Elizabeth George's Blog, page 13

A Timely Leadership Lesson from Nehemiah

The Old Testament book of Nehemiah recounts, in thrilling detail, a monumental time in Israel’s history led by an unlikely exile. I encourage you to read it for yourself to discern in full the qualities of a great leader — patience, confidence, and trust in God alone.

Nehemiah, the leader credited for rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, could not have risen to such an exalted position unless he had been dedicated and passionate about his service to the king. He spent months and months planning what was needed, planning on what to say, planning on what to ask for.

At the same time, he chose to harness his emotions and wait and pray patiently for God’s timing. He didn’t try to break down any doors. He didn’t try to push himself into the king’s presence. He didn’t try to rush the process through manipulation. But once God opened the door and created the opportunity, Nehemiah was thoroughly prepared to unveil his well-prepared plans with genuine passion and compelling persuasion.

How are you at balancing your passion while waiting on God’s sovereign timing? Do you handle your great idea, dream, or noble cause with grace and patience when you’ve done your planning and are eager to persuade others to get on board? Follow Nehemiah’s example. Temper your passion with an absolute confidence in God’s ability to produce the desired outcome … in His time.

RESPOND

Lord, help me to be patient and trust Your perfect timing. Help my heart's prayer be - "Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart!" (Psalm 27:14).

RENEWING RESOURCES

In A Leader After God's Own Heart, readers can study the biblical life of Nehemiah with Jim George. This includes a study guide and is a great resource for pastors, leaders of mens groups, and for personal study.

REFLECT

What do I need to change about daily life to help me redeem my time? How can I find rest in a life of service?

REMEMBER

As your heart becomes more dedicated to honoring God, you’ll reclaim, recover, retrieve, rescue, and regain the minutes, hours, and days of your life for His glory.

Making Your Time Count

Time is redeemed when you make the most of your life by fulfilling God’s purposes. As you line up your life and seize every opportunity for useful service, your life takes on an efficient quality. That may be difficult to imagine since you’re already so busy, but as you focus on doing the business of God, time expands. I don’t know who wrote this little poem, but it’s so true:

I have only just a minute.

Only sixty seconds in it…

Just a tiny little minute.

But eternity is in it.

As your heart becomes more dedicated to honoring God, you’ll reclaim, recover, retrieve, rescue, and regain the minutes, hours, and days of your life for His glory. Here are some tips to redeem the time well.

Spend daily time with God. Prayer and Bible reading help to center your day and heart, and keep your relationship with God a priority.

Use a calendar or planner. These tools are helpful to visually plan how you want to spend your days, and you can record spiritual, work, and relational goals as a reminder of what you are working towards each day.

Take time for rest. Know your physical, mental, and emotional limits so that you can live in faithful service to Christ, without exhaustion and burn out. Make sure there is ample time for nightly rest, and for weekly time away from the pressures and need to be efficient. Then you will be ready for another week of service and productivity.

RESPOND

Jesus, what a precious gift time is! Thank you for the gift of time to serve You and others. Please keep me aware of my stewardship of this great award. Help me make good use of every hour, realizing that once spent, it can never be returned to me. Help me to redeem the time and make the most of my life. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES

In Life Management for Busy Women, Elizabeth George shares the life-changing principles that God's Word and His Spirit have taught her, including how to take charge of busyness and find a balanced life.

REFLECT

What do I need to change about daily life to help me redeem my time? How can I find rest in a life of service?

REMEMBER

As your heart becomes more dedicated to honoring God, you’ll reclaim, recover, retrieve, rescue, and regain the minutes, hours, and days of your life for His glory.

Dedicate Yourself to the Long-Distance Race

The Christian life and spiritual growth are not sprints. They are long-distance races that require lifelong perseverance. You grow in spiritual maturity as you run the race moment by moment, day after day, and year after year.

In many ways, running the spiritual race is a lot like physical running. If you stop exercising physically, your body may not show the results of inactivity for a while. But in time you will wake up and find that you can’t even run to the end of the block, and much less a longer run!

In the same way, you may think you can get by without exercising spiritually, by not reading your Bible, or praying, or going to church. One day, however, you will wake up and find yourself spiritually flabby, out of shape, and wide open to sin … all because you didn’t make a focused effort to keep growing day by day.

If this is you, here are three tips for faithful, daily spiritual habits.

Start small. If you struggle with daily Bible reading, take a moment to find a fresh reading plan. Spend time in the Gospels, or in the Psalms and Proverbs. Not may not be the time to start a deep intensive in more difficult books, but instead focus on small, daily readings that will feed your heart and leave you with the desire to know Christ more and more.

Be consistent. Focus on daily reading, and daily prayer, rather than on a certain length of time spent in the Word or prayer. Your desire for time with Christ will grow as daily Bible reading and prayer become a manageable, meaningful part of your day.

Find accountability. Talk to a friend if you feel spiritually out of shape. Having their support and prayers will be an encouragement to your heart and soul, and you may be able to find ways to help each other grow spiritually as you pursue Christ.

Remember, you cannot rest on yesterday’s growth. You must be dedicated to growing today… and every day!

RESPOND

Lord, thank you for the gifts of Your Word and prayer. Help my love for you to grow as I pursue you through those gifts. Thank you for pursuing me always. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES

Start with a plan to succeed, and then adjust as you need to as the year goes on. Find a Bible In A Year Reading Plan that may help you as you plan your spiritual exercise for the year, along with other FREE resources here.

REFLECT

Have I gotten spiritually lazy in my daily habits? What changes can I make to continue growing in my love for Christ?

REMEMBER

You cannot rest on yesterday's growth. Be aware of your habits and how they influence your spiritual growth.

A Zeal for Service

One day I met a man with a heart to serve – he had a true zeal for service. He looked like he could have played linebacker for a pro-football team. As we visited over lunch, I noticed that my friend didn’t eat much of his food. Instead, he talked on and on about how he loved to serve the people at his church. He constantly looked for opportunities throughout the week to serve the needs of fellow church members, and on Sunday he couldn’t wait to get to church so he could continue his ministry of service.

This man’s zeal for service may seem excessive or abnormal at first glance because of the “me” – oriented society we live in. But his extreme desire to serve is Christlike. It’s godly.

Serving is a simple and noble assignment that pours from the heart. It is perhaps the most obvious sign of Christ-like maturity. When you are serving others, your heartfelt, Spirit-filled service is a dazzling reflection of the heart of your Savior, the greatest servant who ever lived.

As humans, our natural – and selfish – tendency is to take care of our own needs first. We like to make sure we have plenty of time for what we want to do. Then if we have any time or energy left over, we just might be willing to use it to serve someone else.

But as men and women after God’s own heart, we need to make ourselves available as God’s servants … like these people in the Bible:

God spoke of Abraham as His servant (Genesis 26:24).Joshua was called “the servant of the Lord” at his death (Joshua 24:29).David, too, was called “my servant” by God (2 Samuel 7:5).Godly men and women were chosen as deacons and deaconesses to serve and help meet the needs in the congregation (1 Timothy 3:8-11).The apostle Paul referred to himself as a servant of God (Romans 1:1).The Proverbs 31 woman “extended her hands to serve the needy” (verse 20).

Jesus himself was the Son of God, yet he was the ultimate servant. Perhaps my favorite verse about our Lord is Matthew 20:28: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” One thing that touches my heart about this truth is that it is written in the book of Matthew, and Matthew is the Gospel that also most exalts Jesus, as Messiah, the King! Yet, we read that serving was a strong quality in King Jesus’ life – a priority and a way of life for Him.

We see clearly that service to God and His people is not an insignificant task. It is a mark of a follower after God’s own heart.

RESPOND:

Lord, help us to overcome our own selfish desires and instead, model our life after You in service to others. Thank you for the examples in Scripture of godly men and women who served you well. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES: A Man After God's Own Heart - Jim's daily devotional features short, manageable readings that will help you grow in godliness and service towards others. Jim's writing will lead you in seeking and serving the Lord in all aspects of life.

 

REFLECT:

As a believer in Christ, each and every day offers an opportunity to serve the Lord and others with all your heart. But, especially in these trying times, take time to read again the story of His servanthood and sacrifice for you in Luke 22, 23, 24. Open your heart and behold the greatest man—and servant—who ever lived and modeled what it means to serve and sacrifice.

REMEMBER:

We serve a great and mighty God. We will overcome these challenging times by holding on to the promises of His word and by following his commandments to love our neighbor as ourselves and to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind.

A Christmas Story

Have you ever heard a group of elementary schoolchildren reciting “the Christmas story” from Luke? There’s nothing like it! We experience, again, the story of the shepherds, tending their flocks at night, and being visited by an angel.

Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:10-12)

Many adults can recite this story right along with the children. That’s how familiar people are with the story of Jesus Christ’s birth.

When we read the Bible, we quickly discover that God is a “seeking” God. He sought out individuals, including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Mary, and countless others to accomplish His plans and bless His people. We are inspired in our faith when we explore how others respond to Jesus. When we read, or hear again, the story of the shepherds being told about Jesus' birth, we see that they are at first afraid, but then their fear was transformed.

These shepherds, with faithful hearts, responded to the good news of a Savior born in Bethlehem, acted on it, shared it with others, and praised God. As we look forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus this week, let’s take a look at their response to this amazing news.

A Christmas Story Response

Belief: The shepherds said, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass” (Luke 2:15). They didn’t say, “Let’s go see if this came to pass.” They had believing hearts.Motivation: After hearing the news, the shepherds wanted to go immediately to Bethlehem. And once there, they shared their story with all who would listen (verse 17). Belief generated action.Praise: As the shepherds returned, they praised and glorified God for all that they had seen and heard (verse 20)

Object of Our Affection

During this Christmas season, may our hearts be filled with wonder at the reality of God's goodness to us, in sending His Son into this world. As we sing the familiar Christmas carols, may we exalt God and praise Him for the gift of Jesus. May our holiday decorations point others to Christ. As we read again the Christmas story accounts in the gospels, let us look for ways to talk about Jesus’ birth with family and friends who may not know Him. Make sure that everyone within earshot of you hears about the great things that God has done for you (Luke 1:49).

RESPOND

God, thank you for seeking my heart, for sending us your Son. May the reminder of Christ's advent turn my belief into action and praise. And may I always share with anyone who will hear the good news of You. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES [image error]

A Woman After God's Own Heart Bible - Read the Christmas story and about Christ's life in this devotional Bible.

REFLECT

May the reminder of the coming of the Savior inspire a fervent reaction in your soul. Pray for the opportunity to tell others about the coming of the Christ and His love for you.

REMEMBER
This Christmas, let’s make sure that everyone within earshot of us hears about the great things God, who is mighty, has done for us.

What are Angels?

If you are like many people, when you think of angels, your mind immediately thinks about the figure many people place on the top of the Christmas tree. Perhaps we are inclined to respond this way because the Christmas story in Luke 2 mentions angels who spoke to the shepherds.

The English word angel comes from the Greek word angelos, meaning messenger. In Scripture, an angel is essentially a created being whose task is to be a messenger from God.

What are Angels?

GOOD ANGELS

This category is made up of holy angels or angels of God. Jesus also spoke of “his angels” as those who would be called upon to provide assistance (Matthew 24:31). Michael is described as the commander of the army of good angels who defeated and expelled evil angels from heaven (Revelation 12:7-8). Gabriel, the other good angel named in the Bible, appears to be the chief messenger angel.

Within the category of good angels there are angels with different purposes:

Cherubim — The first kind of angels mentioned in the Bible are cherubim. They were celestial beings sent by God to guard the tree of life in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:24). They were represented symbolically in the Ark of the covenant (Exodus 25:18-22), in the Tabernacle (Exodus 26:31), in the temple (2 Chronicles 3:7), and seen by the prophet Ezekiel in a vision of the restored Jerusalem (Ezekiel 41:18-22).

Seraphim — These angels have their ministry in heaven. They were seen by Isaiah in a vision as hovering above the throne of God and described as having six wings (Isaiah 6:1-3).

Guardian angels — These are sent by God to minister to all believers (Hebrews 1:14), and to those angels who guide the affairs of nations, also called the “chief princes” (Daniel 10:10-14).

God’s messengers — These good angels announced and heralded the birth of Christ. They also tended to Jesus in the wilderness and in the Garden of Gethsemane. They were present at the empty tomb of the resurrected Lord and at His ascension into heaven. In the future they will proclaim God’s messages of judgment (Revelation 14-17) and, as messengers, will execute God’s judgment (Revelation 20:1-3).

FALLEN ANGELS

This category of angelic beings consists of “the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). They formally resided in heaven, but their unfaithfulness and disobedient to God, they were driven out of heaven. Satan is the chief advocate of evil and wickedness in this group of fallen angels. Although Satan as an angel is very powerful, he does not possess the ability to be in more than one place at a time, nor is he all-knowing, and he cannot read minds. In the book of Job we read about him needing permission from God to afflict and tempt Job. While he is powerful and manipulative, he is ultimately under God's dominion.

Living In the Victory of Christ

While there is a war going on between Satan and believers, it is not a war you can see. It’s spiritual warfare. You don’t have to wait until Christ's return to see who will win. God has already defeated Satan and the power of sin and death with Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross and resurrection. His ministering angels are sent to help all believers as we journey through this life.

Today and every day Satan still tries to wreak as much havoc as possible. He still uses the same schemes and tactics and lies he has used on every other human being-including Adam and Eve-to tempt you to doubt God and His promises and sin. Through the power of Christ, we can resist him and his lies. Remember these commands and promises given in the Bible:

“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Ephesians 6:11)“Be alert and sober minded, for your enemy the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.” (1 Peter 5:8-9)“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he’ll flee from you.” (James 4:7)

RESPOND

Dear Lord, thank you for your ministering angels. Thank you for defeating Satan and providing us with the armor of your Word. When temptation comes my way, remind me of your promises and give me strength to resist and trust you. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES[image error]

The 50 Most Important Teachings of The Bible — With great clarity and simplicity, Jim George outlines essential elements of the faith, including today's devotion on angels, in this helpful Bible study tool.

 

REFLECT

Each morning, put on the full armor of God as protection against the fallen angel Satan: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the preparation of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (see Ephesians 6). Know that both ministering Spirits and the Holy Spirit are sent to help all believers.

REMEMBER

God has already defeated Satan in the power of sin and death with Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Ministering angels are serving God and His purposes in this world.

God’s Redemption Plan

From the beginning of the biblical narrative in Genesis, God planned the redemption of fallen mankind through a promised Savior (Genesis 3:15). For centuries, devout Jews searched the Old Testament prophecies in the hopes of understanding when and where this Savior, their Messiah, would appear.

God’s Plan of Redemption

One of Old Testament prophecies studied is found in the book of Isaiah: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14) The basic theme of this book of prophecy is found in Isaiah’s name, which means “salvation is of the Lord.” The word “salvation” appears 26 times in Isaiah, but only 7 times in all the other prophets combined.

In the first 39 chapters of Isaiah, man is pictured as being in great need of salvation—a salvation that is of God, not man. God is described as the supreme Ruler, the sovereign Lord of history, and man’s only Savior. The last 27 chapters shift to portray God as being faithful to His covenant by preserving a godly remnant and providing salvation and deliverance through the coming Messiah. That the expected Messiah would be both a suffering servant and a sovereign Lord would not be understood until Jesus’ time on earth.

The Messiah

In the divine “fullness of time", a star appeared in the sky over Bethlehem, in Judea. Wise men from the East, in Persia, recognized this bright star as the fulfillment of another, earlier prophecy: “A Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel” (Numbers 24:17).

These wise men began the long journey to find this King whose arrival had been predicted long ago, “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

The appearance of this star and the birth of God’s Son, the Lord Jesus, were the culmination of thousands of years of anticipation. Jesus’ coming to earth as the Savior was the fulfillment of the covenant promises that were made to Israel, which gave structure to the Old Testament. From this point onward, the rest of history would revolve around the brief years that Jesus Christ lived among us.

God’s Salvation for You

We are still in need a Savior, 2000 years after the Messiah's coming.

We cannot save ourselves. Christ’s perfect sacrifice for our sins is also foretold in Isaiah. Just as Isaiah prophesied, Christ came in the flesh and paid the price for sin in His death. With His resurrection, He is now willing to save all those who turn from their sin and come to Him. Have you committed yourself to Him? If you have experienced His salvation, continue to be faithful and live in anticipation of His return.

It is impossible to treat Jesus as merely another man! He is the Promised One who, through His birth, death, and resurrection, brings us into a relationship with God when we believe in Him. This, my friend, is the true meaning of Christmas!

RESPONSE

Dear Lord, thank You for fulfilling Your plan of redemption for the world. Jesus is the best gift for all time. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES [image error]

Through the Bible One Rhyme at a Time by Jim and Elizabeth George—It's never too early to teach your children God's Word! 

REFLECT

Take time to memorize Isaiah 9:6 over this month: “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

REMEMBER

Jesus is the Promised One who, through His birth, death, and resurrection, brings us into a relationship with God when we believe in Him.

Stewarding Christmas Spending

"No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and
love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.
You cannot serve God and mammon [money]." Luke 16:13 

Whether we acknowledge it or not, our homes, our finances, our husbands, our children, our health - and ultimately our lives - belong to God. We are the stewards of all those things. A steward is “one who is accountable to another.” We have the privilege and responsibility to answer to God for all He entrusts us with. This is particularly true as we seek to steward well our Christmas spending. 

Stewarding Your Finances

It is easy as we plan our Christmas spending to be more concerned with image or the newest devices or children's expectations, perhaps forgetting about a necessary budget or making wise purchases. Ask yourself: Which representation of worldly wealth is your biggest obstacle to godly stewardship? Your jewelry? The newest gadget? Your household possessions? Here is God’s wisdom: *“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”* (Matthew 6:21).

Stored riches on earth will break down and can be stolen. But those treasures we place in heaven will be preserved forever. Our minds need to focus on the eternal:

"Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God,  who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed" (1 Tim. 6:17-19).

We are to place all our trust in God alone. When we do experience a holiday season blessed with financial security, we have the opportunity to use it to help others.

Stewarding Your Life

Everyone wonders about life after death. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus told a parable that gives a possible glimpse of life beyond this earth. A beggar dies and enters a life of comfort after an earthly existence of torment. We also read about the death of a rich man who lived his days on earth in splendor...and woke up to eternal torment in Hades. What made the difference?

We can infer that the rich man didn’t heed the Word of the Lord or seek the instruction of God. He didn’t reach out to help the poor and downtrodden. Instead, he lived in luxury, concentrating on worldly wealth. Lazarus, the beggar, was humble and content to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. When he died he was rewarded by being brought into heaven.

My friend, the ultimate stewardship you’re given is your life on earth. We can give richly, serve sacrificially, and love unconditionally, following Jesus’ example. How can you use your life to be a better servant of God and glorify Him?

RESPOND:

God, help me to steward my life and possessions well. I want to be rich in good works for You. Replace my longing for earthly treasures with hope and peace and a desire for heavenly blessings. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES:

In Creating a Beautiful Life: A Woman’s Guide to Good-Better-Best Decision Making, Elizabeth George helps you navigate your options to make the most out of the days God has given you.

REFLECT:

How can you wisely steward your finances and life during this holiday season? Does your spending and the way you live your life reflect your trust in God?

REMEMBER:

We are to place all our trust in God alone - rather than in the newest purchase or extravagant spending.

Living with Heaven in View

A small child once wrote, “Dear God, what is it like when you die? Nobody will tell me. I just want to know because I don’t want to do it!”

From the outside looking in, the Gospel story might seem to be about Christ’s suffering, death, and payment for our sins. But, for those of us who believe in the truth of His resurrection we know that it is really all about life – abundant and eternal life. But sometimes this can be easy to lose sight of. We grown-ups are often focused on the how-to’s of the good life in the here and now.

In Philippians 1:18-25, Paul shows us not only how to live, but also how to die. In both life… and death… Paul is a “saint,” one dedicated to the service of the Lord – to Him and to His people. It is very likely that Paul thought about death each and every day in prison as he waited for a verdict that could be a death sentence. And yet he wrote, “Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance…For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!  I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.  Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith…”

Oh, how Paul loved the Lord! And, oh how Paul yearned to be with the Lord he loved! Yet, he subordinated his personal desire to his pastoral responsibility. He chose to use his days on earth so others might know Christ.

The Bible tells us that Christ is exalted in our body as long as we live (Philippians 1:20). It also tells us “for if we live, we live for the Lord” (Romans 14:8). Life for Paul, above all, meant more ministry, more time to teach and serve others, and more time for fruitful labor. May that be so for us. Gospel living is so much more than planning for success, saving money, seeking personal goals, early retirement, living in leisure, and living it up. Let us live with Heaven and our Lord and Savior in our view.

RESPOND:

Lord, may we life our life fo Christ, knowing that to die is gain. May I continue in this life with joy, keeping heaven and the Savior in my sights. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES:

For more encouragement for your soul see Elizabeth's book, Loving God with all Your Mind.

REFLECT:

How can I live so that others may know Christ more? How can I change my fear of death into an anticipation of seeing God face to face?

REMEMBER:

The gospel is all about the abundant life, full of fruitful labor for Christ. May we remember to serve Christ well, telling others about Him and knowing that in death we will finally be with our Lord.

Missing A Loved One This Season

This time of year can be so painful for those who have experienced the loss of a loved one. If you haven't experienced the depth of such a loss, know what a blessing it truly is and how worthy it is of giving praise to God. This year, experiencing the grief and loss of a spouse will be the reality for so many. While we may feel consumed by loss, pain, and sorrow, we can also choose to be consumed by God- by His mercy, His comfort, and His grace.

Call On God Who Carries You

God's Word says, “Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you” (Isaiah 46:4).

Paul addressed the topic of widows in the church and the loss of a spouse-the greatest of all personal relationships. He said, “Now she who is really a widow, and left alone, trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day” (1 Timothy 5:5).

Whatever the loss, either past or present, we too can trust God in the same way these widows in the Bible were instructed to do. We can call upon God’s strength to help us bear our burden of loss, then ask God to turn our loss into an opportunity to minister His grace to others who are suffering loss.

Words of Encouragement from the Bible (Anna)

We know from Luke 2:37 that in the time of her widowhood, Anna “did not depart from the temple, but served God with fasting and prayers night and day.” While Anna may have been tempted to live out her life alone, she instead chose a life of service to the Lord.

Although Anna was a woman whose life was touched by grief, she was devout, living at the temple. Her dear husband had died after only seven years of marriage. In the intervening years, 84-year-old Anna daily looked for help and redemption from the Lord.

Then, on one particular day, the Light of the world entered the temple of the Lord where Anna was serving the Lord. Mary arrived, carrying the long-awaited Christ Child in her arms; the One who would dispel the world’s darkness. Upon seeing Him, Anna “gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem” (Luke 2:38). She was a witness, and saw her long-awaited Lord face-to-face. Her life, and yours, would never be the same.

A life of faith has many aspects, and in the widow Anna we witness a life of steadfast hope and faithful worship, prayer, and service. She encouraged others, speaking of the Lord to all who would listen. Anna shows you and me vividly, the winning combination of qualities that make up a heart of humility!

May we be the one who seeks to lift up, encourage, and restore those who are cast down. To speak a timely word of ever-burning faith in God to those who are weary is indeed a divine art!

RESPOND:

God of all comfort, today I praise You that You give strength to the brokenhearted and aid to those who are in need. You bring sweet relief to those who are in pain. You protect and defend the weak and provide for those who suffer. Often I feel alone and sad with the loss of something or someone that is familiar and precious in my life.

I know You are always present and will fill the emptiness I am experiencing with Your love, grace, and peace. Thank You that my losses give me opportunities to trust You and experience a greater measure of Your grace. When I am weak, You give me Your strength to carry on and to also comfort others who are experiencing loss. Thank You for Your love and concern. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES: Prayers for a Woman’s Heart is filled with this and other devotions and prayer to help you grow in wisdom, patience, and peace!

 

REFLECT:

How can I show God's love to others who may be grieving over the loss of a loved one this holiday season?

How can I turn my own loss into an opportunity to minister to others?

REMEMBER:

Choose to be consumed by God and His mercy, His comfort, and His grace.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)