known by name

As I emailed the ladies from my Bible study, I included a few words of encouragement. This too may be for you as much as it was for me this morning. So grab a cup of coffee, or tea, or hot chocolate and read on. 

[photo credit]

In the Bible there are many women who are mentioned but have no names. They are either identified by their location, their status and/or their condition. For example: A SAMARITAN woman, The WIDOW of Zeraphath, The woman with the ISSUE OF BLOOD. There are many more nameless and faceless women in the Bible.

You fill in the blank about yourself: 

The woman with the issue of __________. 

The wife of __________.

The Woman from __________. (this label could be your workplace)

I know that there are times when we feel like a nameless women. We even label others by what we see of them or their circumstance. If we focus on the label, we will miss out on a greater truth. These nameless women were not nameless to God. He knew each one by name and was intimately acquainted with their need. Though they had no names, God counted them worthy of mentioning them in His Word, using them for His purpose. He knew the name of the Samaritan woman, and though to the world she had a need for physical love, God saw her real need and He met her there. An outcast among her own people, she then became a bold witness for Christ. He knew the name of the Widow of Zeraphath. To the word she was just a poor widow with nothing to offer. But to God, she was a rich widow for her faith and obedience would prove that with God all things are possible. The woman with the issue of blood was also known by God, He knew her name. To the watching world her need was for healing but God knew that her real need was salvation. God knows you by name. 

He knows your need, your real need. He knows what you cry about. He knows what you worry about. He knows it all. Knowing everything about you He yearns to  speak comfort to you through His word. He longs for your presence in prayer. And He anxiously yet patiently waits for you to stop and worship Him. Through these three you will find hope, security, and deliverance. You are not nameless to God. Be blessed, you are known by name and your identity is found in Him. 

He fights for you!

-
The LORD your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt before your eyes. Deuteronomy 1:30
-
For the LORD your God is He who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you. Deuteronomy 20:4
-
The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace. Exodus 14:14
-
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9
-
And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. TheLORD is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if youforsake Him, He will forsake you. 2 Chronicles 15:2
-
You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation ofthe LORD, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD is with you. 2 Chronicles 20:17
-
And I will make you to this people a fortified bronze wall; And they will fight against you, But they shall not prevail against you; For I am with you to save you And deliver you,” says the LORD. Jeremiah 15:20 
-
As I read all these scriptures and Old Testament stories, I am overcome with joy and strength. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Our circumstances change, some trials are heavier than others, but our God never changes. Today, we can experience the same victories in our life. May your hope be renewed and your spirit strengthened as you trust in the God that fights your battles. He is with you and for you. 

when the dark cloud of guilt comes around...

hi dear friends.

I wanted to share a few verses with you that are life-savers in my life, especially when the dark cloud of guilt and shame comes over me... Cling to these promises and make them at home in your heart. Wonderful memory verses if you're looking for a few. May the Lord be merciful and gracious to you. May He speak both life and light to the dry and fallow ground of your heart. God bless you!

As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12 

Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin. Psalm 32:5

For the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to Him. 2 Chronicles 30:9

For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 1 John 3:20

I will cleanse them of their sins against me and forgive all their sins of rebellion. Jeremiah 33:8

For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. Hebrews 8:12

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2

Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin. Romans 4:7-8

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because He will save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21

God exalted Jesus to His own right hand as Prince and Savior that He might bring You and Me to repentance and forgive our sins. Acts 5:21

birthday surprise! It's Denise.

Hi dear friends.

Today you will be reading from my cousin Denise. I have seen with my very eyes the transforming work of God through her life. You know that verse that says, "you have taken me from the miry clay and set my feet upon a rock?" Well... Denise is a display of that verse in Psalm 41. God saved her from a dark world and brought her into the marvelous light. It's amazing to witness God doing miracles today! Here is her post:

Trials and Adoration

Life is difficult on our own and my story is proof. I wasted many years of my life in isolation, imprisoning myself, stuck in a bubble that wouldn’t break. Until someone came and burst it for me. A savior, a king, Jesus.

I was always the quiet girl. I went through high school with no friends. I always thought that this was part of my personality until later when I realized it was something much more than just painful shyness. I was suffering from severe depression and anxiety. Life got better though. I met Jesus and He told me that I would not have to worry anymore. I started making friends and I gained confidence but most of all, hope. The years went by and there were days where I would doubt and I would start drifting away from God. But He never ceased to remind me of His wonders and how awesome He is. This past year has been a very long year for me. My mother passed away after eight years of battling with cancer and my father left to Afghanistan to work, leaving me and my younger siblings behind. That doesn’t even begin to describe all the trials I have been through just this past year. But one thing I do know, I have a God who loves me and He is more powerful than anything I could ever go through.

While my mother was in the hospital, I felt my world flipping upside down very quickly. The verse the Lord gave me was, 1 Peter 5:7, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.” This verse kept coming up over and over and I had this overwhelming feeling that God would get me through this. When my mom died, I felt like I needed God more than ever now, and I just wanted to cling to Him for dear life. How could I do this or anything for that matter without Him?
It’s during times like these, that a lot of people feel the closest to God. We get so caught up in life that God needs to slow us down so we can hear Him. In Hosea 2:18, it says, “But then I will win her back once again. I will lead her to the desert and speak tenderly to her there.”

I love God so much and I am humbled to know that the creator of the universe loves me and cares about me. We think our problems are huge and overwhelming but compared to how huge God is, even our greatest problems are minuscule.

“Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: “Who am I, O Lord God? And what is my house, that you have brought me this far? And yet this was a small thing in your sight, O Lord God.....” 2 Samuel 7:18-19a

We may go through periods where we are in the desert but then there are periods where we think we have it all under control. We get caught up with day to day life and we may even stop thinking about God completely. We are doing well at work or at school and we make sure everyone knows what a great job we did. We forget about the One who got us there in the first place. This is called pride and it’s a very ugly thing. We begin to worship ourselves and our possessions and we put other things before God. But what a lot of us forget is that there is another kind of pride. This is the pride that I was caught up in, and often, still am. It’s the kind of pride that turns up when we are not doing well. When we start having a pity party with ourselves and start asking questions like, “Why me?” and, “No one cares about me” and “Why does it always have to be me?” The common factor here in both types of pride is, Me. It’s always about “Me” and not “He”. He is the one who should receive the glory. He is the one who is going to pull us out of this.

“Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness.” Psalm 115:1

What I have learned through all of this,is to not to do things my way, but to do them His way. I need to trust in Him and He will be able to handle everything for me. We need to praise Him when we are up and praise Him when we are down.

My prayer for you is that the Lord would pour His spirit upon you and that you would see Him for who He is. He is more than we could ever ask for. He sent His only Son to die for us on the cross so that we might live. God bless you and may you seek Him so that He can be the filler of that empty space in your heart that you have been searching for.

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10