Greetings sisters!
I hope you are standing strong in the Lord and in the power of His might! If not, I want to help you keep pressing on, not growing weary!
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.Isaiah 40:31
Look to Jesus, sisters!
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Matthew 11:28
Keep abiding in His Word of truth also. That always is strengthening in this world we need to endure.
I was pondering the depths of what God's children are to be. There's many areas to ponder and sometimes you can just be thinking 'surface level' about something when there's really more depth to see or grow into.
So I'm sharing scriptures on one area I was thinking about. It's to do with our self control, mildness, gentleness, meekness etc. I think of the way Jesus taught us of being 'passive' when smitten on the cheek and not returning evil words for those who speak evil against us etc. And any active thing we are to do is to do or speak good in return for evil. The natural human reaction is to retaliate or self defend but that's not God's high way we are called to! Actually it is an active and deliberate thing really if we put down the flesh and don't do what seems natural to do. I'm sure this is an area to always keep growing deeper in. But let His Word speak for itself.
To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.Titus 3:2
Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.Philippians 4:5
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;2 Peter 1:6
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.Galatians 5:22-23
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.James 3:17
And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;2 Timothy 2:24-25
If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.James 1:26
For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.James 3:2
He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.Proverbs 25:28
Of course there's many more scriptures on the subject and similar but good to ponder and keep in memory at all times. I'm encouraging my sisters to be 'good' per Titus 2! And we may not face physical persecution really, perhaps one day, but any kind of trials for our faith, how we react is important.
And by no mean does this mean we are soft and get tossed around or compromise or don't ever speak the truth to people and stand up for it and defend it. But it's simply a command of God to obey. And we can do all we need to do in that spirit that God teaches us to of meekness, gentleness, humbleness and such like.
Man's words really mean so very little (mine included). He doesn't know our hearts like God does! He may tell us many things and if we take more heed to man's word than God's then that can fill us with despair and hopeless feelings and condemnation. Let's read and believe God's Word sisters and be filled with hope for those who truly love Him and His truth and are walking in His ways and humbly striving to grow. Christ is our hope! If we are in Him...there is nothing higher to which we need to feel despair about if we haven't reached or something. May Christ be everything to us. And may His Word be so much higher in truth and meaning and authority compared to man's!
Never can we let our respect or submission to anyone blind us to the truth or allow us to overlook things that aren't right. Just as a wife cannot be partial and go along with a husband that she loves, into sin. There's actually many women who think that whatever a husband says, like about dress and headcovering, she will do. But we all stand before the Lord alone.
So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.Romans 14:12
I've had a busy day helping in Titus 2 works and such. I'm sure all my sisters are being diligent in their duties too! Keep going sisters!
I'm sharing an account of God's perfect timing this evening. I got asked to dash to the post office quick before it closed for the day...so I did. When I got there (half an hour before it was supposed to close), there was an older man waiting at the door. I asked if it was closed or what but there was a sign on the door saying 'be back in 5 minutes'. (It's a little country one with only one worker.) So he asked where I lived and I asked where he lived and a bit of back and forth things. He wanted to sell me a caravan too...but I said I lived in one already:-) He asked what I did for work. Just about then I knew the post office would open so I gave him a gospel card. He started reading it aloud and after he read about 'eternal life' he said something like good timing as he'd just heard his cancer had come back or something. I couldn't really understand him well but anyway he got good news and some hope just because of five minutes of waiting! As the post office was opening I told him there's our email if he wants to reach out. His wife was waiting in the car so maybe she got hope too! But I had had to drive slower because of the sun getting lower right in front of me even when I wanted to go faster but could have missed this opportunity, so we never know why things work the way they do. Well we know all things work for good and I just hope that encourages you sisters who don't get out much either to just be ready and the Lord can put people right in front of us as we go about our helper works, to offer hope to. We don't know what people will do with it though but that's the Lord's business and we just keep doing what's in front of us! Keep going sisters! All good works are pleasing to Him! We are living for God and not for people in the end.
More hope up in a dark world too.
Another lesson from nature. There were three lambs that were being bottle fed here, two newer and one been around for several weeks. Well the older one got sick and died in twenty four hours. Just a sobering reminder that we too could be healthy and flourishing and full of life but gone in twenty four hours too. We might not want to talk about death too much (and in the other extreme some people are obsessed with it) but it's wise to ponder it. And very wise to be preparing for ours.
A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth.
It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.
Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
Ecclesiastes 7:1-4
Such are the cycles on this earth...life and death. This world is indeed groaning under the curse because of sin. Let's not forget the seriousness of it all.
And while it's a bit sad if an animal dies...how much more precious are the souls of humans. And we know we are eternal beings and will stand before the Lord to receive a reward for what we have done...good or bad. A bad reward of eternal fire in outer darkness or a good reward of eternal life with our Creator. Let's be ready.
Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.2 Corinthians 5:9-10
In Christ, we can have hope to stand before the Lord in His righteousness and having obeyed until the end.
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.
For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.
Philippians 1:21-24
Sharing some scriptures from a sister...
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He is worthy of all praise and glory!
I love these scriptures about exalting the Lord! I'm sure you will too sisters!
Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.Psalm 118:28
Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy.Psalm 99:9
For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods.Psalm 97:9
Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.Psalm 57:5
O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.Psalm 34:3
The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.Psalm 18:46
Amen! Just reading them is encouraging, and uplifting and God glorifying and we get to serve such a high and holy God as we have!
Keep striving on sisters! One day at a time. One thing at a time. We're just passing through this world and it's not our home.
Blessed be the Lord!
Love in Christ,
Sister Chayil
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