow yourself to get caught up in the comparison game. You are you, God's unique creation, His love, joy and delight. Comparing ourselves to someone else is really just a waste of time because nobody could ever be you no matter how hard she tried.  

Have a great, no comparison day!

Penny

 

Trust and Obey. There Really is No Other Way

 You've heard it said, "It's easy to trust God when the bills are paid, the kids are doing well in school, and our health is good." In fact, I think it's easier to say, "I trust You God" than to actually trust Him. 

We can never know the depths of our trust when we're in the good times: it takes those "back against the wall" experiences to reveal, "Am I trusting God, or am I just saying I trust Him?"

One of my favorite hymns that we sang in church when I was growing up is Trust and Obey. The chorus says this: Trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Nahum 1:7 tell us this: The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble: and He knows those who trust in Him.

I might say, "I trust You, Lord," but God knows my heart, He knows if I am really trusting Him, or just saying I do.

Do you trust God, really trust Him? I have found in my own life that if I am having a hard time trusting God to answer my prayer and then trusting Him no matter the answer, I have an obedience problem that needs my attention. When I get the obeying part right, trust comes naturally. It really is that simple.

Trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Mark or hi-lite Nahum 1:7 in your Bible and let that verse keep a check on your heart. Then, check out the hymn Trust and Obey. I know the words will speak to you as they speak to me. Any questions or comments? Just ask and we'll do our best to answer.

Penny

Just Be Still

 When I was a senior in high school my English Lit class saw the movie, The Hiding Place. The movie is a true-life adaptation of the Ten Boom family who were Christians and lived in the Netherland's during World War 2. Corrie, her sister Betsie, and their father Casper lived in a house above their watch shop and it was in that house that they hid Jews and others from the Nazi's. As many as 5 or 6 people were known to be hidden at one time in their home and some of them Corrie hid in a secret room in her bedroom.

Corrie and her family lived a "scary life." They were continually on high alert, always fearful, but her faith was so strong, her devotion so deep, that what she was doing for God and His people was stronger than any other fear or worry she endured each day.

I enjoy reading about her and her devotion to Christ, and one of my favorite quotes of Corrie Ten Boom's is this:

Worry is a cycle of inefficient thoughts whirling around a center of fear.

Maybe today you are worried about things you can't control. Maybe thoughts of your future or fear for your loved ones is a continuing "cycle of inefficient thoughts" and they are preventing you from trusting God. Worry often makes us feel restless, creates negative emotions, and can paralyze us with fear.

Psalm 46:10 tells us the answer for "inefficient thoughts."

Be still and know that I am God.

When life overwhelms you, be still. Get to a place where you can sit quietly, pray (out loud if possible) and say, "You are God. I know You are God." God will work in the quiet of your stillness to deepen your faith and develop your trust. No matter what you may face  today rest assured: He is all you need. Just be still.

Penny

A New Daily Devotional is Coming to woman2womanministries

 Whatever concerns you, rest assured that some woman, in some part of the world, is dealing with the very same thing you are dealing with right now. You see, as women, we all share the same inherent DNA that causes us to experience love, joy, and hope, but also fears for our family, worry, anxiety, fear of the unknown, and everything else we are concerned about daily.

Over the next few weeks I will be sharing a daily devotional here on the blog to help and encourage women of all ages to learn from God's Word how to handle what life can throw at us. We will learn how the men and women of the Bible responded when they were afraid: how they handled the bullies that threatened their faith: the things they learned about God's faithfulness in the most trying of situations: and most importantly, God loves you, He will never forsake you, you are valuable to Him, He has a plan for you.

Guest writers will be joining us from time to time. I hope you will become a member of the blog and you will receive a notice when a new post is added. But most importantly, pray that through our efforts women and girls will be reached with the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. Only He can redeem every emotion, every hurt, every fear, and turn every circumstance and situation into something our finite minds could never imagine. Remember: He can do "exceeding, abundantly above what we could ask or think." Ephesians 3:20.

I hope you'll join us, and I look forward to reading your comments.

God Hears You

 

God Hears You

Everyone needs to feel we are heard. Children need to know Mom and Dad hear them, that they listen when they speak. Husbands need to feel heard by their wives and wives need to know that their husband really hears them, he really listens. As God's child I need to know that God hears me, too, and He does!

In 1 Samuel 23, David and his men are on the run from King Saul. Verse 14 says that "Saul sought him every day." Saul was consumed with David. He thought about him continually and I think he probably dreamed about him at night and talked about him all day. 

I can't even imagine what it must have been like to begin each day fearful. To try to sleep at night fearful for his very life and the lives of his family and friends, but he did. David was afraid.

There have been times I have been afraid. Very afraid. But did you know that God has a purpose for our fear? He does. He had a purpose for David's fear and in Psalm 54 David wrote about his need to be heard by God. In verse 2 David said, "Hear my prayer O God, give ear to the words of my mouth."

Fear prompts me to recognize my dependence upon God. What is your fear today? Your health, your marriage, your children, your job? Fear is a common denominator in each of us, we all experience it, often daily. But fear will turn into praise when I confess, "Lord, I am depending on You, I trust You to hear me and to listen to my prayer. I know You will." 

I encourage you to read the rest of Psalm 54: David's fear turned into hope, trust, faith, and a dependence on God he had never experienced before. 

In verse 4 David said, "God is my Helper."

Verse 6: "I will praise Your name O Lord, for it is good."

Verse 7: "For God has delivered me out of all trouble."

Depend upon God today. Trust Him, believe Him, God hears you.

Penny

Standing/Sleeping on the Promises of God

Have you ever been so tired you could hardly hold your eyes open, then you get in bed and your mind starts racing, you relive the events of the day and wish you had done things differently, or you feel anxious about the next day or even week and you just can't fall asleep? I hear this so often from women and many nights I have experienced it too. We watch the clock, our body is tired, but we just can't turn off our mind.

In Acts 12, Peter is in prison, in chains, and the church was praying "without ceasing" for him. (v5). His angel entered the prison, unaware to the guards and other prisoners, and had to shake Peter to wake him up. How could Peter sleep so soundly when he was possibly facing execution the next day? Because Jesus had promised him in John 21:18 that he would live to be an old man, and Peter believed Jesus. He was not worried about what might happen the next day because he didn't see his circumstances, he saw the promise.

What has God promised you? The only way you can know is to read and study His word. And each time you read a promise, write it down, meditate on it, memorize it, believe it. Here are 5 to get you started:

1. God never changes. Malachi 3:6.

2. God will forgive your sins. 1 John 1:9.

3. He will save you and give you a home in heaven. 2 Corinthians 5:1.

4. He will never leave you, nor forsake you. Hebrews 13:5-6.

5. He loves you with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3.

What if you and I believed every promise and lived out our lives knowing that He will keep each one? A life of faith is simply this; living each day knowing I can sleep/rest soundly on the pillow of His promises. As the old hymn reminds us, "I'm Standing/Sleeping on the Promises of God." Sleep well tonight. God will keep His word; He will keep each promise.

Penny

 Jehovah Roi--God Sees Me

In Genesis 16:7-13, Hagar, Sarah's servant is expecting Abraham's first child. Hagar has become defiant, Sarah has to deal with the problem, and Hagar has run away. As she is sitting alone in a desert place, she hears the voice of the Angel of the Lord and he said, "Hagar, go back home to Sarah and submit to her." He then tells her she will have a son, he will become a prosperous man, and his name will be Ishmael. In v13, Hagar says this: "God sees me." 

Jehovah Roi is the Hebrew name for The God Who Sees Me. Today you may feel invisible. You may feel no one sees you, no one hears you, no one understands you, not even your husband or your closest friend. But Jehovah Roi sees you. He understands you and you are important to Him. You are never alone, you are never "unseen."

If you know someone who is suffering from lonliness and feeling "unseen" please share this post with her and let her know that The God Who Sees, sees her.

Penny

Just as a Little Child

 I am an admirer of Billy and Ruth Graham. I admire their love story, I admire their choice to live modestly and in such contrast to many popular preachers and evangelists of our day. I have read many of their books and especially enjoy Ruth's biography, "It's My Turn." In her biography she inspires women of every age to live for Christ, love and serve your husband, devote yourself to your marriage and children, and serve faithfully wherever He places you. 

In her biography she says this; When Jesus put the little child in the midst of His disciples (Matt.18-1-5) He did not tell the little child to become like the disciples: He told the disciples to become like the little child. 

My grandchildren are teaching me many spiritual lessons. As I listen to their sweet words of love, as I witness their trust in their parents and see their devotion and abandonment to those of us in their lives they depend on, it reminds me that God desires my free expressions of love. He desires that I trust Him when I don't understand the circumstances of my life or the situations He sends my way. He longs that I remain devoted to Him with abandonment and depend upon Him and Him alone to provide for me, to sustain me, and direct, and yes, even to correct. For I have discovered in my own life that it is easy to have child-like faith when things are going well, but not so easy when I am chastised and corrected for sin in my life. 

The things that come from a child toward his parents are simple things. They are not complicated at all. Trust, faith, obedience, devotion, expressions of love, loyalty, spending time together, expressing thanks, can easily be seen in children who love their parents. And these are child-like expressions of love and faith I long to give my Savior. 

We're quick to point out to our children those adults they are to admire, imitate, and strive to be like and that is not always a bad thing. But I want to be just as quick to take Jesus at His word and strive to be more like a little child in my faith and my approach to God.

Every single person, from the greatest to the least has come to Christ as a little child. Only when we put away all the "grown-up" ideas, misconceptions, misunderstandings, false teachings and come to Him with the same love, devotion, and trust as a little child can we ever experience the true joy and sweetness of Jesus. 

Come to Him as a little child today. He will not turn you away. 

Penny