Girls To Grow

Happy June!! With Memorial Day behind us, it certainly feels like summer is here!

I took an unplanned break from posting on the blog last week. I can’t say that anything big was happening, but it’s definitely a different pace around here with the girls home from college for the summer. There’s certainly more coming and going, and I try to tag along whenever I’m invited 🙂

We did attend three graduation parties over the weekend. It’s hard to believe that it’s been a year since our youngest daughter graduated from high school! Time is passing so quickly in this season of life.

The last few mornings, I’ve been reading in Romans 6. A number of verses have spoken to me in this passage, specifically as it relates to our ongoing battle with sin. We will have this fleshly “old man” with us until we reach our home in Heaven! But how can we get victory over sin on a regular basis? I think I found some answers there in Romans 6.

1. If I’ve trusted Jesus as my Savior, I no longer have to serve sin.

“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him [Jesus], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.” ~Verses 6,7

What a wonderful thing to be free from sin! It all starts here. We must realize that it’s only through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection from death that we have power to not sin.

Our human flesh, the “old man,” is bound to sin and naturally follows sinful desires. But once we’ve accepted Jesus as our Savior, we don’t have to be in bondage to sin anymore.

2. Is there a sin (or sins) ruling my life?

“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” ~Verse 12

Once I have Jesus in my life, I don’t have to let sin be in charge. I can choose to allow God to direct my life instead.

The latter part of the verse talks about lust. We often think of that word in a sexual context, but it can just mean a strong craving or desire.

Maybe we have a strong desire to please people without considering if we’re pleasing God. It could be a lust for material possessions or to be the center of attention or a desire to always be in control of our circumstances instead of trusting God. These lusts or sinful desires can rule the decisions we make, the words we say, and how we treat others.

Pray and ask God to reveal any sins that might be reigning in your life so that you can get them off the throne!

3. Am I daily yielding myself to God?

“Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” ~Verse 16

Another word we could use here is submit. We’ve taken sin off the throne. Now we need to submit ourselves to God’s working in our lives. Let’s not obey the sin that wants us to serve it, but rather obey God who wants to see us live righteously.

4. Choosing obedience to God over sin involves a change of heart.

“But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.” ~ Verse 17

Yes, we once served sin, but now we’ve been given the light of the gospel. Jesus has made us free. Now we shun sin and serve God because we want to please Him and show Him how grateful we are for all He’s done for us.

5. As we begin to have victory over sin, we produce fruit unto holiness.

“But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” ~Verse 22

Because we’re free from sin, we can grow in our walk with God and produce fruit. Our fruit is a holy life, our sanctification. It’s not our salvation; verse 23 covers that. Salvation is a gift from God. But once we’re saved, through Bible study, meditation, and prayer, our lives become a reflection of Him.

How blessed we are that we can defeat sin in our lives through redemption in Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit!

Related posts:

• How to Make Our Words and Thoughts Pleasing to God
• 4 Tips to Help You Count Your Blessings
• How Does a Wise Woman Find Her Identity in Christ?

If you’re looking for a bit of vulnerability today, you’ve come to the right place 🙂

As I’ve said before, I often write about an area in which I’m currently being challenged. Today’s topic is one that’s a recurring struggle in my life.

One blessing of memorizing Scripture is that the Holy Spirit can bring specific verses to mind when they’re needed. Sometimes a verse from a particular Psalm will cheer me up when I need encouragement. Or when I sense that I need wisdom, James 1:5 will remind me to ask God for it.

And then there are the times a verse comes along and convicts me of sin in my life. Such was the case on a couple of occasions recently.

I’ll share the verse with you and you’ll immediately know what my issue was.

“Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well-advised is wisdom.” ~Proverbs13:10

Before we dive into my story, let’s remind ourselves what pride is.

The definition from dictionary.com is “a high or inordinate opinion of one’s own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.“

That phrase “cherished in the mind” is interesting. Pride begins with how we think of ourselves. Eventually, if we indulge those thoughts rather than fight them, pride comes out in how we act, what we say, and the way we treat other people.

Here are two recent situations when I was convicted by this verse.

In the first instance, my feelings were hurt. I felt like someone treated me poorly, especially when I considered all that I’d done for them. And since I’m keeping it real, my first inclination was to get angry at them and let them know it.

That’s precisely when Proverbs 13:10 came to mind. There was about to be contention (aka some conflict), and according to that verse, it would be my pride that caused it. I was going to play myself as the victim and try to get the other person to see how I’d been hurt.

Thankfully I heeded that warning and realized that there was a better way to handle the situation. In this case, it was to just let it go. I’m not saying that’s always the right thing to do, but it was in this moment.

The only reason for the conflict would be that I wanted my hurt feelings to be recognized. I believe it was unintentional on their part, and nothing about addressing it in this particular instance was going to build or better the relationship going forward.

And since I didn’t learn the lesson well enough that time, I got another opportunity to be tested! This time I had a different take on a situation than someone else did. I held a great conversation in my head about how right I was!

But once again, Proverbs 13:10 slipped into my thoughts. Did it really matter who was right? And even if I was correct in my assessment, was it worth potentially damaging the relationship? Thankfully I realized that it wasn’t before I started the conversation.

So what’s the moral of the story here? I’ll make it brief.

~Anytime you’re about to enter into a conflict or argument, ask yourself if your pride is involved. Are you practicing meekness and humility or just wanting your own way?

~Hide God’s Word in your heart. The older I get, the more difficult it is, but memorizing Bible verses is important. It’s especially helpful to focus on those Scriptures that can help you in areas where you struggle.

~Praise God for His Word and His Holy Spirit that convicts us of sin.

~Thank the Lord that when our flesh overrides His convicting of our souls, He forgives our sin as we come to Him and repent.

Is there a verse that God’s been using in your life lately in some way? I’d love to hear about it!

Related posts:

• Lessons on Humility from a Person Who Battles Pride
• How to Overcome the Sins We’ve Learned to Tolerate
• 3 Things We Can Learn from Abigail to Successfully Handle Conflict

It’s another middle-of-the-week post and the last one for April!

It looks like May is shaping up to be a full month around here. We’ll be happy to have our daughters home from college in a couple of weeks. There’s also a friend’s wedding and a few graduations, so lots of celebrating ahead!

A few days ago I became burdened about praying for someone I love. Have you ever had that feeling? Maybe it’s a spouse, a child, a relative, or a friend. It could be that you know they need Jesus as their Savior. Perhaps they’re experiencing a health crisis or a financial problem. Or you might recognize that a person you love is facing a spiritual battle and you want to cover them in prayer.

As I was thinking about this the other night, I was reminded of a story about Abraham. Near the end of Genesis 18, after spending time with Abraham and Sarah, the Lord tells Abraham his plan to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wickedness. You’ll remember that Abraham’s nephew, Lot, and his family live in that area.

Then there’s a back-and-forth conversation where Abraham asks God to spare the city if there’s a certain number of righteous people in it. Abraham continues to lower the number of righteous required, and God continues to agree to spare the city if He finds that many righteous people.

There’s a lot we can learn from this exchange. As Abraham pleads with God on Lot’s behalf, let’s look at five things we can apply as we pray for someone we love.

1. His prayer was specific.

Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? ~Genesis 18:24

Abraham didn’t just offer a general prayer for the city to be spared. He listed specific numbers in his request to God.

Let’s be specific as we pray. What exactly is it that we want God to do in this person’s life? It helps to base our prayer on God’s Word so we’ll know for certain that we’re praying in His will.

For example, if we’re praying for someone who’s fighting temptation, pray that they will put on the whole armor of God from Ephesians 6:10-18. You could even pray through each particular piece as you pray for your loved one.

2. He appealed to God’s character.

And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? ~Genesis 18:23-25

Abraham knew God so he was able to speak to His character. He knew that God was just and always did what was right.

We can do the same as we pray. Appeal to His mercy. Ask for His grace. Our God is compassionate, loving, and longsuffering. We can rest in those traits as we bring our requests to Him.

3. He was humble.

And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes: ~Genesis 18:27

His attitude wasn’t, “God, you owe me.” No, he recognized who he was and who God was.

We can approach God boldly yet still have an attitude of reverence and humility. It’s only because of His grace that we’re able to come into His presence and have Him hear our prayers.

4. He was persistent.

And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake. ~Genesis 18:32

This was the sixth time Abraham asked God to answer his specific request. And not once did God tell him to stop asking.

Don’t give up. Remember the New Testament admonition to pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

5. He left it in the Lord’s hands.

And the Lord went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place. ~Genesis 18:33

Abraham didn’t try to follow the Lord to see what was going to happen. Once he’d finished talking to God, he returned home and went about his usual business.

Too often I’ll pray about something, but rather than leaving it in the Lord’s hands, I’ll continue to worry or fret over it. When that happens, I try to remind myself of Philippians 4:6, 7.

Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

I find encouragement as I read how Jesus prayed for Peter in Luke 22:31-32.

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Let’s take our requests for our loved ones to God in prayer and trust Him to work in their lives for His glory.

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
• 7 Important Things to Remember as We Pray for Our Teenagers

Welcome to Girls to Grow on this week before Easter!

Our two daughters are flying in from college tonight to spend their Easter break here at home. That means I have a grocery pickup scheduled for this morning. I plan to feed them well while they’re here!

There are many things to focus on this time of year. It can take some effort to turn our thoughts toward the spiritual significance of this season which is the death and resurrection of Christ. Our salvation, our sanctification, our home in Heaven, all depend on this central part of God’s redemption plan for man.

As we sing the Easter songs, read the Easter verses, and hear the Easter sermons, I trust that our hearts will be overwhelmed anew with love for our Savior and celebration of His victory over sin and death.

Today I want to share five Easter-related truths to bring hope and joy to our hearts in this significant season.

1. God always has a plan but we won’t always understand.

In Mark 9:31-32 we read that Jesus told his disciples that he would die and rise again. It also says that they didn’t understand what he was teaching them. And we can’t fully know when each of them grasped that Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection was God’s plan all along.

God was in full control of every single detail, from the arrest to the trial to the crucifixion to the resurrection. God also has a plan for each one of us, a work that He’s doing in us and through us. Sometimes we can see how and why God is moving. But for those times when we don’t, we need to trust Him anyway.

2. You never know whose heart is ready to receive the gospel.

Out of the many people around the cross that day – some followers of Jesus, most who likely were not – there were two whose eternities were changed forever. One of the thieves crucified alongside Jesus believed on him and entered Paradise that day. A Roman centurion, observing all that was happening, declared, “Truly this man was the Son of God.” (Mark 15:39)

May we be attentive to the needs of people we come in contact with as we go through our day. We don’t know who God might put in our path that needs to hear about Jesus.

3. God keeps His promises.

Four times in John 19:23-37 we find events happening “that the scripture might be fulfilled.” Numerous prophecies made hundreds of years before came true on that day.

Is there a Bible promise you’re claiming in your own life today? Our God keeps His promises.

4. Things often look the darkest just before they get better.

Think about those women who came to anoint the body of Jesus so very early on that Sunday morning. Maybe their tears had dried by this point, but surely their hearts were still heavy with loss. The one whom they had loved and followed was dead.

But what a surprise awaited them when they arrived at the tomb. They found the angel of the Lord presiding over an empty tomb! Their sorrow was turned to amazement and then to joy. When we feel like we’ve reached rock bottom, let’s look up in hope for deliverance.

5. The same God that caused Jesus to rise from the dead has the power to help us in any of our struggles.

“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his…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.” ~Romans 8:9,11

We can have victory over sin through the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead. He is our Comforter and He makes intercession for us with God the Father.

You and I don’t serve an impotent God. He holds all power – including the power of life and death – and He can meet our every need and give us grace for every trial.

May we find renewed hope as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ this Easter!!

Related posts:

• 7 Truths to Meditate On as We Prepare Our Hearts for Easter
• Who Was at the Tomb that First Easter Morning?
• 5 Things to Know About God’s Plan for Your Life

Hello friends! Now that we’re almost a week into April, is it feeling like spring where you are?

My husband and I went to Lowes on Saturday night and I bought a couple of plants for our front porch. I put them next to the bench that’s there and now I’m wanting to add a couple of spring pillows. That’s about the extent of what I do on the outside of the house to celebrate the arrival of spring!

Sometimes I like to do word studies during my Bible reading time. For the past week or so, I’ve been focusing on the word “walk.”

I use a free online concordance to find all the Bible verses that have the word “walk” in them and read through a few each day. Often I’ll take one of the verses and delve a little deeper by reading a few online commentaries about it and then writing down my thoughts on how that verse applies to me.

I was actually surprised by how many verses there are that refer to walking with God or walking in His ways. Today I wanted to share some of the verses I’ve found in the Old Testament that are better helping me understand what it means to walk with the Lord.

“Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.” ~Deuteronomy 13:4

What does this verse tell us that it means to walk with the Lord?

1. Fear God.

Just as wisdom begins with fearing God (Proverbs 9:10), so does our walk with the Lord. We are to reverence Him, to stand in awe of His might and power, and give Him the glory and honor that He deserves.

2. Keep His commandments.

We need to get to know God if we want to walk with Him. As we learn about God through His Word, we’ll also find out how He wants us to live. The Bible gives us His commandments. Our job then is to keep them.

3. Obey His voice.

Obedience is an easy word to throw out there but not always easy to do! At times what we naturally want to do goes against what we believe God is asking us to do.

If you’re a mom, you’ve certainly seen this play out in your children, especially when they’re younger. There are times they obey on the outside, but you can tell they’re rebelling on the inside!

Our obedience should involve our actions and our attitudes.

“And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed forever.” ~1 Samuel 2:35

What if it could be said of us that we do all that is in God’s heart and in His mind? Surely that’s the highest level of obedience.

4. Serve Him.

“But take diligent heed to do the commandment…to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” ~Joshua 22:5

Walking with the Lord doesn’t include half-hearted service. We should do what we do for God with all of our heart and all our soul.

This verse also says we’re to walk in all His ways. We don’t get to pick and choose which parts of His Word we want to follow.

5. Cleave to Him.

Cleave isn’t a word we use much anymore, but in the Bible, it means to cling or adhere to someone. As we walk with the Lord, we’ll desire to be close to Him. We will find joy and peace in His presence.

And one of the most encouraging verses I found about walking with God is 1 Kings 8:36.

“Then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk…“

We can be taught how we should walk! If our spirit is humble and willing, God, through His Holy Spirit, can teach us how to walk with the Lord.

Here are two summaries I like of what it means to walk with God.

The Jamieson-Faussett-Brown commentary defines it as to “…please and obey God in all things, depending on Him for our well-doing and well-being.“

In his commentary, Benson says that walking with God “…is to have a constant regard to his word as our rule, and to his glory as our end, in all our actions.“

I’m not a Bible commentator, but here’s my very basic summary of what it means to walk with the Lord!

Obey His commandments and have faith in His promises.

May we all desire to walk with the Lord and may He give us the grace to do so.

Related posts:

• What Does It Really Mean to Rejoice in the Lord?
• 7 Steps to Becoming a Wise Woman: Fear the Lord
• 10 Things We Can Know About God’s Goodness