"Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways. When you eat the labor of your hands, you shall be happy and it shall be well with you." Psalm 128:1-2
Good morning! Let' s pray.........
Father, I seek You this day and praise Your holy name for all that You ahve done for me and my family. Thank you for reminding me that unless You build the house, I labor in vain. Help me to remember that I can do nothing without You, but with You all things are possible.
Because You are holy, I seek forgiveness of my sin against you. I pray that you will wash me and make me whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness. Renew in me a clean pure heart like Yours.
I pray for each woman here this day that she may be changed through the reading of Your word. I pray that You will speak to her of Your joy and gladness. We thank You for all Your mercies on us.
In Jesus' name....Amen.
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Today's passage:
Prov 31: 20 "She extends her hand to the poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy."
When hurricane Katrina hit, we saw many people coming to the aid of the victims of the massive floods that ravage the city of New Orleans. We gave money to the Salvation Army because we wanted to help out in the recovery process.
One of my students lost everything in the hurricane. She sat in my classroom 2 years later studying graphic design to help find a job when she returned to New Orleans. She and I had long talks about the state of New Orleans before and after the flooding. We agreed that the city was full of corrupt police and politicians and was in great need of drastic change.
I was so proud of her wanting to return and begin again even though she was in her 50's. She wanted to go back and tell her family and friends about how Arizona was a great state full of people who helped themselves and held their politicians accountable. She hoped for a change for the better and realized it begins with the people.
As Christians, we are called to help others.
The Virtuous Wife, we have learned, was a smart business woman and investor. Here we discover that she also gave back to people: the poor and the needy.
Please read:
Deut. 15:11
Psalm 41:1-2
Prov 22:9
Heb. 13:16
Remembering where we came from and how the Lord has healed should make us want to reach out to those in need.
Remember the Samaritan Woman? She was so ashamed to go retrieve water that she went at noon instead of in the early evening when all the women went to the well. Imagine her shame living in that city. I am sure everyone knew of her reputation.
Yet, we find after she was cleansed by The Living Water...how did she respond?
Please read:
John 4:28-30
Who did she speak to first?
What was their response?
I imagine the look on her face along with the words she spoke caused the men to follow her. She was obviously a changed woman.
She could have easily kept Jesus all to herself, but she didn't....
John 4:39-42
The Lord called her one of His "laborers" to reap the White Harvest of souls. She reached out to the needy.....
Please read:
Psalm 41:1-2
I wanted you to read these verses again and think of our soldiers and Marines in Iraq. I pray these verses over them daily because they are indeed considering the poor (translated: helpless; powerless) and I ask the Lord to bless them in their endeavors.
We are to teach the younger women how to extend their hands to the poor and needy.
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Life Application
I know you know a woman who is downtrodden. Perhaps she is helpless or powerless and in need of more than just being on your prayer list.
Perhaps she doesn't know that her sins can be forgiven. Notice how Jesus confronted the Samaritan woman's sin before He changed her. We cannot forgive sins, but we can tell women about the forgiveness of sin through Christ.
Please read:
Ps. 32:1-5
Ps 28:6-7- That the Lord hears prayers of those who trust in Him
Ps 30:4-5- Tell her that there is joy in the morning
Ro 5:5- Tell her about hope
Ps 31: 24- Tell her to be of good courage and to hope in the Lord
Of course, some women have sorrows so deep that it is hard for them to turn to the Lord.
I remember hearing one story of a Christian couple who were traveling with their 6 children on vacation. They suffered a horrendous car accident in which 5 of their children were killed at the crash site. The mother and father along with their surviving daughter arrived at the ER. The daughter suffered horrible burns and was in critical condition.
The mother and father lay on gurneys in the ER as the doctor told them of their daughter's horrible injuries. Together they prayed for their daughter. But the doctor returned later to tell them she had died.
As the doctor left the couple alone in their sadness, the father reached out to hold his wife's hand as he quoted Ps. 34:
"I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continuosly be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad"
As he said it, his wife let go of his hand in anger. After losing all 6 of her children, she was not yet ready to "bless the Lord" for what had happened.
But her husband continued to say the verses over and over until finally, she slowly reached over and with tears in her eyes she grabbed her husband's hand. Together they lay there in the ER quoting the verse and mourning their children.
How many of us could bless the Lord after such loss?
Serving a holy God isn't easy at times. Sometimes He does things that we just cannot fathom. This couple now travels around to churches telling their story of how God healed them. They have been offered millions of dollars from the insurance after the accident, but they turned all the money down.
They use their story now to tell others about Christ. They are extending their hands to the needy.
Please read:
Job 31:16-23
We are to make sure we do help those in need.
How can you help our soldiers and Marines in Iraq?
http://www.soldiersangels.com/
Here you can help send packages from home to a soldier or Marine. This organization also helps wounded soldiers at Walter Reed and in Germany.
It's no secret that the Marine Corps holds a special place in my heart. My father was a Marine and so was my Uncle. My husband was a Marine too and I wouldn't be surprised if I gave birth to a Marine.
This organization helps raise money for the wounded Marines and their families. They help with physical therapy, financial concerns, and adjustment counseling.
You can also donate to the Salvation Army or donate clothes to half-way houses for women who have been released from prison.
These women often times need clothes to go out on job interviews or clothes for their children.
Eph 4:28
We are to teach young women to help out those who are in need. Many women out there need help. They need the hope in the Lord.
Ps 33:18-19
They need to know Christ.
Perhaps you know a woman who is a believer but has forgotten to hope in the Lord.
I know when Scott lost his job at Fox Studios in 2000, we were very scared. I often wondered why my husband who works so hard never seemed to get ahead. His work ethic is the best I have seen, next to my father, yet he never seemed to reap the rewards of his hard work. It seemed like we were never going to get ahead in life.
But I was led to this verse:
Ps 37:23-26
My husband is a good man whose steps are ordered( established) by the Lord. Here we read that "though he should fall, he shall not utterly be cast down" because the Lord will "uphold him with His hand."
David goes on to tell us that he never saw the righteous forsaken nor begging bread. Praise God! Our suffering is limited if we hope in the Lord.
And it is true. 7 years later all is well with us once again and I know that if we lose everything again, the Lord will not forsake us.....ever!
So, use this lesson to encourage a young woman you know who may be going through some hard times. She may need to be reminded of the hope that is in the Lord.
She may need to know that this suffering is only for a time.
She may need to know that through the hard times we are still to bless the Lord and praise Him continually.
Extend your hand to the poor and reach out your hands to the needy.
Psalm 33:18-19
"Behold the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope in His mercy,
To deliver their soul from death,
And to keep them alive in famine."
Until next time..........
"Being a beacon of God's light and a channel of His love, being Jesus with flesh and bones for a young woman- this can look like an intimidating assignment from the outside. But like any ministry, you'll be covering this special outreach in prayer, asking God to guide you, use you, and bless the time you spend with His younger daughter. He will honor your prayers."
-Donna Otto (Between Women of God, 1995, p. 47)
Blessings,
Ruth
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