Welcome to Girls to Grow today! It’s the last Wednesday in August…which means I want to believe that when September arrives, fall weather will come with it. However, I’ve lived here in South Carolina long enough to know better! 🙂

I did buy a new sweater last week, but it will likely be November before it actually gets worn. I’ve noticed, though, that the days are starting to get shorter, so I plan to enjoy the rest of summer while it lasts.

We all have dark days, whether they’re for a brief time or through a longer season.  Financial difficulties, illness, death of a friend or family member, career struggles – no matter what form they take, these trials can make us feel as if the darkness is surrounding us.

If you’re in one of those times today, here’s a verse that I hope will encourage you.

“For thou art my lamp, O Lord: and the Lord will lighten my darkness.”  ~ II Samuel 22:29

When the darkness comes, we’re not alone.  No matter how dark it seems, God is with us. Just knowing that He walks with us through our troubles can make the darkness feel less overwhelming.

What else does light bring us?  Here are five ideas.

• Light illuminates the path. Once we have light, we can see which way to go.  Psalm 37:23 says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.”  Letting God’s light shine into our situation can help us know how to proceed. Psalm 119:105 tells us that God’s Word is a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. Reading and studying our Bible will help us see the way to go.
• Light removes the fear of the unknown.  When you can see what’s around you, you’re not as scared.  A verse that comforts me in times of uncertainty is Psalm 112:7, which says of the righteous, “He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.”  I don’t have to be afraid of the unknown if I’m trusting God to take care of me.
• Light brings comfort.  If you’ve ever had a child (or been one!) who’s afraid of the dark, you know how comforting it can be to see a little night light shining in the darkness.  God is called “the God of all comfort” in II Corinthians 1:3 and He is able to comfort us at every step. 
• Light reveals imperfections.  When the light of the Lord shines on us, we can see how much we need Him.  Through His Word and His Holy Spirit, He reveals our sin and our weakness. As we acknowledge them, God can show us Himself and His ability to meet our every need.
• Light leads us to our ultimate desination. I think of being lost outside on a cold, dark, wintry night. Just when I feel like giving up, I see a light in the distance. That light gives me hope to keep going, trusting that there’s warmth and something hot to eat and drink where I’m headed! In the same way, we may struggle along here in the darkness of the world, but as Christians, we have a home in Heaven where the light of our Savior always shines!

If you’re going through a dark day, I pray that you will let the Lord shine into your darkness!

Related posts:

• 5 Powerful Promises from God’s Word for You
• How to Praise God When Life Is Difficult
• 10 Things We Can Know About God’s Goodness

Welcome to Girls to Grow today! I took a bit of a blog break over the last couple of weeks, but I’m happy to be back.

Last week my husband and I were able to join a group of people from his company on a cruise in the Caribbean. We had a nice, relaxing time and especially enjoyed visiting Puerto Rico for the first time.

Now we’re on the countdown to college for our girls! I’m slowly but surely marking things off the list with our freshman. She’s been able to connect with two girls who will be her roommates, so that’s been fun.

Recently I’ve been reading in the book of Matthew during my morning Bible time. It struck me one day how often Jesus comments on a person’s faith.

Here are several examples.

“When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.” [8:10]

“And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.” [8:26]

“And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.” [9:2]

“But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.” [9:22]

“Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.” [9:29]

“And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” [14:31]

“Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.” [15:28]

Many of these people had great faith for healing, either theirs or someone else’s. The disciples, though, had little faith when the storm came and rocked their boat. Peter needed faith to walk on the water.

Fatih sounds like such a big, important word..and it is. According to Hebrews 11:6, we can’t please God without it. Maybe, like me, you’re in the midst of a transition or facing a situation with an uncertain outcome and you need faith.

Let’s look at some truths about faith.

Faith is complete confidence and trust in God.

Do you see that word “complete?” That means totally and fully putting our trust in God. It’s not, “Yeah, I believe God is going to meet my need/answer my prayer, but I’m also trying to work it out on my own over here just in case He doesn’t.” Anyone but me ever been there?

I don’t think the blind men who come to Jesus for healing in Matthew 9 had a backup plan. Their faith was in His power to give them sight. And He did.

It’s not “blind” faith when we put our trust in God.

There are several things we can base our faith on. The first is what we know about God from His Word. Deuteronomy 7:9 says that He is the faithful God. Faithfulness is part of His character.

Not only does the Bible tell us that our God is faithful, but it shows us through the stories we find there. Hebrews 11 is full of them!

Our faith is also based on previous experiences in our lives. You don’t have to be a Christian for long before you’ll go through a trial and you will find that God is faithful. What we’re facing today may be a different circumstance than in the past, but we know God will be faithful again.

Faith will drive out fear.

Notice in Matthew 8:26 above that Jesus asks the disciples why they’re afraid. It’s because their faith was so small. I’m not judging them – I wouldn’t have been calm tossing up and down in a boat during a storm! But they had Jesus right there with them. And He’s also with us in whatever our storm is, wanting us to demonstrate our faith in His ability to keep us safe.

It’s in seasons of waiting that our faith grows.

My flesh doesn’t like this one. Waiting is hard, y’all. Yet in the seasons of waiting, we can cling to God’s promises.

It’s so easy to want to run ahead of God. Remember Abraham and Hagar? God had promised Abraham a great seed. But instead of waiting on God’s timing, Abraham and Sarah took the matter into their own hands. What a mess that was! But what a wonderful day when all the waiting was over and God blessed them with Isaac just as He had promised.

Don’t you want to be one of those that Jesus commended for having great faith?! With God’s help, we can be.

A prayer for today: Dear God, give us faith that we might please You. Help us to fully and completely put our trust in You. We have seen your faithfulness in the past and claim the promises we find in Your Word. Drive out the fear that threatens our peace. You have everything under control, whether we feel like it or not. And when you ask us to wait, may we do so with complete confidence that You know best and are always working for Your glory and our good.

Related posts:

• What Sarah Teaches Me About Faith
• How to Keep on Going When Your Faith Is Weak
• 5 Bible Promises to Pray Over Your Life Today

A lot of times I write about women in the Bible and how we can learn from or be inspired by them. But today I want to talk about Joseph. Not the Joseph of the Old Testament, though he’s a great guy. No, I mean the Joseph of the New Testament. The one who served as an earthly father to Jesus.

As I read about him in Matthew chapters 1 and 2, I find that his life is marked by one word. It’s not flashy or spectacular or radical. It’s a very simple word.

Obedience.

Four times God came to Joseph in a dream. He is given four different, direct commands. And Joseph has the same response every time.

Let’s look quickly at these four passages.

“Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost…Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:” ~Matthew 1:19-20, 24

Joseph is already classified as a “just man.” Yet surely this command from God was unexpected. I feel like I’d have wanted something more than just one dream to confirm that I needed to make such a life-changing decision. Remember Gideon and the fleece?? Maybe something like that. But Joesph woke up from his dream and did exactly – and, as far as we can tell, without question – what God told him to do.

He obeyed.

Here’s the second dream.

“And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:” ~Matthew 2:13-14

The wise men have just left Bethlehem. Joseph has a dream and is told to take Mary and Jesus out of the country. Not just to another village, but to a totally unfamiliar place. And traveling then wasn’t like it is today, with GPS and car rental and hotel reservations along the way. I don’t know if Joseph had planner tendencies like I do, but it probably would have been nice to have a little more notice before taking off on this big trip.

How did Joseph respond? When he got up out of bed, he took Jesus and Mary at night and left for Egypt.

He obeyed.

And here’s the third dream.

“But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child’s life. And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.” ~Matthew 2:19-21

Another dream, another trip. We don’t know exactly how long the little family had been in Egypt. But now God tells Joseph it’s time to return to Israel. Perhaps this was a welcome command. Certainly, there must have been relief in knowing that those who’d wanted to kill the young Jesus were dead. Once again, Joseph does what he’s done before.

He obeyed.

And finally, just a short time later, we find the last recorded dream of Joseph.

“But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.” ~Matthew 2:22-23

And here’s the fourth dream, the fourth time God tells Joseph what he should do. This time, God’s direction leads Joseph to Nazareth, the town that Jesus would be associated with when He grew to be a man. [Matthew 21:11; Mark 1:24] Joseph responds to this directive just as he has all the times before.

He obeyed.

We may not speak or sing on a stage or be recognized for our large charitable contributions. We may not feel like we have any great talent that God can use. But you and I, we can be like Joseph.

We can obey.

We can look to God’s Word for instruction and follow it. When the Holy Spirit impresses a particular action on our heart, we can follow through. We can pray for discernment to know God’s will and do it to the best of our ability.

I believe that whether it was here or in heaven or both, God honored Joseph for his obedience. And I believe that’s why he was chosen to have such a close, earthly relationship with God’s Son. May we, like Joseph, be obedient to what we know God would have us to do today.

Related posts:

• 5 Tips to Keep You from Getting Your Own Way
• 10 Key Lessons the Israelites Can Teach Us Abouth the Christian Life
• God Will Prepare the Way

Welcome to Girls to Grow today, whether you’re a first-time or long-time reader! I hope your summer’s going well so far and that you had a good 4th of July holiday weekend. It’s a fairly quiet week here, so we’re fitting in a couple of routine doctor appointments and starting the dorm-room shopping process with my younger daughter.

Lately, I’ll admit to having to work hard to keep my thoughts positive. It seems like I run to the negative side of things very quickly! I get down on myself or someone else. Or I dwell on what’s wrong in a situation rather than choosing to trust God and His timing.

But I know that’s not how God would have for us to live. He wants us to walk in His truth. In order to do that, we need to fight those negative thoughts with God’s Word. It is our sword [Ephesians 6:17], and we can use it to get victory over those thoughts.

Here are four common defeating thought patterns along with Scripture to overcome them.

1. I’ve messed up too many times for God to still love me.

Saved or unsaved, you can have this thought. Let’s remind ourselves about some truths regarding God’s love for us.

“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” ~1 John 4:10 We weren’t the ones to initiate love towards God. He loved us first.

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” ~Romans 5:8 So often we think of love as conditional. As imperfect humans, it can be hard to grasp that God’s love was so great that He loved us and sent His Son to die for us while we were still in our sinful state, far from wanting the redemption we needed.

“The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” ~Jeremiah 31:3 God’s love is everlasting. Nothing can separate us from that love. [Romans 8:38-39]

2. God doesn’t know or care about the little things in my life.

We get discouraged, and while we know in our heads this isn’t true, our hearts may feel differently. Thankfully feelings don’t equal truth.

“Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.” ~Luke 12:6-7 The God who remembers every sparrow and knows the number of hairs on your head knows and cares about every detail of your life.

“How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.” ~Psalm 139:17-18 What an idea to meditate on – God’s thoughts about me are precious and more in number than the sand!

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.” ~Psalm 37:23 God knows not just our whole path, but each step that we’re taking along the way.

3. No one else has the same struggles that I do.

This one has come up often for me as a mom. Other moms seem to have this whole parenting thing down way better than I do! She doesn’t seem to struggle with __________ [insert whatever difficult behavior my child is currently displaying]. But we can also allow this thought to defeat us when it comes to any type of temptation or difficulty we’re facing.

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” ~1 Corinthians 10:13 This verse is pretty clear – temptation is common to all of us. Yet God knows what we can handle and makes a way of escape for us.

“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” ~Hebrews 4:15 Jesus, all-God yet all-man, understands what it’s like to live on this earth with its trials and temptations.

“For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.” ~Hebrews 2:18 We can run to Christ for comfort and support. We don’t have to do it alone.

4. My prayers aren’t doing any good.

Have you ever prayed for something that, as far as you know, is in God’s will, but it doesn’t seem to get answered?

“Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.” ~John 9:31 The Bible says over and over that God hears our prayers.

“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:” ~1 John 5:14 If we don’t see our prayer answered right away, it doesn’t mean that God hasn’t heard us. We can’t know the mind of God, but we can trust that He is working out what is best.

“And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.” ~Revelation 5:8 I love this verse that tells us that our prayers are before God as sweet incense!

And finally, in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, we’re instructed to pray without ceasing. Why would we be told to do this if our prayers don’t do any good?

Let’s be purposeful about choosing our thoughts today. If the defeating thought you’re facing isn’t on this list, find a Bible verse that will help you overcome it. May we use God’s Word to live victoriously as Christian women today.

Related posts:

• Who’s the Boss – Feelings or Truth?
• How to Praise God When Life is Difficult
• A Time and a Season for Every Thing

Has your June flown by?? I knew this summer would go by fast, but the fact that tomorrow is July still seems unreal!

There was no new post last week since we’d just returned from our family vacation. We had a great time with a nice mix of activities and relaxation. Now we’re all home for a couple of weeks, and then the travel starts up again!

Has there been a time in your life when you weren’t sure how to pray about a situation? Maybe it involved a spouse or a child, a financial decision, or a move to another state. Perhaps you just couldn’t get clear direction. And we’ve likely all had times when we were just so overwhelmed with life that we couldn’t even think clearly enough to know how or what to pray.

When we’re not sure how we should pray or what to ask for, here’s a list of five things we can do.

1. Believe that the Holy Spirit will help us.

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” ~Romans 8:26

The Holy Spirit knows the mind of God. He intervenes for us and speaks to God on our behalf. The Spirit strengthens us when our faith is weak. He can take the deep, inexpressible cries of our hearts and bring them before God. When we’re perplexed about how to pray, He already knows what’s best for us.

2. Find Bible examples of how others prayed in difficult situations.

We know that David often cried out to God in the Psalms. In chapter 59, verse 1 as he deals with enemies, he writes “Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God: defend me from them that rise up against me.“

There’s Hannah’s prayer for a son when she was barren in 1 Samuel 1:11. “And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life…”

And our ultimate example, Jesus in the garden before His crucifixion. In Matthew 26:39, we read, “And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.“

3. Pray to God directly from His Word.

Find a verse that pertains to what you’re facing or one that brings you comfort and just pray it to God. I often take Proverbs 3:5,6 to pray for myself or someone in my family.

“Lord, help me to trust you with all my heart and not rely on my own wisdom or understanding. May I acknowledge You in every area of my life so I can know that you will direct my path.“

4. Write out what you’re struggling with.

I realize that this is easy for me because writing is one of the best ways I have to process my thoughts. Even if that’s not true for you, try to at least write out a sentence or two that summarizes how you’re feeling. Sometimes just seeing it written down on paper can help you gain a better perspective. This practice might guide you in how to pray.

5. Remember that God knows our hearts and our minds even when we can’t fully express what we need or want.

We’re likely all familiar with Psalm 139. “O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.” [Verses 1-4]

What a comfort it is to know that God knows us so deeply and individually! He knows us better than we know ourselves and is so faithful to meet our every need. When we don’t know how we should pray or what we should ask for, He is still able to give us exactly what we need.

I remember a time a few years ago when I was confused and heartbroken over a particular situation. Honestly, I didn’t feel like praying. I didn’t have the words to tell God how I was feeling. Yet as always, He was faithful. He brought me through those days and I learned more about Him and about myself.

In the days ahead when we struggle to know how to pray, may we remember to rely on the Holy Spirit’s help, look to God’s Word, and rest in the fact that God knows our hearts and will continue to keep us in His care.

Related posts:

• 10 Things to Pray for When You’re Seeking God’s Guidance
• 6 Steps for How to Pray When We’re Anxious or Afraid
• 5 Bible Verses to Encourage You in Your Prayer Life

The middle of June is here, and we’re off on vacation! With our older daughter now a junior in college, I know that the family vacations she’ll be able to participate in are going to become less frequent, so I’m really looking forward to this one.

Since our younger daughter had her graduation party on Saturday, it feels like we’ve closed the door on high school. I don’t think that will really sink in until August when school starts back up and she doesn’t go! That’s about the time we’ll be finishing up her college shopping and getting ready to move her into a dorm. That will be quite a transition!

Life gives us the opportunity to experience lots of emotions. Sometimes it seems like there’s so much change happening that we just need to slow down and absorb it. At other times, it can seem like we’re in a rut and that nothing will ever change. Regardless of which one we’re experiencing, what can keep us going is hope.

Hope allows us to live with a feeling of expectation. Now if everything was perfect, we wouldn’t need hope. If all our needs were met and every relationship was going along smoothly and there was no divisiveness and all was peace, hope would be out of business.

But we all know that’s not the case. In fact, in the midst of a trial, there may be days when hope is all we have. So let’s consider some truths about hope.

Our hope is in God’s mercy.

“Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;” ~Psalm 33:18

If we had to deal with our own sin, we’d be doomed. But God – though He would be totally just in punishing us – in His mercy allowed Jesus to take the penalty for our sin.

“The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.” ~Psalm 147:11

Isn’t this verse exciting? God takes pleasure in you and I when we fear Him and hope in His mercy.

Our hope is in eternal life.

“That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” ~Titus 3:7

This is the ultimate hope!! Because of God’s mercy in sending a Savior, we have the gift of eternal life in Heaven with Him forever. We’d certainly feel grateful and blessed to receive an inheritance here on earth. How much greater our excitement over our inheritance of Heaven!

Hope anchors our soul.

“Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;” ~Hebrews 6:19

This passage is talking about how God keeps His covenants and promises. Because our God is faithful, our hope is grounded in Him. That hope keeps us from drifting or going off course when the storms come.

Hope teaches us patience.

“But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.” ~Romans 8:25

Ahh waiting, not a favorite topic 🙂 But we can learn much in a waiting season. In fact, hope isn’t usually instantly fulfilled. It takes time for hope to become reality, but what excitement and rejoicing there is when it happens!

Here we see it again – hoping and waiting tied together. “It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.” ~ Lamentations 3:26

We hope in His Word.

“Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word.” ~Psalm 119:114

“I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.” ~Psalm 130:5

Let’s go to God’s Word when we need our hope strengthened. Find a promise that God made and claim it for your own.

When I think about our “baby girl” going off to college in the fall, verses like Jeremiah 29:11 give me hope. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” God has a plan for her life and He will guide her into it.

If you’re discouraged today, may God lead you to find hope in Him and His Word. He is the ultimate source of our hope.

“For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.” ~Psalm 71:5

“There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something tomorrow.” ~Orison Swett Marden

Related posts:

• 6 Ways to Find Hope When Times Are Tough
• 5 Things to Know About God’s Plan for Your Life
• How to Praise God When Life Is Difficult

We now have another high school graduate in the house! Our younger daughter had her graduation ceremony on Friday night and it went well. She had to give a speech, which she finished writing on Friday afternoon. Putting it off until the last minute would have made me a nervous wreck, but she did a great job 🙂

I wasn’t real emotional at graduation, but I was totally exhausted and unmotivated on Saturday. Maybe that’s somehow related?? We still have her graduation party this Saturday, and then we head out on vacation next week. We’re all very much looking forward to that!!

In our Sunday School class during the month of June, we’re studying the book of Proverbs. As I was going through chapter one last week, verse 31 caught my attention. The writer is talking about what happens to the simple, the scorners, and the fools who refuse wisdom.

“Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.“

The thought hit me that one of the worst things that can happen to us is for God to allow us to have our own way. Yet, so often, isn’t that exactly what we want? We don’t have the time or the inclination to slow down and see if what we want to do is truly wise. We fail to seek God’s leading about a particular decision because we’re already convinced we know what is best.

And then things don’t go the way we planned. People or circumstances change and what started out looking great turns out to be a trainwreck. Often natural consequences end up teaching us a very hard lesson.

In some of the surrounding verses in Proverbs 1, we see three potential dangers of having our own way.

Disaster

“I also will laugh at your calamity…” (verse 26a)

Suffering and distress are often at the end of that path we choose to walk without God. We refuse wisdom and misfortune finds us.

Fear

“I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation…” (verses 26-27)

When we’ve stepped outside of God’s leading, we don’t have the confidence that comes from trusting God and following His Word. That leaves us to figure things out on our own, and it’s easy to be afraid.

Not hearing from God

“Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:” (verse 28)

It’s hard to think about God not answering us when we call on Him. But if we’re not in fellowship with Him, if we’ve gone our own way, we can’t expect to hear from Him.

On the other hand, let’s look at three blessings we can have as we fear the Lord (verse 7) and seek after wisdom.

A spirit of wisdom

“…behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.” (verse 23)

Don’t we all want a spirit of wisdom? God gives it freely as we fear Him and seek after it.

Security

“But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely…” (verse 33)

If we know we’re in God’s will, we can feel safe and secure. We have every right to rest in God’s promises and trust Him.

Peace

“But whoso hearkeneth unto me…shall be quiet from fear of evil.“

There are still distractions, suffering, and tragedy if we’re following after wisdom. Choosing to fear the Lord doesn’t exempt us from life’s troubles. But God gives us peace in the midst of them. As we follow Him, we know we’re not alone.

You and I, we get to choose. Are we going to fear God and seek wisdom or are we going to go our own way? I hope that God will work in our hearts so that we won’t be classified as the simple or the fool! May we choose God’s way and submit to His leading so that we’re not left to our own devices.

Related posts:

• 10 Traits of a Wise Woman
• 8 Ways to Know if We Have Godly Wisdom
• 5 Powerful Promises from God’s Word for You

From where I sit in coastal South Carolina, summer weather has arrived! There’s lots of sunshine and we’ve already been up to 90 degrees a few days. We used to head to the beach one morning of Memorial Day weekend, but with both girls now having to be at work in the early afternoon, we’ve abandoned that tradition. I am planning for chicken wings and maybe hot dogs on the grill for Monday night’s supper, though!

I suppose this has been a lifelong struggle for me, but it has seemed more pronounced lately. Do you ever deal with shame and guilt? Maybe I read a post like last week’s on 5 Things to Do Today to Be a Virtuous Woman. I realize that I’m failing in some way and feel guilty. Or I see another mom with a larger family and more obligations than I have who’s constantly ministering in church. And I’m ashamed that I’m not doing more for the Lord.

When I was in that spot yesterday morning, I was drawn to Romans 8. It’s funny because I was actually looking for a passage that is in Romans 7. But as soon as I saw the first verse of chapter 8, I knew it was exactly what I needed.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.“

Because I have trusted Him as my Savior, I am in Christ Jesus. I am not going to be judged, pronounced guilty, or eternally punished for my sin. There is no need for me to feel guilt or shame. God is for me. He knows my heart and He also knows my flesh.

“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy...He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” ~Psalm 103:8, 10-14

What an encouragement this Psalm is for us!! God is patient and longsuffering. He reproves us when we knowingly sin against Him, but never to the degree that we deserve. His mercy is far above our human understanding. We are fully pardoned, and He has compassion for us in our weakness and frailty.

As I continued reading in Romans 8, I found encouragement that I’ll come back to when those emotions of shame and guilt come calling!

We are free from the bondage of sin because of the power of the cross.

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us…” ~Verses 2-4

We could never have kept the law to earn our salvation. That gift is ours only because God’s Son came and took the penalty for our sin. And in our Christian life, we don’t earn His favor by striving hard to keep a list of rules. It’s all of grace, the “work” He did to save us, and the work He does to sanctify us.

God’s love, grace, mercy and goodness are continual blessings in our lives.

“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” ~Verse 32

Freely give. It’s true not only of salvation, but of all the good things He allows – and wants – us to enjoy.

The Holy Spirit – the same one who raised Jesus from the dead – lives inside us and gives us the power to live the Christian life.

“And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” ~Verses 10-11

“…if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” ~Verse 13

The Spirit within us gives us the ability to subdue our fleshly desires and live a righteous life. And beyond that, He will one day revive our physical bodies so that they can live with God forever.

Nothing can separate you and me from God’s love.

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ~Verses 38-39

Can a truth be more simple yet more profound? We can’t be separated from God’s love.

The next time guilt and shame try to push their way into your mind, I hope these truths will help you fend them off. And since I also find that music helps get my thinking straight, here’s the song that encouraged me yesterday morning. It reminded me to live daily in the power of what Jesus accomplished for me on the cross.

Related posts:

• 5 Truths about God’s Love for Me
• 7 Truths about Finding Joy in God’s Word
• For the Woman Who Feels Like She’s Never Enough

Welcome to the blog on this mid-May morning! We’ve done a switcheroo at our house this week – our older daughter is now home from college while our younger daughter is off on her Senior trip for eight days. One thing’s for certain about this season of life; things are always changing!

As part of my morning Bible time, I review passages of Scripture that I’ve memorized in the past. I’ve recently started using the Verses app to do this and I’m really enjoying it. This week I’m working on Proverbs 31, which leads me to the topic of today’s post.

I’m always inspired and yet convicted by this chapter. The virtuous woman described here seems to have it all together in every area of her life. And yet I know myself and, let’s just say that I don’t. But I want to become more like her if that means I’ll be a blessing to my family and a better testimony for my Savior.

I’ve done a deeper dive into this passage in the past, but today I just wanted to choose five very practical things each of us can do today that can help us become more like this virtuous woman.

1. Be dependable.

“The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.” ~Verse 11

It doesn’t take any special skill or particular talent to be dependable. Anyone can do it. It’s just a matter of ensuring that other people can trust you because you do what you say you will do.

In this particular verse, it’s referring to her husband being able to rely on her. He knows his wife is responsible. He doesn’t have to worry about how she’s running their home. Could our husbands say this about us – that we are trustworthy and faithful when it comes to managing the resources we have?

2. Take care of your body.

“She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.” ~Verse 17

In the New Testament, we’re told that our body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. [1 Corinthians 6:19-20] We only get one body. In order to accomplish all that’s on this woman’s list, she has to be strong. There’s no way a woman could do all these things if she’s not in good health mentally, physically, and emotionally.

We all know what to do. Sleep. Drink water. Eat well. Move our bodies in some way. But let this be our encouragement to set aside time to take care of ourselves on a regular basis.

3. Look for someone you can help.

“She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.” ~Verse 20

This doesn’t have to be a big, noteworthy deed. Just keep your eyes open as you go through your day. Notice people. More than money, someone may just need a smile or a word of encouragement. Seek to bless others.

4. Think before you speak.

“She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.” ~Verse 26

This may be the one I most aspire to – consistently speaking with wisdom and kindness. Too often that’s not how my words would be described. I think especially of how I want my children to remember the ways in which I spoke to them. We certainly need the Holy Spirit’s help to control our tongue.

5. Use your time wisely.

“She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.” ~Verse 27

There are lots of things that can take up our time. Mine tends to be Instagram scrolling (which is why I try to limit how many people I follow there). Maybe you get wrapped up in Facebook or Netflix. It’s okay to take some time to relax and recharge, but let’s be purposeful about it. This woman knew what was going on in her home and with her people because she stayed engaged and wasn’t lazy.

Can you focus on one or more of these as you go throughout your day? Are there other ways the virtuous woman is described that inspire you? While we may not feel like we can check off many of her traits in our own lives, may God help us to continue growing in each of these areas.

Related posts:

• 10 Traits of a Wise Woman
• 5 Daily Practices for the Christian Woman
• For the Woman Who Feels Like She’s Never Enough

Welcome to Girls to Grow, whether it’s your first visit or you’ve been reading here for a long time. I appreciate your stopping by the blog!

We have a couple of exciting events here this week. Our high school senior performs in her school play Thursday and Friday nights, and our college sophomore is heading home from Florida on Friday. (Praying that they will be able to find gasoline along the way!)

From the title of today’s post, you know that we’re talking about sin. I’m thinking that’s not generally a popular topic! Sure, we’d all agree that we’re sinners [Romans 3:23], but we don’t always like to be confronted with our specific sins. And what I want to delve into are sins that we may have grown comfortable with. Or at least I know that’s what can happen in my case.

Some of them are things that perhaps, in and of themselves, aren’t sin. Yet when we value them more than surrendering to what God wants for us, they can become idols in our lives.

Because I get to go first here, I’m going to share some examples from my own life. These may or may not be issues that you struggle with.

• Wanting others to think that I’m a “good” mom. This is the one that got this whole post idea started. Too often my focus is on other people’s opinions. I can feel that people judge me based on what our daughters do or don’t do. So while I want our girls to act a certain way or make good choices because it’s right, I also want them to do it in order to reflect well on me. (And let’s face it, at 18 and 20, I have limited-to-no control over them at this point.)

• My schedule or routine. Having a schedule or a routine is a good thing. But sometimes I can put my to-do list or my plan ahead of meeting someone’s needs. I fail to heed the “divine interruptions” God brings into my day and miss ministry opportunities.

• Comparison. I’ve written about this one before. We can use comparison to make us feel better or worse about ourselves, though with me it’s usually the former. Wouldn’t it be preferable to live in contentment?

• Perfectionism. It’s not bad to want to do your best. But I can easily slide into, “It’s never good enough” or “It doesn’t count unless it’s perfect” or even “I’m always right.”

• Comfort. I just want to be comfortable. But maybe that means I avoid something I know God is calling me to do.

Do you relate to any of these? If not, what would be on your list? Is there a sin you’ve grown comfortable living with? Maybe it’s pride or fear or worry.

So how can we get victory in these areas? Here are five steps we can take.

1. Recognize areas where you’re weak.

Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal them. Read your Bible and listen to Godly preaching so that God’s Word can work in your heart.

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” ~2 Timothy 3:16

2. Realize you can’t overcome sin on your own.

We couldn’t save ourselves eternally. Jesus had to die to pay the penalty for our sin. In so doing, He also provided us a way to no longer serve sin in our daily lives.

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” ~Galatians 5:1

Never doubt that God has the power to help us overcome sin.

“…greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.” ~1 John 4:4

3. Refuse to listen to yourself; instead, talk to yourself.

My husband shared that quote with me. If I listen to myself, I will spiral downward with my thoughts. Instead I need to tell myself truth. Here’s where having those Bible verses we’ve memorized come into play.

“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.” ~Psalm 42:5

4. Retrain your mind by getting rid of old habits and building new ones.

If going on social media causes me to compare myself with others, maybe I need to cut back on the time I spend there. Instead of wondering what others think about me, I can make it a point to reach out and encourage someone else.

5. Rest in God’s grace.

When we find ourselves succumbing to a recurring sin again, go to God for forgiveness. Ask for His mercy and the strength to live for Him. God’s grace will always be there for us.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” ~1 John 1:9

May we not allow ourselves to grow comfortable with the sin in our lives, but continue to grow in our pursuit of holiness.

Related posts:

• How to Make Our Words and Thoughts Pleasing to God
• Releasing Yourself from the Comparison Trap
• Lessons on Humility from a Person Who Battles Pride