Greetings to my sisters in Christ!
I hope all is well with you and you're looking to the Lord for all your needs!
But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.Philippians 4:19
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.Psalm 23:1
The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.Psalm 34:10
For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.Luke 12:30-31
Praise the Lord for providing all our needs so we will have no lack/want! And those are real needs and not always what we think we need right sisters?! We surely have all our needs met...food and clothing (and much more!) and most of all Christ and His Word which are the most important as our flesh will die one way or another but our soul is eternal.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.Matthew 5:6
I love that scripture so much too and amen I do hunger and thirst after righteousness and I'm sure you sisters do too! There's so many who talk about not being able to be righteous that it's refreshing to know you can be righteous before God through Christ and obedience to Him which makes us acceptable to Him. Keep pressing on, righteous sisters.
Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.1 John 3:7
For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.1 Peter 3:12
I was pondering the concept of being rich physically and it all is relative really. We in our western cultures are very rich compared to very many of the world's population who may just have a little rough metal shack crammed in together with filth all around or a mud hut for a home or no home at all. So we are quite rich really and we know there are warnings about being careful about that in scripture. But our treasures and affections are above aren't they sisters!
And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.Mark 4:19
And all we have extra, above food and raiment, are gifts from the Lord to be very thankful for and not take forgranted or not to complain about if they get taken away. We know it's not sinful to have things on this earth but we don't want to trust in them but in the living God!
For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.Hebrews 2:10
Jesus...the 'captain of our salvation'. I like pondering that concept. We know it's all about Him and through Him that we can even have salvation!
It's always good to remember Christ crucified and His sacrifice and atonement for our sins. He is our hope right sisters. Our only hope.
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
1 Peter 1:19-21
I was again pondering on offending or stumbling anyone in the faith and how serious it is.
But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. Let not then your good be evil spoken of:Romans 14:15-16
I know that chapter's generally talking about offending in the Jew versus Gentile situation back then but the whole concept is a good one to ponder. We do not want to stumble someone with what we do or what we share online. They didn't have the internet in Bible times of course so it's a new thing we have to face and discern it all biblically and it is indeed a dangerous tool if used wrongly so we sisters want to use it for good and pure things. There is no occasion of stumbling others if we share scripture, good edifying words, good pure and true pictures and videos of His creation or Titus 2 duties etc.
It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.Romans 14:21
I always have to first test myself in all I write here to make sure I am not hypocritical as I really do not want to be in any way. I'm just pondering the depths of what the Lord is teaching us in His Word in these scriptures and how to apply it to our lives.
It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.Luke 17:2
Of course the world will not appreciate our lives after Christ and our obedience to Him may cause problems in those around us but we obey God over man and I understand these scriptures are talking about among saints. We know there is to be a special care and looking after one another in the body.
And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.
Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.
1 Corinthians 8:11-13
I ponder what Paul was willing to give up for the weaker saint back in the transition from the old covenant to the new.
And I think about how we are to take radical action against those things which cause us to sin. So if we know there may be a weak member of the body and we put something in front of them that may stumble them...we know we are not walking in love then or modeling brother Paul. Just pondering on it all and good to test our lives in all areas. I know everyone is responsible for their own lives but we also are responsible for what we do and that we don't stumble a sister, a precious soul, (or a brother) in what we do.
And on a separate but similar subject, I know that is often what those who advocate for 'modest' dress to be worn by women...to not stumble another believer especially a brother, say. And it is all left up for personal interpretation, all the while the women in the so called body of Christ are often times more undressed than clothed, stumbling others all the time. But we focus on what the Lord commands right from Genesis in what God clothed us in, right through to commands for women in the New Testament for long plain robe like garments. And while not stumbling someone is a good reason to not dress certain ways like scriptures speak about not doing, we dress the way we do because God commands and shows it to us and quite honestly it's common sense as well...for men and women to appropriately cover themselves. Satan has a way of corrupting everything doesn't he. God makes things good and he comes in destroying it and bringing sin. But let us sisters who are born of God and love truth uphold the Word and live out His ways as blameless as we can for His glory.
Keep striving on sisters as good soldiers and being partakers of Christ including His sufferings.
For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.Galatians 3:26-27
Love in Him,
Sister Chayil
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