Encouragement for Today

[Judy Harder]

December 29, 2009

Arise from the Wreckage

Micca Monda Campbell

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose"

Romans 8:28 (KJV)
       
Devotion:

Recently I had an ah-ha moment as I was reading Acts 9. At first, the familiar story seemed dull. You know how it is when you've read or heard the same story over and over. Then a new revelation merged from the content. In my minds-eye I began to see the word "rejection," although it was not in written form.  Perhaps I saw what I was feeling that day—rejected.

I was at the part of the story where Saul, a murderer, had just been transformed into Paul, a disciple of Christ. Even though Paul was a changed person, many rejected him because of his past reputation as a murderer. This was only the beginning of Paul's trouble. Throughout his ministry, Paul not only experienced rejection, but great suffering and harassment too. For a changed man, his adversity seemed unfair.

Paul was devoted to serving Christ. He sacrificed his education, his life, and remained single so he could better serve the Lord. And yet, he was shipwrecked on several occasions, falsely accused, and thrown into prison more than once. Doesn't that seem odd for a man called of God? Wouldn't God's favor protect him from such adversity?

I thought about an illness that lingered with me all summer. It was so severe I was all but bed-ridden for months, unable to do life and ministry. I began to feel rejected by God. It didn't make sense. I was serving God in more ways than I could count. Then, without warning, strong winds blew in. Clouds hung overhead and it began to storm. Before I knew it I was "shipwrecked." You've been there, too.

Some of us have been rejected by family, friends, and co-workers. Others have been falsely accused. Some are imprisoned by finances, or blown around by the consequences of someone else's sin. It seems so unfair. You've tried to live right. You walk in obedience the best you can. You take God at His Word and trust in His promises. Shouldn't faith like this call for smooth sailing, instead of stormy, shipwrecking seas?

Isaiah reminds us that God's ways are not our ways. His thoughts and plans are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8; paraphrased). It's tough to figure God out when He doesn't play by our rules or have the same agenda we have. We forget that God sees a much bigger picture.

If we follow Paul's journey, we find God working through the rejection, the trials, the prison time, and the shipwrecks. God used these hardships to position Paul. Not for fame, but to increase the Kingdom of God. Paul witnessed to the Pharisees through his rejection and imprisonment. People saw God's power at work when Paul survived the storms, when the snake bite didn't kill him, and when the jail shook, opening the doors and loosing chains.  The Lord used these difficulties so others would witness His power and believe.

Paul allowed God to use him as a vessel.  He didn't sit on the sidelines, full of self-pity and doubt.  Instead, as Acts 16:22-31 tells us, after being stripped, beaten, severely flogged, thrown in the inner cell of a prison and his feet in stocks, Paul prayed and sang hymns to God.  Others around him were listening.  The power of God came in such a way, that the prison guard begged Paul to tell him, "What must I do to be saved?" He replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus" (NIV).

God doesn't waste our pain, our rejection or our "shipwrecks." He uses them to bring about His plan—to position us so that others can see His transforming power at work in our lives and believe in the living God.

If that's true, and it is, then our challenge is to rise from the wreckage, like Paul, so that our lives will give testimony that draws others to the Master. Today I will no longer sit on the sidelines of life full of self-pity. I choose to rise, pray and praise, so that God can position me to shine for His glory, and so that others will believe.

Dear Lord, forgive me for wallowing in self-pity and rejection. I trust that You see the bigger picture. I believe there is a purpose for my pain. Strengthen me to rise from my ashes so that others will see You are my help and my salvation. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Do You Know Him?

Cultivating a Heart of Contentment CD by Micca Campbell

When Life and Beliefs Collide: How Knowing God Makes a Difference by Carolyn Custis James

Visit Micca's blog for more encouragement.

Application Steps: 

God has called us to live by faith, not by sight. Even though we don't always understand our difficulties, they don't have to overwhelm us. Choosing to trust God helps restore a sense of hope and stability to our lives, and also allows us to rise from our ashes.

Reflections: 

What will you choose to do today: will you wallow in self-pity or rise and praise the Lord?

Power Verses:

Nahum 1:7, "The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him." (KJV)

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

© 2009 by Micca Campbell. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries

616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road

Matthews, NC 28105

www.proverbs31.org

[Judy Harder]

December 30, 2009

Return to Me

Marybeth Whalen

"Therefore tell the people: This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Return to me,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'and I will return to you,' says the LORD Almighty."

Zechariah 1:3 (NIV)
         
Devotion:

At first glance, this verse might seem like God is stand-offish and distant. Why do we have to make the first move? But actually, this verse depicts His great love for us. Like the prodigal's father, He waits patiently for our return. He doesn't find us, shake us and demand us to account for our whereabouts. Instead He scans the horizon for our return.

Hoping, but not forcing. Waiting, but not pressuring. Ultimately He gives us free will. We choose when and if we return. And when we do, He promises to return to us. He is a gentleman who doesn't force Himself upon us. God has to see us move of our own free will. That element of choice is intrinsic in His relationship to us.

Returning to God is a practice we will have to engage in over and over in life. The point is not how many times we return to Him, but that we make the effort to do so each time it is necessary. Perhaps you need to return to Him physically—recommitting to meeting with Him in church on a weekly basis. Perhaps you need to return to Him emotionally—determining to trust Him in a difficult time. Perhaps you need to return to Him spiritually—committing to regular prayer and time spent in His Word.

Whatever your return looks like, don't put it off any longer. And don't doubt that He will return to you. Don't believe lies that you are the exception or that you are asking too much of Him. His Word tells us differently. Hebrews 7:19 says, "...a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God" (NIV). God made the ultimate way for us to return—through His Son, whose death on the cross allowed us to approach the throne of grace with confidence (Hebrews 4:16). By Him we draw near to God. Not because we are worthy, but because He is.

God wants us to return to Him. He stands waiting with open arms, at the ready to return to us. When He sees us coming, He runs to meet us. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him" (Luke 15:20b, NIV).

Are you ready to make that first move today?
                                                                                                                                                                         
Dear Lord, I need to return to You. Thank You for making it my choice because You love me and want to be in a real relationship with me. I thank You for waiting for me with open arms. Today I am choosing to fall into those open arms again. Thank You that You gave Your Son so that I can always return to You without shame. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

Visit Marybeth's blog - Cheaper by the Half Dozen

Becoming a Woman of Influence Marybeth Whalen

Confessions of a Good Christian Girl: The Secrets Women Keep and the Grace that Saves Them by Tammy Maltby

Application Steps:   

Using your Bible concordance, look up the word "return." Spend time today reading what God has to say about returning to Him. Write down some of your favorite verses in a journal.

Reflections:

Do You Know This Great Love?

Do you need to return to Him? How will that look for you? What is holding you back? 

Power Verses:

James 4:8a, "Come near to God and he will come near to you." (NIV) 

Joel 2:12-13, "'Even now', declares the Lord, 'return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.'" (NIV)

© 2009 by Marybeth Whalen. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries

616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road

Matthews, NC 28105

www.proverbs31.org

[Judy Harder]

December 31, 2009

A Sweet Aroma

Tracie Miles

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness." Galatians 5:22 (NIV)

Devotion:

A sweet thing happened recently.  It was Sunday morning at church, and the congregation was standing, singing hymns. My precious little boy was beside me with his arms wrapped around my waist.

Every few minutes, he pressed his face into my shirt.  After several times, I finally determined he was sniffing me, so I leaned down and quietly asked why. He stood on his tip toes, put his face close to mine and whispered, "Because you smell like fruit, Mommy! It smells really good!" I smiled and knew what he smelled was one of my favorite perfumes which has a clean, sweet, fruity aroma. 

God turned my thoughts to how we're to be a pleasing aroma to Him, through thoughts, actions and behaviors carried out in the Spirit.  Ephesians 5:2 encourages us to "...live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (NIV). 

What does that really mean? How can we offer a fragrant offering that is pleasing to God and be a fragrance to those around us?

There is a Hawaiian saying, "Tiny is the flower, yet it scents the grasses around it." What a great illustration of how the smallest things can have impactful results.  The fact that the flower is small and seemingly insignificant, does not keep it from spreading the fragrance it was created to share. In fact, often the smallest flower can have the most potent fragrance!

Sometimes we may feel like a tiny flower. We wonder if we are really capable of doing anything big or important for Christ. Insecurities, feelings of unworthiness or life challenges prevent us from seeing how God can use us to bless Him and impact others.  It is not the size of the actions that matter, but the aroma that is created by those actions.  Each time we do something in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness we offer a fragrant offering to God. And we help others learn how to be a little fragrant flower too, in a big world that can be pretty stinky.

Each one of us can choose what fragrance we exude. It might be a good idea to ask from time to time, What type of fragrance am I leaving behind? How am I affecting the world around me with the gifts God gave me?  Am I exuding a spiritual aroma that is a fragrant offering to Christ?

Our lingering fragrance should be one of love and kindness, not anger and harshness. Patience and faithfulness, not intolerance and selfishness. And lifting people's spirits with joy and peace, not leaving them discouraged and broken. Our fragrance should be sowing seeds that point to the goodness of Christ.

When God created flowers, He intentionally created them to give off a sweet aroma. And He created us just the same.  So, what fragrance are you wearing today?

Dear Lord, teach me how to smell like You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Sharing Grace: Recipes - Family Traditions - Gift Ideas by LeAnn Rice
Scared: A Novel on the Edge of the World by Tom Davis
Visit Tracie's blog today. 

Application Steps: 

"Spritz" on a sweet fragrance today that is pleasing to Christ.

Consider how you can "scent the grasses" in your life with God's love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness.

Reflections: 

Think about the spiritual fragrance you have been wearing lately, and the impact it has on others. 

Do you think God is pleased with your lingering fragrance?

Power Verses:

2 Corinthians 2:15, "For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." (NIV)

© 2009 Tracie Miles.  All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries

616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road

Matthews, NC 28105

www.proverbs31.org

[Judy Harder]

January 1, 2010

A New Year's Prayer for You

Wendy Blight

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me."  Matthew 28:18 (NIV)
       
Devotion:

New Year's Resolutions.

What comes to mind when you hear these three words?

Everywhere you turn the media bombards us with the latest and greatest New Year's Resolution ideas. Diet. Lose Weight. Exercise. Change your look.  Change your life.  A new year, a new you!  Sounds great, doesn't it?

For many years, I made New Year's Resolutions, but I could never keep them.  Oh, I succeeded for a few months, but then it was over.  I felt worse about myself than I did before the year began because I had failed.  So a few years ago, I quit making New Year's Resolutions.  Instead, I wrote a prayer.  Throughout the year, I watched in amazement as God worked in my life and in the lives of others through my simple prayer.

Today, I would like to pray for you.  As you read this prayer, I invite you to use it as a model for writing out your own New Year's prayer.

Father in heaven, thank You that You are All Authority in heaven and on earth.  Thank You that You led each woman here today.  You know her every need, her deepest desires, and her hurting places.  Lord, as she seeks to know You more, would You open the eyes of her heart to see the wonderful things in Your law? 

Father, we confess that so often we live lives that do not honor You.  Our actions and our Words seem so far from You.  But, we do want to live lives that please You, so we ask today for You to soften our hearts to receive what Your sweet Spirit has to speak to us.  Give us a hunger and a thirst for Your Word.  As You reveal it to us, help us through the power of Your Holy Spirit to listen and obey.  You tell us Your Word is living and active, like a double-edged sword.  Father, we invite You to use it now to penetrate the deepest recesses in our hearts.   

Give us hearts that desire You and Your Truth above all else.  Your Word tells us that if we lack Wisdom, we need only ask and You will give it liberally.  So we ask today for a fresh filling of Your Wisdom.  Give us the strength to walk in Your Truth, no matter the cost.  Guard our hearts and keep our eyes fixed on You.  Grow in us the fruit of Your Spirit...those things that will make us more like You.  As we study Your Word, fill us and saturate us with more of You!! 

Today, Father, we surrender our past and look to the future, thanking You that we are a new creation.  No matter what we have done before today, we have Hope in You to take all things and use them for Your good and the good of Your Kingdom.  Thank You that You are Faithful.  Thank You that we can make our plans but You will direct our steps.  We trust in You to do a mighty work in us through us this year and carry it on to completion until the day we step into eternity with You.   

Lord, we love You.  Make our lives a living testimony of Your Love.  We ask this in the powerful and mighty name of Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord who will do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine.  AMEN.

Related Resources:

Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner: The Transforming Power of God's Story by Wendy Blight 

The one-year Chronological Bible (NLT)

Visit Wendy's blog-Living Truth to find steps to help you personalize your prayers

God answers prayers!  Read Desperate Prayers, Divine Answers for more encouragement

Application Steps: 

Personalize this prayer for you and your own life.

As you do, ask the Lord if there is an area of your life in which you consistently struggle.   

If the Lord made you aware of a struggle, surrender that area today.  Boldly ask God to speak Truth into this area, no matter the cost.  Ask Him to teach you His way, give you a mind to understand, and a heart to obey.  Hold fast to what you hear so that your walk in that area will be established and ordered according to His will, not your own.

Reflections: 

Read Proverbs 4:20-27, then meditate and reflect on its meaning in relation to what you have learned through this devotion. 

Power Verses:

Hebrews 4:12 "For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (NIV)

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

© 2009 by Wendy Blight. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries

616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road

Matthews, NC 28105

www.proverbs31.org

[Judy Harder]

January 4, 2010

Marriage Ups and Downs

Melanie Chitwood

"He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."

Colossians 1:17 (NAS)
     
Devotion:

Has there ever been a time when you thought that marriage is harder than you expected or more challenging than you want it to be?  My marriage of 18 years to Scott has been a roller coaster of ups and downs this week, and today I'd prefer a whole lot more of the ups, or least some steadiness.  We've argued about how often we're physically intimate and how often we have intimate conversations.  We've argued about who works harder and who's giving more to the relationship right now.  We've argued about really basic issues.

In the private place of my mind and heart I've had questions about my marriage.  I've questioned how two people who are so different can be content to be married to one another. What will continue to sustain us and to create a stronger marriage through the years?

And to top it off, I think to myself, "Melanie, you write about marriage.  Shouldn't you have this marriage thing figured out? What on earth am I doing writing about marriage?" Deep down inside, however, I know that's exactly why God asked me to write about marriage.  I don't have all the answers, as that has been glaringly obvious this week.

But I know the One who does.  I know the One who created marriage.  I know the One who blesses my marriage.  I know the One who holds my marriage together, as today's key verse reminds us.

This morning as I talked to God about me and Scott, I prayed, "Lord, I don't want to be at an impasse with my husband.  I want us to find peaceful ground.  I want us to find oneness.  I want to help him, not hinder him."  As I turned to God with my heart held in my hands offered up to Him, God changed me.

God answered my simple prayer in the most practical way.  I prayed, "How can I please you today in my marriage?"  God's answer to my heart was, Bring Scott lunch today.  Make him a big, delicious, healthy salad because that's his favorite lunch.

"Really, God?  Don't you think Scott and I need to talk through our issues?"  And then I sensed God saying, There will be time for that, but for now, I want you to obey Me.

You see, time and again I've seen that as I let God mold my heart and as I respond in obedience, God's floodgate of love and power covers my marriage, leading us to the place He wants us to be.  There will be time for more conversations between us, but for today God wants me to take one step of obedience.

Okay, God, I'm on it.  I'm off to make a salad.

Dear Lord, Thank You for my marriage and thank You for my husband.  Thank You for holding us together through the ups and downs of my marriage.  Keep me focused on You, Lord, so I can honor You and be a blessing to my spouse.  Lord, when we need to communicate, I pray we can do so honestly and peacefully.  When we need to forgive, I pray we will both freely and readily forgive one another.  And when we have misunderstandings, Lord, bring us quickly to a place of understanding.  Where we need to extend each other grace, let us do so because You have so lavishly covered us with Your grace.  As I trust You with my marriage, let my marriage bring You honor and glory.  In Jesus Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

What a Husband Needs from His Wife by Melanie Chitwood

Visit Melanie's blog for more marriage encouragement today!

Surrender your heart and your marriage to Jesus.

Application Steps: 

Do one thing today to show your husband you love him.  Here are some ideas:

Give him a smile and a really big kiss when he comes home at the end of the day. 

Call, email, or text him to say how much you appreciate his hard work.

Tell him how much you respect what a great dad he is or you respect how he can do any kind of home repair.

Fix his favorite meal.

Don't be too tired tonight for intimacy.

Hold your tongue.  Don't say those harsh words you're thinking about your husband.  Instead, talk to God.

Promise not to bad-mouth your husband to your friends.

Reflections: 

Consider the attitude of your heart and the actions of your hands in your marriage.  Is there anything you need to confess to the Lord?  Do that now.  Remember that acknowledging your sin doesn't mean that you and your husband don't have issues you need to talk about and it doesn't mean that your husband doesn't have sin in his life.  It means that you are seeing yourself clearly and that you are willing to do what God wants you to do.  It means you're trusting your marriage to God and inviting His transforming power into your marriage.

Power Verses:

Ephesians 5:1-2, "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." (NIV)

© 2010 by Melanie Chitwood. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries

616-G, Matthews-Mint Hill Road

Matthews, NC 28105

www.proverbs31.org
.

[Judy Harder]

January 5, 2010

The Friendship Project

Whitney Capps

"But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, 'And who is my neighbor?'

Luke:10:29 (NIV)
         
Devotion:

It was a room full of nearly strangers, barely friends-until that day.  I asked the ladies to stand as I read from a list of life experiences. If they had lived through one of the descriptions they stood up. One by one, sobbing women rose to their feet as I read the list.  They were family in name only - a family of believers from the same church gathered together for a women's retreat where I was the guest speaker.

Twelve women stood together when I asked if anyone had had a miscarriage. One woman had buried a spouse. Five came from unbelieving homes. One had lived through marital infidelity. Three had escaped relationships where they had faced verbal, physical or sexual abuse. Three ladies had struggled with depression. The list went on and on. By the time I had finished, every woman in the room was standing.

We were knee-deep in one another's junk, and yet I had never felt closer to a group of women. As we closed the session I asked them to share more about their stories at their individual tables. As I surveyed the room, women who had been strangers only minutes before were huddled around one another, embracing, sharing and weeping. God was knitting hearts together. It was a moment I'll never forget.

I am realizing that women of all walks of life crave friendships. And yet so many of us feel that we are lacking meaningful, authentic relationships. How is it that a church full of women with a common thread of faith are not friends? Worse yet, if we aren't friends, can we hope to offer authentic relationships to those who enter the doors of our churches every week?

I fear the answer is "no, we can't" unless we change and make a few necessary sacrifices.

Recently I've gleaned some life lessons from the story of the Good Samaritan. In Luke 10:30, Jesus paints a not-so-favorable picture of the religious and respectable. I wonder if He would have the same indictment of our churches today? The priest was seemingly too busy to befriend the one in need.

Can I be honest? I am regularly guilty of this sin. Before and after church my husband and I busy ourselves with the work of tending to our children, and doing the business of church. I move past people who are hurting, but I don't stop with my busyness to see their needs. I rarely get off my horse. I am the priest.

The Levite rode past the hurting man too. Perhaps he felt he was too clean to get dirty in the messy business of grace and mercy. Helping the man in need would have made the Levite ceremonially unclean. He wanted to preserve his position and place.

Let me do a little more truth-telling. I don't usually want to get knee-deep in other people's junk. If I don't get into messy relationships I avoid having to deal not only with my own junk, but other's as well. So I don't get off my horse. I am the Levite.

Here is the problem. Real relationships require time and transparency. If we want to move from being casual acquaintances to genuine friends you and I will have to share pain and joy in an authentic, sacrificial way. I believe this, but for right now it's just theory.

I'm curious. What would happen if we covenanted together to get off our high horses and got into one another's junk? I wonder if our churches would explode. I wonder if lives would be forever changed. I wonder if the Church would shed a little bit of its reputation of hypocrisy.

Want to see what would happen? It's not too late to add a New Year's resolution. Let's resolve to change lives through friendship. Let's slow down. Let's share our stories. Let's get knee-deep.
                                                                                                                                                                     
Dear Lord, give me eyes to see those in need around me, and give me the courage to respond. Father, I want to be a part of life-changing friendships by offering grace and mercy. You call us to love others as ourselves. Help me obey this all-consuming command. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

The Friends We Keep: A Woman's Quest for the Soul of Friendship by Sarah Zacharias Davis

Visit Whitney's blog today.

Traveling Together: Thoughts on Women, Friendship and the Journey of Faith by Karla Worley

Join Whitney's Facebook group The Friendship Project for more details about this campaign

Application Steps: 

How can you simplify your Sunday routine to allow more time for building relationships?

With whom can you share part of your story in hopes of offering encouragement and hope?

Reflections: 

Do you have genuine, edifying friendships? Why or why not?

Are you reaching out and developing new friendships with those in need around you?

Power Verses:

Luke 10:27, "He answered: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind"; and, "Love your neighbor as yourself.'" (NIV) 

Luke 10:33-34, 36-37, "But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds...and took care of him... 'Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?' The expert in the law replied, 'The one who had mercy on him.' Jesus told him, 'Go and do likewise.' (NIV)

© 2010 by Whitney Capps. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries

616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road

Matthews, NC 28105

www.proverbs31.org

[Judy Harder]

January 6, 2010

Becoming Today

Amy Carroll

"Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

Psalm 90:12 (NIV)
       
Devotion:

As my plane landed, I wondered if she'd be there.  The retreat weekend simply wouldn't be the same without her.  I would miss her encouraging looks as I spoke and the women of her church would certainly have hearts that ached with her absence.  All year I had thought about the words that she had spoken the previous fall, and I needed to ask her more probing questions. 

She had a secret that I longed to know.  There were many women from the group who I wanted to ask about, but as the event coordinator and I waited at the luggage carousel, I started with my most important question, "Will Ruth Clark be coming?"  My heart rejoiced as I heard the reply that was given with a smile, "Ruth has had a lot of health problems this year, but she'll be there!"

Entering the room at the retreat center, my eyes searched for Ruth among the small clusters of chatting women.  I found her dear, smiling face quickly and headed to greet her.  She opened her arms wide, hugged me and said, "I've been praying for you all year."  After asking me to wait for a minute, Ruth opened her purse, took out a well-worn pink book full of small cards and began to leaf through it.  Finally, she found the card for which she had been searching, and pulled it out.  On it was a black-and-white photocopy of a picture of me with my name written underneath.  She explained, "Each day I use this book to remember who to pray for.  I put you in my book after the retreat last year, and I've prayed for you every day." 

I looked at her face, creased with crows' feet and laugh lines, the product of many wide smiles and tender glances.  I took in her white hair, the walker beside her and her comfortable shoes and had a single thought—"Beautiful!" 

Ruth is the woman that I want to be when age has settled onto my features and slowed my steps.  Her beauty is an internal light that has grown brighter with time and experience rather than being extinguished.  Knowing Ruth has changed my life and set me on a journey.  When we first met, I immediately knew she had something I wanted. 

After listening to this delightful woman talk for a while, I asked her, "What is your secret?  How have you continued to grow in the Lord, stay positive and exude joy?"  She answered quickly and confidently, "Be today who you want to be tomorrow." 

Profound! 

So, how can you and I apply Ruth's advice in our lives while we're still younger women?  We can ask to God to reveal our own sins and flaws, repent of them and ask for His mercy to start living differently today.  He's given me a very personal and specific list of where to start!  I can ask God's help to stop my tendency toward complaining about difficult circumstances and develop the habit of praising Him for molding my character through trials and tests.  I can ask Him for the spiritual fruit of self-control so that I resist flying off the handle in a grumpy, hormone-fueled fit for no good reason.  I can ask Him to stop my free-flowing river of words and help me listen to others compassionately before I speak.  I could go on, but you're getting the picture.  Are you starting to make a list of your own?

Although thinking about our own aging and watching loved ones age sometimes generates fear, we can face the future with tremendous hope and faith when we know that we can begin shaping our tomorrows today.  I truly believe that becoming the woman today that we want to be tomorrow is the key to becoming the woman of grace, love and wisdom in our 70s and 80s that we so desire to be. 

Dear Lord, I long to be a growing, godly older woman until my very last breath. Help me to begin today in developing the character and spiritual disciplines that I'll need to follow You victoriously throughout my life.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Do You Know Him?

The Woman I Am Becoming by T. Suzanne Eller
Find more encouragement from other "Ruths" with the P31 Woman magazine

Visit Amy's blog-Ponderings from the Pathway

Application Steps: 

Imagine yourself in your 80s.  Make a list of words that you would like others to use when they describe the 80 year old you.

Reflections: 

Which of my personal character traits could become ugly when magnified by age?

Have I limited God by an "I'll work on that later" attitude?

Power Verses:

Isaiah 46:4, "Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you." (NIV) 

Psalm 71:18, "So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come." (ESV)

© 2010 by Amy Carroll. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries

616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road

Matthews, NC 28105

www.proverbs31.org
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[Judy Harder]

January 7, 2010

The Secret of Contentment

Micca Monda Campbell


"...for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances"

Philippians 4:11b (NIV)
       
Devotion:

Have you ever noticed how overextending yourself tends to bring unwanted pressure into your life? I think we tend to busy ourselves in order to gain more, find acceptance among peers, land a better position, and gain riches of all kinds. Perhaps we live under the illusion that having such riches is what makes a person complete, content, and deliriously happy. Yet, when we discover that's not the case, we're left feeling empty and discontent.

Contentment and security are not found in career titles or in the kind of car we own. The logo on our car only tells others what kind of car we drive — not who we are. True satisfaction, in its purest form, is found in the wealth of who God is and the riches He graciously lavishes upon us.

Recently God's been showing me that when I constantly want more than He has given me, it reflects a heart that is discontent. What I'm saying to God is, "I'm not satisfied with what You have provided for me. I want more." In wanting more, I place undo pressure on myself in an attempt to get what God hasn't provided. Naturally, anxiety is the result when I focus on things other than God and His will for my life.

The pressure to have more and do more can lead us down paths we never intended. In our attempt to fill the vacuum of our empty souls, we discover that external luxury is only a cheap substitution for spiritual wholeness. As our key verse points out, Paul knew the secret of finding contentment. "...for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances."

Take note that Paul wrote these words in a high stress situation as he sat in jail awaiting a verdict for a crime he didn't commit. I don't know if I could find contentment if I were in his sandals. I would probably strum my wooden cage with a rock singing pitifully, "Nobody knows the trouble I've seen. Nobody knows my sorrow."  Finding contentment doesn't mean we have to like our current situation, but it may require an appreciation for it. Let me explain.

Paul learned that the fruit of contentment is developed when we are thankful for what God has provided whether we like it or not. That's because peace isn't the absence of pressure. It's the presence of God and our attitude toward His provision in the midst of our stress. By expressing gratitude, Paul experienced richness of being, not having.

I realize you may be in a hard place right now and you're longing for freedom. Maybe you're in a job that feels like a dead end; perhaps you have two of them! It may be that you live in a space too small for your family and you hate it. You're not where you planned or hoped to be and you certainly don't like it.

The truth is, we don't have to like where we are or what we have, but if we will choose to thank God for His provisions regardless of our feelings toward them, we'll experience the same contentment Paul encountered.

We must understand that being thankful doesn't mean that God will eventually remove us from our situation. He may; He may not. Rather, being appreciative sets us free from the desire to have and lets us rest in the riches of contentment. And when we reach a place of contentment, we don't need earthly riches galore. God becomes our greatest treasure. In Him, we have everything we need.

Dear Lord, things could always be worse. I'm grateful for what You've provided for me. Fill me with Your peace so that I may be truly content in Your blessings. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Visit Micca's blog-Reflections

Today's devotion was taken from Micca's book, An Untroubled Heart: Finding Faith that is Stronger than All Your Fears. Order your copy by clicking here.

Brokenness, Surrender, Holiness by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

For encouragement during the tough times, read Surrendering Your Strongholds

Application Steps: 

Instead of focusing on what God has not provided, make a list of what He has. Then, thank God for His provision.

Reflections: 

Does your heart always long for more than what God has provided?

If so, why and what do you need to do to find contentment?

Power Verses:

Psalm 103:1-5, "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." (NIV)

© 2010 by Micca Campbell. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries

616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road

Matthews, NC 28105

www.proverbs31.org

[Judy Harder]

January 8, 2010

A Patient Parent

Glynnis Whitwer

"Don't be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant."  Galatians 6:7 (NLT)
         
Devotion:

One of the most damaging choices a person can make is to give up too soon when faced with a failure.  I see this in children all the time.  A child doesn't make the sports team in junior high, and gives up before his body has a chance to develop.  Another stops singing because she doesn't get a solo in the school play, and her voice hasn't reach maturity.  Children face "failure" in many ways, and discouragement can hinder their spiritual growth and potential.  How can a parent help?

There's a biblical principle parents can apply when helping a child overcome failure and explore their potential.  Galatians 6:7-8 says, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life" (NIV).

Paul used the analogy of planting to explain the principle of spiritual growth.  He encouraged his readers to sow into the things of God, with the promise they would reap the things of God.   In the life of a Christian we sow into God by how we think, speak, our actions, where we spend our money, and our time.  These are investments in a God-honoring life, which reaps a harvest of blessing - but not in the same season.  There is always a delay between sowing and reaping.

What if we considered our children's hearts and lives as a garden?   The principles of sowing and reaping apply as well.  Every day we sow into those "gardens" through our words, behavior, and the disciplines we teach them.  However, just like a vegetable garden, if we plant carrot seeds, we will reap carrots - not corn.  Consequently, if we sow negative seeds of discouragement, we will reap despair.  If we sow seeds of impatience, we will reap frustration.  If we sow seeds of laziness, we will reap stress.

Conversely, if we sow healthy seeds of good choices, we will reap self-discipline.  If we sow seeds of patience, we will reap peace. If we sow seeds of perseverance, we will reap success.  Our children's hearts are rich soil prepared by God to receive good seed.  As conscientious gardeners, we need to plant those that will reap a harvest in our children's lives and prepare them for service in the kingdom of God.

What if you don't see results right away?  That's normal.  After a few days, the farmer doesn't get frustrated with slow growth and rip the seeds out of the ground.  No.  The farmer continues to water the soil, shoo the birds away, and pull the weeds.  The farmer protects the seed until it has a chance to grow in its own time. 

God designed our children to grow and flourish with love and care.  However, failure can be the weeds in our children's lives.   Weeds don't destroy the good seed, they just leech the nutrients out of the soil limiting the growth of the plant.  Failure doesn't destroy our children's potential; it just removes the enthusiasm from their hearts. 

In order to overcome the pain and heartache of failure, children need a parent who will step in with fresh water and bright sunlight, while replacing the weeds with healthy seed.  With this tender care, perseverance and self-discipline will grow and develop.  Then in time, our children will produce a harvest of confidence.  May we be gardeners who don't give up until the harvest. 

Dear Lord, I praise You for Your almighty power and wisdom.  Thank You for making me with potential to grow and change.  Help me to see that same potential in those I love and to become a gardener of healthy seed in their lives. Help me to see failure as something to overcome, not stop me for a live of obedience. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

When Your Child is Hurting by Glynnis Whitwer

Visit Glynnis Whitwer's blog

Mining for Gold in the Heart of Your Child Character Chart by Renee Swope

Application Steps: 

Identify one character virtue you would like to sow into your life, or your child's life.  What do you need to sow in order to reap a harvest of that virtue?

Reflections: 

Why is perseverance such an important Christian virtue?

When you have failed in the past, what have people done or said that was most helpful?

Power Verses:

Isaiah 40:31, "... but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."  (NIV)

Philippians 1:6, "... being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."  (NIV)

© 2010 by Glynnis Whitwer. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries

616-G, Matthews-Mint Hill Road

Matthews, NC 28105

www.proverbs31.org

[Judy Harder]

January 11, 2010

Hoarding What You Have

Wendy Pope

"I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth.  Look, here is your money back." Matthew 25:25 (NLT)

Devotion:

Reality shows are the craze today.  You can watch children with problems set on the straight and narrow by The World's Strictest Parents.  If you are not happy with your spouse, you can Wife Swap for another spouse while millions watch.  The world is also even now invited into the private moments of drug and alcohol interventions.

One of the newest reality shows to hit the airwaves is called Hoarders.  People on this show have made a lifestyle out of holding on to what they have.  In Hoarders, individuals come face to face with the reality of their problem through intervention and encouragement to clear out their stuff.

Our key verse comes from a story of three servants who were entrusted by their master with his money while he was away. The first two servants pleased their master by multiplying or showing growth of what they had been given.  The third servant disappointed his master.  He had hidden the money, keeping it safe but also keeping it from earning interest.  In other words, he hoarded what his master had given him.  Why did he hoard what he had been given?

Scripture gives us the answer.  The servant was afraid.  He was so consumed by his fear that he did nothing.  He was afraid of messing up.  He was paralyzed by the thought of doing something wrong or reflecting poorly on his master. In fear, he hid the money and then gave it back.

As I pondered the events of this story my mind drew a picture, a picture I did not like.  In the picture I was bowing before my holy Lord, giving back exactly what He entrusted to me, nothing more. I questioned, Am I responding to my Master as this servant responded to his master? Have I fully used or am I fully using, even developing, the gifts and talents He has entrusted to me?  Am I hiding what He gave me in fear of messing up?

What about you? How would you answer these questions?  It is easy to think we are not good enough or that we are undeserving of God's gifts.  Our negative thoughts take us captive, leading us to believe we would reflect poorly upon our Lord if we dared to multiply and grow what He has given us.  Today's devotion is our intervention.  Now is the time to clear out what we've been hoarding or hiding.  Praise God our intervention is not dramatized in front of millions of people.  We stand before an audience of One - the only One who matters.

Dear Lord, I apologize for hiding and hoarding anything that You have given me.  Help me be a good steward of everything You entrust to me.  I want to be used to grow Your Kingdom.  Supply the confidence I need to clean out my hiding places.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Shaped with a Purpose Workbook and companion CD by Renee Swope

Living Free In Christ CD by Wendy Pope

Visit Wendy's blog - Experiencing the Real Meaning of Free

The Gift Giver offers more encouragement on God's good gifts!

Application Steps: 

In a quiet place, read Matthew 25:14-28.

Reflections: 

How will I respond to my intervention?

Am I responding to my Master as this servant responded to his master?

Am I fully using, even developing, the gifts and talents God has entrusted to me?

Am I hiding what He gave me out of fear of messing up?

Power Verses:

Romans 12:6a, "We have different gifts, according to the grace given us." (NIV) 

Colossians 3:23, "Whatever may be your task, work at it heartily (from the soul), as [something done] for the Lord and not for men..." (Amplified)

© 2010 by Wendy Pope. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries

616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road

Matthews, NC 28105

www.proverbs31.org