May 5, 2026

Showing Christ and Being Christ-like

September 11, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained lips, as you know, O Lord. I have not hidden Your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.
Psalms 40:9-10

When we accept Christ, we are supposed to tell it to the world.  One way to do this is through baptism.  But what about after that?  Have you ever stopped and wondered about “after acceptance and baptism?”  I have often wondered about it myself.  We are supposed to show the great congregation, which is not just the church but the world as well, that we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  We are not supposed to hide Him away within our hearts, as many today would like us to.  We are charged to spread the good news about Jesus and the eternal message of hope and love He brings to us.  In today’s world, it is often a fight to share the message and show our faith.  But, it does not necessarily mean showing our faith verbally.

In 1st Timothy, Paul writes to his young colleague Timothy on how to fight the good fight of faith:

But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, Godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
1 Timothy 6:11-12

Paul writes that, to show the world that you are a child of God, we (just like Timothy), should pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness. We are to be Christ-like in our actions.  Verbal communication about our love for Christ are not enough.  We must also show it in our actions as well.  Christ loves us, and He loves everybody in this world.  Jesus knows that He is not going to be accepted by all.  He even warned His disciples that His followers would be persecuted because of Him.  But Jesus still expects us to act Christ-like even during persecution.  Jesus expects us to be like Him—no matter the time or the place. We are not to conceal Him at anytime.

* * * * *

Dear Lord, You are my Savior.  You are my Lord.  I accept You in this time of persecution and peril.  Please be with me as I share Your message and Your love with those around me. In Jesus name.

Amen.

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Esther – Chapter 2:11-15

September 11, 2013 by

Chap2_1Peter3_3-5

 

Hello again, sisters!

In Esther 2:11-15, we see Esther in a rather exciting, yet anticipatory time in her life. The King is looking for a new queen, and Esther has been chosen out of many beautiful women in her province to be considered for the position. (Almost like the ultimate “Dating Game” – only the ancient royal Persian version!) Before any of the women were presented to the King for his consideration, they underwent an incredible beauty treatment – six months with oil of myrrh and six months with perfumes and cosmetics. Six months for each treatment! (Anyone complain to you about how long it takes you to get ready??  Now that’s high maintenance!)
For those of us who are married, remember when you would get ready for a date with your husband? (Some of us may have to reach back in the memory bank a bit….) For those of you who are single – think about an important date or event that caused a bit of preparation. I remember when I was dating my husband…I wanted just the right outfit, something that made me look good, but not that I was trying too hard; something appropriate for the outing. I needed the right makeup, the right shoes – you get the picture. Sometimes I would shop for something new (even though my oldest shirt would have been new to him!), and I definitely called my Mom, sister, and several friends to get their opinions on how to present myself. On date night I would spend quite some time preparing myself to put my best foot forward.  I would be nervous and excited and would count the minutes until I heard his knock on my door.  Sound familiar to any of you?
Likewise, in our own lives, we are preparing to meet our King—Jesus!  We know that when we are presented as his Bride that we want to be our best.  The wonderful difference in our scenario is that 1) we know that when we belong to Jesus, He has already accepted us, so we need not fear rejection when we meet him; and 2) Jesus is not concerned with how we look on the outside; He looks at our heart (1 Samuel 16:7).  So if Jesus is not looking for our best outfit, but looking for our best “inside person,” how do we get that ready?  What beauty treatments are going to help us make that wonderful presentation of our ultimate selves to the King?
Darlene reminds us of a lovely Scripture.

1 Peter 3:3-5 (NIV)
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.
Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands.

Now let me just put this argument to rest …. Does this Scripture say that it is unbiblical to braid your hair, wear jewelry or get dressed up?  NO.  What it says is that your beauty should not be skin deep.  Hair, jewelry, and clothes are all perishable and therefore are undependable.  They aren’t the mark of true beauty, which comes from the inside.  No one and nothing can take away your true beauty!

When the Holy Spirit is your helper (like Hegai helped Esther), and you follow His beauty advice, the result is amazing.  Galatians 5:22 tells us what a beautiful woman looks like, one who is ready to meet her King (you might also know this verse as describing the fruits of the Spirit).

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Our “beauty regimen” should consist of daily cultivation of the fruits of the Spirit.  I say daily cultivation because we don’t just wake up filled with all of the patience or gentleness we will need for the rest of our lives, do we?  Every day situations will present themselves that will require us to practice those fruits.  You want patience? Be careful what you pray for – you will only develop patience when you are placed in a situation that requires you to be patient.  The same for all of the fruits. The same for our lives of submission and obedience to Christ.

Every day we will be presented opportunities to follow, to submit, to obey, and to believe. We will become better followers when we make the choice to fall in behind the leader, and then act accordingly. Not the most submissive wife yesterday? You know what? That’s ok – but be different today. Rebelling against authority figures in your life?  Choose to be different today.  Resistant to the leading of Jesus? Change and be different today!  You can’t do anything about the past except repent of it, ask God to forgive you, and then choose to act differently today!  That is how we get ready for the King.  Daily ask God – “How can You make me more beautiful today?  Holy Spirit, can You show me how to be more like Christ today? Can You show me how to be more submissive…more obedient?”  Ask, and then trust that just like Hegai, the Holy Spirit will show you exactly what is needed today to be gorgeous—a radiant light that shines for the King!

Let’s Pray:

Holy Spirit, thank You for being our ultimate Helper! Help us today to see our beauty not as the world sees it, in the outward woman, but as our Father sees it. Help us in our “beauty regimen”, to make ourselves pure, holy and beautiful for our Lord Jesus.  Forgive us when we are resistant to Your leading.  Thank You for the great example of an obedient spirit in Esther, and help us to develop our own obedient spirit!  Thank You for Your abundant blessings and protection!  In Jesus’ name we pray.

Amen.

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One Way to Stick to an Exercise Program #9 – Look at All of the Benefits

September 11, 2013 by

Has this ever happened to you?  After exercising consistently for a solid week, you step on the scale to discover there is no change in your weight. Or, you have lost your motivation because your weight is no longer an issue for you.  It is now easy to give up and quit.  It could be because you have been focusing on weight loss as the only benefit of exercise.  One way to stick to an exercise program is to look at all of the benefits you gain from exercise.

How to Stay Motivated

Attaining a certain weight, look, or size is only one benefit of exercise. To stay focused and motivated to stick to an exercise program, take some time to think and meditate on all of the things you will gain.  Here are just a few:

  • More energy for yourself, family, peers and co-workers
  • Higher self esteem and confidence in who you are as a woman
  • Less anxiety and stress
  • Decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke, osteoporosis, and diabetes
  • Lower cholesterol
  • The ability to be a role model of health and fitness to those around you
  • Better sleep

What is Your Motivation?

Focusing on one benefit of exercise as the only motivation to continue can lead to giving up when it is not accomplished.  For example, you may not be motivated anymore to fit into a certain pair of jeans, but you are motivated to increase your energy level and decrease your stress. Last week, I talked about journaling after you exercise and suggested that you list several things you felt after your workout. When you are unmotivated, you can look back at your journal and remember all of the benefits.

Your motivation may change at different times in your life.  I must confess there was a time many years ago I was motivated to exercise only for the jeans.  Today, my motivation is to be healthy and strong for my family, REDUCE MY STRESS, and honor God.  If your motivation has not become clear to you, take a little time to determine what it is, but don’t give up.   Hold on to these scriptures:

Galatians 6:9:  And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

1 Corinthians 9:24:  Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.

Take a few minutes to write down all of the benefits that motivate you to persevere.  When you have YOUR motivation, you will find you have one way you can stick to an exercise program.

In Good Health,

Crystal

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Decorative Floral Arrangements for the Home

September 11, 2013 by

Amy1
One of my favorite things to do is make different crafts with silk flowers. Today, I will show you how to create a flower arrangement in a decorative vase. It is really simple,  and makes your home beautiful!

Items needed:
Vase (any type)
Silk flowers (any variety)
Eucalyptus
Styrofoam craft ball or block (size proportionate to the vase you choose)
Wire pliers

Directions:
Insert the Styrofoam ball into the bottom of the vase. You may have to trim the Styrofoam so it will fit into the vase.

Begin arranging the silk flower stems anyway you like by inserting the stem into the Styrofoam. If the stems are too long, cut the stems with the wire pliers before inserting it into the vase.

Insert the eucalyptus in between the flowers.

Continue to arrange the flowers until you like the final product.

Amy2

Have fun and happy crafting,

Amy 🙂

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Esther – Chapter 2:7-11

September 10, 2013 by

HolySpirit_Ellison_Wk2

Esther 2:7-11

And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter. So it came to pass, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women. And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king’s house: and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women. Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew it. And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women’s house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her.

One of the characteristics about the story of Esther that will always stand out to me, and that makes this one of my favorite stories, is the amount of detail used to relay the message.  I love reading the words and seeing the story play out in my mind.  Here is this young girl who was orphaned at a young age, adopted by a family member, taken from her home to possibly become the wife of the king, and through all of this she was strong, faithful, and obedient.  I love reading and learning about the favor that was shown to her, and about how the hand of God was on her life.

Darlene talks about Esther being helped along the way, being taken care of.  Mordecai, Hegai,  and the seven maids that were given to assist her, were all placed in her life to help her along her journey.  She was never alone.  God was always there helping her—always sending someone into her life to offer her assistance.

That’s what the Holy Spirit does in our life; He is in place to remind us that we are never alone. He is our Comforter and He is our Guide.  I’m sure we can all say that we’ve felt like Esther at some time in our lives.  We have been faced with tasks and responsibilities that take us out of our element, out of our comfort zone; we may have felt alone, we may have not known what to do, what step to take next.  We could only operate on our faith.

But like Esther, we were given people to help us along the way.  People were strategically placed in our path to offer us aid.  Our Comforter and Guide is always there, reminding us that we are never alone. 

John 14:26 

But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name,  
he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance  
whatsoever I have said unto you.

John 16:13

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself;  but whatsoever he shall hear,  that shall he speak:  and he will shew you things to come.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You, Lord, for Your love.  Thank You for the guidance and comfort that is shown to us each day.  We go through our days facing various tasks and it is so easy to forget to realize that You are always there.  You send people to help us along the way.  Lord, I pray that we exhibit the strength, obedience, and faith that Esther had.  I pray that we recognize those who You place in our path to assist us, and that we fully embrace Your hand on our life.  Open our eyes and our hearts, Father, so that we can accomplish what You ask of us.  In Jesus’ name I pray.

Amen.

 


 

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Look to God Alone

September 10, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.
Psalm 40:4

Only in God can we find true joy and happiness in this life—complete fulfillment! Jesus said this: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

God created in each of us a desire to know Him.  No one will ever be satisfied who tries to fill that void with any kind of substitute.   No person, activity, or thing can fill that void.

When I look and see how the worldly “rich and famous” have such a huge following, I am burdened.  First, I am burdened that many in our society who have reached the pinnacle of having achieved much are often empty because they don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus and are chasing after money and material things.  Secondly, I am burdened for those who follow these “stars” so closely as if they are trying to find someone who they can attach themselves to because they see the rich and famous as being “great” or perhaps seeing them as “greater” than they see themselves.  May I shout this?  “Put your trust completely in the Lord ALONE!”

Let’s not look to the proud—who chase after fulfilling the desires of self and pleasing self.  To follow them in such a way is to look toward those who turn aside to false gods.  And to chase after those people is to replace Jesus as top priority which He alone deserves.  Chasing after anyone other than Jesus is to allow the pursuit of false gods in your own life!

Friends, direct your love, trust, and pursuit toward the ONE AND ONLY great God Who came to earth as man, lived a perfect and sinless life, died on the Cross for our sins, and rose again to be a living Lord and King!

Pray to God to protect you from casting your eyes toward false gods and to give you a keen sense of awareness of what He desires for you.  Be aware of the Holy Spirit’s leading.  Is He asking you to turn off the TV at times?  Are you to stop reading magazines which cause you to idolize “superstars”?  Do you need to be careful when you talk to others about how wonderful people are to the point that you put people on a pedestal?  All people will disappoint you, but Jesus never will disappoint because He is God—and He is God alone! Let us always be mindful that our complete trust should only be in God.   People are…simply people.

* * * * *

Lord, help us always be aware that You are God alone!  Let us keep our eyes focused on You, knowing that You alone sit on the throne in our hearts as King of kings and Lord of lords!

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

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Peppers and Sausage

September 9, 2013 by

Here on our At Home with GCH blog, Monday’s are always focused on healthy but oh-so-yummy! recipes. We continue this series of recipes featuring in-season summer produce. Our featured ingredients this week are sweet, or bell, peppers.  We (by that I mean, Robert!) have successfully grown them in our garden this year!  And, yes, bell peppers are available shipped in from around the country all year long…but as a locally grown in-season veggie…this is the height of the season in the Northeast.  Here are some nutrition facts about bell peppers.  Peppers are a pretty common veggie found in my refrigerator and incorporated into at least 1 or 2 recipes every week.  Our recipe this week highlights them and shows off their yumminess to the max!

2013-09-04 19.55.37

Peppers and Sausage

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil, additional if needed 2013-09-04 19.33.28
1# Italian sausage*
2 yellow Bell peppers, cored and sliced thin
2 red Bell peppers, cored and sliced thin
1 green Bell pepper, cored and sliced thin
1 large sweet onion, sliced into halfmoons
3 cups pasta sauce (I used homemade from the freezer)
3 tablespoons chopped garlic (I use jarred)
2 teaspoons each kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
1-2 teaspoons each dried oregano, basil (or use fresh!)
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded Mozzarella

Directions:

  • Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium-sized saute pan.
  • Cook the sausage ‘til lightly browned on both sides.
  • Add 1 cup of pasta sauce, and simmer on low ‘til veggies are done.
  • In your largest saute pan (or dutch oven), heat the balance of the olive oil.
  • Add the sliced onions and saute on medium for 4-5 minutes.
  • Add in all of the sliced peppers; mix well with the onions coating with a bit of the olive oil.
  • Continue to saute the veggies for approximately 15 minutes or so, stirring as needed.  They should be barely crisp…more on the softened side.
  • Stir in the chopped garlic and the seasonings; saute for just 1-2 minutes stirring frequently.
  • Pour in 2 cups of the pasta sauce making sure to thoroughly mix everything together.
  • Reduce heat to low…just so the sauce is gently simmering.
  • Cut up the sausage into bite-sized pieces and add to the veggies.
  • Continue to simmer for 5-10 minutes, just so the flavors can meld together.
  • Garnish with the shredded cheeses.
  • Serve with bread or over pasta.  Enjoy!

2013-09-04 21.03.23

* Use what your family likes: fully cooked Italian chicken sausage, sweet Italian pork sausage, Italian turkey sausage… I used thin links of Italian pork sausage called ‘luganica.’

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

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God is Trustworthy

September 9, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
Psalm 40:1

Sometimes we are so impatient.  We want everything yesterday!  But we fail to wait upon the Lord when we demand that everything happen when we want it to happen and in our appointed time.   Isaiah 40:31 tells us that those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.  God’s timing is always perfect.  He is never late, and He is never early.  He may not act according to our schedule, but He is always right on time.

We should not be mad at God when things are not going our way.  Rather we should be delighted in Him always. We delight in the Lord by spending time with Him on a daily basis despite the problems we are facing—by reading the Word; by praying in the Holy Spirit; by building ourselves up “on our most holy faith” (Jude 20); and by speaking in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19).  The nearer we draw to God, the bigger He becomes in our sight.  And the bigger God becomes to us, the smaller our problems in this world seem.

God is trustworthy to take care of all our anxieties. We have to patiently wait and rely on Him. Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”  Many Christians try to be self-sufficient.  When they have a problem, they try to figure their own way out.  For example, if they need finances, they think of family members or friends they can borrow money from.  But instead of trusting in our own strength and wisdom, we should rely upon God…and trust Him to solve our problems.

Draw near to God and rely on Him for your strength.  Rely on the Spirit of God within you.  The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you (Romans 8:11).  He will quicken your mortal body, give you wisdom, bring you peace, comfort you in times of trouble, and help you in every situation!

God listens to our prayers always.  Even at times when we pray not according to His will, He still hears and answers us—in a way He feels is best  for us at that time.

If we patiently wait upon Him we will:

  • sail through no matter how deep or dark the situation is; God can turn it around
  • be lifted up and be established
  • come to a place of confidence and security

* * * * *

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for You are a caring, trustworthy, loving Father.  You take care of our hearts—however we may have wronged You by doing things our own way before coming to You.  Please forgive us and restore unto us the joy of our salvation.  Thank You for who You are in our lives.  In Jesus name we have prayed.

Amen!

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Esther – Chapter 2:1-6

September 9, 2013 by

AmazingMercy_CHayden_Wk2

Mercy and Grace!  His indisputable, undeniable, unfathomable, irreplaceable, sovereign, humbling, unmerited, necessary, unmeasureable, never-ending, overwhelming, amazing mercy and grace!

In Chapter 2 of Esther, the Beauty of Courageous Submission, Mrs. Schacht helps us to understand the symbolism in comparing Vashti/Esther to the children of Israel/the Gentiles (you and me) who are saved by grace.

What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; just as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes to see not and ears to hear not, down to this very day.”  And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, and a stumbling block and a retribution to them.  Let their eyes be darkened to see not, and bend their backs forever.”  I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they?  May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!
Verses 7-12

So incredible!  The Amplified Bible  translates verse 12: “Now if their stumbling (their lapse, their transgression) has so enriched the world [at large], and if [Israel’s] failure means such riches for the Gentiles, think what an enrichment and greater advantage will follow their full reinstatement!”  Such proof of God’s mercy and grace!

I would like to look further into Chapter 11 of the Book of Romans to see more of the mercy and grace of our God.

Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith.  Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.  Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.
For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy.  For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.
Verses 20-22, 30-32

From the beginning, God’s heart has always been for His people, Israel.  We know from reading through the Old Testament of His covenant relationship with the Israelites accompanied by His patience and long-suffering.  But a time came when enough was enough!  The Israelites/Jews/Hebrews rejected His Son, the Redeemer.

In John 1:10 and 11, it says about Jesus that “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.  He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.”

There is a record of Jesus interacting with the Jews in John chapter 10 where they were seemingly taunting Him…at the end of this exchange, they picked up stones to stone Him—and not for the first time either!

The Jews then gathered around Him…saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”  Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me.  But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep” (verses 24-26).

And Jesus was not only rejected…they demanded His execution.  Remember the scene in the courtyard when Pilate was determining Jesus’ fate? link  The crowd called out to ‘Crucify him!’  Standing in the balance was the choice between Barrabas (an insurgent charged with robbery and murder) and Jesus—they chose to set Barrabas free.  And Jesus was taken to be crucified.

Of course we know that all of this was the plot of satan thinking that he could bring an end to God’s plan.  But the Jews were instrumental and played right into satan’s hand.

The Apostle Paul wrote quite a bit about the Israelites.

Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.  For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.  Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.  Christ is the culmination of the Law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
Romans 10:1-4

Amazing mercy that God would choose to alter His original plan and bring us in along with His chosen ones!  Because, you see, He still desires for Israel to repent and make Jesus their Lord!  Listen to this expression of God’s love for those He selected to be His chosen ones:

  Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God
have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience,
so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too
may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you.
Romans 11:30 and 31

Perhaps we are tempted to wonder why Almighty God would choose to do this…why would He make a change to His plan?  But let’s not…instead may we be thankful for His plan.  May we humbly acknowledge and praise Him for how AWEsome He is!

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! 
How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!  
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. 
To Him be the glory forever.  Amen. 
Romans 11:33, 36

* * * * *

Almighty God, we humbly acknowledge Your sovereign wisdom, Your unsearchable judgments, Your unfathomable ways!  We stand in awe and gratitude of Your grace…Your mercy towards all mankind!  And we thank You for applying that mercy and grace to us—who were grafted in—by Your plan.  We love You, Father!

Amen!

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Esther Chapter 1:20-22

September 6, 2013 by

I have been Vashti.  Up until these past few years, I have not respected nor submitted to my husband.  In fact, I would say rebellious would be the word for me.  And the saddest part, other than my disobedience to God, is that my “kingdom” witnessed my rebellion and they too lost respect for the king of our home—their daddy.  I wish I could say that I didn’t know what I was doing, but the truth is, I did know!  As women, we can be manipulative, and have selfish motives. Maybe Vashti and I thought we would look stronger in the eyes of our people and the respect that we so deserved would be ours alone.  But it didn’t work out that way. Nor did it for Vashti.

Physically, she paid with her life.  Spiritually, I paid with mine.  It’s no coincidence that the Scripture Darlene referred to were the verses that changed my family.  Ephesians 5:22-24 “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior.  Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.”

Did you see that word, everything?  That means we can’t pick and choose what we submit to, nor can we pick and choose which laws of God’s we are going to obey.  God doesn’t say “If your husband is a believer, then respect him and obey him,” does He?  No, He doesn’t.  And even if you are the spiritual leader in your home, like I was for a time, you still have to respect and pray for discernment and obey him.  God is going to honor your obedience and protect your decisions from harming your family.  He will place a hedge of protection around your children as He promises.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to be your guide and to fill your husband with wisdom as you practice obedience in this season of your life.  Submission comes easier to some, while others have to swallow some pride and realize it is not about that, it’s about being obedient in your walk with Jesus.

This verse also applies to Jesus and the body of believers known as the church.  We have trusted Jesus as our Savior and received eternal life.  In the New Testament, Jesus, the Bridegroom, has sacrificially and lovingly chosen us to be His bride.  Our responsibility is to be faithful to Him (Ephesians 5:24).

2 Corinthians 11:2 says, “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to Him.”  As believers, we who are the Bride of Christ await with great excitement for the day when we will be reunited with Him. Until then we remain faithful to Him, and faithful to our earthly husband.

“The Queen must submit to the King” is the most important message of all. Who is our King? Jesus.  Who is His queen?  We are!  God commands that He is to be King over His household…that means all of us.  Esther 1:20-22 are the verses of today’s lesson.  We know that Vashti, for whatever reason, disobeys the king and does not show up at his banquet. As a result, he sends out a decree to his entire empire commanding that all husbands everywhere are to receive proper respect from their wives. The NLT translation says, “every man should be ruler of his own home and should say whatever he pleases.”  This is the way the chapter ends.

God is never mentioned in this book nor does He show up in any form.  No one prays and no miracles are spoken of either.  But God is in the shadows throughout the book.  He works behind the scenes, not with a visible hand of miracles, but with His invisible hand always providing.  For those of you who wonder if God is in your life because you haven’t seen Him in a while, or heard His voice in quite some time—Esther’s life is like yours, and God’s work in her own life will show you God’s work in yours.

Used with permission. www.time-warp-wife.blogspot.com

Used with permission.
www.time-warp-wife.blogspot.com

 

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, we are weak.  We know that You have hidden things in this book that are deep and hard for us to grasp.  Help us to see that here is a story of all that You are able to do in our lives as we commit to being submissive and obedient to You.  Help us to tear down the veil of pride and bitterness and open up to being that respectful wife that You have called us to be.  Lord, if we aren’t married, may we submit to You in such a way that Your people will be led to You by the way we are living our lives.  Thank You for this book.   Thank You for the Holy Spirit interceding on our behalf. We love You and praise You.  In Jesus’ name we pray.

Amen.

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