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WOMEN OF THE OLD TESTAMENT- PROVERBS 31 WOMAN: A PRAYER IN THE LIGHT OF THE STORY

8:30 PM

 

Heavenly Father:

As I recall those first days when I made the commitment to surrender my life to You, I realized there were many things I had to change in me. Then, as I came across this virtuous woman in Proverbs 31, I knew I wanted to become such a woman because I wanted to be worthy of your calling- a calling for each woman-

Yes Heavenly Father, with all my heart I want to become a woman:: ““… who fears the Lord [reverently worshiping, obeying, serving, and trusting Him with awe-filled respect], …”!  (Proverbs 31:30)

I was not a wife yet, nor a mother, but Your Holy Spirit gave me such a hunger and thirst for your Word and little by little I became aware that it was You who would make this change in my life… the change would have to start in my heart. And that the virtues of this Proverbs 31 woman was something I had to practice daily, and I prayed and rested on Your Promises (Jeremiah 29:11-13), trusting You would kindly take me by the hand in my walk with You!



So many years have gone by since we both began this journey… I became a wife and later on a mother. Now I am even a grandmother! But You know my Heavenly Father, it has not been easy: I´ve stumbled and fallen many times, and You have always been there by my side to pick up the broken pieces, by Your Grace and Faithfulness:

“Nevertheless I am continually with You;
You have taken hold of my right hand.
24 You will guide me with Your counsel,
And afterward receive me to honor and glory.

25 Whom have I in heaven [but You]?
And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the rock and strength of my heart and my portion forever.

28 But as for me, it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge and placed my trust in Him,
That I may tell of all Your works.”  (Psalm 73: 23-26, 28 AMP) Amen!!

Mari Salinas

Every Friday we meet for prayer and would love to have you join us.  We meet at 9:00am EST.  at Women in the Word Bulletin Board on our Facebook page.   https://www.facebook.com/groups/womenintheword2/

God's Grace and Mercy

Grace & Mercy on Display {John 21}

12:00 AM


Have you ever messed up big time? Have you ever done something that almost made you want to give up and walk away from your faith?  Has there been a time or two when you didn’t want to open your Bible, or pray? Was there ever a time when there didn’t seem to be any reason to attend church any longer?

Then you know exactly how Peter feels in this chapter.

Today's Reading ~ John 21

I love John 21 because, in a way, it is every Christian’s story who has blown it a time or two. Peter was a true failure! He denied the Lord three times when Jesus most needed him - at the trial before his crucifixion. In fact, just after one servant girl asked Peter if he knew Jesus and he vehemently denies Him, Peter looked up and saw Jesus staring right at him. Peter - was - crushed.

At the time of Jesus’ resurrection, Peter is overjoyed, but at some point reality set in. Peter must have wondered how Jesus could ever forgive him, and decides to returns to his former life as a fisherman - back to his old life, old relationships, old ways. This is probably as low as Peter can go.

Have you ever been there? Wondering if God could ever use what little you have to offer since you've messed up even in the little things.

This is exactly why I love Peter and the story John shares with us in John 21.

 Jesus comes to Peter, meets him right where he is, and the process of forgiveness is beautiful. First, Jesus reminds Peter and the other disciples of who He is, for after fishing all night, and catching nothing, Jesus tells them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. The results were a staggering 153 fish in one cast.

Second, Jesus reminds Peter and the other disciples of His call upon their lives. If you remember, it was exactly the same sort of fish catching event that led the disciples to follow Jesus in the first place (Luke 5:1-11). Jesus was reminding Peter that he was called to be a fisher of men, not just a fisherman.

Finally, Jesus restores the relationship with Peter through forgiveness. Did you notice that Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love Me?” three times? At first you may think that Jesus is being cruel, but here is a perfect spot to use a Greek concordance to better understand the passage, for the Greek language has more than one word for love:
1. Eros: love on the physical level.
2. Phileo: "am fond of."
3. Agape love on highest level, “supremely” .

Here’s how the conversation went down:

Jesus first asked, "Do you love Me supremely?" (agapas).
What Peter answered, "I am fond of you." (phileo)
So Jesus asked again, "Do you love Me supremely?" And again Peter answers, "I am fond of you."  
The third time Jesus asked, "Are you fond of Me?" 
 And Peter was hurt that Jesus asked, "Are you fond of Me?" Grieved that the Lord came down to his level, for Peter would have loved to have risen to His level, but given the circumstances he couldn't, for if he loved the Lord supremely, he wouldn’t have been back fishing. 

Now, take hold of this one fact and hold on to it! Jesus met Peter where he was! Not where Peter wanted to be, or Jesus, but where Peter was at the moment and raised him up with the words, "Feed My sheep!"

In spite of all Peter had done, and all he was feeling, Jesus still expected Peter to FEED HIS SHEEP! 

That's God's grace and mercy in action! No matter how far we wander away, or what we've done in the past, Jesus will meet us where we are, reinstate us and set us to work for His kingdom!

God's Grace and Mercy

From Wretched To Beloved {Romans 5}

12:30 AM



Monday March 25


“God's mercy is so great that you may sooner drain the sea of its water, or deprive the sun of its light, or make space too narrow, than diminish the great mercy of God.”...Charles Spurgeon 

I’ve said it before that Romans is my absolute favorite book in the Bible, and chapter 5 is one of the reasons why. To me it sums up the message of the gospel beautifully. Once helpless, dead in spirit, and enemies of God, through the grace and mercy of the Lord, not only can we have peace with God, but we can rejoice in the hope of knowing that one day we will spend eternity with Him. (vs. 1,2) And as of late, peace and hope are two words I find myself clinging to more and more.

It seems that the attacks of the Enemy have been coming at me fast and furious. Whether it’s in the form of a dissolving friendship, a destructive temptation, or a disparaging remark from a loved one, Satan has been working overtime putting to the test my thoughts, my tongue, and my actions. And although there are times when I pass the test with flying colors, more often than not I fail miserably. But you know what? It doesn’t matter to God. Because His love for me isn’t based on anything I do but instead on everything He does. Whether I win or lose God’s love never waivers. 

And so when I’m feeling particularly discouraged, I read the words of Paul who tells me, “Newsflash! God knows your failings and loves you anyway!” The Lord knew from the beginning how man would fall; how we would rebel, reject, and disappoint Him. He knew how Adam would sin in the garden of Eden and the consequences that would follow. And so what did God do? Far from doling out the punishment of death that we all deserve, He gives to us a most precious gift. The gift of His unmerited grace and mercy. “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” (vs. 6) Sparing no expense, not even His only begotten Son, God Himself provides the path of reconciliation to Him, declaring us justified through faith in Jesus.

What does this mean? This means that even though I am a sinner and fail daily, God wants me. All of me; the good, the bad, and the ugly. And not because of my great love for Him, but because of His great love for me. “God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (vs. 5:8) Every sin I have committed, past, present, and future, Jesus paid the price for, allowing me to be declared righteous in the eyes of God. So does this give me carte blanche to live my life in purposeful sin knowing the bill has already been paid? Absolutely not! Knowing the sacrifice the Lord made and all He endured to give me eternal life, gives me a heart that wants to lead a life pleasing to Him; hence my great discouragement when I fail.

Richard Sibbes is quoted as saying, “there is more mercy in Christ than sin in us.” As I continue to have good and bad days, successes and failures, I will be forever grateful for God’s grace and mercy that no matter what will remain the same. And when trials come my way I will remember Paul who tells me, “Rejoice in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character; hope, and hope does not disappoint,  because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (vs. 3-5) Most of all, I will rejoice in God’s amazing grace that saved a wretch like me!


God's Grace and Mercy

Humility- What Becomes Of Our Boasting {Romans 3}

1:00 AM


Monday Feb. 25, Humility- Romans 3

While reflecting on writing about humility, the Lord brought to my mind the time He used a simple loving gesture to teach me a powerful life lesson. A couple of years ago a family conversation started about King David. Opinions differed, with strong feelings on all sides. When I noticed that the ones participating didn’t know what God’s Word had to say, I was quick to jump in. I quoted verses, offered my own commentary, and handed out suggestions of picking up their Bibles more often. I was on a roll! I remember riding home that night feeling pretty proud of myself, and I couldn’t wait to boast to my husband. After all didn’t I show everyone that I was the better Christian? Surely my actions impressed God and made me just a little more special in His eyes. 

A short time later a dear friend of mine sent me a random text message full of silly heart and love emojis to which I jokingly replied, “What did I do to earn such affection?” My friend answered, “It’s like grace and mercy, not earned just given.” She went on to say that she hadn’t reached out because of anything I had done, but simply because she loved me. Now little did she know at the time, but boy did her words tear at my heart. The conviction I instantly felt let me know that God was far from impressed with me. Feelings of humility, and sorrow swirled inside as my eyes welled with tears. Filled with shame, I prayed for forgiveness, and for a heart change. A heart that would never again forget that it is only by God’s saving grace that I can be reconciled to Him. A heart that has no room for boasting knowing the Jesus paid my sin debt with His precious blood. And a heart of thankfulness that the same love God offers me, He so generously offers to all. 

“Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith.” (vs. 27) The lesson God taught me, was the same lesson Paul was trying to teach in his letter to the Jews in Rome. Feeling an air of superiority for being God’s chosen people, they weren’t thrilled with Paul’s teaching that all, both Jew and Gentile, are equally guilty in the eyes of the Lord; “There is none righteous, not even one.” “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (vs. 10, 23) They scoffed at his declaration of justification through grace alone; not by the works of the Law. And their prideful hearts found it hard to accept that God sent His Son not just to save Israel, but to save the world. 

It’s been said that humility doesn’t mean thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. And there’s no better example of this than Christ. From start to finish Jesus, in humility and obedience, always put the will of the Father before His own. Never once seeking His own glory, His joy was found in serving God and others. He endured much and sacrificed unto death to give us eternal life. Just like the love of my friend, His grace and mercy not earned, just given. Knowing this, I can honestly say there is nothing in me worth boasting about. And so I continue to  pray for a humble heart, to live for God’s glory, and to remember that love, “does not boast, it is not proud.” (1 Cor. 13:4) 

“Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call ‘humble’ nowadays: he will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy person, who is always telling you that, of course, he is nobody. Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him. If you do dislike him it will be because you feel a little envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all. If anyone would like to acquire humility, I can, I think, tell him the first step. The first step is to realise that one is proud. And a biggish step, too. At least, nothing whatever can be done before it. If you think you are not conceited, it means you are very conceited indeed.”...C.S. Lewis

To read more about humility click on the following link: