Woman with Needs - Woman with Gifts

We are all woman of need and if I asked you where in your life you find yourself most needy, what would you tell me? Perhaps at present you find yourself needy emotionally. Maybe your need can be described as depression, anger, or anxiety. Or perhaps yours is a physical need, a handicap or illness. There may be financial needs or spiritual needs. Sometimes I find myself saying; "I need a break", or "I need a vacation!" Other times I find myself in a more serious and desperate state of neediness that struggles with seeing any light at the end of the tunnel. Whatever might be your need today, it is a fact that we are all woman of need and that our needs vary from one another.

Psalm 40:17 says; "But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinks upon me." Psalm 70:5 says; "But I am poor and needy; make haste to me, O God!" And Psalm 86:1; "Bow down Your ear O Lord, hear me, for I am poor and needy."

David in these verses expresses openly his needy state before God. Being aware of our own needs in life is one thing. Being able to express our need to God and to others can be more challenging. Why? Because in sharing our need, we may expose our vulnerable side. It often knocks at the door of our pride and therefore requires brokeness, humility and a dependency on God and others to help us with our need.

God does promise to be there for us and He often uses others in our lives to help us in our time of need. From the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 Jesus calls those in their state of neediness whether mournful, broken, poor in spirit, or persecuted as those blessed with great promises. In Philippians 4:19 we read that God promises to supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

We are not only woman with needs but we are also woman with gifts and if I were to ask you what you consider to be the gift or gifts you have received, what would you tell me? Perhaps you consider your greatest gift to be salvation through Jesus Christ. God has also given each of His children one or more spiritual gifts. And as woman with these gifts, we are encouraged to use those gifts for His glory. James 1:17 tells us that "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights..." Just as our needs as woman vary from one another, so too vary the gifts we are blessed to receive from our Heavenly Father.

How often do we acknowledge the Giver of every good and perfect gift we have? The very breath we breathe is a gift from Him. Even pain, struggle, and trials are gifts from God when we accept them knowing they are given with a greater divine purpose beyond what might be our present understanding. In Romans 5 we read that we "also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance and persevarance, character, and character, hope." Perseverance, character, and hope in our lives are gifts from God.

We are woman with needs and we are woman with gifts. (And by now you are probably wondering where I'm going with this!?) 2 Thessalonians helps illustrate how our needs and our gifts can be tied together beautifully when they are wrapped in the Father's love.

"Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work."

Our Heavenly Father loves us unconditionally and it is vital as woman with needs and as woman with gifts that we receive this love that He lavishly gives to each one of us.

It is the love of the Father that as woman with needs we are given an "everlasting consolation, an everlasting comfort and good hope by grace" that is able to meet our every need.

It is the love of the Father that as woman with gifts we can be "established", to make use of the good and perfect gifts we have in "every good word and work".

Without our Heavenly Fathers love, our needs could easily defeat us. We may lose our perspective of our good God doing that deeper work of refining and maturing our faith, as well as our total dependence on Him who promises to meet our every need.

Without our Heavenly Fathers love, our gifts could easily be considered as something we deserve or earned out of our own efforts. We may become prideful, keep our gifts to ourselves, not willing to share freely with others.

Our needs and our gifts need to be wrapped up together in the love of our Heavenly Father. Whatever situation you find yourself in today, consider 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17. May it be the encouragement to acknowledge your own need(s) and as well may it be the encouragement to use your gift(s) and all for the glory of God.

I Can't Believe I Did That!!

Have you ever been convicted by the Holy Spirit about sin in your life, repented and resolved to change, and then the very next day you go ahead and do it again?? Do you ever get on that merry-go-round cycle of sin-confess-sin-confess? I know I do. In fact, its something I struggle with regularly.
It might help you to know that the Apostle Paul also struggled in the same way. He wrote in Romans 7: 18-24 "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?"
If his conclusion to his dilemma was what he said in verse 24, I sure wouldn't feel much hope, would you? "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?"
Fortunately he turns the corner and gives the good news: "Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (v 25)
He goes on to say in chapter 8 that the law leads to sin and death, but the Spirit gives life and freedom!!
Question: Does the Spirit of God live in you? If the answer to that question is "yes", here's so more good news: "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you." (v. 9)
Could it be that I've been trying to "clean myself up" or do it all on my own strength?
I love verse 11: "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you", because it reminds me of one of my Scripture memory verses from this summer: "Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things" (Col. 3:1)
Those 2 verses tell me that because Jesus rose from the dead, the Spirit gives life and freedom to me. And because of Christ's finished work, I have also been raised with Christ. So when I let the Spirit have control, instead of trying to do it all myself, that's when I'll have freedom from that cycle of sin-confess-sin-confess.
Philip Yancey has said: "The proof of spiritual maturity isn't how 'pure' you are, but your awareness of your impurity. That very awareness opens the door to God's grace."
Oh God, empty me of "me" and fill me with Your Spirit, so that my sin nature won't take over, and so that I can live by Your Spirit!!

Scripture Memory Workout for September 15

it's that time again!! My, don't the 2 weeks roll by fast! I'm glad this is not a weekly thing, otherwise I don't think I'd have very many verses memorized. Two weeks is about perfect for reading the verses, saying them out loud every day, rolling them around in my head throughout the day, and meditating on them until they become second nature.

What verse do you choose for this 2 week timeslot? Give the verse, what translation you're using, and your name -- then let's encourage one another to hide God's Word in our hearts!!

How to Live The Christian Life

I am finishing a Bible study that I have been doing for the past couple of months - Conversation Peace by Mary Kassian. Week 6, Day 2 spoke about Jesus being our Teacher and referenced Psalm 32:8 – “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” The study explained that Jesus invited people to take on His yoke and learn from Him. It explained the “yoke” referred to the process of training a young bullock to plow, describing how “farmers harnessed it to the same yoke as a mature ox. The young bullock, which was dwarfed in size by the large animal, did not pull any of the weight. It merely learned to walk in a field under control, harnessed to a partner. The mature ox pulled all the weight and set the direction for the youngster, whose only responsibility was to walk alongside.”

I was reminded of Colossians 2:6 “so then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, so walk in Him”. The first time I was brought to this verse it was connected to Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” The speaker (Louie Giglio) connected the two verses by explaining that we are to live the Christian life the same way we were saved – by grace through faith!!! That teaching was powerfully impressed upon me some five years ago – while doing the study, I got a “visual” illustration of how that looks. Jesus pulls all the weight, takes the entire burden and directs my path - as long as I remain yoked to Him! He promises His yoke is easy and His burden is light. What a delightful thought. I am learning to rest in this precious truth.

Let’s praise Him for His lavish love towards us!

Blessings,
June

Hungry? A Video Devo from Jennifer Rothschild

(Sorry that this is being posted so late on Monday.....I've been having internet issues!! - Judi)

Jennifer asks: "What is your favorite comfort food? If you know me even a little, you'll know that mine is usually dark chocolate! Food has a unique way of making up for emotional roller coasters, boredom and lack of energy. What about your spiritual food?"

September Chat

Please post prayer requests, comments and thoughts here. This is a place where you can feel free to chat up a storm!!