Thursday, January 30th

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

James 1:2

Girls, today's Bible reading brings us to the book of James.  Written by the Lord Jesus' brother, this practical guide for New Testament Christians gives insight about why the Lord allows trials in our lives (chapter 1, verse 3).  God doesn't send desperate times in our lives just to see us beg for His hand of mercy; rather, He allows us to face tribulation simply because it is what grows our faith.  Look at it this way, what kind of mother would keep her baby on her lap constantly, never allowing him to venture from her guarding hands?  We might say she is overprotective, and that might be true; but, the truth is, if that mother doesn't allow her precious baby to get down, he will never learn to walk.  When she does allow him to leave her side, what usually happens?  Does he fall?  Yep.  Again and again and again.  Does he get hurt?  Certainly.  But, the hurt is necessary for him to learn to walk.  

As a child of God, we are going to experience physical pain, mental pain, and emotional pain.  And, while it is most assuredly true that God could very well keep us from this pain, if He did, we'd never learn to walk.  A mother can guard her child constantly, never allowing him to scrape his knee because she can't stand to see him hurt or she can allow him the falls, the scrapes, and the bruises because it is ultimately for his own good.  

God is the perfect parent, girls, and if He brings us TO a valley, He will, of a certainty, bring us THROUGH the valley.  

Scripture Reading for the Day:
Proverbs 30
James 1

Wednesday, January 29th: Guest Writer, Mrs. Lois Ormsby

To the Glory of God with Purity – Part 6

 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace?

God forbid.” ~ Romans 6:15

Satan’s counterfeit: “Sex is all about you and what feels good to you!  Plus, it will make you look normal and cool to your peers if you do what they do!  That guy you like will love you forever if you give your body to him!”

God’s purpose: “The physical relationship is about you focusing on your husband or wife. It is about you giving yourself wholly to him/her, for his/her pleasure.  If each of you are doing your part in the relationship, both of you will find yourselves fulfilled and satisfied.”

If you engage in the physical relationship before marriage, you are telling God that He does not know what He is talking about.  You are casting a shadow of sadness on your future marriage, because you will not have the privilege of giving yourself first and only to your husband.  Yes, God’s forgiveness is great, but His forgiveness is not meant to be used as an escape route.

I don’t know your stories.  I would hope that each of you has thus far retained your body for your future spouse, but maybe you haven’t.  But do you know what, girls?  God knows that.  He has already forgiven your sin.  He does not want you to keep sinning, if you are, or if you are contemplating it.  He does, however, want you to walk more closely with His Son, that you may stand stronger against the temptations of sex outside of marriage.  He wants you to know His Word so that you will have the courage to say no to bad situations where giving in to sin is easy.  God wants you to lean on HIM for your fulfillment in all things; if you can learn to depend upon the LORD for everything now, girls, doing so someday as a married woman will be so much easier.

 Scripture Reading for the Day:

Proverbs 29
Hebrews 13

Tuesday, January 28th

Have you ever thanked God for taking your wrong decisions or wrong actions and making them right?  I am so very quick to forget the many times that my Savior has turned something that was 100% my fault, 100% bad into something that was a beautiful blessing to me.  Jesus is so loving, so compassionate that He promises to work in our lives, even when we fail Him constantly.  Consider this: 

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.  Romans 8:28

And as if it isn't wonderful enough that He will turn our own mistakes into blessings, He will also transform the cruel, heartless actions of others into opportunities of growth in grace.  Consider Joseph.  His brothers, thoughtlessly selling him into slavery, certainly meant to do him harm.  But, God took their bad and used it for the good of Joseph and the whole nation of Israel.  

Girls, when I say that God works all things together for your good, I mean God works ALL things together for your good.  If you are mistreated---God's already using it to shape you into a reflection of Him.  If you have made a wrong decision---God's plan is already in action to transform that wrong decision.  Realize this though, you are not at liberty to act foolishly, purposely live contrary to God, or make bad decisions just to see God's miraculous power at hand; no, rather that would be tempting God.  

It's comforting to me to meditate on the simple promise that He is at work on my behalf, always ready to turn my sadness into joy for His glory.

Scripture Reading for the Day:

Proverbs 28
Hebrews 12

Monday, January 27th: Mrs. Lois Ormsby

“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” ~ Isaiah 5:20

So, why, Mrs. Lois, is sex outside of marriage so accepted today – even by some Christians?  If it’s such a big deal to God, why is it not a big deal to people today?  

For one - it is simply because sin feels good, girls.  The Bible tells us that sin has its pleasures (Hebrews 11:25) – but these pleasures are not real, not lasting, and not Godly.  Sin feels good because it satisfies our flesh…it makes us feel better about ourselves.  But we must realize that God has not called us to satisfy our flesh – He has called us to “…Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16.

Another reason is that today, so many people believe in evolution.  People think that we are a form of “mammals,” and therefore, even though we talk and have emotions and whatnot, we are really not much higher than animals.  This is what evolution teaches you.  But why is evolution dangerous?  Well, what do animals do?  Male animals will mate with numerous female animals in their lifetime.  There are very few kinds of animals that stick with “that one special animal” their whole life…and even then, I am sure there are those who “mess up.” :P  Ok, I know that sounds funny to talk like that, but think about it – if people think we are just animals, then why not act like animals in the realm of physical relationships?  What do people do today?  Guys have multiple girlfriends, sometimes all at once and sometimes one at a time, sleeping with every last one; a married woman slips away to be physically involved with some man at work who makes her feel more special than her husband might; a man and woman that love each other wholly and completely decide to just live together, instead of getting married first, because they want to avoid all the legal practicalities involved with getting married, as well as the possibility of then divorcing someday.  Somehow people convince themselves that avoiding marriage is a good thing – maybe it is because marriage brings with it a sense of responsibility.

Scripture Reading for the Day:

Proverbs 27
Hebrews 11

Sunday, January 26th

"As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a fool."

Proverbs 26:8

If Johnny Boy is out in the yard with his slingshot and a window gets broken, who is to blame...the rock, the sling shot, or Johnny Boy?  Silly anaology, right?  Of course it is!  But, today's verse tells us that honoring a fool and positioning a rock in a sling shot will both produce the same effects.

So, what happens when we put a rock in a sling shot and let go?  The rock will land somewhere and when it does, it will likely damage whomever or whatever it hits.  So, when we honor a foolish person, it will cause damage.  "Mrs. Kim, what do you mean by 'honoring a fool'?"  If you are exalting, praising, or admiring someone who acts ignorantly or blasphemously, you are honoring a fool.  Let me give you an example, the other day when Justin Bieber was arrested and charged with DUI, a local Christian radio host made the following random statements: 

"Justin Bieber is not a bad kid."

"He is a Christian."

"He needs to have his mommy take away some of his privileges."

Girls, I don't know Justin Bieber's heart, so it wouldn't be fair for me to say dogmatically that he is not a Christian, but of a certainty, he is acting foolishly.  Unwittingly this radio host honored his foolish behavior.  Ultimately, her poorly chosen words will be worse than a rock in a slingshot!  Why?  Because somewhere in Orlando there was a struggling teen listening who heard the words describing Mr. Bieber in spite of his immature, Christ-less choices.  Even though he was drinking and acting foolishly, the radio host defended him.  Why should this teen expect that when he drinks, drives, and acts foolishly he won't get the same treatment as Mr. Bieber?   The host unknowingly put the rock in the sling, so to speak.

Be careful about honoring foolish people, girls.  It will come back to your detriment.

Scripture Reading for the Day
Proverbs 26

Hebrews 10

Saturday, January 25th

 Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer. Proverbs 25:4

The process of refining silver is time-consuming and tedious, but until the silver is purified, it is not beautiful.  Its composition is not changed while it is being purified; it's still a mineral.  However, before its true beauty can be revealed, silver has to be put through the refiner's fire.  

How can this verse to be applied in our lives?  Our lives represent the silver.  As silver is a precious metal, we are precious in the eyes of God.  But, our lives are covered with impurities like the silver is covered in dross.  The "dross" in our lives represents our own selfish desires, amusements and attractions that glorify our flesh instead of the Savior, and our unwillingness to suffer for the cause of Christ.  The silversmith in our lives' refining process is the Lord Jesus.  It is He Who decides how hot the purifying fire needs to be and when to remove us.  What does the purifying fire represent?  Hardship, trouble,  rejections, failure, and affliction are used by the Refiner to remove those impurities from our lives that are causing us to be less than the beautiful reflection of Christ that we ought to be.

Do you feel like your life is shadowed by heartache, grief, and sorrow?  Could it be that the Refiner is putting you through a purifying fire so that His beauty can be revealed in your life?  Be encouraged!  God's refining process is for your good and His glory.  Remember...In Him, Through Him, and For Him!

Scripture Reading for the Day:
Proverbs 25
Hebrews 9

Friday, January 24th: Guest Writer, Mrs. Lois Ormsby

To the Glory of God with Purity – Part 4

“For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.  This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.”

~ Ephesians 5:31, 32

From the beginning of time, God intended the marriage relationship to picture His relationship with the church.  Pure, holy, undefiled…and in His wisdom, he chose the physical to be part of that marriage relationship for mankind.  God endorses a physical relationship only within the boundary of marriage – outside of that boundary, He calls it sin.

The way a man and his wife come together is a beautiful thing; it is a means whereby their marriage is strengthened, so long as each of them is walking with the Lord and seeking to please their spouse according to the Bible.  Engaging in the physical relationship outside of marriage, however, is going against God’s commandments.  It is something that people do or desire because of a selfish spirit – whether or not they realize their act is rooted in selfishness.  By engaging in the physical relationship outside of marriage, a person is dishonoring the first thing God ever instituted: marriage.

Notice, girls, that God even uses the word “mystery”.  The way that a man and his wife are to picture Christ and the church is not something that we can fully understand, because we are not God.  We can only be thankful that, one day, as God brings husbands into your lives, God would deem you worthy to be a picture of the beautiful, sacrificial relationship that Christ and the church are to share.

Scripture Reading for the Day:
Proverbs 24
Hebrews 8

Thursday, January 23rd

With some of the thoughtless, inconsiderate remarks I've heard some make lately, it's been on my heart that our Christian ladies are sorely missing discretion.  Just what is "discretion"?  It is defined as the quality of being careful about what you do and say so that people will not be embarrassed or offended.  How often do we speak carelessly without regard to others' feelings or the emotional trauma that our words inflict.  It takes continual practice to learn sensitivity, but it is a quality the Lord esteems highly.  

As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion. Proverbs 11:22

There are some things that should never be said; and, there are things that should be said in a different tone or manner.  It takes discretion to know the difference.  For example, you should never tell an expecting woman that she looks huge.  Why?  Because it is insensitive to the emotions of a woman who is very well-aware of her changing body.  She doesn't need you to tell her how much weight she's gained.  Another example of indiscretion might be to accentuate a negative situation.  Perhaps someone has made a terrible mistake either in action or deed; indiscretion would call attention to the shortcoming while discretion might be more likely to say something like, "Hey, listen, don't be so hard on yourself.  We all make mistakes, and I've made that same one myself before."  Perhaps remembering this verse might help:

 He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.  

Scripture Reading for the Day:

Proverbs 23
Hebrews 7

Wednesday, January 22nd: Guest Writer, Mrs. Lois Ormsby

To the Glory of God with our Burdens

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

~ Matthew 11:28-30

I decided to take a break from the purity blogposts and write about our burdens today.

We have probably all heard a pastor or Sunday school teacher mention these verses at least once. The instructions seem pretty simple; Jesus says for us to come to Him, and He will give us rest. He even goes so far as to say that His burden is light! Hmm…

So what is the hard part of these verses for us? The other day in my own Bible reading, the LORD showed me the part that was hard for me to obey.

“…learn of me; for I am meek and lowly…”

Learning of Jesus is not natural to our flesh. Learning of Jesus takes daily, regular effort on our part – kind of like how keeping our school grades up takes regular effort :). I realized that if I want Jesus’ rest to be real in my life, then I had to do my part here – learn of Jesus. How do I do that? Consider what Jesus did when He was faced with burdens on this earth.

Learning of Jesus means learning to leave things in God’s hands. It means to trust His wisdom even when it makes absolutely no sense to us. Learning of Him means recognizing (through God’s Word) how He dealt with the sorrows of earthly life when He was here. It means to seek His face on a daily basis, begging for His direction in our daily decisions. Learning of Jesus is many, many things.

But you know, Jesus gives us two huge clues to start with right in these verses! He said, “…I am meek and lowly…”. Being meek and lowly, once again, is not natural for us. We like to be selfish, covetous, complaining, worrying, irritable, annoying, and boisterous because it just feels good! (Especially when we are having a really bad day.) Yet these are the two clues Jesus gives us for learning of Him – meek and lowly. That’s what we are to become. That’s what we are to be. That’s what we are to pattern our lives after.

Learning of Jesus is all about Him. Is being “all about Jesus” normal for you, or is it just something you think about when you’re listening to Sunday and Wednesday’s sermons? Being all about Jesus is key to learning how to lay our burdens down at His feet.

Scripture Reading for the Day:

Proverbs 22
Hebrews 6

 

Tuesday, January 21st

Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.

Psalm 12:1

The word "faithful"  means having or showing true and constant support or loyalty.  King David made the statement in today's Scripture reference that godly men were not to be found and that the faithful were failing.  Certainly we can look around our society and culture and agree with that.  So, it's fair to say that not much has changed.  It's not that we don't know what faithfulness means.  Look around you...people are faithful to that which is important to them.   Someone who gets up at 5 am to go to the gym faithfully to ensure his/her body is kept in shape; the athlete who trains faithfully in football seven to eight hours a day; the musician who is faithful to practice so perform perfectly, the husband who gets up faithfully every morning to provide for his family; the student who faithfully prepares for exams in order to make passing grades...all these are examples of faithfulness.  We do, as a nation, understand the meaning of faithfulness.  However, King David was speaking of faithfulness to the Lord, and that, I'm afraid, we are sorely lacking.  When we are faithful in matters of spirituality though, here's what takes place:

1.) We please our heavenly Father.

It is His favor we should be seeking, and when we place other things---our time,       
our desires, our goals before His, we are not being faithful.  I Corinthians 4:2 is not optional.

2.) We encourage others to be faithful.

I can't tell you the number of times that I have continued on with a project or with simply joyfully serving my Savior just because I looked around and saw someone who had every reason to quit continuing on for Jesus' sake.  Your faithfulness either encourages someone else to keep going or it discourages them to the point of quitting themselves.

3.) We draw others to Christ.

When's the last time you saw someone saved through the un-faithfulness of a fellow Christian? 

More than anything else in this world, may we desire to be faithful to the Lord.

 Scripture Reading for the Day:


Proverbs 21
Hebrews 5

 

Monday, January 20th

IF

 

If the praise of man elates me and his blame depresses me;

If I cannot rest under misunderstanding without defending myself;

If I love to be loved more than to love,

     to be served more than to serve,

Then I know nothing of Calvary love.

~Amy Carmichael

 

Such a very small booklet really...but, oh the times I have bowed my head in conviction of its humbling words. 

 

 

Speaking of some in the Scriptures who believed but were fearful to confess Christ publicly, John 12:43 explains,

 

For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

 

Everyone wants to be liked and accepted, but when our desire for human praise and acceptance exceeds our desire for God's approval, we are walking in the flesh.  The Bible calls it "carnal". 

 

At the end of the day, it is to the King of kings that our knees should bow, not to the cry of what is socially acceptable.  I love you, girls.

 

 

 

Scripture Reading for the Day:

Proverbs 20
Hebrews 4

 

Sunday, January 19th: Guest Writer, Mrs. Lois Ormsby

To the Glory of God with Purity – Part 3

“There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.”

~ 1 Corinthians 7:34, 35

Ladies – I want you to realize that there is nothing wrong with you if you think some guy is cute, or can’t wait until you have a guy, or dream of being a wife and raising a family someday! Those are natural desires – and honestly, I would worry about you if you did NOT have any of those desires! :P God makes us like that, girls, because He designed us specifically to be the man’s help in every area. One of those areas happens to be the physical relationship!

So, if we’re created for that, what is the big deal about waiting until we are married? The best answer I can give is simply that – this is the way God has ordained it. Over and over in His Word God speaks against committing things like lust, fornication, adultery, concupiscence, lasciviousness, inordinate affection…

WHOA, Mrs. Lois – what in the world do all of those things mean?

I am so glad you asked :)

        

• Lust: a burning; unlawful desire of carnal pleasure; eagerness to possess that which is not yours
• Fornication: physical intercourse with someone you are not married to
• Adultery: you, being married, having physical intercourse with someone other than your spouse
• Concupiscence: unlawful or irregular desire of sexual pleasure
• Lasciviousness: irregular indulgence of animal desires; the tendency to excite lust and promote irregular indulgences
• Inordinate affection: disorderly, immoderate, affection not limited to the rules prescribed

These are the types of feelings and desires that God does not want us to have. Why? Because each one of them lead to sin or are sin. The marriage bed was designed to be very sacred, but each of these things tear away at that holiness.

Scripture Reading for the Day:


Proverbs 19
Hebrews 3

 

Saturday, January 19th: Guest Writer, Mrs. Lois Ormsby

To the Glory of God with Purity – Part 2

“There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.”

~ 1 Corinthians 7:34, 35

Today let’s talk about the definition of purity.

“Freedom from foreign matter; cleanness; freedom from guilt or the defilement of sin; freedom from contamination by illicit sexual connection.”

Isn’t that interesting how the word “freedom” is used in direct relationship with purity? Think about it, girls – God gives us boundaries concerning our bodies not because He is trying to keep us from enjoying life; He gives us boundaries to provide us with freedom. Freedom from what? Freedom from feeling guilty about going against the Bible. Freedom from the shame of those you love the most. Freedom from losing your good name. Freedom from someone’s baggage being unloaded on your shoulders. These things are all results of physical impurity.

God ordained the physical aspect of marriage, girls, right in the Garden of Eden. He designed it to be pure, and to be right, and to be holy. Even though Adam and Eve sinned and they were cast out of their paradise, you know what? God did not take their physical relationship away from them. He easily could have; but He didn’t! He let them keep it! Isn’t that neat? He let them take that part of paradise with them.

That doesn’t mean their physical relationship was always perfect after they were cast out of the Garden. However, their physical relationship must have been so special to them since it was something they had enjoyed together before sin messed everything up!

…ok. Maybe this purity topic will take more like 7 or 8 blogposts! :)

Scripture Reading for the Day:

Proverbs 18
Hebrews 2

 

Friday, January 17th: Guest Writer, Mrs. Lois Ormsby

To the Glory of God with Purity – Part 1

“There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. And this I speak for your own profit; not that I may cast a snare upon you, but for that which is comely, and that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.”

~ 1 Corinthians 7:34, 35

Purity – what is it, really? What does God have to say about it? Sure, we know that the Bible commands to abstain from physical intercourse before marriage – but why? The Bible shows us that purity is important, and I want to help you girls realize how our purity brings glory to God.

Because purity is such an important topic, I might take 2 or 3 posts to cover it, because I pray that I may help you understand some aspects that are cloudy to you. If, though, in these posts I am unclear, please text me or ask me in person and I will seek to answer your question according to God’s Word!

The reason I chose the verses above is because they speak specifically about a married woman versus an unmarried woman. Notice, girls, that the Bible automatically calls an unmarried woman a virgin. So, right there the Bible is reminding us that all women never married before are supposed to be virgins – no matter their age. But, why is this such a big deal in God’s eyes?

One of the first reasons is explained in these verses – “…that ye may attend upon the Lord without distraction.” This is the only time in the Bible that the word “distraction” is used. God knows that once a woman gets married, she has a commitment to serve her husband in every capacity. However, He also knows that an unmarried woman does not have all of those responsibilities upon her, so He knows that the unmarried woman has a lot more time on her hands.

I don’t want to give you too much in one day, so just think about this, girls:

1. God wants the unmarried woman to get to know Him in a deep, satisfying way.
2. God wants this for her because He doesn’t want her to be harmed with sin, sin that would cast heartache upon her future marriage.
3. If you have already lost your physical purity, God does not hate you. He has already forgiven you. But He does want you to talk to Him about it and then do what is necessary to keep
   yourself for your husband alone from this day forward.

 

Scripture Reading for the Day:

Proverbs 17
Hebrews 1

 

Thursday, January 16th

Many of us have heard Pastor Tony Hutson's famous message, "The Real Thing".  He vividly proclaims his preferences of "real" things as opposed to imitations.  He gives examples like butter as opposed to margarine, homemade biscuits as opposed to "wappum" (canned" biscuits), and most importantly, the real relationship with Christ as opposed to phony Christianity.  That's the topic of today's devotion, Phony Christianity.

In our Beautiful Girlhood meetings, it was such a riot to watch all of you giggle and watch expectantly as we viewed Anne of Green Gables together.  All of you were pulling for Mr. Gilbert Blythe, weren't you?  Girls are naturally drawn to beautiful love stories.  It's in our nature.  Did you know that it's in God's nature, too?  You see, the Bible tells us of a beautiful love story that HE wrote in the book of Genesis.  Not Adam and Eve, though their story was written by Him and was amazing; not Abraham and Sarah, even though they also had a precious love for one another.  No, this story is of Isaac and Rebekkah.  Isaac was Abraham's beloved son, the one he'd been given when he was a hundred years old.  Abraham wanted a bride for Isaac that would share his culture, so he asked his servant to go back to his homeland and, with the help of God, seek a wife for Isaac.  For those of you who don't know the story, it is found in Genesis 24. 

So, here's the servant, Eliezer, who's traveled to Mesopotamia and who has asked God specifically to provide a sign to him about the young lady that would be the bride for Isaac.  Just as Eliezer prayed, it happened.  A young lady comes to the well to draw water.  Eliezer greets her and asks for water.  She obliges and offers him a cool drink, but then goes a step further and provides drink for his camels too.  Understand that for Rebekkah to water the camels, she made many trips back and forth to the well---unknowingly.  She did it for hospitality's sake. 

"Mrs. Kim, I'm confused, I thought we were talking about phony Christianity."  We are, but I wanted to use one of the most beautiful love stories in the Bible to get your attention.  You see, Rebekkah was unknowingly serving the one who would bring her to her Prince Charming.  She wasn't faking being a kind, loving, obedient girl.  She served when she thought it was just a lowly stranger.  She had no idea of the family he represented or the young man who was anxiously waiting for their return. 

What would have happened if Rebekkah had been a phony?  You know what I mean.  In front of the adults, smiles and sweet submission to authority; but, apart from spiritual, watchful eyes, rebellious and mean-spirited. 

Girls, be real.  If you're not genuinely tender-hearted and obedient, don't be a fake.  Get your hearts right today while the Lord is drawing you into a REAL reflection of His character. 


Scripture Reading for the Day:

Proverbs 16
Philemon 1

Wednesday, January 15th

 In the fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.  Proverbs 14:26

It is such a comfort to me to know that with God as my Father, I always have a place to run where I am accepted and loved.  I don't always run to my Father as I should.  I am often stubborn and proud, and I shoulder burdens that my Savior never intended me to carry.  Still, what a comfort to rest in the security that He is my refuge.  This verse says that I'm not to be slightly confident; rather, I am to havve strong confidence.  This kind of confidence produces a calming peace and assurance even when your circumstances are not so peaceful.

Remember the key to this Bible promise:  In the fear of The Lord is strong confidence...
If you are not walking in the fear of The Lord, you have no reason to expect confidence and peace.  Don't wait until the storm to seek the Refuge.


Scripture Reading for the Day:

Proverbs 15
Titus 3

Tuesday, January 14th

What do you do when things just aren't going well in your life?  Sometimes it seems like it can go from a really bad day to an awful week.  There's no stopping that, girls, for that is life.   Circumstances aren't always fair; people aren't always kind; and quite frankly, it can seem like the battle just isn't worth fighting.  But it is.

I'm not going to tell you the name of the young woman in the Bible that I am referring to yet, but I will tell you her story.

Born into a poor family, her lot in life was to be a servant.  I wonder if she ever thought that wasn't fair??  After being sold to a wealthy family, she was forced to leave her home country of Egypt to travel to the homeland of those whom she would serve.  Imagine, leaving behind your family to be a servant!  She had no way of knowing whether she'd ever see her loved ones again.  Surely she cried in anguish about the unfairness of it all.  What a life, right?  Her woes didn't stop there.  She was given the news that she would now be required to marry an 86-year-old man and have his child.  In our culture, this is so foreign and hard to imagine.  But, in middle-eastern culture during this time period, it wasn't uncommon at all.  This particular young woman obeyed what her owners asked of her and bore a son.  Even then though, it still got worse.  After her son was 14-years-old, her owner's wife miraculously also had a little boy.  When the new baby boy was born, the servant girl and her son were put out of the home.  As this woman drudged through the blazing hot desert sand with a teenage boy in tow, she  cried out in anguish.  Finally, with her water supply gone, she left her son under a bush to die and found a place where she wouldn't have to watch him take his last breath.  But...he didn't die.  In fact, The Lord spoke plainly to Hagar,

Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation. Genesis 21:18

Just when Hagar thought her circumstances couldn't get any worse, they did.  Sold as a slave, torn from her family, forced to marry an old man, and now kicked out of her home with nothing more than a loaf of bread and a bottle of water, if anybody ever had a right to cry out, "But, it's not fair!", surely she did.  And, if Hagar had insisted on wallowing in self-pity, she might have missed the saving voice of God.  

Her life's lot wasn't of her choosing; yet, God's hand was in the middle of it all.  The circumstances of your life may not be what you'd like.  But just as the Lord knew of Hagar and her mistreatment, He knows where you are.  And, He won't let you down.  Had Hagar never been sold as a servant and forced to leave Egypt, she may have never come to know the true God.  She likely would have continued with her pagan,  idolatrous worship,  God used her circumstances to draw her to Himself.  He will use the unfair things in your life, too, girls.   He'll use those things to shape you, to humble you, and to direct you.

Scripture Reading for the Day:

Proverbs 14
Titus 2

Monday, January 13th: Guest Writer, Mrs. Lois Ormsby

To the Glory of God with our Time

“Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” ~ Ephesians 5:16

God has given us 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week.  He lets us decide how we use the time He has given to us.  But why can’t He just make us use our time wisely, Miss Lois?  Wouldn’t that be simpler?  Our human mind tells us that this makes sense.  However, the reason that God doesn’t make us do anything is because that would be because of His power that we do things and not because we love Him.  He gives us the choice because it helps us grow in our love for Christ.

“Redeeming” – that’s talking about using time wisely, buying back time we might be used to wasting, making our time count for something.  It is TOO easy to waste time – whether it’s watching TV, texting someone, reading novels, browsing Pinterest (oh that’s a hard one! Yes, for me too J ) or catching up with everyone on Facebook – the era we live in has all sorts of easy ways to waste time.  Now, notice, girls, none of the things I just mentioned are sins in and of themselves; but, when we do these things mindlessly, instead of spending our time on purpose, that’s when those things can become sin.

As a young single girl, you have prime time for yourself.  And this is not a bad thing!  God has given you these years to draw close to Him, to increase your abilities through learning, and to prepare yourself for adulthood.  To help determine how you should spend your time wisely, ask yourself:

-

What is something that I can learn now that will help me be a better wife someday? Cooking, housework, paperwork, finances…

-

What is something that I can learn now that will help me be a better mother someday? Health tips, wise money-spending, childcare…

-

What is something that I can learn now that will help me be a better Christian adult someday? Memorizing Scripture, daily walking with the Lord, helping around church on a weekly basis…

Each one of us can come up with more answers for these questions on our own.  Be specific!  Be adventurous!  And be courageous J

Scripture Reading for the Day:

Proverbs 13
Titus 1

Sunday, January 12th

Question Girls:  What does it say about your testimony for Christ if people who are running from God are comfortable around you?  

There are normally two trains of thought on Biblical separation.  One is that you must be so separated, so holy that you'd not think of lowering yourself to spend time with someone wicked.  The other thought is that you must not be separated at all because in order to win the world, you must be like the world.  Which of these convictions is right?  Based on Scripture, neither.  

We are not to 'fellowship' with this world or those that insist on living worldly.  By fellowship I mean spending our leisure time, hanging out, or relaxing.  Those things are to be done with those who share the same values or convictions.  "Why is that, Mrs. Kim?"  Simple.  You will only be as spiritual as your mentor.  So, if your closest confidants are those who don't give a hoot about God or His ways, how long do you think you'll care about Godly things?  My mama said it like this, "Lay down with the dogs, you'll get up with fleas."  Scripture says this,

"Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend."  Proverbs 27:17

There are times that you will have to draw an invisible line in the sand.  You'll have friends that are going one way, and you'll have to decide whether to go their direction or God's.  When you do, you will be called names; you will be ridiculed.  

On the other hand, to convince yourself that your worldly lifestyle is "ministering" to others because it helps them feel "comfortable" is deceptive.

Quick question:  Are those who live contrary to God comfortable around you?  If they do not feel some sort of rebuke, not so much by your words as by your testimony, then you must question whether your life is actually reflecting Christ.  The Lord Jesus, by His very presence, brought conviction.  What does your presence bring?  

Scripture Reading for the Day:

Proverbs 12
II Timothy 4

Saturday, January 11th: Guest Writer, Mrs. Lois Ormsby

Our Attitude to the Glory of God

“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:”

~ 1 Peter 1:21

Attitude – unfortunately, we females are pros at this one. Good attitudes, sweet attitudes, bad attitudes, nasty attitudes…you name it, we’ve got it!

A time when it is most difficult to have a right attitude, though, is when the person we are dealing with does not have a good attitude to begin with, either. If you’re like me, that just makes me more mad and frustrated with that person. I easily clam up and silent treatment is unfortunately something I am good at --- and that is so wrong!

Glorifying God in our attitude is not easy…and God never said it would be. Look at the verse above: we know we are to follow Christ’s steps. How does the verse describe Christ’s steps?

He suffered.

Yes, Christ was without sin, and did not have to battle the flesh like we do. However, the Bible does say that He was tempted in every area that we are tempted – He was God and man at the same time. And, He bore our sins for us…I don’t know how much more suffering a person could endure than that.

How do we have a right attitude with others? We seek to respond as Christ did. To our human hearts, this answer might almost feel like a cop-out, but truly, there is no better One we can turn to for an example. He endured more bad attitudes from others than any one of us will ever have to endure - His own brothers thought He was crazy until after He arose from the dead; the soldiers kicked Him, spit on Him, pulled His beard out; the Jews screamed for His crucifixion; one of His own disciples betrayed Him, one whom He had invested 3+ years in; we sin against Him even though He has given us eternal life. The list goes on and on! Yet what did Christ do? He responded in a holy, Godly, and meek manner.

Responding like Christ takes effort, daily concentration. Sometimes, we fail. But if we on purpose ask God for His help in this area, He will help us to walk more like His Son!

 

Scripture Reading for the Day:

 

Proverbs 11

II Timothy 3

Friday, January 10th: Guest Writer, Mrs. Lois Ormsby

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” ~ Matthew 5:16

Recently one of you asked me a great question: why does the world judge Christians for things that they (the world) do themselves? Things like drinking, going to a night club, missing church, etc…

The reason that the world judges us is simple – they know that we are supposed to be different. They might not know why, but they know that “real Christians” do things differently. Maybe they are looking to see a Christian who follows what he says he follows, not a Christian who goes to church on Sunday and Wednesday but then hits up the lottery machines on the week days. The world is looking for the real deal – because in their hearts, they want to be the real deal too. More than once, the Bible even talks about how sometimes the world is wiser than Christians, because the world knows how Christians should act better than we do!

But why do we have to be on “display” all the time? The Bible verse above answers why. Like it or not, we, as children of God, represent Christ! We are always representing Him, either in a good, glorifying way or in a bad, shameful way. God calls us to be holy; He doesn’t give us a choice about that – it’s a command! He gets sad when we, as His children, do not obey this command and instead live life the way we want to. He is hurt when we live life on the “edge of the rules”, so to speak, because our heart is more interested in pleasing ourselves than it is to glorify God in everything that we do.

If we are following the verse above, the world will look at our life and think, “Wow, maybe there really is something true about their God.” Do you think there are people in your life who might be thinking that? Wouldn’t it be awesome for one of your friends at school or at work to get saved because you lived a faithful, different, holy life before them?

So, before you do something in public – whether it is at school, at work, at the mall, at the gas station, at the grocery store, at the theme park, or wherever! – ask yourself: Would I want Jesus Christ to come with me to this place and do this with me? Would it cause people to look to God if I do this?

 

 

Scripture Reading for the Day:

 

Proverbs 10

II Timothy 2

 

Thursday, January 9th: Guest Writer, Mrs. Lois Ormsby

Our Speech to the Glory of God

“Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” ~ Exodus 20:7

When I was twelve years old, I came across a tract entitled, “Is It Swearing?”. This pamphlet covered some words that are common in today’s vocabulary, but words that should not be part of our vocabulary at all. Here are some of the words it covered:

- Gosh, golly: “used as a mild oath, slang replacement for God”

- Gee: “used as an introductory expletive, a slang replacement for Jesus”

- Darn: “a slang term for ‘damn’”

- Heck: “a slang term for ‘hell’”

Did you know that? I certainly did not, until I read that pamphlet. Growing up, my parents did not let us use such language, but it was not until I was 12 that I understood why.

“Oh my ____” “_______it!” or, just plain old “________” --- we all know that is how the world speaks today. But did you know that every time someone uses gosh, golly, or gee, they are blaspheming the name of God – taking the name of God in vain? People today would call this “wooden swearing”, or basically, not swearing at all. But, girls, God does not change, and He says that it is wrong to swear mildly or strongly:

“But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.” ~ Matthew 5:34-37

Seriously, Miss Lois, that’s not what that means…Really? Look it up in two or three dictionaries and see if I’m wrong. The reason I wanted to share what I learned with you is because what we say is to be to the glory of God. How is it glorifying God when we’re using His name – or damn, or hell – as swear words?

Well if I shouldn’t say those kind of words, what CAN I say? That is certainly a natural question – and it is a question we should ask! I think we Christians sometimes are too good at mimicking the world’s ways and not even realizing it. We hear each other say things like “oh my word” or “oh my goodness” --- but did you know that “Word” and “Goodness” are either names or descriptions of God? That is something I realized recently and came under conviction about. The only thing I might say now is “oh my soul” because David used that term in Psalms more than once. However, even then, I am trying not to even talk like that, because – why do we even HAVE to talk like that in the first place? Just because it is “normal” doesn’t make it right. If we have a habit of talking like the world but we didn’t realize just how worldly it is, God is ready to help us get rid of this habit! His mercy and patience is abundant.

Scripture Reading for the Day:

Proverbs 9
II Timothy 1

Wednesday, January 8th

Today we will finish our mini-study of the characteristics of the woman in Proverbs 7.  Before we cover today's material, let's recap yesterday's devotion.

The first 3 traits we looked at were these:
1.) Dressed to advertise
2.)  Loud and stubborn
3.) Busybody

 So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.  Proverbs 7: 13-14

This young woman's behavior was far from what you or I would consider ladylike.  She had no problem at all being flirtatious and forward with this young man.  Young ladies ought not to flaunt themselves in such a way that it tempts young men.  You know what I mean, girls, so let's skip to the chase.  The way you stand with your hand on your hip, the nonchalant way you toss your hair when a young man is watching you, that little pout on your lips: all of these are subtle signals to young men.  In other words, flirting. 

Notice also verse 14.  This young woman had a total disrespect for God and spiritual matters.  She boasts that she had "made things right with God" so everything was fine.  What dangerous ground to make a mockery of the things of God!

Finally, verse 19 gives an indication of the young woman's lack of respect for the head of the home.

 For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:

She was basically saying, "Listen, we're all alone.  Nobody's going to find out."  The final result of all her actions and speech?  Verse 21 gives us the end:


With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.

That's right, girls, the Bible uses the words, she forced him.  Of course, this young man will obviously give an account for his wrong choices; but, this young woman will stand before God and answer for the way she led him into sin.

Flirting is something that no one ever has to teach a girl; rather she has to be taught how to NOT flirt.  Even though it may seem like harmless fun, it is detrimental to your reputation and most definitely harmful to a young man who may very well be trying to walk uprightly.

Scripture Reading for the Day:

Proverbs 8
I Timothy 6

Tuesday, January 7th

Today's and tomorrow's devotions will cover the characteristics of the young lady mentioned in Proverbs, chapter 7.  So, before we go any further, go ahead and do your Proverbs reading for today.

If you read the whole description of this woman, I feel sure you would take offense if someone were to compare you with her.  I know I surely would!  It's certainly not my intent to compare any of my sweet Beautiful Girls to this woman, so please don't assume that.  But, we must, with the help of the Holy Spirit, honestly search our own hearts to see if any of her characteristics could just as well be ours.

1.)  The very first thing the Bible mentions concerns her choice of dress.  "Harlot" is the Bible word for prostitute.  The Scripture doesn't say she was a prostitute; God said that she dressed like one.  I don't know that there is a certain "uniform" that a prostitute wears, but whatever her choice in clothing, she dressed in such a way that advertised herself.  

2.)  She was loud and stubborn.  Neither of these qualities increases a woman's beauty.  Being loud---the center of attention or obnoxious---never makes a girl pretty.  Rather, just the opposite is true.  

3.)  This young woman might have been called a busybody.  Instead of caring for her home, she was out running the roads.  Busy...but not in a good way.

We will continue tomorrow with our study of this young woman in Proverbs 7.  Our goal for our own selves should be to have character traits that are as far as possible from the ones this young woman demonstrated.

Scripture Reading for the Day:

Proverbs 7
I Timothy 5