handmaiden

The Handmaiden of the Lord {Luke 1}

9:00 AM

 Luke 1


I know that everyone, when asked what Mary's legacy would be, would most likely answer that she was favored by God to be the mother of our Lord and Savior. No question, that this will always be Mary's ultimate legacy, but when I think of Mary, it's verse 1:38 in Luke that immediately comes to my mind.

"Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed"

Have you ever been asked to do something and your first thought is, "Why me? I can't possibly do that!" And all these reasons why begin forming in your head? I have to admit that, that has happened to me more times than I'd like to admit to. 

Letting ourselves be used by God can be hard at times. It requires us being willing to let ourselves be taken out of our comfort zones and sent in different directions than we might have otherwise chosen. It requires us being willing to turn our lives over to someone greater than ourselves.

It’s believed Mary was between the age of 13 through 16. Do you remember being a young teenager? Mary was already engaged to Joseph however, and her life was already planned out! Plus, you can imagine how people would talk back then!

Beloved, letting God be in charge of our lives is absolutely fundamental to the Christian faith, and yet it is something that I struggle with each and every day, for my pride and self-centeredness are forever warring for independence and I forget all too often that I too am a bond-servant or handmaiden of the Lord.

I know we live in a culture that says we should be self-reliant and independent, and the idea that I need to daily surrender myself to someone greater is completely counter cultural. Although it is hard and totally out of the norm, I need to remember that letting God take charge:

  • Will provide me with the chance to go places that I would not have otherwise chosen. 
  • Will give me opportunities that I would not have come up with on my own. 
  • Will mean that I do not have to rely on my own strength or wisdom to deal with the challenge before me.
  • It will be the Creator of this Universe working through me!
  • It will mean I and others will be blessed.
  • And He will be glorified.

This is exactly why Mary was brave enough to immediately turn her life over to the service of God. It wasn't going to be easy; there were going to be challenges along the way, "a sword would pierce her soul", but as the Lord’s servant she would be directly responsible for changing the fate of all humankind. Imagine that! 

Where would we all be today if Mary had refused to be God's handmaiden? 

And what is He calling you to do today? 

Whatever it is, it may not impact the entire world, but even if it is only one, that one is counting on you!

May each of us say each day to our Savior and Lord, "Behold I am the Lord's handmaiden. Let it be to me according to Your word."

Blessings!

sue

boats

Committed – Leaving it All Behind {Luke 5:1-11}

12:00 PM



Scripture Reading: Luke 5:1-11

I’m sure all of us at one time or another have longed to do something truly wonderful for The Lord after all He’s done for us! But I’ve found saying it, and actually doing it can be at complete ends of the spectrum, and the great chasm in between comes down to commitment!  Are you committed or not? And if so, how committed you are may be exactly what determines your success or failure to do all you desire to do.

For total commitment means that Jesus Christ is Lord in every area of our lives; our mind, body, will, time, schedule, rights and privileges, etc.

An amazing picture of this is found in Luke 5:1-11. The chapter begins with Peter on the beach washing his fishing nets, and ends with Peter leaving everything behind to follow Jesus.
And in these 11 verses we can see the steps we all need to take towards total commitment, or being wholly surrendered (sold out).

The First Step: getting involved. Did you notice Peter was willing to let Jesus use his boat. If you turned back to Luke 4:38, “Jesus left the synagogue and went to the home of Simon.” We can see that Peter already knew the Lord at this time, but until now he has been content just to hear the Word of God while continuing his normal way of living.

Does this remind you of anyone you know?  Those willing to listen to the Word of God, but not much change in lifestyle. They’re sitting in churches all over the country on Sunday morning. They get their dose of religion on Sunday and go back to “washing their nets” on Monday and nothing much changes week after week. Except this time Peter lets the Lord have his boat.

Second Step: Be willing to turn over what we own to the Lord for His use. We all believe we own our time, talents as well as our material goods. Just look at how many of us try to hold onto these things when it ultimately all belongs to Him.

Are you willing to make yourself and your possessions available for the Lord's use?

Third Step:”...push out a little"  "He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore." (verse 3). It is one thing to make what we own available for the Lord's use, but it is another thing to leave the "security of the land" and step out in faith.

It takes faith and courage to leave our comfort zone and “push out!” There will always be risks and sacrifice involved, but all we’re asked to do can never compare to all He has already done for us!

It’s also important to notice The Lord Jesus does not force Peter, He asks him (verse 3). Jesus could have simply walked out on the water without the use of any boat, but He wants Peter to join Him. I’ll never understand why God delights to use us for His glory, but I’m grateful He chooses to, and grows our faith in Him.

The Fourth Step toward total commitment is found in verse 4. Peter is told to "launch into the deep." Here, The Lord is calling Peter to total dependence on Him. It’s here in the deep that we best experience the Lord's power, and realize that He really does provide in miraculous ways for the very things that may have kept us back from total commitment at one time!

It’s also here in the deep that we learn to worship! When Peter experienced the Lord's power in the deep, he fell down before Jesus and confessed, "I am a sinful man, O Lord.", for the closer we are drawn to Jesus the clearer we see ourselves and our sin compared to His holiness. Yet, The Lord Jesus does not leave us, or shame us, but chooses to comforts us and eventually transforms us.

By now, Peter is “all in” and chooses to leave everything and followed his Lord. If we read on, we’ll soon discover that Peter wasn’t perfect. He probably slipped up more than all the rest, which tells us total commitment does not mean we need to be perfect, only surrendered. It's a matter of taking our self off the throne of life and enthroning Christ.


Now, may I ask you, how committed are you to Christ Jesus? Have you left the beach? Have you "pushed out a little"? Or have you already "launched out into the deep"? 

Is Jesus Lord?

 Blessings,
sue

Jesus

Does Jesus Need to be Both Lord and Savior of Our Life?” {Romans 8:18-10:21}

12:00 AM

Years ago, just as I began to teach women Bible studies, I thought it would be a great idea to open with a question that would invite the women to share their knowledge, or opinions and there-by help the group to get to know one another better and feel more comfortable in the group. That was until I asked the question one day, “Does Jesus need to be both Lord and Savior of your life?”

I honestly thought World War III was about to break out in my livingroom that day! There were strong opinions on both sides of the issue, and we finally had to end the discussion by agreeing to disagree! Both sides seemed to have valid points and neither side seemed interested in changing or accepting the other side’s view.

That was the last time I ever opened a study with a question like that until today!

Since that day, I’ve often thought about whether Jesus needed to be both our Savior and Lord, and I believe this passage speaks directly on this subject, so I thought it was time to finally answer the question!

Paul begins chapter 10 sharing a bit of his heart for the Jews,

Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.  For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.  For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.-Romans 10:1-3

In other words, though they had a zeal, they didn’t get it. But Paul continues in assuring us that God’s salvation really isn’t that difficult!

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);  because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.- Romans 10:8-10

Now hold still one moment, for some have said this passage means we must confess with our mouth to be saved but that’s not what this passage is saying.

It might be better if we could understand Greek. The passage is talking about what is in our heart and in our mind. The Greek word for “confess” is HOMOLEGO. It means “to say the same thing”- to admit with our mouth what we know to be already true in our heart.

And here in the Book of Romans is not the only place Scripture talks about confession with our mouth:

  • And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man shall confess him also before the angels of God.  Luke 12:8

  • Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.  1 Timothy 6:12

  • Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.  1 John 4:15

  • Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.- 1 Cor 12:3

Each of these passages testifies that a Christian’s words will reveal what he or she believes in his/her heart. But not only our words!

Jesus, Himself told us in John 14:14-17,

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 
 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

The real question we need to ask ourselves is, “Does my mouth and actions reveal what I honestly believe in my heart about Jesus – that He is Lord of my life?”


One last thing that’s important for us to understand and that is God the Father has made Jesus Lord, not only over our lives, but over all of creation. The Father has highly exalted the Son by giving Him the name that is above every other name (Philippians 2:9).

As the apostle Paul states in Colossians 1:15–20, "He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross."


All authorities, whether earthly or spiritual, are subject to the lordship of Jesus Christ. Therefore He must also be preeminent in our lives as well. 

boast

O That You Might Really Know Him! {Jeremiah 8-12}

8:00 PM

Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,  but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.” – Jeremiah 9:23-24
Just imagine for a moment that written throughout Scripture is an invitation from Almighty God who LOVES you and longs for you to come away with Him; to commune with Him, delight in Him and to grow more and more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him! The Creator of the Universe desires to walk with you every moment of your day!!
For “In [His] presence is fullness of joy; in [His] right hand there are pleasures forever” (Psalm 16:11). His Word tells us over and over again that the greatest thing in all of life is to KNOW Him; for it’s in knowing Him you will find the true meaning and purposes of this life.
Years ago, rather than making New Year’s resolutions, I used to ask God for a verse to focus and meditate on throughout the year. Back in 1999 the Lord gave me what has now become my life verse,
“For my determined purpose is this; that I may know Him [experientially, becoming more thoroughly acquainted with Him, understanding the remarkable wonders of His Person more completely] and [in that same way experience] the power of His resurrection [which overflows and is active in believers], and [that I may share] the fellowship of His sufferings, by being continually conformed [inwardly into His likeness even] to His death.” – Philippians 3:10 (AMP)
I didn’t know it at the time, but 1999 was soon to become the toughest year of my life! A few months later I learned that I was being called to leave almost all I loved and cherished behind; children, family, job, ministries, friends, home, routine, and move thousands of miles away where we had never been and didn’t know a soul! The stress became almost too great as we began to prepare for this transition, and my health began to be impacted, and so I did the only thing I knew to do and that was to turned to the Lord for help.
 He began waking me each night between the hours or 2-4 am and we’d sit together and He would speak to me through His word. Always comforting and assuring me that everything would be okay; that He knew what He was doing and absolutely had the power to make sure that everything went exactly according to His plans. Then He’d put me back to sleep and I’d wake each morning refreshed as if I hadn't been up for hours during the night.
Since, I can honestly say, that what I knew of The Lord back then can’t begin to compare to all I know of Him now! My faith has grown tremendously since then, but I can also say in all honesty that the more I’ve come to know Him, the more I realize how very little I truly know! I certainly cannot boast of knowing all there is to know about Him! Not even close! Therefore, God has said a mouthful in these two verses.
Some on earth are wiser than others, and others stronger and richer, but in knowing God, here I believe God sets each of us at an equal advantage! Each one of us has the same opportunities to truly know The Lord more deeply and intimately each day, so it’s in what we do with our opportunities that matters!
If you take one thing away from today’s study, let it be this:
The God who created us has not abandoned us to stumble through this life. He has provided, at great expense, ALL that we need for life and godliness (2Pet 1:3). He desires to be our Shepherd who protects and provides for us. He has made know in so many ways His great love for us, and now waits for your response.


 



faithful

Life's Ultimate Goal {Isaiah 40-44}

8:00 PM


What is our ultimate goal in this life? Do you know why you're here?
The answer is actually found in the chapters we were to read today. The Bible has made it abundantly clear that God created us and that we were created for His glory (Isaiah 43:7). Therefore, our ultimate purpose is simply to glorify God. But that's just the beginning...

 
Romans 9:23 puts it a bit differently, “He does this to make the riches of His glory shine even brighter on those to whom He shows mercy, who were prepared in advance for glory.” This means that if you are His and can call yourself a Christian  — if you’ve confessed with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believed in our heart that God raised Him from the dead (Rom 10:9-10) —you are His child of mercy, prepared ahead of time to know the riches of the His glory. Can you imagine? But it gets even better,

We didn’t deserve to be chosen, or called by God. We did absolutely nothing to deserve being saved, transformed and heaven-bound! (Eph 2:8-9). It was all because of His mercy. Nothing in us ever influenced God to make it happen, and nothing could ever make Him change His mind! This is what it means to be a child of mercy. It means we can say as David said, “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life…”(Psalm 23:6) , for there will never be a day when The Lord in His mercy does not track us down and make us a vessel of His blessing…

That very thought humbles me, but I must admit there are still days where I feel like this boat:
Barely able to keep afloat. Doing all I can to simply keep my head above the water. In fact, I shared a few weeks ago on Women in the Word that I’ve felt this way pretty much all year! Each time I thought I was beginning to get ahead and come out from all that was pressing in around me another wave would wash over me, and I was sunk again! The very next morning after I shared my woes on WitW this poster below arrived on my Facebook page to assure me that He's got this and together we are much more than conquerors! The first thing I noticed after the verse was the water --- there aren't any WAVES!


But why is it we must often become desperate for Him before God steps in to help His children? Notice Isaiah 43:1-7,

But now, thus says the Lord, your creator, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; ... Since you are precious in My sight, since you are honored and I love you... Do not fear, for I am with you...
 Isaiah 41:13, also arrived that morning and I began to wonder what exactly was The Lord trying to tell me just then.


Can you hear Him speaking to you? Does all this humble you as well?  The sad truth is when things are going well, or when I'm busy and distracted with a mounting "to-do" list, I often forget The Lord is right there with me. I forget to call on Him so we may share our day together. Did you see His heart in these verses, for one can't possible read them with out sensing God's love for His own? The answer to my question as to why He waits until I become desperate, isn't because He has moved, it's only because I've finally begun to call out to Him. I'm not proud to admit it, only being honest. 

 So I asked Him if my goal is to bring Him glory, how I could best do that and here's a few ideas I received:
•  Live right before Him, free from sin. Confessing right away when we fall short. 1John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
• Be Content with all God has already done and given us rather than longing for more. .
Paul testified, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am...I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:11,13).
• Give Praise to God. Psalm 50:23, “He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me.” Praise honors our Lord and one way to praise God is to give Him credit for EVERYTHING! 
 • Bear Fruit. Jesus told us in John 15:8 “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit.”Also Colossians 1:10 says, “Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work.” Good works = fruit. .”
• Pray without ceasing. (1Thesalonians 5:18) Talk to Him throughout your day, thereby including Him in everything!
• Tell others about Jesus! Share God’s Word with others, and tell them all He has done for you! We always want to talk about the ones we love so that they will love Him too!

BUT most importantly, ENJOY Him! Be filled with joy in the midst of everything going on around you! I believe that when we live to glorify God, He responds by giving us overwhelming joy! Our joy in Jesus should act as our barometer as to whether we're living to bring Him glory or not! And if there ever comes a time when there is no longer any joy, I think we only need to go back to the verses on this post and so many, many others that speak of His love for you!

Blessings!

sue


Lord

Our Shepherd in Psalm 23

8:00 PM


This Psalm is, without a doubt, the most well known and beloved of all the Psalms. Most of us can probably recite it from memory simply because we’ve heard it recited so often, but there's an important message here The Lord wants to instill in our hearts that may become over looked because the words are so familiar to us. So, I pray you’ll pause for just a few minutes today while we break down what is written and think about His message to us found in Psalm 23,

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:1-6
"The Lord is my shepherd," v.1a - He leads us, guides us, and is always with us, always watching over us! We are kept safe under His protective care. In David’s time, shepherds had a special relationship with their flocks. They spent every day with their sheep, guiding, protecting them from danger, and going after any that went astray. To the sheep, the shepherd was a constant companion, to the extent that the animals actually grew to recognize his voice and responded to his call. Now think for a moment if this could be said about you and your relationship with our Shepherd?

“I shall not want.” v.1b – because He is Jehovah-Jireh: the Lord our Provider. If God provided so much through Jesus to meet our spiritual needs, just think what He will do to provide for our physical needs each day! As the sheep entered the sheepfolds of the Middle East, they each had to pass under the shepherd’s rod for him to inspect their condition up close. The shepherd would then tend to any obvious needs one by one. Of course, we’re talking needs and not wants, but all this made me think of what is written in Psalm 84:11, “For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

"He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters,”- v.2 – aaah, and then there is peace, for He is Jehovah-Shalom: God our Peace! Is there anything that is disquieting your spirit and robbing you of your peace just now? Run to Him and seek those quiet moments so that He can quiet your soul once more.

He restores my soul..." v.2-3 - He knows where true rest and blessings are found, and will leads us there. He will restore, refresh and bring peace to our soul once more. In these days and times it seems so many are seeking peace, yet they are looking for it in all the wrong ways! Only Jehovah-Rapha: The Lord our Healer can bring the healing, restoration and the everlasting peace others are seeking.

"He guides me in paths of righteousness" v. 3 - He leads us to walk in His ways, for He is Jehovah-Tsidkenu: The Lord our Righteousness, who will draw us close and bid us to follow Him.

“for his name's sake." v. 3- Did you catch that? “For HIS name’s sake.” He is Jehovah-M’Kaddesh. His name is holy and He promises to lead us in the right ways and to make us holy not for our sake, but His. Often, I’m beating myself up, because I’ve failed to measure up once more, which is why I take great comfort in knowing He takes full responsibility and has promised to get me where He promises when He says, “I the Lord alone am holy, and I make you holy because you are called by my holy name.”

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff they comfort me." v. 4 - Life is uncertain and we may at some point suffer with illnesses, loss, or pain if we haven’t already.  But He promises He is Jehovah-Shammah: The God who is there with all mercy, comfort, and grace. He is our Lord who holds ALL power over death and disease and walks besides us ALWAYS! He is the only One who will take us by the hand through our deepest, darkest moments of suffering, and bring freedom and healing from the pains of this life, straight into glory that He has reserved for us. We never have to fear, for He is with us to be our constant strength and Shepherd.


"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows." v. 5 - We have a place reserved for us at His table, He has made room for us, and wants us to stay close to Him. Throughout history, hosts were expected to protect their guests at all costs. Did you know are kept in the palm of His hand and nothing can reach us there unless He permits it? In the midst of all the craziness of this world, we can find security resting in His care. This doesn't mean that we won't ever face adversity, but with the help of His Spirit and power we will also be able to experience victories and even blessings through it all.

"Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." v. 6 - That word, "follow" means "to chase after, to pursue." We can be assured; He is chasing after us today, and all our days, with His goodness, love and mercy. Isn't that amazing? Us? And even at the end of our lives here on this earth, He has even greater things for us in store, far greater than we could even imagine!

(Selah! He is so worthy of all we can give back to Him today! I pray you'll take just a moment or two to just worship Him today!)

Blessings!