November 21, 2024

About Cherie Zack

Cherie Zack - Contributing Blogger
Cherie is the Founder and President of The Imperfect Wives. She has been ministering to women for more than 10 years. She is a certified Biblical counselor in the areas of Marriage and Family, women’s ministry and more.
As well as being the founder of TIW, in 2010 Cherie was appointed Director of the South Carolina AG District Council Women’s Ministry department where she serves more than 100 pastors and women’s ministry groups. She also serves as a board member for The Jubilee Market, a ministry that is teaching girls the skills they need to flourish in life after being rescued from human trafficking.
Cherie is passionate about her marriage, family and women’s ministry and loves every minute of each! Cherie and Bill have been married for 20 years and have 4 amazing children together.

16 Day Love Challenge: Chapter 11 – Rejoices With The Truth

November 18, 2013 by

16daylovechallengerejoicewithtruthI love Rebecca’s opening question in chapter 11: “Have you ever experienced a contrast between the truth of your experience and the Truth of the Word of God?”  So many of us can raise our hands.

I have found HOPE when I filter the truth of what I am experiencing through God’s Word in my heart. Real Hope! And you know what?  God’s Word always tells me something different.

The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy:
I came that they may have life, and may have [it] abundantly.
John 10:10

Read it again…what do you see?  The Truth about satan is he is a thief who only comes to steal, kill, and destroy your hope and everything you hold dear to you. But what does the rest of the verse say? God finishes this Truth with some of the most important words I think are in the Bible. He said,

I (Jesus) came that you may have LIFE, and have it ABUNDANTLY!!

When we remember to filter the truth of our circumstances through God’s Truth {His Word} we see that we have hope and life that is abundant no matter what our circumstances look like.

Bill and I have our home in Jacksonville, Florida up for sale. Our renters moved out in July and we know beyond all doubt that it was time to put it back on the market. Our first try was six years ago. We had 4 closings that all fell through days before we met to sign the papers. Talk about frustrating!  Bill had already been transferred to South Carolina for his last 4 year term with the Navy and I was tired of living life without him. It was time. We took it off the market, rented it and the kids and I joined Bill.

Five years later and here we are again. We decided going into this that we would trust God and obey His Word when we found ourselves in darkness. We experienced  our months of no movement. It has been hard. Four months is a long time to have your home on the market with nothing happening. It can cause fear and doubt to rise. But we entered a covenant with God. A covenant that we would choose His Truth—no matter what. Believe me when I tell you we have been tested!  Satan has said many things to both of us. He reminds us what the market is right now and tells us that people are not looking to buy a home because they are thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas—all truths.  Do you see how satan can use the truth of your circumstances to cause you to doubt God and lose your hope?

About a month ago I was sitting at my laptop and praying, “God, we need a verse to stand on concerning our home in Jax. Will you open your Word to me and show me the verse you have designed for this season?” I then did a word search in BibleGateway.com and this was one of the Scriptures that came up.

For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened;
but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack,
that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality.
2 Corinthians 8:13-14

I had never seen this verse before. At least, I don’t remember seeing it. It leaped at me! I knew this is the direction God wants us to go and it is the TRUTH that we can rejoice in. I went to my Bible app on my cellphone, pulled up the verse, highlighted it, saved a screen shot of it and texted it to Bill and our real estate agent with the following words: “This is the verse we are going to stand on, no matter what!”  And we have applied this verse as our Truth each time satan attacked us with his.

versecheriesblog

We have been faithful to trust and obey God’s Word in the darkness. As of yesterday, we are getting an overwhelming amount of movement: 6 showings in one day.  And today we received a Full Offer on the house. They love it and don’t want haggle for it. Do you see our verse coming to fruition?  Their abundance is the supply for our lack and our abundance (our home) is supplying theirs.

I pray this is encouraging you right where you are! We don’t know what the outcome will be but we choose to stand because we have learned that God’s Word is Always going to be the Truth we can stand on!!

When we choose to walk in covenant with God, we can always Rejoice in the Truth!

* * * * *

Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your Truth today. How blessed we are to have Your Word to read any time we want to. Father, I ask that You would reveal Yourself to each woman reading this today. Father, I ask that You would meet their needs…financial, physical, and spiritual needs.  Lead them to the verse You have for this season in their lives and teach them the power of covenant. Father, I pray that every one of us will Rejoice in the Truth you have given us in Your Word. Encourage and strength my sisters today, in Jesus name!  Amen.

Filed Under: Women's Ministry

16 Day Love Challenge: Chapter 10 – Love Does Not Delight In Evil

November 15, 2013 by

Our chapter today was a tough one for me to write. I think it is the most vulnerable I allowed myself to be in this book. I was nervous sharing it because of what I admitted. If you haven’t read it yet, go read chapter 10, Love Does Not Delight In Evil and come back.

16daylovechallengenodelightinevil

Can you remember a time when my story was a reflection of your heart?  I think as we grow in our walk with God we should have the same desire David did when he asked God, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting”  (Psalms 139:23-24).  But sometimes the search reveals more than we want to know.

The day God revealed my heart I realized that I had lost sight of wisdom and chose to delight in evil…and it was ugly.  I was so ashamed of myself and yet I could not bring my heart to make it right.  My rights were at stake.  I felt I had a right to be “right!”  Then I read Psalm 139 and realized this isn’t even close to David’s heart—or God’s.  Every time I read this passage I missed a very important truth that I needed to understand.

“God already knows my heart!”

King David was asking God to search his heart, however the purpose wasn’t for God to find out what was going on. The purpose was so God could reveal David’s heart to him. God is omniscient!  He knows everything about us.  Nothing is hidden from Him because He is everywhere.  He is here with me, guiding me as I write to you.  And He is with you, speaking to you as you read.   Admittedly though, the following verses cause me to fear God in a respectful manner and bring great comfort to me.  They are a source of refreshing water to my dry and fearful soul.

Where shall I go from Your Spirit?  Or where shall I flee from Your Presence.  If I ascend to heaven, You are there!  If I make my bed in Sheol, You are there!  If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.  If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to You; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with You.

Psalms 139:7-12

I love this quote from Renee Swope’s book, A Confident Heart. She said, “God uses conviction lovingly, to show us our sin and lead our hearts to repentance. He does this to draw us away from destructive behavior that hinders our relationship with Him and others. His desire is to bring us out of the darkness of sin and back into the light, so that we can walk with Him in the freedom of forgiveness and the confidence of His love.”

I pray you will take today’s Love Challenge to heart.  God wants to reveal any wickedness that is residing within us for the purpose of transforming us. We can’t change something if we don’t know it needs to be changed, right?   His goal is that we would become an outward reflection of His inward Glory.  God’s inward Glory has a profound effect on our outward appearance.  “The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace; Her clothing is woven with gold” (Psalms 45:13).  This is another verse for you to consider. The inward glory of the King’s daughter originates in, and is the result of, her calling and being set apart for Him as royalty: “But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly” (Psalm 4:3).

God won’t reject us because we’ve made bad choices today.  We are His daughters and He loves us with an everlasting Love. Don’t be satisfied to walk with a heart that delights in seeing others hurt because they hurt you.  Though we fail, we know that we can find comfort in God’s Word.  No matter what we do or the choices we make, He is with us!

Father, thank You for Your loving heart to guide and direct us.  Help us to recognize when You are convicting us.  Lord, give us the courage to not only see the sin in our hearts but to repent and change.  Thank You for the Cross and the loving way You defend us.  Help us to recognize that You are not the source of condemnation but of forgiveness and love.  In Jesus name… Amen!

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16 Day Love Challenge: Chapter 1 – Patience

November 4, 2013 by

16daypatience

 

To Walk or Stay

I have a friend who is struggling with a situation in her life. The enemy is trying his best to steal, kill, and destroy all that she has. In the midst of this, God is reaching out to her and asking if she will walk in patience with Him. Will she give Him the time needed to turn this around?

We understand patience when the context is to be patient with our loved ones or others. But to be patient with God for the purpose of giving Him time to turn our situation around—this is asking a lot of a person, especially when they are looking back as a witness on the destruction of something that was once so promising.

I wonder if this post has found you in a place where God is asking you the same question: “Do you have the strength (patience) to turn to Me and let Me walk you through this?”

One of the most powerful things I have learned in my walk with God is that my trials tend to unmask my weaknesses. Once my weaknesses are revealed, I am left with a decision to make.

Will I walk away from the person and the situation or can I stand still and let God work to save my relationship?

In my pain and anger, I feel walking away would be the easy decision. After all, I have been hurt by this person and have a right to walk away. Entangled in my thoughts of leaving, I hear God’s voice softly speak to my heart.

The thing I LOVE about God is the fact that He is not demanding. He understands the hurt we have been through. He gets that our hearts can only take so much. So He gently asks us, “Will you walk away or can you stand still and wait for Me to turn your situation around?” James tells us why we should consider God’s request:

This you know, my beloved brethren. But let everyone be quick to hear,
slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man
does not achieve the righteousness of God.
James 1:19-20

Our anger (though understandable) will not achieve the righteousness God is looking for. He wants to develop Righteousness in our character and will use our trial as the vehicle to use when we are willing. Standing still means we are willing to not only be patient with Him, it says we are willing to recognize our weaknesses and walk through them -one by one.

Facing our unrighteousness can be tough. Sometimes this reveals where we are wrong in the situation. Facing ourselves means we are putting a Holy mirror in front of us. God’s Holiness reveals the areas we need to change. But God gives strength to those who are willing to be patient with Him…

But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31

God’s Word tells us that if we will wait on the Lord, He will renew our strength. We will mount up with wings like eagles. God spoke to my heart once again as I read this verse. Mounting up with wings is a promise to those of us who choose to walk in patience with Him to the end. The wings represent flight, or an easy flow of things. Once we overcome one of our weaknesses, the road ahead will be so much easier to navigate. Our character is strengthened and our relationship has the chance to turn around, as God is now able to use us as His vessels.

To the one who is reading this post and facing a trial of your own, I ask you the question: Will you walk or will you stand?  I pray you will choose to stand and let God turn your situation around.

* * * * * * *

Here are a few more verses to further encourage you:

And let us not lose heart in doing good,
for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.
Galatians 6:9

And we urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly,
encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all men.
1 Thessalonians 5:14

Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret, it leads only to evildoing.
For evildoers will be cut off,
But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.
Psalms 37:7-9

Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.
Psalm 46:10

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk
in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience,
showing forbearance to one another in love,
Ephesians 4:1-2

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