Girls To Grow

Hello and welcome to Girls to Grow! It’s a beautiful fall afternoon here. And while I’m not a fan of how early in the evening it gets dark now, I do love that we’re back to it being light earlier in the mornings.

I’ve almost finished Priscilla Shirer’s Bible study on Elijah. This week we’ve looked at how Elijah ran from Jezebel and her death threat in 1 Kings 19. That led to a deeper look at other Bible characters who found themselves in a place of fear but were able to journey through it to faith.

Let’s look at three examples.

Jacob.

He was running from his brother Esau who was plotting to kill him. [Genesis 27:41] His mother’s plan was to send him to visit her family until Esau’s anger passed. Jacob was off on a journey to an unknown land to stay with unfamiliar people. On the way, he encountered God.

“And behold, the Lord…said, ‘…I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.‘” ~Genesis 28:13-15

Moses.

He used to be a prince living in a palace. Now he’s a shepherd out in the middle of nowhere. Moses once thought he could help his people break free from their bondage, but his way hadn’t worked. Until he encountered God, in the midst of a burning bush.

“Come now, therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.” ~Exodus 3:10

Gideon.

The Israelites are in bondage to the Midianites. Gideon and his father are threshing wheat in hiding so that the enemy won’t come and take it away. [Judges 6:11] Then Gideon encountered God.

“And the Lord looked upon him, and said, “Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?…Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites…’” ~Judges 6:14, 16

How did these men get victory on the other side? How did they go from a place of fear or uncertainty to living out God’s plan for them?

They trusted God. They believed what He told them and acted on it.

Let’s revisit each of them.

Jacob.

“…If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go…then shall the Lord be my God.” ~Genesis 28:20, 21

What does Jacob come back and say later on in his life? “…O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac…I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant…” ~Genesis 32:9, 10

Moses.

Did it take Moses a minute or two to work through what God wanted him to do? Oh yes. But in Exodus 4:20, he returns to Egypt with the rod of God in his hand. And what does Moses say on the banks of the Red Sea with the Egyptian army breathing down his neck?

“And Moses said unto the people, ‘Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever.‘” ~Exodus 14;13

Gideon.

He has gathered an army, seen it shrink, then overheard a man telling about his dream that Gideon would defeat the Midianites.

“And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream…that he worshipped, and returned unto the host of Israel, and said, ‘Arise: for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian.‘” ~Judges 7:15

Each of them believed what God said. They had faith that God would keep His Word, that He was faithful to His promise.

What’s your struggle today? Are you running from a certain situation? Are you afraid of following through on something God’s asked you to do?

God has a promise for you in His Word. Could one of these be what you need today?

Do you have a need for God to meet? “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 4:19

Do you feel left alone by God? “…for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” ~Hebrews 13:5

Do you want wisdom? “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” ~James 1:5

How about strength? “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13

Desire victory over fear? “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” ~Isaiah 41:10

I’ll end with an example from Paul’s life in 2 Corinthians 1:8-10.

“For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;”

They trusted in God. He delivered. And they continued to trust that He would deliver them in the future.

Claim a promise from God’s Word and trust Him to be faithful to keep it. May God help us as Christian women in 2021 to rely on His promises and trust Him for every need today and for those that are ahead.

Related posts:

• 11 Common Fears and the Bible Verses We Can Use to Fight Them
• How to Keep on Going When Your Faith Is Weak
• 3 Convicting Reasons Why We Don’t Trust God

Some delightful fall weather has arrived here in coastal South Carolina! Our mornings are actually quite chilly, but it warms up nicely during the day. I celebrated with a cup of hot apple cider on Sunday night and chili is on the menu for tonight!

Each morning as part of my devotions I like to read a small portion of a spiritual book. I’m currently on my second time through A.W. Tozer’s The Knowledge of the Holy. My husband actually recommended this book and it’s so good.

Today I wanted to share three short sections from the chapter on the wisdom of God. I’ve really been thinking about these statements this week.

“To believe actively that our Heavenly Father constantly spreads around us providential circumstances that work for our present good and our everlasting well-being brings to the soul a veritable benediction. Most of us go through life praying a little, planning a little, jockeying for position, hoping but never being quite certain of anything, and always secretly afraid that we will miss the way. This is a tragic waste of truth and never gives rest to the heart.“

Sadly I saw myself in that description! But I don’t want to be that way. I want true rest in my soul. To have that, I need to trust that God in His wisdom is always working for my good, even when I don’t see or understand it.

The next paragraph continues with a similar theme.

“Our insistence upon seeing ahead is natural enough, but it is a real hindrance to our spiritual progress. God has charged himself with full responsibility for our eternal happiness and stands ready to take over the management of our lives the moment we turn in faith to Him.“

God wants us to trust Him with our lives, to wait on Him, to resist the urge to forge ahead in our own wisdom.

We’re likely all familiar with Hebrews 11:6.

“But without faith it is impossible to please him [God]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

We must have faith if we’re going to please God. It begins with the faith we demonstrate when we trust Jesus as our Savior. Yet we should continue to grow in our faith as we walk with Him daily. Can’t the God who has saved our soul for all eternity guide us through our life down here by His wisdom and for our best?

The chapter ends with this question.

“With the goodness of God to desire our highest welfare, the wisdom of God to plan it, and the power of God to achieve it, what do we lack?“

The obvious answer to that question is nothing. We lack nothing when we trust God to guide our lives according to His plan.

So with all that being said, why do we fail to trust God? Here are three reasons, though there could certainly be more.

1. We don’t fully believe that He is good.

Of course, I’m going to say with my mouth and in my head that I believe God is good. But do I know it in my heart? Is it evidenced by the way I give over every situation to Him with confidence and willingly accept whatever the outcome?

2. We think we know better than God how our lives should go.

Whether it’s deciding which direction we should take or being impatient with God’s timing, we’re often tempted to take matters into our own hands. As we chase our own ambitions or fail to wait on God, we show our lack of trust.

3. We question whether or not God can really live up to His promises.

Again, we wouldn’t verbalize this doubt, but we show it by the way we act. While we know God is faithful and we read promises in His Word, we make our own backup plans or escape routes just in case He doesn’t come through for us.

It convicts me to read these and consider in what areas of my life I’m not trusting God. I need His Holy Spirit living in me to grow my faith. I need to say with the father who brought his demon-possessed child to Jesus, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” [Mark 9:23]

Related posts:

• Trusting His Grace When I Can’t See His Face
• What Ruth Teaches Me About Trusting God
• On Trusting God’s Purpose When I Just Want an Easier Life

Welcome to Girls to Grow! We’re moving right through this first week of October with a bit of gloomy weather here. However, I’m certainly enjoying the slightly cooler morning temperatures when I head out for my walk.

I have a question for you today.

What are you afraid of?

Our world is full of all kinds of fears. There are general fears – Covid, political unrest, violence in some communities – and there are fears that are specific to you and your situation.

We know that God doesn’t want us to live in fear (2 Timothy 1:7). But sometimes the problems of life and uncertainties about the future try to steal the peace that God wants us to have.

Dwelling on Scripture is one way we can overcome our fears.  Below I’ve listed some fears that we likely all face from time to time along with Bible verses that offer comfort in these areas.

1.  Not parenting well. 

“Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.”  ~Proverbs 29:17 

We all want to be good parents. But we also all fail at times. What a gift that God’s grace is enough for all our mistakes!

If we show our children we love them and consistently correct and train them according to Biblical principles, we can look forward to a time when they will, as the verse says, bring delight to our souls.

2.  Getting old.  

“And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.”  ~ Isaiah 46:4

Once we hit a certain age, there’s a natural tendency to think about what will happen to us in our later years. Will we lose our health? At what point will our spouse or other close family members face health challenges or pass away?

The same God that brings us to old age will walk with us in those years, too. I love that the word “carry” is used twice in this verse. It’s comforting to think of God carrying us through our later years especially since our natural strength will likely be diminished. In our weakness and frailty, He will carry us.

3.  Having unmet needs.  

“I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.”  ~Psalm 37:25

God knows our needs. Matthew 6:33 tells us that as we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, He will meet our physical needs. Yet He also meets our spiritual and emotional needs. He sees us where we are and will never forsake us.

4.  Prolonged illness. 

“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.”  ~Isaiah 40:29

Losing our health is something we can be afraid of. Whether it’s a sickness that lasts for weeks or a disability that lasts for years, we don’t like the thought of not being able to control our bodies like we want to.

Yet God can give us the strength to live with the health difficulties that come into our life. His grace is sufficient for every struggle we face.

5.  Financial difficulties. 

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”  ~Philippians 4:19

Few people have so much money that they are immune to financial struggles. When we do have some savings or wealth built up, it can lead us to trust in ourselves and our own abilities instead of God.

This verse reminds us that God will supply our needs. He has all of the available resources to do so.

6.  Inadequacy.  

“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”   ~II Corinthians 12:9

We can feel inadequate as a spouse, a parent, a supervisor, an employee, a friend… the list goes on. But as we rely on God, He can give us the strength and ability to do whatever we’re called to do in any area of life. We are not adequate or sufficient in ourselves, but He is. We are completely adequate to do the job as He works through us.

7.  Being physically unsafe. 

“The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.”  ~Proverbs 21:31

Also, “The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.” ~Psalm 121:7-8

Thankfully I haven’t been in many situations where I feared for my physical safety, but I know it’s a fear for some. We should take precautions to protect ourselves, but this verse tells us that the Lord is the one Who keeps us safe. His eye is always on us.

8.  Failure. 

“If God be for us, who can be against us?”  ~Romans 8:31 

Also, “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.”  ~I Thessalonians 4:24 

I’m sure we’ve all failed at something in our lives…and likely more than one “something!” Yet through failure we learn more about ourselves. It’s often through the lessons learned from a failure that we find success. And we can trust that when God calls us to a certain task, He will help us complete it.

9.  Being alone. 

“….for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”  ~Hebrews 13:5

Yes, we may go through seasons where, in a human sense, we’re alone. Or even in the midst of people, we can still feel like we’re alone. But God, who is faithful always, has said that He will never leave us.

10.  Uncertain future.

“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.”  ~Jeremiah 29:11

At different times in our lives we will face an uncertain future. Maybe we’ve lost a job and don’t know what’s next. Perhaps we’re waiting on a medical diagnosis or to see how a relationship goes. We don’t have to be afraid because God knows our next step. We can trust Him to unfold His plan in a way that is best for us.

11.  Death. 

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me….”  ~Psalm 23:4

Even in death, the ultimate transition, we don’t need to be afraid. God is with us. When our time here on earth is done and God calls us to Heaven, He will give us grace in that moment.

No matter what your fear is, God can overcome it.  “I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”  ~Psalm 34:4.

What Bible verse do you turn to when you’re afraid? Let us know in the comments below.

Related posts:

• 6 Steps for How to Pray When We’re Anxious or Afraid
• 10 Things We Can Know About God’s Goodness
• Is Your Faith Little or Great?

Hello, friends, and welcome to autumn! The weather is definitely supposed to feel more fall-like here over the next few days, and I’m looking forward to that. I’m not ready for coats and boots yet, but a little sweater weather would be nice 🙂

Recently I was trying out a new recipe. The instructions said to put a certain group of ingredients in the food processor. However, I didn’t want to drag that heavy thing out from under the counter and then have to clean it when I was done. The blender was much easier to access in the pantry and I could easily throw it in the dishwasher afterward.

That all sounded like a great plan until I got the ingredients into the blender. And then I realized that there was almost no liquid in there…meaning the ingredients probably weren’t going to come together like they were supposed to. At that point, I wasn’t about to dump it all into the food processor and start over. I *may* have gone off script and added a little liquid to make it work.

It came out okay in the end, but in retrospect, I can see how the food processor would have worked better. Full disclosure: I feel like a lot of my cooking and baking adventures go this way. I do something wrong the first time and learn from that what not to do the next time!

There are times when we can learn the right way to do something by studying what not to do. I think we’d all agree that we want to be wise women. So today I thought we’d look at what characterizes a foolish woman to see how we don’t want to act.

Based on different Bible verses, here are five characteristics of a foolish woman.

1. She won’t listen to instruction.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” ~Proverbs 1:7

A foolish woman isn’t teachable. She wants her own way. She doesn’t seek wisdom from God’s Word or from Godly people in her life.

I think we can throw stubbornness in here, too. Proverbs 7:11 describes the strange woman as stubborn. If you want to be a foolish woman, refuse to change your mind even when there are good reasons to do so. Don’t yield to anyone else’s direction, regardless of the circumstances.

2. She tears down her house.

“Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.” ~Proverbs 14:1

I’ve done some digging to try to discover what that phrase means – the foolish woman plucks her house down with her hands. Obviously, it’s not talking about her physical house, but her home. It would be actions that damage her family’s wellbeing.

Things that come to mind are living above her means, spending money that they don’t have. Maybe she fails to manage the household well; she neglects her children and doesn’t provide the things that would make them feel safe. And there’s certainly the spiritual side of it as well. If she doesn’t prioritize living out and teaching God’s Word, she is failing to build the spiritual foundation they need for life.

3. She doesn’t accept everything as from God’s hand.

“Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.” ~Job 2:9-10

Wow, Job had it so right here. His wife’s perspective was, “How can you still believe in a God that would allow all these terrible things to happen to you?”

Is that how we want to be, doubting God’s love and goodness when a trial comes along? That’s the way of the foolish woman.

4. She has no control over her tongue.

“The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.” ~Proverbs 15:2

Like water pouring out of a pitcher, a foolish woman just lets words spill out of her mouth. We could say that she doesn’t have a filter or that she speaks before she thinks.

Honestly, this can be an easy trap to fall into. Usually, the more we talk, the more opportunities we have to say something we shouldn’t. And thoughtlessly spoken words can hurt others.

5. She gets angry easily.

 “Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.” ~Ecclesiastes 7:9

Just like the foolish woman doesn’t control her tongue, neither does she control her emotions. She blows up over little things. Maybe her family tiptoes around her until they’ve assessed what her mood is that day.

Nothing good comes from having a short fuse. A sign of a foolish woman is one who has a quick temper and is easily offended.

As we see these five qualities of a foolish woman, let’s ask God to point out any that have taken root in our own lives. With His help, we can become wise women who bless our families and honor Him.

Can you think of other traits that a foolish woman might have? Let me know in the comments below!

Related posts:

• 7 Steps to Becoming a Wise Woman: Build Your House
• 10 Traits of a Wise Woman
• 5 Things You Can Do Today to Be a Virtuous Woman

It’s a new week here at Girls to Grow! Thanks so much for stopping by!!

Last week we did a brief series on five basic disciplines in our Christian lives. We began by talking about reading our Bible daily. It’s one of the first things we start to do as new followers of Jesus.

As we grow, however, we’re going to want to dig a little deeper. The best way to get to know more about God is not just to read, but also to begin studying His Word. Maybe sometimes we think we need to be real scholars with a seminary degree to study our Bibles. And if that’s you, great! But if not, all of us can still learn great truths for ourselves as we study God’s Word.

Before we get into the ways we can study Scripture, let’s talk about a few basic tools you’ll want to have on hand. Obviously, you’ll need a Bible. For my personal Bible study, I use a Bible that my parents gave me when I was in high school! I love seeing all the notes I’ve written in it over the years. And I’m so familiar with its layout that I can picture exactly where many familiar passages are on its pages!

Secondly, you’ll want a pen and something to write on. It could be a nice journal or just a basic notebook, which is what I use.

And then you’ll want a way to do some research. You could certainly have physical books like a concordance and a Bible dictionary on hand. I actually like having all of that available digitally. I use my laptop to do things like look up the meanings of words or search for verses on a particular topic. My cell phone works just as well but I’m more likely to get distracted and look at other things on my phone than I am on my laptop.

Finally, I want to remind us that what we need more than any other tool is the help of the Holy Spirit. He’s the one who can take the words on the page and make them come alive for us. You’ve probably had the experience where you’re reading a very familiar passage and all of a sudden you grasp a truth that you’ve never noticed before. In our lifetime we can never get to the bottom of all that the Bible has to teach us.

So whichever way you choose to study the Bible, it’s always good to start by praying and asking for the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to you.

Now let’s look at eleven different ways we can study the Bible.

1. Study a specific Bible character.

You could choose a well-known character who has many verses or even several chapters written about him – like Moses or Joseph or Paul. Or dig into someone who’s a lesser-known character like Abigail or Mordecai.

2. Study a topic in the Bible.

Fear, prayer, temptation, wisdom – the list of topics you can study is quite long! Use a concordance or a topical Bible to find all the verses that deal with your chosen topic.

3. Study one of the epistles.

You’ll find these letters that the apostles wrote, most of them to different churches, in the New Testament.

See if you can discover the theme of a particular epistle. If people’s names are mentioned, try to find out more about them. Search other epistles or the book of Acts to see if their names appear there.

4. Study the Psalms.

You could spend a good long time in Psalm 119! It’s a great study about God’s Word. Look for new lessons in popular Psalms like 23 and 100.

Or you could do a study of Psalms that focus on praising and worshipping God. There are lots of them! Look for similarities and differences.

5. Study Who God is in a story.

Choose any story – the Israelites at the Red Sea, David and Goliath, Esther, Daniel in the lions’ den, Paul and Silas in jail. Note how God interacts with the people in the story. What action does He take, if any? What characteristics of God stand out the most in that story?

6. Use a published Bible study.

I tend to rotate between doing my own study and using a published one. Some of my favorites have been Priscilla Shirer’s The Armor of God, Jen Wilkin’s God of Creation, and Betty Henderson’s A Woman of Prayer.

7. Read through the gospels.

I got this idea from Annie F. Downs. She read through all four gospels every month for a year as a way to get to know Jesus better. I’ve read the four gospels through in a month, though not for twelve months in a row!

8. Do a word study.

This is similar to studying a topic, which we mentioned above. But instead of a topic, choose a particular word and find all the times it’s used in Scripture.

If you want to go deeper, maybe choose a Hebrew word in the Old Testament or a Greek word in the New Testament to research. We’ve probably all heard the different words for love, like agape. Find all the mentions of agape in the Bible and see what you can learn from it.

9. Study the names of God.

Jehovah, Adonai, Alpha and Omega – these are just a few of the names of God used in the Bible. Read them in context in various passages and realize all that God is to you.

10. Study the promises of God.

This one is exciting to me! Find promises God made in the Bible. Start with the one He made to Noah that the whole earth would never be destroyed by a flood again. Then find more of His promises, to Abraham, to the Israelites, to believers in the New Testament.

11. Study the commands of Jesus.

This idea came to me when I was reading John 14. In verse 15, it says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” I decided that I wanted to know exactly what those commandments are. I went through the gospels and found commands that Jesus gave to His followers.

These are just 11 ideas for ways we can study the Bible. There are certainly many others! I hope you’ll let me know if you have another one that we could add to the list.

May we take the wonderful gift God has given us in His Word and use it to learn more about Him.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra charge to you. Thank you for supporting Girls to Grow through your purchases!

Related posts:

• 5 Questions from the Bible to Ask Yourself Today
• 5 Daily Practices for the Christian Woman
• 5 Truths the Bible Teaches Me About Love

Happy Friday! I hope you have something fun or relaxing planned for this weekend – or maybe just something you want to get accomplished! My husband and I are headed out on a date tonight, and tomorrow we hope to make progress on staining a dresser that we’re refinishing.

We’ve come to the final day of our series asking ourselves, “Why Should I…?” We’ve talked about reading our Bible, praying, being thankful, and serving others. The last question we’ll address is “Why should I meditate on Scripture?”

1. To renew our minds.

As we go through the day, our minds are overrun with conflicting thoughts and ideas. Many of them are not helpful or uplifting. Meditating on God’s Word can keep us thinking on those things that honor God (Philippians 4:8).

2. Because it brings success.

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” ~Joshua 1:8

I think this promise is just as applicable to us as it was to Joshua. Meditating on God’s Word and applying it in our lives will prosper us in many ways.

3. To get victory over sin.

“Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” ~Psalm 119:11

Memorizing and meditating on specific Bible verses can give us victory over the sin we struggle with. There is power in God’s Word.

4. To gain wisdom.

Scripture is full of truth that will help us deal with the situations we face. The Holy Spirit can take the verses that we meditate on and give us direction and discernment.

5. To help us praise and worship God.

“My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes.” ~Psalm 119:48

It’s such a blessing to be able to praise God with His own words! When we’ve memorized a praise passage, say from the Psalms, we can think about it as we go through our day. At any point, we can have our own private worship time as we use those verses to praise Him.

Thanks so much for following along with the series this week! I hope something we’ve discussed has encouraged you to cultivate habits that will help you grow in your walk with the Lord.

Related posts:

• 5 Helpful Ways God’s Word Can Light Our Path
• Using Bible Verses to Fight My Fears
• 10 Simple Verses from Psalms to Inspire Your Praise Life