Give God the right to direct your life...

by Elizabeth Stewart

Is it the default setting of all human beings to continually fight for our rights? I'm not sure if this is common to all humanity or more common to the American culture. All I know for sure is that it is all too often my default setting and I'm pretty sure that's not a good thing. For example, I have my day planned out, and then someone or something happens that upsets the way I had planned to spend my time. I become annoyed that my rights to spend my time the way I want to has been violated.

In our culture, fighting for our rights seems to be a badge of honor. We have taken the words of the Declaration of Independence that we are "endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" and we have made the pursuit of happiness our god. We think that anything standing between me and my pursuit of happiness is an infringement on my rights-even if my pursuit of happiness is trampling all over your rights!

Am I saying that we never stand up for ourselves or never say no to others who would take advantage of us? Not at all. What I'm saying is that we aren't always the best at judging when we are being wise in setting boundaries and when we are being selfish. We need Someone wiser that us to give us direction in our lives.

"Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion." Philippians 2:5-8 The Message

Jesus laid aside His rights as deity and became human. He died to become our Savior and our Lord. Jesus earned the right to become the boss of our life!

 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1 Corinthians 6:20 NKJV

I think that means more than just kneeling at an altar and making a one time commitment. I think it means a daily surrender of ourselves, our time, our money, our gifts and talents, our everything to God. It's trusting Him enough to allow Him to be in charge of how He wants us to spend those things. It's being less focused on fighting for our rights and more focused on relinquishing our rights to the one Who earned the right to direct our lives. We can trust Him. We can even trust Him with our rights.

O Lord, You have pleaded the causes of my soul [You have managed my affairs and You have protected my person and my rights]; You have rescued and redeemed my life! Lamentations 3:58

www.justfollowingjesus.com

How Psalm 37 Guides Your Life Path

By: Sarah Geringer

Are you struggling to know what to do with your life path?

I'm the kind of person who likes to have answers, and I want them now, please.

But God's timing and guidance doesn't work like that. He wants us to trust Him to reveal our life's path one day at a time. We can find guidance for our life path in God's Word.

Psalm 37 is one of my favorite scriptures for learning about the path God wants me to walk. 

Today I want to share some curated verses from Psalm 37 to encourage you on your path. I've reworded a few of them for clarity in this sample. Read these slowly, listening for the guidance God is speaking to your heart. Meditate on how they apply to your life path.

Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you.

Be still in the presence of the Lord,
and wait patiently for him to act.

The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord.
He delights in every detail of their lives.

Though they stumble, they will not fall,
for the Lord holds them by the hand.

The Lord loves justice,
and he will never abandon the godly.
He will keep them safe forever.

The godly fill their hearts with God's law,
so they will never slip from his path.

Travel steadily along his path.
He will honor you and give you an inheritance.

A wonderful future lies before those who love peace.

The Lord saves the godly;
he is their fortress in times of trouble.

The Lord helps them, rescuing them from the wicked.
He saves them, and they find shelter in him.

How do these verses encourage you? They encourage me to trust God more. I don't have to know all the answers because he is keeping me safe and protecting me. He will be my source of strength as I move forward. He will help me know which steps to take, and he will help you too!

If you want to share feedback on this post, please leave a comment below. You can always share at my site if you have any trouble leaving a comment here.

If you enjoyed this post, please share on your favorite social media site using the buttons below.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Blessings and God's peace to you,

Sarah Geringer
Finding Peace in God's Word

Photo from Canva.com

Reflection questions:

1. Which one of these verses inspires you most, and why?

2. If you open up Psalm 37 on your own, do you see another verse not included here that helps you understand how to proceed?

Joyful Noise

By: Jenifer Metzger

The Bible tells us to make a joyful noise to the Lord. This is one act of worship to Him. This doesn't have to be done at church on Sunday morning. We can worship through making our joyful noise every day. Today I want to encourage you to sing out in worship. It doesn't matter how well you can carry a tune or harmonize, just sing out to Him.

Share your current favorite worship song in the comments! Here is mine:

 

It's time for Share A Link Wednesday! Each Wednesday we invite you to leave a link to your latest blog post in the comments. We still desire to connect women of God with one another and encourage each other in Christ. So grab a cup of coffee or glass of sweet tea, sit back and visit a few blogs. Be encouraged and share your own stories.

Celebrate Every Day

By: Joanne Viola

"So they called these days Purim." (Esther 9:26, NKJV)

God's people had survived a horrific plan of annihilation. These two days of celebration, Purim, were begun in order for these circumstances to be remembered. Today we would probably say it was a "national holiday".

But it went beyond that ...

They wanted God to receive glory for what He had done and they wanted to remember to give Him glory every year. They desired for every generation to know what He had done.

The story of Esther, and the circumstances surrounding God's people, were confirmed by Esther and then written in a book (verse 32) to be preserved for all generations to commemorate annually.

Dr. Warren Wiersbe brings this wise insight:

"To see the hand of God in history, to praise Him for His goodness and mercy, and to ask God to forgive us for our sins are perhaps the best ways for the Christian patriot to celebrate a national holiday."

(from The Wiersbe Study Bible, page 694)

"I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High." (Psalm 9:1-2, NLT)

To see the hand of God, to praise Him for His goodness and mercy -
this the best way to celebrate every day. 

What will you choose to praise Him for today? 

Photo by Dawid Zawiła on Unsplash

 

Why should I read the Bible?

by Elizabeth Stewart

Our physical bodies need light, water and food to be healthy and to grow. The Bible, God's Word, is light, water and food to our inner being, our mind, will and emotions, and to our innermost being, our spirit. For our mind to be renewed, our emotions to be healthy, and our will to be strengthened to make right choices, we need the spiritual light, water and nutrition of God's Word. Our spirit, the command central of the Holy Spirit within us, should be in control of our mind, will and emotions if it is being properly nourished on the Word.

Over the years, many believers have confessed to me that they struggle to read and understand the Bible. While they know that the Word of God is important in their lives, many don't realize that it isn't just important, it's absolutely vital. Just as you cannot survive physically without light, food and water, you cannot survive spiritually, and you certainly cannot thrive, without the Word of God. You cannot come into full spiritual maturity, have a renewed mind, walk in the fullness of inner healing and deliverance, or be victorious over your own flesh or the wiles of the enemy without the Word of God. It is the tool that the Holy Spirit uses in our lives to transform us in all of those areas.

If you struggle to read and understand the Bible, if you struggle to even want to read the Bible, you are not alone. Your struggle is not an uncommon one. The first step to overcoming this struggle is to agree with the fact that the Bible is indispensable in your life. Until you embrace that truth, you won't do anything to change. Second, is to confess to God your struggle and ask for help. God wants to speak to you through His Word. The Holy Spirit wants to help you to understand the Word. Just ask! Third, is to decide you are going to take some action to engage with God's Word. These steps are the most important part, because the truth is, actually getting the Word into you isn't that difficult. Here are some options for you to try.

-Look for a translation of the Bible you can understand. Download You Version and you can read the Bible in pretty much any translation there is. Once you find one that you can like, then you may want to order a paper and ink Bible in that translation.

-Don't overwhelm yourself by thinking that you have to read large quantities every day. Read small portions of scripture slowly and carefully, then ponder what God is speaking to you.

-Listen to the Bible being read and follow along. On You Version, many translations have an audible option. You can listen while following along in your written Bible, or listen while you drive to and from work or while you exercise. Later, you can always look up things that stand out to you while you're listening.

-Buy a devotional that includes scripture. Many devotionals will include a portion of Scripture to read, or a couple of scriptures for you to look up in your Bible.

-Join a Bible study. Your church may have a Bible study or small group that is studying a book of the Bible or a scriptural topic. There are also wonderful online Bible studies that you can join. If you need some recommendations ask in the comments and we would be happy to help you.

Where do I start, you might ask. Why not start with these verses found in Psalm 119 that speak about some of the benefits of the Word?

Psalm 119:11 -God's Word helps us to resist sin
Psalm 119:24 -God's Word gives us counsel
Psalm 119:25, 50 -God's Word revives us
Psalm 119:28 -God's Word lifts us up and strengthens us
Psalm 119:45 -God's Word helps us to walk in liberty
Psalm 119:52 -God's Word comforts us
Psalm 119:81,114 -God's Word helps us to have hope
Psalm 119:98 -God's Word makes us wise
Psalm 119:99,104,130 -God's Word gives us understanding and insight
Psalm 119:105 -God's Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path
Psalm 119:133 -God's Word directs our steps
Psalm 119:65 -God's Word gives us peace and keeps us from offense and stumbling

Lastly, if you have a struggle to want to read God's Word or to understand it, I would love to pray for you and to ask God to help you. Just leave a comment!

www.justfollowingjesus.com

How to Cultivate A New Thought Life

By: Sarah Geringer

Have you ever seen a crocus bloom in the snow?

Crocus flowers amaze me. Their bulbs are so hardy that they produce blooms even in freezing temperatures. Their lovely purple or yellow faces open to the winter sun. Snow cannot hold them down.

These flowers are reminders that new life is possible, even in an impossible environment.

If you're like me, you want to change your thought processes. The ones that keep you stuck in negative cycles. The ones that hold you back from becoming the woman of God you want to be.

But you've just about given up hope on changing how you think about certain things. Where you think change isn't possible. Here are the excuses I tell myself (and God):

• It takes too much effort.
• I'm too tired.
• I'm too busy.
• My thought patterns are deeply ingrained.
• My thought patterns are too shameful.

Friend, I have found the key to overcoming problems in my thought life through Christian meditation. God is helping me make changes in areas I thought were impossible to change before.

Meditating on God's Word is so simple, yet it can have a profound effect on your thought life. All you need is a Bible or Bible app. By thinking carefully about God's Word and how it applies to your life, you can have greater peace in your thoughts and make lasting changes.

You can read more about Christian meditation on my other posts for Woman 2 Woman on these links:

2 Easy Ways to Meditate on God's Word

3 Ways to Meet God in the Night Hours

I hope you find greater peace in your thoughts today by meditating on God's Word!

If you want to share feedback on this post, please leave a comment below. You can always share at my site if you have any trouble leaving a comment here.

If you enjoyed this post, please share on your favorite social media site using the buttons below.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Blessings and God's peace to you,

Sarah Geringer
Finding Peace in God's Word

Photo from Canva.com

Reflection questions:

1. Which area of your thought life needs God's peace the most?

2. Which verse in God's Word will you meditate upon this week for greater peace?

Remain

By: Jenifer Metzger

Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit
by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain
in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I
in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me. If anyone
does not remain in Me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They
gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in Me
and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.

John 15:4-7

I love these words in John about remaining, abiding, in Jesus. The words make me think of my children when they were young. Every summer we would go to the beach for a family vacation. While these days are always fun and relaxing, they bring a bit of anxiety. Our family always stays in a condo high off the earth's surface. The higher our room, the more we like it. This let us look out far and wide over the ocean from the room's balcony. Yet, children and balconies are not a good mix so we made a firm rule: no child on the balcony without an adult. This wasn't a rule to stifle them, it was to protect them. When we would make our way from the balcony to the sandy beach, we had another firm rule: remain with us. Again, not to stifle them, but to protect them.

They had freedom to play and enjoy the beauty and fun of the balcony and beach, as long as they stayed within the rules. They needed to remain with us. On a balcony without an adult could result in a child falling over to their death. Stepping into the ocean without an adult could result in being swept away. But when they remained with us, they could have fun for hours. My kids had a job to do, they had to remain with an adult. As long as they did their part, we could do ours in protecting them while still allowing freedom.

Remaining with God is the same. When we remain in Him through obedience and serving Him, He brings us a beautiful freedom. Freedom from sin, guilt, and bondage. Freedom to love and serve. But we must do our part. We must remain in Him. When we do our part, He does His in protecting us while blessing us with freedom in Him.

While playing in the waves, time to time my children a giant wave sweep over my children causing salty water to burn their nostrils. With a parent by their side we could help them up and steady them again. In life, sometimes a wave will crash over us, but when we remain with God, He helps us up and steadies us again.

Let's be women who remain in Jesus and are thankful that He remains in us.

It's time for Share A Link Wednesday! Each Wednesday we invite you to leave a link to your latest blog post in the comments. We still desire to connect women of God with one another and encourage each other in Christ. So grab a cup of coffee or glass of sweet tea, sit back and visit a few blogs. Be encouraged and share your own stories.

"Inhale Spirit - Exhale Flesh"

By: Joanne Viola

In recent days, I have had several conversations with different people and the subject at hand was “fear”.

We often use other words to describe our feelings – like worry, concerns, anxiety – so we don’t use the word “fear”.

Our fears, if we are honest, are legitimate. We fear getting an incurable disease, the death of a loved one, losing our jobs, never finding a mate, our mate leaving us, our children becoming sick, having a car accident, and many other circumstances.

But here’s the problem with our fears – all of these situations may never occur in our lives. The fears live in our thoughts.

The very first day of reading a Lent devotional turned my thoughts to Psalm 1, where I read:

"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper." (verse 1-3, NKJV)

We desperately need to meditate on God’s Word, reading it every day, if we are going to successfully silence our fears. 

“Like a tree, the godly person is alive, beautiful, fruitful, useful, and enduring. The most important part of a tree is the hidden root system that draws up water and nourishment, and the most important part of the believer’s life is the “spiritual root system” that draws on the hidden resources we have in Christ.”

(from The Wiersbe Study Bible, commentary notes page 752)

We are to delight in His Law, meditate on the Word and therein, lies the blessing. As we reflect on His Word, thinking deeply on it so as to apply it to our lives, His Word begins to change us.

Psalm 1

to him who holds my breath
inhale Spirit
exhale flesh
You alone are worthy
of all of my words
to You, of You, from You
now and forevermore.

(by Karen Fendick, “From Ashes To Glory: A Psalm a Day”)

“Inhale Spirit – exhale flesh”, a little more each day.
Dispel the fears and discover anew,
there is joy to be found in following Jesus.

Photo by freestocks.org on Unsplash

 

The Creator's love seen in the beauty of creation...

by Elizabeth Stewart

God’s splendor is a tale that is told;

his testament is written in the stars.

Space itself speaks his story every day

through the marvels of the heavens.

His truth is on tour in the starry vault of the sky,

showing his skill in creation’s craftsmanship.

2 

Each day gushes out its message to the next,

night with night whispering its knowledge to all.

3 

Without a sound, without a word, without a voice being heard,

4 

Yet all the world can see its story.

Everywhere its gospel is clearly read so all may know.

Psalm 19:1-4 The Passion Translation

I normally share a scripture and then some of my own thoughts in this space each week. This week I wanted to share some quotes relating to the scriptures found in Romans 1:20 and Psalm 19:1-4, both shared above. I have two books by author Dana Candler that I would highly recommend. Deep Unto Deep and Entirety In the quotes below, taken from Dana Candler's book, Entirety, she writes of how God speaks to us through the beauty of His creation if we only have eyes and ears to perceive it.

“The God whose pursuit of me has been from the eternal ages is also the One who searches for me in the present day, reaches for me in the beauties of creation and in the the smallest

events of my everyday circumstances…”

“The Lord’s love is so extravagant, and though the crowning revelation of that extravagance was in the giving of His Son even unto death, He has continued His proclamation in a daily manner through the messengers of the created order. The natural order serves as a window into the supernatural, bringing my heart closer to the Creator if it but hears the message and beholds the beauty of the creation and the persistent announcement of the Creator’s love behind it.” 

“Surely God has set the created order into motion as a continual witness, a voice that incessantly goes forth, a beauty that relentlessly exudes the message of His deep love and His extravagant kindness…Oh, to have ears to hear and eyes to perceive the heart of the Beloved behind this beauty!”

all quotes from the book Entirety by Dana Candler

www.justfollowingjesus.com

Reaching Out for God's Comfort

By: Sarah Geringer

From eternity to eternity I am God.

No one can snatch anyone out of my hand.

No one can undo what I have done.

Isaiah 43:13 NLT

A little child instinctively reaches for her mother’s hand when she feels afraid. Simply feeling her mother's hand inside her grasp restores her sense of security.

We are wired to look for comfort and security when we feel insecure. As adults, when we are fearful we may reach for unstable things when we feel afraid. If we don’t reach for God’s hand first, we can quickly get in trouble.

Do you know that God is holding you securely in his hand right now? Because God is infinite and powerful, nothing can shake you from his grasp. You can feel secure knowing that what Jesus has done for you, no one can undo.

When I feel anxious, I imagine God holding me securely in his hand. I enjoy meditating on these verses with word pictures about God's hand:

So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;

    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10 NIV

For I am the Lord your God

    who takes hold of your right hand

and says to you, Do not fear;

    I will help you.

Isaiah 41:13 NIV

I sometimes need to be comforted by God just like a little child does with her mother. Thankfully, God reaches out to you and me when we need his comfort, strength and security. All you need to do is reach out to him in prayer when you need to be comforted. He will answer you and hold you securely.

If you want to share feedback on this post, please leave a comment below. You can always share at my site if you have any trouble leaving a comment here.

If you enjoyed this post, please share on your favorite social media site using the buttons below.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Blessings and God's peace to you,

Sarah Geringer
Finding Peace in God's Word

Photo from Canva.com

Reflection questions:

1. How can you praise God for holding your hand in past struggles?

2. Which one of these verses brings you the most comfort, and why?