Girlfriends in God

[Judy Harder]

September 9, 2008
Accountability:  A Hedge of Protection
Mary Southerland

Today's Truth
Romans 12:5b "...and each member belongs to all the others."

Friend to Friend
A certain expert guide lived in the deserts of Arabia.  He was known for his tracking skills and the fact that he never lost his way. The secret of his success could be found in the fact that he carried with him a homing pigeon that had a very fine cord attached to one of its legs. When he had doubts as to which path to take, he threw the bird into the air. The pigeon quickly strained at the cord to fly in the direction of home, leading the guide accurately to his goal. Because of this unique practice, he was known as "the dove man."

We always need connections to those who will point us in the right direction.  We will take the wrong path or make a wrong turn and there will be times when we have no idea which way to go or how to get home.  We must then turn to God and to those who hold us accountable. 

Accountability is often seen as confining, a relationship straight jacket that limits freedom of expression and hinders those who "march to the beat of a different drummer".  Actually, the opposite is true.  Accountability frees us to grow and change and is an important part of every relationship. 

When I married into the Southerland family, I didn't know that tent camping was part of the deal.  I might have reconsidered (just kidding).  I decided that I could learn to camp and maybe even enjoy it!  My first trip to Lake Greason in the foothills of the Ozarks was quite an experience.  It did not take me long to learn the daily routine.  Each morning, Dan's mom would prepare a huge breakfast, after which, the kids did dishes while mom changed into her swim suit, donned her sun glasses, grabbed a towel and headed for the lake.  On the shore, she would grab an inner tube, position her towel in just the right spot over the tube, turn around and sit down. She would then float blissfully for hours.  There was a slight problem with this plan.  Lake Greason had a current that would carry mom down the lake, around the bend and into the path of ski boats.  Several times a day, someone would have to swim after her and pull her back to the safety of the shore, where she would profusely thank them and go right back to floating.  Finally, one of the kids came up with a great idea!  Get a rope!  We grabbed a ski rope, tied one end to mom's inner tube and the other end to a wooden stake driven securely into the ground.  She could then float until the rope ran out and someone "reeled her in".  What a perfect picture of accountability -- giving someone who loves you the permission to "reel you in" when they see you headed in a dangerous direction.  When we willingly make ourselves accountable to others, we are creating a hedge of protection that ultimately yields boundaries, parameters or behavioral lines that should not be crossed.

Honestly, most of us have experienced very little accountability in life because at the heart of being accountable to someone is the willingness to be submissive to them.  We have abused the concept of submission.  It was never intended to be demeaning and does not involve slavery in any form.  Submission is protection and an intentional willingness to consider first the desires and wishes of another before our own.  God places others in our lives to see things that we cannot see, to encourage and build up, to correct, love and protect, but still, we tend to view accountability as a crutch and submission as a weakness.  Submission is harnessed strength, a controlled strength that is born out of obedience to God's command.  "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ."  (Ephesians 5:21) 

Jesus submitted Himself to the will of His father.  He willingly laid down His desires and dreams, His plans and hopes in total submission.  Out of that total surrender came the most powerful life ever lived.  When we willingly submit ourselves to God and choose to make ourselves accountable to others, we will experience a freedom and power we have never known before. 

Let's Pray
Father, I come to You today, submitting myself to You.  Thank You for the protection, direction and power that comes from that submission.  Forgive me when I have stood silent while someone I loved made dangerous decisions.  Give me the courage to confront in love.  Give me the wisdom to receive correction and to be accountable to others.  Thank You for Your love that never condemns but always stands ready to keep me from making mistakes.  And when I do fall, thank You for being there to pick me up and walk with me.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Now It's Your Turn
Read Proverbs 27:6 "Faithful are wounds of a friend."  What does this verse mean to you?  How does this verse relate to accountability?

Name two people in your life to whom you are accountable. 
Are they willing to tell you the truth instead of what you want to hear?
Are they godly people who will constantly point you to Christ?

Who is accountable to you?
Are you willing to step between that person and the wrong choices?
Can you confront in love for the sole purpose of restoration?

More From the Girls
God did not create us to live alone.  We were created to need each other -- for many reasons -- one of the most important being accountability.  It is much easier to make the wrong choices and to take the wrong turns when no one is watching.  I often wonder how many marriages have failed, how many friendships have been destroyed, or how many lives have been wasted because there was no accountability.  I praise God every day for a husband and friends who are willing to be a safety net in my life by holding me accountable.  If you don't have an accountability partner, don't wait another minute.  Ask God to send you a friend who loves you enough to protect you by holding you accountable.  Need help?  Check out my Free Online Bible Study.  We are looking at the lives of those "bad girls" in the Bible.  Blessings!

Seeking God?
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.


Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 725
Matthews, NC 28106
info@girlfriendsingod.com
www.girlfriendsingod.com

[Judy Harder]

September 10, 2008
The Interview
Sharon Jaynes

Today's Truth
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved," (Acts 16:31 (NKJV)

Friend to Friend
My palms were slightly sweaty, yet calm.  My posture was poised, yet not stiff.  My dress was conservative, yet fashionable.  I waited in a small room lined with bookshelves, diplomas, and awards.  A mammoth wooden desk dwarfed my small chair positioned in the center of the interrogation room.

It was my first job interview.  After completing Dental Hygiene School and passing both State and National Boards, I was ready to cross over the bridge to the land of the employed.  Even though Dr. Ford (the man who would decide my professional destiny) seemed somewhat intimidating, I felt fairly confident.  My GPA was excellent and board scores commendable.  I was ready for anything this guy had to throw at me.  Let the games begin, I mused.  And so they did.

"What was the last book you read?"  he asked.

"Reviewing for National Boards and The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis."  I replied.

"What did you eat for breakfast this morning?"  he questioned.

"Coffee cake and milk," I answered.

"What's your least favorite household job?"

"Dusting."

"What would you do if you bought a set of living room furniture and it went on sale the next day?"

"Return it and buy it back again at the sale price."

This line of rapid fire questioning went on for forty-five minutes.  For each question, I shot back an honest response.  But all the while I was thinking, "What's this got to do with dentistry?  Is this what I've studied so hard for?"

After a few more minutes of chit-chat, Dr. Ford leaned forward, and with a sincere smile said, "Sharon, we would like for you to join our team."

I was shocked!  In my naiveté, I looked my prospective boss in the eye and asked, "Aren't you even going to ask me what kind of grades I made in school?"

With that, Dr. Ford threw back his head and filled the room with thunderous laughter.  With a twinkle in his eye he answered, "I imagine they were pretty good."

I could feel the color start at the end of my toes and rise to the top of my head.  How did that comment escape my practiced lips?  How could I say such a thing!?  I wanted to crawl under my chair and never come out.

Thus began my career in dentistry.  I learned a lot over the next few years, but perhaps the most important lesson took place in the interview.  What I discovered was that Dr. Ford was much more interested in my character than my credentials.  He was more concerned with what was in my heart than my head. Even though the questions seemed pointless to me, they spoke volumes about my life choices in common everyday situations to him.

I imagine my final interview with The Boss of the Universe will have many similarities, because He also is more concerned with my character than my credentials, and with what's in my heart than in my head.  For that last interview He will ask one question: "Do you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that I raised Him from the dead?"

"Yes, I do," I'll reply.

"Then come on in," He'll say with a smile. "That's all the credentials you need."

Let's Pray
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for Jesus.  I am so glad that I don't have to try to earn my way to heaven, but that Jesus did it for me. I am so thankful that when you look at me, You see the righteousness of Christ.  Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Now It's Your Turn
Do you ever fall into the trap of thinking that you have to earn God's love and acceptance?

If so, where do you think that faulty thinking comes from?

What does "saved by grace" mean to you?

If God were to ask you why He should let you into heaven, what would you say?  If you're not sure, Click here to find out more about how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

More from the Girlfriends
Don't you just love seeing God's fingerprints on the pages of your life?  If so, you'll love Sharon's new devotional book, Extraordinary Moments with God. This small padded hardback book is the perfect gift for someone you love -- or just for yourself!

Seeking God?
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.


Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 725
Matthews, NC 28106
info@girlfriendsingod.com
www.girlfriendsingod.com

[Judy Harder]

September 11, 2008
Service With a Smile
Mary Southerland

Today's Truth
Romans 12: 10 "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves."

Friend to Friend
The last thing I usually want to do is serve someone who is hard to get along with and rubs me the wrong way.  In fact, the way I figure it, they should be the one serving me in order to make up for all of the grief they have caused.  Sandpaper people are hard to serve and hard to help because they rarely, if ever, think of themselves as someone in need.  The needs of others are not high on their priority list.  Control and power are at the top.  To manipulate is to succeed.  Sandpaper people honestly believe that the world does or should revolve around them.  It doesn't seem to matter if the audience is applauding or jeering. Either way, they win.     

When we dare to serve a sandpaper person, it rocks their world.  They are so accustomed to scratching and clawing their way to a false and shallow acceptance and find it almost impossible to believe that anyone would ever be willing to serve them in any way.  That kind of chosen love is foreign to them but it certainly grabs their attention.  It is after we have loved and served the sandpaper people in our lives that we begin to see them with different eyes. 

"Devotion" indicates commitment and duty and carries the idea of a constant faithfulness that deliberately chooses repeatedly to serve.  To "honor" someone means to "prefer" him or her or regard them as more important than ourselves.  Most sandpaper people are used to people preferring that they disappear.  I am convinced if we learned to look past the irritating antics of sandpaper people and simply love them or "prefer" them, a transformation would begin. 

In the book of Philippians, Paul explains that when we are serving others we are doing what Jesus did. 

Philippians 2:1-5 "Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit?  Are your hearts tender and sympathetic?  Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one heart and purpose.  Don't be selfish; don't live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself.  Don't think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too and what they are doing. Your attitude should be the same that Christ Jesus had."

Paul is telling us that when we choose to love and serve others, especially those who are unlovable and difficult, we choose to have the same attitude that Jesus had.  I believe the greatest hindrance to serving others is pride. 

Someone once told me, "He that falls in love with himself will have no rivals."  I once heard a missionary tell how he was trying to do translation work in a particular tribe.  He was finding it very difficult to translate the word "pride" or at least the concept.  Finally, he came up with the idea to use their words for the ears being too far apart. In other words, he conveyed the idea of an "inflated head" which is probably hard to improve on when we talk about the problem of pride.

When our head is filled with thoughts of self, when our hearts are determined to love ourselves before others or when we serve only for the applause of men, we will become arrogant and our service becomes an offense to God.  Micah 6:8 outlines the good things God wants to see in us, "The Lord has told you what is good. He has told you what he wants from you: Do what is right to other people. Love being kind to others and live humbly, trusting your God."  Peter Marshall, the great bible teacher, once prayed, "Lord, when we are wrong, make us willing to change and when we are right, make us easy to live with.

Corrie Ten Boom, a dynamic Christian and survivor of German prison camps, loved to tell the story about a proud woodpecker who was tapping away at a dead tree when the sky unexpectedly turned black and the thunder began to roll. Undaunted, he went right on working. Suddenly a bolt of lightning struck the old tree, splintering it into hundreds of pieces. Startled but unhurt, the haughty bird flew off, screeching to his feathered friends, "Hey, everyone, look what I did! Look what I did!"
   
That old woodpecker reminds me of people who think more highly of themselves than they should. Usually they are so busy bragging about their achievements and their greatness that they fail to recognize God as the source of all their abilities or the needs of others. They are suffering from spiritual delusions of grandeur, and I am often right there with them.  Without the Lord, no one amounts to anything, and in our own strength, we cannot please Him. "So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and in his good time he will honor you." (1 Peter 5:6)  We are never more like our Father than when we lay aside our pride to love the unlovable by serving them.

Let's Pray
Father, when I let pride take up residence in my heart, I can be so blind to the needs of others, especially those who are more difficult to love.  I am so thankful that You did not feel that way toward me, one of the most difficult people of all to love.  I praise You for the grace and love You have given me.  Help me to be an instrument of that love and grace in the lives of those around me.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Now It's Your Turn
Take a few minutes to think about the people in your life -- family members, friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc.

List two people who are easy to love and serve. 
Name one way you can serve these people in the name of Jesus.
Determine how and when you can serve them.  Be specific.

List two people who are difficult to love and serve.
Name one way you can serve these people in the name of Jesus.
Determine how and when you can serve the.  Be specific.

Compare the two experiences. 
From which one did you learn the most? 
Which one forced you to rely upon God's power the most? 
What one truth did you gain through these two experiences?

More From the Girls
If I am not careful, I automatically gravitate to those who are easy to love and easy to serve.  I have to remind myself that Jesus Christ came for broken people like me.  I am not always easy to love and am prone to reject service because "I can do it myself."  Sound familiar?  Today, choose to love and serve those difficult people in your path.  When someone loves and wants to serve you, accept that love and service in Jesus' name, as a gift from God's hand.  Be blessed.  I encourage you to get Sharon Jaynes' new book, Extraordinary Moments With God, and learn how to see God at work in and through you in extraordinary ways.

Seeking God?
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.


Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 725
Matthews, NC 28106
info@girlfriendsingod.com
www.girlfriendsingod.com

[Judy Harder]

September 12, 2008
Waiting
Angela L. Craig

We hope you are enjoying the Girlfriends in God daily devotions. We (Mary, Sharon, and Gwen) would like to introduce you to some of our special friends.  From time-to-time, the Friday devotions will be written by one of our friends in ministry.  We call them our "Friday Friends."  So grab your Bible and a fresh cup of coffee and drink in the words from our "Friday Friend", Angela Craig.

Today's Truth
Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV)  "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."

Friend to Friend
What are you waiting for? Are you waiting for a new job, financial security, healing, a baby, or a restored marriage? It seems that no matter where we are in life, we are waiting for something.  Personally, I'm not a fan of the waiting game. I favor control over limbo because control produces a sense of security while limbo creates feelings of vulnerability and instability.

There are many stories of "waiting" in the Bible.  In some of the stories, the waiting seemed to last forever while others only waited a few, intense moments.  Think of Sarai and Abram who waited for a child for nearly twenty years. Or of Hezekiah who was healed from certain death by the power of prayer. Can you identify with any of these people? Have you been waiting so long for something that you have almost given-up hope in God's ability or desire to answer your request? Or are you like Hezekiah who received a miracle with his first prayer?

The Bible teaches us that we should "wait on the Lord." But what does that really mean? The verb "wait" is defined as the act of waiting or looking with confidence and great expectation towards the future. Why is it, that so many times I have asked God for something and then said, "Well, we will just wait and see what happens." Where is the confident expectation in that phrase?

Let me suggest three actions we can take to help us learn how to "wait on the Lord", knowing and believing that He wants to help.

Trust -- If we doubt God's willingness to hear and answer our prayer, we can begin to feel bitter when we think God has heard our prayer, but He is silent.  Scripture teaches us that God is unchangeable and we can rely on Him to provide the best possible path for our lives!
Resist -- We must resist taking matters into our own hands. Patience is essential in many circumstances and the Holy Spirit is available to fill us with patience when we feel we cannot wait another minute.
Pray -- How many times have you given a request to God and felt He had earplugs in? This situation always leads me to insistently repeat my prayer until I either give up or lose my voice. After we have given our need to the Lord, we must turn our question into a "Thank you". Thanking God is an active display of faith that demonstrates to God and to the world a confident expectation of God's awesome answer and provision!
Let's Pray
Dear Heavenly Father, I have been waiting for ________________________ and I come before You today to ask for Your help. I pray that You will increase my faith today as I believe in You with confidence and eager expectation of Your answer! I believe that Your plan for my life is the best one possible and I thank You for Your answer.
In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Now It's Your Turn

Have you ever given up on God?
Which area do you struggle with the most when "waiting on the Lord": trust, resist, or prayer?
Depending on your answer to question two, choose a Bible verse that reflects your decision to grow in that area. For example: if you struggle with trust, you might choose Psalm 91:2 (NIV), "I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." 
Seeking God?
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.


Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 725
Matthews, NC 28106
info@girlfriendsingod.com
www.girlfriendsingod.com

[Judy Harder]

September 15, 2008
Refinished and Restored
Sharon Jaynes

Today's Truth
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!  (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)

Friend to Friend
When I was in my late teens, I had an unusual fetish for old, beat-up, antique furniture.  While most of my friends were at the malls shopping for clothes, I was at estate sales, flea markets, yard sales, and auctions hunting for antiques.  Often when I brought my purchases home, my family would roll their eyes in disgust and say, "I can't believe you paid money for that dirty piece of junk."  But I never saw my purchases as junk.  They just needed a little work ... OK, a lot of work.

At one estate sale, I spied a little drop-leaf kitchen table with three spindle-back chairs.  I could just imagine a sweet little older lady spending many years sitting at that very table drinking her morning coffee or perhaps her afternoon tea.  I could almost hear the faint whispers of thousands of conversations from generations past.  The set was painted a hospital green, but I saw that it had great potential.  Obviously the other bidders didn't see the table's great potential, because ten minutes and $35 later, the set was mine.  I was sure I had saved the table and chairs from becoming kindling for someone's fire.

I brought the dinette set home, all excited about my great buy, but  couldn't understand why no one else shared my enthusiasm.

"Sharon, do you realize how much time and energy it is going to take to make that old green rickety table look even slightly presentable?" they asked.   At that point in my life, I had a lot more time than money, so the time wasn't a problem.

Refinishing furniture is a dirty, grueling task, and refinishing this table and chairs was no exception.  First, I stripped off the paint with paint remover, which not only removes paint but eats through latex gloves and layers of skin.  I discovered that not only had the table been green, it had also been blue, and before that white.  But underneath it all, was pure walnut!

The paint remover raised the grain of the wood, so I had to go back and sand it smooth.  If the sanding isn't done well, the finished product will always be a little rough.  A few joints had come  loose from wear and tear, and I had to glue them back together.  Then I applied a warm walnut stain which deepened its color and made the beautiful pattern of the wood grain stand out.  Finally, I  applied  polyurethane to seal and protect the piece.

As I worked, I began to think of the old broken table as a symbol of my own life.  I was also on the auction block, and God paid a price for me with His precious blood.  I was saved from someone's fire.  I had layers and layers of old self that hid the beauty of what God had created me to be.  These layers had to be stripped off  by crucifying the flesh with its passions and desires .   This raised my grain, but God sanded me with life experiences and trials.  God glued my loose joints and mended my broken pieces, for He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds.  Also, God put a sealer not only on me but in me, the Holy Spirit, which is given to me as a seal and a promise.

I sat in the garage looking at my finished work and thinking about all God had done for me.   My mom opened the door, looked at the old table, and said, "I never thought something so ugly could turn out to be so beautiful."

I said, "Amen."

Let's Pray
Dear Heavenly Father, I am so amazed that You paid such a high price for me.  While others thought of me as just a throw away person, You knew different.  You saw what I could be if I trusted in You. Thank You for seeing past the dirt and transforming me into a spiritually beautiful creature of unique design.

Now It's Your Turn
I think attics are amazing places to visit.  Is there something tucked away in your attic  or other storage place that is a treasure to you, but trash to someone else?

What about that item makes it special?

Do you realize just how special you are to God?  You are His priceless treasure.  Walk in that assurance today!

More from the Girlfriends
So many Christians are living in defeat because they don't understand the dramatic change that occurred the moment they believed in Jesus.  If you would like to learn more about who you are in Christ, what you have in Christ, and where you are in Christ, see Sharon's book, Experience the Ultimate Makeover and begin the journey of discovering your beauty in Christ.



Seeking God?
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.


Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 725
Matthews, NC 28106
info@girlfriendsingod.com
www.girlfriendsingod.com

[Judy Harder]

September 16, 2008
Nailing Lies To The Cross
Gwen Smith

Today's Truth
"I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow--not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below--indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39, NLT)

Friend to Friend
One major blessing of being in women's ministry is the friendships I have with other women in ministry. We are our own little band of sisters. Sisters with a mission! We cheer for one another, cry with one another, laugh with one another, pray for one another, and rejoice with one another.

One sister I've had the opportunity to lock arms with for the journey is named Renee. Renee works for an international women's ministry and is a talented God-fearing, Bible-teaching speaker and writer. A few years back, Renee traveled across the country to speak at a women's retreat. When she got there, a few unexpected circumstances caused her to send out an "SOS, pray-for-me-now" email to her ministry sisters. I got the email and hit my knees.

Early the next week, Renee sent us an email thanking us for praying and telling us what God did in the hearts of women at that retreat. She told us that she spoke about the lies that we believe as women and told personal and biblical stories that illuminated God's truth. Then, at the final session, Renee asked the women to consider what they believed to be true about themselves. Her challenge went something like this: "When you settle your soul long enough to simply be still--when you pause to listen to your heart--what do you hear? Are there lies that linger in your heart knowingly or unknowingly?"

She encouraged them to write down on a note card the lies they had accepted as truth, whether lies spoken by a parent, kids in the schoolyard, a friend, a family member, a spouse, a child, a pastor, or a stranger. She told them that some of the lies might never have been spoken at all, just believed.

When they finished she invited them to bring the cards to a wooden cross at the front of the room. Next to the cross she had placed baskets filled with promises from God's Word, and after each woman nailed her card to the cross, she picked up a truth that would replace her lies.

Tears ran down almost every cheek as the women brought their lies to the cross and embraced God's life-changing Words. Guilt was forgiven, worthless became precious, and sorrows were traded for joy that day. Then a whoop-it-up celebration went down! God, through his Holy Spirit, revealed His heart to those sweet women and shattered the lies of the enemy.

After the retreat was over, Renee looked through the cards that had been nailed to the cross. One card jumped out at her. Written over and over was one word: Worthless!

The woman who wrote that word wasn't the only one at that retreat who felt that way. That same word--worthless--was penned on many of the cards that weekend. It represents a lie that has been believed by most every woman at some point in her life. There have been days, weeks, and months that I've believed it myself.

It's one of Satan's favorite words to throw at us, and it is a big, fat, ugly lie.

The Bible clearly shows us that we are valued in the sight of the Lord. When we allow God's Word to flood our lives with the truth we are changed by the height, the depth, and the width of His love for us. "Take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:18--19, MSG).

God loves you with a personal love. He knows your name. He knit you together in your mother's womb. He considers you highly valuable. No matter what you've believed in the past, choose by faith to believe this now: you are valued, priceless, and adored by God.

Let's Pray
Heavenly Father, thank you for holding me safely in Your arms of love.  Please help me to recognize any lie that my heart may perceive as truth, and strengthen me to trade in my sorrow for your joy.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Now It's Your Turn
What does your heart hear when you are still?

What lies would you write on that card?

Meditate on the following Psalm (Read it silently; then out loud.)

"Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits--who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's." (Psalm 103:1-5)

Now, spend a few moments prayerfully responding to God.

More from the Girlfriends
On a personal note, I recently had the honor of recording a LIVE worship album that is scheduled to be released in October!  The CD is called "Unsearchable," and I have never been more excited about a project in my life!  God led me to partner with a record label called Great Worship Songs. GreatWorshipSongs.com is a worship-centric imprint and division of Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing (a Universal Music Publishing Group Company) serving worship leaders and pastors with new worship songs for corporate and personal worship. Check them out and let your music pastor know about them too!   

Today's devotion is an excerpt from Gwen's book, Broken Into Beautiful. To order the book, please CLICK HERE. 

Gwen Smith is a worship artist, songwriter, speaker, and author. For more information, visit her website at: www.GwenSmith.net.

Seeking God?
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.


Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 725
Matthews, NC 28106
info@girlfriendsingod.com
www.girlfriendsingod.com

[Judy Harder]

September 17, 2008
Mrs. Jaynes, You're Leading Again
Sharon Jaynes

Today's Truth
"Solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil." (Hebrews 5:14 NASB)

Friend to Friend
After ten years of marriage, I convinced my very masculine husband to take a few ballroom dance classes with me. Steve and I had been to a resort in Sea Island, Georgia, and had watched couples as they glided around the dance floor, moving as one to the fluid sounds of a professional orchestra playing music from the Big Band era.  That's what I wanted to do!   I wanted us to be Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire.  So, I signed us up for ballroom dance classes with visions of grandeur.

The first order of business at our initial ballroom dance class was to learn the Fox Trot.  "OK Dr. and Mrs. Jaynes," the instructor began, "today, we will learn a dance called the Fox Trot.  Dr. Jaynes, you place your right hand on your wife's left shoulder blade.  Cup it firmly in your hand."  Then she turned to me.  "Now Mrs. Jaynes, you gently rest your left hand on your husband's right shoulder."  "So far so good," we all agreed.

She proceeded to teach us to make little boxes with our feet while counting 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4.  (Floating around the room as one, this was not.)  The instructor smiled at Steve and said, "Dr. Jaynes, you have the hardest part because the man has to learn how to lead.  All the woman has to do is follow."   More than once she tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Mrs. Jaynes, you're leading again."  The problem was, when I led, Steve wouldn't follow and that train couldn't have two engines.

I quickly became bored with the little boxes and asked, "Can we learn to move around the room a little instead of making boxes in the same spot all the time?"  We then learned how to modify our box so it looked like a box with a flap open.  We took two steps sideways and two steps backwards.  Actually, Steve got to move forwards and I had to move backwards, which seemed totally unfair to me.  I understood that we both could not move forward, but why did it have to be the woman who moved backwards?  The instructor assured me that this was the way God planned it, or at least that's what it sounded like to me.

  I had wanted to feel like Ginger Rogers, gliding in graceful movements across the dance floor but instead I felt like a shopping buggy being pushed through the supermarket, and Steve looked more like Fred Rogers instead of Fred Astaire.  All the while, I was being reprimanded, "Mrs. Jaynes, you're leading again."

Another thing we had to learn was not to look down at our feet, but at each other.  "Concentrate on looking at each other's face," the instructor said.   "Looking at your feet will not make them do the right steps.  You just need to listen to the music and let your feet move you around the room." 

"Yeah, right," I thought.   I felt better looking down, as if my eyes could will my feet into the correct steps.  Eventually however, I did learn to keep my eyes off of my feet and on my leader's handsome face.

After our first forty-five minute class was over, the instructor warned, "Now you must go home and practice.  If you don't practice, it won't take long to forget everything you learned today."  Let's just say, she was right.

So it goes.  Sometimes it's not fun to learn those fundamental but necessary beginning steps in our Christian walk.  We want to glide through our spiritual journey with the ease and beauty of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, moving as one, effortlessly across life's dance floor.  But without learning those basic first steps and without practice, Fred and Ginger we will never be.  Hebrews 5:14 states that "Solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil."

The truth is, our Leader, God, does have the hardest part.  And guess what. He knows all the steps!  We just need to learn how to follow His lead.  As long as we keep trying to take over the lead, our feet will trip and stumble through life. But when we relinquish control and place our trust in Him, our lives will be a perfectly choreographed dance of beauty and grace.

Let's Pray
Dear LORD, forgive me for trying to take control of my life.  I want You to be the LORD of my life...all of it.  I release control to You today. Thank You for the Holy Spirit that taps me on the shoulder and warns me, "You're leading again."
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Now It's Your Turn
This devotion has a twofold purpose.  It shows the beauty of giving control over to God, but it is also a picture of the beauty of a marriage when the husband is the spiritual leader.

How are you doing in the "dance of life" with your husband?

Do you struggle allowing him to lead?

Did you know that a man who has a controlling wife will eventually give up trying to be the spiritual leader?

What are some ways that you can allow and encourage your husband to be the leader of your home?

If you are not married, what are some ways that you can relinquish control over to your spiritual husband, Jesus Christ?

More from the Girlfriends
Our marriages are meant to be a reflection of Jesus Christ and His relationship with the church.  How are you doing?  Need a little help?  We cannot change someone else, but we can certainly change ourselves.  For more on how to have an amazing marriage, see Sharon's book, Becoming the Woman of His Dreams -- Seven qualities every man longs for.

Seeking God?
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 725
Matthews, NC 28106
info@girlfriendsingod.com
www.girlfriendsingod.com

[Judy Harder]

September 18, 2008
The Spiritual Cancer
Mary Southerland

Today's Truth
"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."  James 4:6

Friend to Friend
I was born and raised in Texas, a proud native through and through.  Texans are commonly known for their boisterous pride in their state, and I am no exception.  I especially enjoy the constant barrage of jokes I receive because of my heritage and delight in their part truth and part lore humor at the expense of myself and every other Texan.  One story goes something like this: 

Two Texans were trying to impress each other with the size of their ranches.  One asked the other, "What's the name of your ranch?"  The rancher replied, "The Rocking R, ABC, Flying W Circle C, Bar U, Staple Four, Box D, Rolling M, Rainbow's End, and Silver Spur Ranch." Duly impressed, the questioner exclaimed, "Wow" That's sure some name!  How many head of cattle do you run?"  With a sad shake of his head, the rancher answered, "Not many.  Very few survive the branding."  Very few survive the deadly disease of pride, either.

C.S. Lewis called pride a "spiritual cancer" that devours love and contentment.  Pride is a sign of our own insecurity and feelings of inferiority.  Pride and inferiority are actually opposite sides of the same coin and are both sin, a preoccupation with self that leaves little room for God's spirit of humility.  Spurgeon poetically warned us not to be proud of "race, face, or place".

We all struggle with pride and must constantly battle the tendency to measure every circumstance and relationship against the narcissistic viewpoint of "What's in it for me?"  Pride has no place in the life of a Christian because pride steps between God and us.  To think that God stands in opposition against prideful people is a strong and sobering statement that should send us all running to the place of humility.  Because He is a loving Father, God opposes pride, in part, for what it does to His children.  "Pride will destroy a person; a proud attitude leads to ruin.  It is better to be humble and be with those who suffer than to share stolen property with the proud." (Proverbs 16:18-19)  Learning to deal with pride is an important and essential part of spiritual growth.

Pride will prevent us from seeing others as God sees them.  Pride will hold us back from laying down our expectations and rights in order to reach out to those who cross our path.  Pride will slowly erode the humble spirit God so wants to see in His people and in their relationships.  I suspect that a good dose of humility would cure many of our failing marriages, broken family relationships and struggling friendships.  Then the question becomes, how can we rid our lives of pride and prevent it from carving out a destructive stronghold from which relationship problems arise.  The answer is found in a passage of scripture written by the apostle Paul and directed to the church in Rome.

Romans 12:3 -6;10 "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.  Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.  We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves."

Paul certainly understood what it meant to struggle with pride.  Before his encounter with Christ, Paul had been a man of great arrogance.  After all, he was a power broker in the Roman government as well as a highly regarded and chief persecutor of anyone following Jesus Christ.  Little did Paul know what the road to Damascus held for him that day when God interrupted Paul's life with His blinding love and unparalleled power.  Everything changed.  Paul became a humble man, the walking definition of a servant, delighting in his new role of striving to be last among the least.  Paul understood that he was a trophy of grace; that his heart had been captured by grace and his life completely transformed in the process.  God's grace was Paul's starting place and finish line and the very reason Paul was so humble and so powerful.  It is such a paradox in God's economy of life that in order to be strong we must choose weakness and in order to be first we must be content with last.

The amazing truth is that grace is ours for the asking.  God stands ready to pour His priceless grace into every heart and soul while watching grace work to generate an unexplainable peace, eternal life, unending joy, and freedom from sin through unconditional love. Grace offers us the riches of God, at the expense of Jesus Christ and His death on the cross.   

Pride's goal is to make us independent of God, duping us into believing that we are in control of our own fate and are able to call our own shots. What audacity we possess as humans to think we can live life on our own when, whether we admit it or not, we are totally dependent on God and even our very next breath is a gift from His hand. Pride convinces us that we can play God, worshipping ourselves while erecting false idols shrouded in rebellion and sin.  Pride is the universal religion of hell and a deadly poison. 

A friend recently told me about a new product she found listed online.  "Disposable Guilt Bags" first appeared in a few select stores to test the market.  I could have told the creator that guilt exists in abundance and that people will go to any lengths to assuage their guilt.  My friend explained that you could buy a set of Disposable Guilt Bags, ten ordinary brown bags on which were printed the following instructions:  "Place the bag securely over your mouth then take a deep breath and blow out all of your guilt. Close the bag and dispose of immediately."  The amazing part of this story is that the Associated Press reported that over 2500 kits had sold immediately at $2.50 per kit. 

Nothing on this earth is powerful enough to erase guilt.  We try to "fix" ourselves but fail. The only power that makes it possible to be forgiven is God's grace.  "In Christ we are set free by the blood of his death. And so we have forgiveness of sins because of God's rich grace."  (Ephesians 1:7)  When our lives are lived against the backdrop of grace, pride will die from a lack of attention.

Let's Pray
Lord, please forgive my arrogant heart.  I am so sorry for the pride I see in my life.  Today, I ask You to search my heart and destroy the strongholds of pride and ego.  Help me to recognize prideful thoughts and actions in my life.  Give me the discernment to be honest and transparent before You and before others.  I, too, am a trophy of grace.  Help me to live like one.  In Jesus' name, Amen

Now It's Your Turn
Read the following verses and answer each question:

• Psalm 10:4  "In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God."  (NIV)  How does pride affect our relationship with God?  Is this true in your life?

• Proverbs 16:5  "The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished."  (NIV)  What is God's attitude toward those who are proud? 

• Psalm 40:4  "Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods." (NIV)  How does pride encourage idolatry?  Do you have any idols in your life?  Name them and eliminate them. 

What decision do you need to make today in order to choose grace over pride?  What would that look like in your daily life?

More from the Girls
I have the honor and privilege of working with two precious friends who are godly women, seeking His heart and plan every step of the way.  Gwen Smith's new book, "Broken Into Beautiful," is a beautiful illustration of God's grace at work in a woman's heart.  Sharon Jaynes' book, "Your Scars Are Beautiful to God" will lead you to the place of discovering just how much God loves you.  I encourage you to visit their online stores today and pick up these two life-changing resources.  Why not pick up a copy for a special girlfriend?

Seeking God?
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.


Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 725
Matthews, NC 28106
info@girlfriendsingod.com
www.girlfriendsingod.com

[Judy Harder]

September 19, 2008
Letting Go
Leslie Nease

We hope you are enjoying the Girlfriends in God daily devotions. We (Mary, Sharon, and Gwen) would like to introduce you to some of our special friends.  From time-to-time, the Friday devotions will be written by one of our friends in ministry.  We call them our "Friday Friends."  So grab your Bible and a fresh cup of coffee and drink in the words from our "Friday Friend", Leslie Nease.

Today's Truth
3 John 1:4 "I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth."  (NLT)

Friend to Friend
As I type this, my oldest daughter, Stephanie, is preparing to go off to college.  She leaves in a little over two weeks.  It is so bitter-sweet I can hardly stand it!  They say that once you have a child, you forever wear your heart on the outside of your body.  I can relate to that statement.

She made a decision a few months ago to stay home and go to a college close by.  I thought it was strange at the time because she had already picked out a great Christian University to attend that was about two hours away.  Of course, this change in her plans excited me as I was thrilled she would be near us!  However, she began to regret her decision after awhile and I saw her entire demeanor change. 

She was honest with me about three weeks ago and said she made the decision because she didn't want me to be hurt if she left.  I never asked her to stay, but somehow I must have left the impression that I was going to fall apart the day she walked out the door!  I was devastated that I did that to her.

Now I was ready to let her go.  She is going to her original University choice and I couldn't be happier for her.  Sure, I will miss her deeply but seeing her so miserable out of the will of God made me realize that I'd rather let her go than keep her here and have her walking in disobedience and misery.  Who am I to stand in the way of what God has for her?

I'm realizing as my children are all growing up that letting go is hard and exciting all at the same time.  Honestly, I think I'm at the place where I'm more excited for her than I am sad for me, but it's been a tough year.  She's not really my child anyway -- she belongs to God.  He has plans for her that are so exciting and wonderful that I can't help but be excited for her!  I'm so blessed to have her in my life and as long as I point her to Him, I've done my job well.

I still have three more children in the nest to nurture for now but it's time for my Stephanie to try out those beautiful wings now.  Fly, baby!  Fly!

I'm reminded today of these lyrics from Find Your Wings by Mark Harris:

I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams
And that faith gives you the courage
To dare to do great things
I'm here for you whatever this life brings
So let my love give you roots
And help you find your wings

It's not living if you don't reach for the sky
I'll have tears as you take off
But I'll cheer as you fly

Let's Pray
Oh, Father!  You have given us such a gift in our precious children.  Thank You for allowing us to be used by You to help them grow.  Please give us grace as we raise them and inevitably, let them go.  Thank You for the fact that they are Your children and You love them even more than we do and that even though our job is to let them go, Your job is to hold on to them for dear life!  Please care for them, protect them and direct their steps. You are faithful!  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Now It's Your Turn

If you are in the process of letting go of a child, or maybe even if you have one coming up in the next couple of years, remember that they can tell when we are feeling sad about their departure. Why not ask God to give you the grace to let go joyfully? Our kids don't want to hurt us and they need to know we are supporting them at this time in their lives.
God knows how much your heart hurts as you let go.  Take time to spend with Him and ask Him to show you scriptures that will encourage you and give you peace of mind.   
Always remember that God loves your children even more than you do!  Isn't that a comfort to know?  Praise Him for that and continue to pray for them as they venture out into the plans He has for them.
Seeking God?
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 725
Matthews, NC 28106
info@girlfriendsingod.com
www.girlfriendsingod.com

[Judy Harder]

September 22, 2008
God's Speedometer
Sharon Jaynes

Today's Truth
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."(Romans 12:2 NKJV)

Friend to Friend
I met my husband at a Bible Study in college and quickly learned that he was a very frugal, industrious, and resourceful young man.  On our first date, he came to pick me up in his ten-year-old Volkswagen Beetle, which he had purchased for $725.  He says it was yellow.  I say it was beige.  Regardless of the color, this fine piece of machinery had several "remarkable" features.

I don't know if it was the weather or our excitement on our first date, but as soon as we got into the car, the windows fogged up.  As we drove down Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, he asked, "Sharon, will you please get the defroster from the glove compartment and help me out so I can see?"   I reached in the compartment to pull out the defroster: a small towel.   Of course, I was impressed with his great wit and was delighted to ride around campus, wiping the front windshield as we went along.  (Isn't it amazing the perspective we have of inconveniences when love is new?)

Another amazing feature of this "beige" car was its ability to plow through the snow like a miniature snowmobile.  In the South, it's a big deal when we get more than a few flakes because we're not prepared for big snows.  So over our first spring break, when it snowed 18", everyone was paralyzed, homebound, or on the streets sliding around the road and into each other.  Everyone, that is, except Steve and his Little Engine That Could.  We were the envy of all the other shiny new cars on campus.

But perhaps the most remarkable feature of the VW was the speedometer.  It didn't work.  The speedometer broke when the odometer hit 200,000 miles and never left zero again.

"Steve," I asked, "If your speedometer doesn't work, how do you know how fast you are going?" 

"Well," he answered, "I never know for sure how fast I'm going.  I just have to pay attention to how fast cars around me are traveling and pace myself according to their speed.  Besides, I can tell when to change gears and about how fast I'm going by how much the car shakes!"

So Steve traveled around town and on highways, with no earthly idea of his exact speed.   He was totally dependent on those around him in order to pace himself.

We were married ten months after our first date, on a hot August day, between the last session of summer school and fall semester.  It was about 98 degrees the day Steve drove from Charlotte to Rocky Mount, N.C. for our wedding weekend. (Oh, did I mention that the VW had no air-conditioning?)  He left Charlotte in the wee hours on a Friday morning to avoid the mid-day heat.  Because it was so early, there was virtually no traffic.  Now that may seem like a dream come true for most people,  but remember, Steve needed traffic to judge his own speed.  His points of reference were missing, and he began to sweat.   

About two hours into the trip, Steve saw a blue light flashing in his rear-view mirror and his heart sank as he realized he was being pulled over by a state patrolman.

"Where you going in such a hurry, young man?" the officer asked.

"Actually, sir, I'm on my way to get married," Steve replied.

The patrolman just smiled as he handed Steve the ticket and said, "Well, don't let this ruin your day."

When Steve told me his story, I was really angry at that patrolman.  But the truth is that cars are not intended to be driven without a speedometer, and neither are we.  Our speedometer of course, is the Word of God.  The Lord has written us this wonderful love letter to teach us how to drive safely through life.  We aren't supposed to judge our pace or lifestyle by the lifestyle or pace of others.  We aren't supposed to listen to the world's ideas for success, happiness, and fulfillment. We are to listen to God and allow His Word to be our guide.

Romans 12:2 says, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."  I'll admit, sometimes I have a tendency to listen to the world's wooing and pace myself according to what is going on around me. However, when we listen to the world's voices rather than to God's voice, when we pace ourselves according to the culture around us, we are headed for trouble.

But when we pattern our actions according to God's Word and depend on the Holy Spirit to fuel our lives, we'll be headed safely in the right direction.

Let's Pray
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you that we don't have to guess how to do this thing called life.  You have given us the owner's manual -- the Bible.  We don't need to pattern our lives by what we see going on around us, but we can look right in Your Word to learn how to have an abundant life.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen

Now It's Your Turn
Would you say that you pattern your life more according to what the Bible has to say, or by what the world around you has to say?

Here are some hard questions to consider.  What is your view on the following verses?
A man and woman living together who are not married?
Little white lies?
Cheating on taxes?
Gossip -- or reading about gossip?
Sex outside of marriage?

Today, think about some other areas where you might have formed opinions based on the world's ideas, rather than God's truth. 

More from the Girlfriends
Wow, this devotion left us with a lot to think about.  Sometimes it is difficult to know if our thoughts are Biblical or worldly.  The only way to know the difference is to know God's Word.  If you would like to learn more about what the Bible has to say, Sharon Jaynes has many wonderful Bible study guides.  Most of the books on her resource page have a Bible study in the back or a separate Bible study guide.  Visit www.sharonjaynes.com  and discover the many treasures in the Bible just waiting to be discovered!

Seeking God?
Click here to find out more about
how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.


Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 725
Matthews, NC 28106
info@girlfriendsingod.com
www.girlfriendsingod.com