Elizabeth George's Blog, page 29

Help for Overwhelmed Moms

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Years ago, Jim and I visited our daughter Courtney while her husband was on his first-ever submarine tour — for 90 days. Jim and I had gone to fill the void such an assignment from the U.S. Navy was bound to create.

All was going well — in fact, better than any of us had anticipated. It was such a joy to share meals with our grandchildren — Jacob almost two and Katie almost one. And I always delight in helping clean up after we eat. My standard line is “No, you made the meal. I can clean it up. You just go and sit down.” After six years of an empty nest and having only Jim to fuss over, it was sheer joy to be in an active, lively home where there is actually something to clean up.

Spaghetti in the Light Fixtures

One morning, Jim and I decided to run some errands. We told Courtney not to hold lunch for us, but to go ahead and we would see her when we got back. And off we went. As I said, all was well. Well, we came back to Courtney’s house at about 2:00 that afternoon. We let ourselves in, headed to her living room, turned the corner, and there she was (or should I say there it was?).

Courtney was sitting in her rocking chair with her feet up on an ottoman. She had a blanket draped over her legs. Her Bible was open on her lap. But that’s not the half of it. Their dining space adjoins the living room, creating one large room. And I have to report that it looked like a bomb had gone off in their living area!

The floor was trashed. The table was covered and smeared with food and spilled milk. I maybe even spotted some spaghetti noodles hanging from the light fixture overhead.

Jim and I looked at the damage...and we looked at Courtney. And then she said, “You won’t believe all that happened here after you left. I don’t know what got into the kids, but they were awful. Everything got spilled or thrown. I finally got them down for their naps, and I was just sitting here trying to calm down and asking God to remind me of how much I love and wanted these children.”

Savoring a Quiet Moment

I personally think my daughter found a fine solution that particular day to her real-life situation as a mother. She had the grace to know that her spiritual needs at that moment came first. Dear Mom, have you had days (or maybe even months or years) like this?

May I encourage you? Spend time finding comfort and confirmation from God’s Word through your Bible and prayer. Make this time a priority — and a necessity. Ask for God’s grace to just stop, leave things as they are, and look to the Lord for His patience and a quiet spirit. Seek Him for help to maintain (or regain, whichever the case) your perspective on the blessings of having children to love and the privilege of parenting them.

Pausing in the mess to turn to God’s message will help us understand God’s plan and role for us as a Christian mother. And in turn, this will help us become mothers and women after God’s own heart. Moms who leave their mark on the world by leaving behind a child who grows up to love and serve the Lord — who then also raises godly children to continue your godly legacy for generations to come. Now that’s worth taking a time out for, wouldn’t you agree?

RESPOND

Dear Lord, I love You. And I thank You for the gift of my children. Help me pause to read Your Word so that I will grow spiritually. Amen.  

RENEWING RESOURCES  [image error]

A Mom After God’s Own Heart—Here is fresh help for you—a busy mom!—to make God an everyday part of your child's life. 

Through the Bible One Rhyme at a Time—Fun rhymes and colorful pictures combine with Bible truth to help your child’s faith grow.  

REFLECT

Do you make time to spend in reading God’s Word each day? 

When you are tired or frustrated, ask for help.

REMEMBER

Pausing in the mess to turn to God’s message will help us understand God’s plan and role for us as a Christian mother.

Titus 2 Women

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The Bible makes it clear that the older women are to be “teachers of good things — that they may admonish the young women” (Titus 2:3-4). So, first of all, we are to teach younger women. And those of us who have daughters must realize the obvious priority — we must first be teaching our daughters and granddaughters and other female family members.

Teaching and training our daughters is vitally important to us as mothers because in doing so, we multiply and perpetuate our usefulness in the future homes of our children. I took the teaching and training of my two daughters very seriously. Here are some of the things I did.

Training Younger Women

Of course, my daughters’ spiritual training took top priority, with devotions at the kitchen table twice a day and bedtime prayers. It was so much fun for all of us to be creative and vary what we did so that our times studying God’s principles and God’s Word were exciting. 


Going to church and Sunday school and youth groups also were important. I can’t tell you how thrilling it is for Jim and me to watch our daughters today as they read Bible storybooks to the little ones on their laps and bundle them up to go off to church.


Just as my two girls came home from school each day with homework, we had “homework” assignments. Everyone helped in the kitchen, with the tasks depending on the girls’ ages. Tables were set and cleared, meals were prepared and served, and, as I said, everyone participated. As time went by, Katherine and Courtney progressed to where they could select an entire menu, gather the ingredients, and prepare and serve a meal per week. They were trained in these “good things” of homemaking, kindness, and personal discipline (Titus 2:5).


We worked our way through the whole list of good things in Titus 2:3-5. Conduct and behavior took top billing. Gossip, too, was something we worked on (or rather, worked out of our lives!). We learned to speak well of others instead of passing on the things heard. Self-control? Well, that’s always an issue for any woman, young or old, and we struggled through learning to wait — on food, on things we wanted, and on and on the list goes.


Both Katherine and Courtney were taught and trained to respect Jim, their father, in preparation for loving their husbands when they later got married.


Clothing selection fit well into the category of purity, as well as cultivating godly behavior with the opposite sex.


As “pastor’s kids” our daughters were often on the receiving end of kindness, which we tried to duplicate toward others. 

Take Note

I hope you can see by these few mentions of the character qualities and “good things” on Paul’s list that I considered Titus 2:3-5 God’s set curriculum. And I rolled up my mothering sleeves and set about to, first of all, live out God’s essentials myself, and then teach them to my two daughters.

One last note … to teach and encourage other women to be what God wants them to be, we must first of all be what God wants us to be. Here is a list of ten character qualities for godly living from Titus 2:3-5. We are to be...

Dignified
Lovers of our children
Not malicious gossips
Discreet
Temperate and self-controlled
Chaste
Teachers of good things
Lovers of our homes
Lovers of our husbands
Good

If you’ve been in search of a lifelong goal or a ministry, search no more. Here is a truly good and honorable one: teach younger Christian women. Pray for God’s wisdom and help in mastering these character qualities and then pass them on your daughters and other women.

RESPOND

Dear Lord, thank You for Your instructions in Scripture that teach me so I can teach my daughters and other women Your ways and wisdom. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES [image error]

A Woman's High Calling: 10 Ways to Live Out God's Plan for Your Life by Elizabeth George — $11.99 This classic book helps you eliminate the clutter and chaos of everyday life and focus on the few things God considers truly essential (study guide is included)! 

REFLECT

Write out the above list of ten character qualities for godly living from Titus 2:3-5. Share them with your daughters and come up with ways you can live them out.

REMEMBER

If you’ve been in search of a lifelong goal or a ministry, search no more. Here is a truly good and honorable one: teach younger Christian women.

Seasons of Change

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I can still remember the first serious goal-setting session Jim and I had. It took us an entire Sunday afternoon to create 1-year, 5-year, 10-year, and lifetime goals. As I was writing my ten-year goals, I let out a huge “Eek!” that made Jim almost fall out of his chair. I’d come to the realization that in the next ten years I could expect certain natural and normal things to happen. 

Seasons of Change

During those ten years both of my daughters could get married. That would mean Jim and I would be “empty nesters” and maybe even grandparents! My parents, who were then in their eighties, could die. My thoughts went through several other possible scenarios related to life, marriage, health, and ministry.

As I was writing goals and thinking about them in terms of time, it hit me hard just how many life-altering events could happen in a person’s near and distant future. I was a little shaken...until I remembered Psalm 84:11 and what we’ve been talking about in this section of the book:

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord will give grace and glory.

My heart settled down as I acknowledged once again that God would be a sun and a shield for me. His grace would prepare me and accompany me through whatever was to come. Once I calmed down, I regained that quiet assurance and contentment that comes from believing and trusting in the promises of God. God is in control—everything will be all right. What a blessing the promises of this verse are!

Seasons of Grace

Well, sure enough, in the next 10 years my parents both died...and God’s grace was there. And sure enough, both of my daughters were married (one year to the day apart—another “Eek!”)...and God’s grace was there. And sure enough, a multitude of other challenges came along, such as major surgeries, cancer scares, and a grandchild with a physical problem—things I didn’t dream of at the time but that turned my life in new and dramatic and sometimes difficult directions...and God’s grace was there. His grace is there for you too.

God is your sun. You have His provision. Just as the sun is the source of all physical life, so God is the source of all life, both physical and spiritual. You don’t have to worry about provisions.

God is your shield. You have His protection. Just as a shield is protection in war, so God is your source of safety and security. You don’t have to worry about fighting enemies alone.

God gives you His grace. You have His grace, His sufficiency. When you need Him, He provides all things through His grace. You don’t have to worry about being strong enough. 

God will give you glory. You have God’s promise that He will give you glory—eternal glory—no matter how or when you die. You don’t have to worry about your eternal destiny. And you will experience some of Jesus’ glory here on earth!

These are some fantastic reasons why you can trust God and be content, aren’t they?

RESPOND

Dear Lord, thank You for Your comfort and care as I navigate changing seasons of life. I need Your grace for each day. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES[image error]

Following God With All Your Heart—Learn how God will direct you and provide what you need to do His will as you turn to Him and trust Him. Find your book and study guide today!

REFLECT

Create 1-year, 5-year, 10-year, and lifetime goals. As you meet these goals, make of note of where you see God’s grace in these seasons. 

REMEMBER

God is in control—everything will be all right.

Qualities of a Godly Husband - Teen Tuesday

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Depending on your age, you aren’t even thinking about being a wife. After all, you’ve still got a lot of growing up to do. And a lot of fun you want to have with friends. Plus, you’re probably thinking about finishing high school, maybe contemplating college, and looking into a variety of careers. You have a lot going on!

So marriage is more than likely the furthest thing from your mind right now. However, statistics tell us that in the long run, most women marry and have a family. If there’s a chance that might be true of your future, then a look at the qualities of an awesome and godly husband won’t hurt, will it?

Qualities of a Godly Husband

Meet Boaz, the man who ultimately became Ruth’s husband. This godly guy was the type of man who took notice of Ruth, a godly gal. Because he was a man of character, he noticed Ruth, a woman of character. Take a look at a few of Boaz’s character qualities. He was:

Godly—He had a passion for God. (Boaz asked God to bless Ruth—Ruth 2:12.)

Diligent—He had a willingness to work. (Boaz was a careful manager of his property—2:1.) 

Friendly—He had a desire to be friendly. (Boaz gave a warm greeting to his workers and welcomed Ruth to his field—2:4,8.)

Merciful—He had compassion for others. (Boaz asked about Ruth’s situation and acted on her behalf—2:7.)

Encouraging—He desired to contribute positively to others. (Boaz pointed out Ruth’s strong qualities and spoke of them to encourage her—2:12.)

Generous—He had a giving heart. (Although Ruth needed food and was willing to work for it, Boaz gave her extra—2:15.)

Kind—He had a kind heart. (Naomi thanked God for Boaz’s kindness toward her and Ruth—2:20.)

Discreet—He had a desire to protect Ruth’s reputation. (Boaz sent Ruth home from the threshing floor before daylight—3:14.)

Faithful—He was a man who was true to his word. (Boaz followed through on his promise to marry Ruth—4:1-10.)

I hope you’ll carve out about ten minutes in your busy day to read through the book of Ruth. It’s only four chapters in the Bible, but it’s a beautiful love story of two godly people who married. The portrait of Boaz defines what any guy you are interested in should be like, and especially what any man you are considering marrying should be. 

RESPOND

Dear Lord, only You know if I will marry someday. Whether single or married, help me remember my focus and goal is to please You all my days. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES [image error]

Beautiful in God’s Eyes for Young Women — Surround yourself with inspiring Bible verses and Elizabeth's encouraging guidance to discover purpose and confidence you've only dreamed of having. If you want to see something really beautiful―take a look at the incredible young woman God made you to be.

REFLECT

With Boaz in mind, create a list of character qualities to look for in a man. Use your journal or make a note on your phone or computer. Write it out. Pray it to God. Commit to it. 

REMEMBER

“Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.” (Proverbs 31:23)

Doing Good

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Several years ago, Jim suggested that we as a couple read through the life of Christ every three months, or four times a year. I was shocked at first — this sounded impossible to do on top of an already intense schedule built around a busy and bustling household and a man in the ministry.

But then Jim explained that doing this would require us to read only one chapter a day, or about five minutes at the most. 

I’m sure you can imagine the blessings that would arrive each day as we touched and tasted and handled just one chapter of our Savior’s exemplary life.

A Life of Goodness

Jesus’ life was a life of goodness — He went about doing good (Acts 10:38). I invite you also to pore over the life of Christ — just one chapter a day, just five minutes a day. When you do, you’ll witness how...

Jesus stopped to touch and heal the leper.
Jesus stopped to raise the widow’s son.
Jesus stopped to heal the woman with the issue of blood.
Jesus stopped to touch and heal the woman’s bent-over back.
Jesus held and blessed the little children.
Jesus stopped to heal the blind man beside the road.
Jesus stopped to talk to Zacchaeus.

As you can see, these are just a few of Jesus’ wonderful acts of kindness — all found in the book of Luke, just one of the four wonderful gospels. Now, you do your own study. Pore over the life of your Savior each and every day, keep a running record of His goodness and kindness, and “go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37).

Doing Good

Each week I create a list for my family and a list for my friends. I list names and then I try to think of at least one act of kindness I would like to extend to each person during the week. Then I transfer these acts to my daily plan. What a joy it’s been to plan for kindness.

We’re all busy, but may the Lord help us to never be too busy for kindness and goodness! The woman who is good dispenses what is good and beneficial. Just as a pharmacist dispenses the medicines that will heal, so we plan to dispense the medicines that promote the lives of others. And don’t forget to act on your plan.

Be as kind as you can today. You cannot do a kindness too soon, because you never know when it will be too late to carry out that deed. 

RESPOND

I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again. Amen. (prayer by unknown author)

RENEWING RESOURCES [image error]

A Woman's High Calling: 10 Ways to Live Out God's Plan for Your Life by Elizabeth George — $11.99. This classic book helps you eliminate the clutter and chaos of everyday life and focus on the few things God considers truly essential (study guide is included)! 

Check out our printables with biblical and inspiring messages! 

REFLECT

Pray and ask the Lord for names of people He would like you to do good to this week. Mark their names and your act of kindness on your calendar…then follow through!

Doing good doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be texting a prayer, carpooling with a neighbor’s child who is at your children’s school, listening to a widow share about her wedding day. What can you do this week?

REMEMBER

Christian character is not expressed merely by good doing. It is to be godlike, to be like God. We must — and should — seek godliness, godly speech, personal discipline, and a ministry of encouraging others.

When God Answers "No"

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Fanny Crosby, the famous hymn writer, believed that God’s purposes are good. You can sense this in her comments about the doctor who caused her blindness:

“I have heard that this physician never ceased expressing his regret at the occurrence; and that it was one of the sorrows of his life. But if I could meet him now, I would say, ‘Thank you, thank you, over and over again for making me blind.’...Although it may have been a blunder on the physician’s part, it was no mistake on God’s. I verily believe it was His intention that I should live my days in physical darkness, so as to be better prepared to sing His praises and incite others to do so.”2

Through a doctor’s apparent mistake, God gave to the Church the wonderful songs of a blind Fanny Crosby who wrote hymns until she died at age 95—hymns that have endured and inspired others to greater faith.

Impacted by Others

When has someone else’s “blunder” or “mistake” touched your life? Or when has someone’s malice severely impacted you? People who have faith in God and hope in Him accept such unexplainable events as “no mistake on God’s part.” Like Fanny Crosby, a Christian who experienced tragedy in her life and continued to love God, you can model a strong trust and hope in God despite the events you encounter. So to start—or continue—down the path of loving God even more, pray and think through these exercises.

Inventory of Your Life

Take an inventory of your life. Chart the path you’ve walked, and review how God has shown you His will through the years:

When did He stop you, send you back, or re-direct you?
How did God change your direction? Did He “forbid” or “fail to permit” something?
Was there an “accident” or a “mistake” along the way, a tragedy, an unjust slander, an envious person, a failure, a lack, a deep hurt in your past?

Now look again at the autobiography you have just sketched. Where has God worked bad for good? And where do you see Him making you more like Christ?

When God Answers “No”

As you consider your autobiography you’ll be able to see that it is in limiting that God reveals the limitlessness of His power and grace and purposes.

God’s “no” to one thing is “yes” to another.
“No” in one direction is an indicator of “yes” in a different direction.
“No” to certain pursuits only means “yes” to others.
With God as your guide, a “no” is never the end. A negative is never permanent.

And even in the darkness that comes when we are unable to see how anything good could possibly come out of the bad, God’s promise in Romans 8:28 offers us the light of hope. Romans 8:28 brings the hope that God, ever faithful to His promise, works all things together for good for those who love Him...and we do!

RESPOND

Lord, Your Word says ‘All things—including this ________________ —work together for good to those who love You’...and I do. Amen. (prayer by Ney Bailey)  

RENEWING RESOURCES [image error]

Finding God's Path Through Your Trials by Elizabeth George – We all face hard times. That's why we turn to Jesus, where we will find hope, joy, and meaning in the journey, no matter how bumpy it seems. 

Loving God with All Your Mind – Discover six powerful Bible truths that will help you draw closer to God and know His joy and love. Round out this powerful study with the DVD and study guide. 

REFLECT

This week, review your autobiography. Give thanks to God for each specific time you can see His hand working bad for your good. Praise Him for His purposes and provision.

What is your first reaction when God answers “no” to your desires? Begin to see “no” as a blessing!

REMEMBER

Thank God for His wisdom and ways, as unsearchable as they may sometimes be.

2. M.R. DeHaan and Henry G. Bosch, Bread for Each Day (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1962), June 23.

Christian Retirement

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Retirement. It seems like people’s entire lives center around this word . . . and life goal! Statistics tell us people are retiring earlier and earlier. And sadly, many of them are also retiring from active Christian life and service to God’s people. However, fellow runner-of-the-race, this is not in God’s plan! As you turn through the pages of Scripture, you won’t find one saint who quit.

Although many wanted to (do you remember Elijah, Jonah, and David?), not one did. Instead they kept pressing on toward God’s purpose for their lives. Consider the following roll call of saints.

Continued Service



Abraham—Abraham could have quit, but he desired “a better, that is, a heavenly country” (Hebrews 11:16). So Abraham pressed on...until he died.

Moses—Aged and weary, Moses kept on (and on and on!) serving the Lord. He spent the rest of his days teaching the law, preparing the priests, and encouraging Joshua.

Samuel—Most people quit after being rejected, but when Israel rejected Samuel, he kept on praying and preaching (12:23), and he spent the rest of his life helping Saul.

David—King David spent his last days making plans and gathering materials so that his son Solomon could build the temple (1 Chronicles 22:5-19).


Constant Stewardship of Our Gifts

In The Five Silent Years of Corrie ten Boom, Corrie’s assistant, Pamela Rosewell, writes about Corrie’s ministry during the final five years of her life.

At age 86, Corrie suffered two debilitating strokes that left her unable to speak and barely able to move. Yet, until her death at age 91, she received visitors and interceded in prayer for others. She modeled her trust in God and love for Him. Although her ministry moved from public preaching to private praying, Corrie ten Boom pressed on to the end.

The list of God’s people who pressed on toward God’s purposes and served the Lord until the end of their lives goes on and on. They knew they hadn’t finished the race, that there was more work to be done, that their purpose wasn’t fulfilled, and that God had other plans for them and could still use them. They knew that by God’s grace they could make a difference for His kingdom right up until the day they left this earth and went to be with Him. They pressed on.

Christians who are focused on “the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14) know that the prize awaits us at the end of our race. Although minor rewards come along the way, the highest honor doesn’t come until we’ve run the entire race.

So, acting on our love for God, let's press on and serve Him every day of our lives. Then we will receive the prize as we see face-to-face the Lord who Himself endured to the end.

RESPOND

Dear Lord, thank You for these examples of faithful men and women who finished their race to Your glory. Thank You for the purposes You’ve given my life. Help me run with diligence and to finish well. Amen.  

RENEWING RESOURCES [image error]

Loving God with All Your Mind – Discover six powerful Bible truths that will help you draw closer to God and know His joy and love. Round out this powerful study with the DVD and study guide.

REFLECT

Where do you currently serve God and the Church?

Are you tempted to “retire” from Christian service? Seek out accountability to help you finish the race strong.

REMEMBER

As you turn through the pages of Scripture, you won’t find one saint who quit.

Creating a Happy Home

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Now that fall is here and the days are getting shorter and growing cooler, I’m reminded of days gone by (as in the days before electric heaters and central heat), when the hearth at home was the place where family members gathered when coming in from the cold.

They’d huddle around the hearth, seeking and gaining the warmth of a fire. It was the center of the home where food was cooked. The warmth and aroma of “mom’s homemade cooking” greeted each arriver. It was also where the children learned to read and write, where the girls learned to sew, and where the group singing took place. It was where the stories of Jesus were told and prayers were lifted to God.

Your Home

Now, your home may not contain a hearth. And we’re no longer living in the past that I just described. But when I speak of home as being a hearth, I’m really speaking of a focus — a focus on home and on the family. Of an emotion. Of a feeling that a place called home brings to the spirit of man. It’s an atmosphere. A sensation. A warmth.

And all of the above should (and can!) be experienced by your family members and extended to all those who cross the enchanting threshold of your home. And that home, that hearth that beckons others to its warmth, begins in your own heart of love. 

Your Heart 

You and I, as home managers and homemakers, have the job assignment of providing the home happiness. Imagine your husband and child coming home after a hard day to find behind the door a waiting and welcoming wife and mother whose life is overflowing with God’s joy and a happy heart. May that happy woman be you.

And where does that happiness come from? It comes from the Lord — the joy of the Lord is our strength, and the fruit of the Spirit’s joy. It comes from the fulfillment we derive from heeding and obeying God’s high calling to love our husband, love our children, and love our home. Note the formula for happiness as presented in the lyrics of the age-old hymn Trust and Obey:

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Are you walking in the light of God’s Word to you as a homemaker? Are you doing His good will as a homemaker? Then happiness is yours, and more than likely, your home is a happy one. 

RESPOND

Dear Lord, please show me how to create a happy home. Guide me to books to read, people to talk to, and other tools to learn from. I want my home to radiate Your peace and joy. Amen. 

RENEWING RESOURCES  [image error]

Who I Am at Home is Who I Am — This printable is a perfect gift or addition to any woman's bedroom or home office.

A Woman's High Calling: 10 Ways to Live Out God's Plan for Your Life—Replace a life of survival with a life of meaningful accomplishment with this book (study guide included) for busy women like you!  

REFLECT

Would your family say you are generally more happy or more grumpy?

Greet your family with a smile every morning and every evening this week. Notice how this gradually changes the tone of your home.

REMEMBER

The joy of the Lord is our strength, and the fruit of the Spirit’s joy.

How to Accept the Unacceptable

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Acknowledging that God’s ways are not our ways and accepting that truth has made a real difference in my life, and it can in yours, too. Romans 11:33 says, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!”

This single verse has taught me how to accept the unacceptable. The following principles, drawn from the application of this single verse, give me a lens through which to look at everything that happens to me. I offer them to you as well. 

Principles to Accept the Unacceptable

I don’t have to understand everything — What freedom this acceptance brings! Imagine, no more digging or dogged determination to get to the bottom of an issue. 



I don’t need to understand everything — What release this attitude brings! Why? Because it’s an attitude that acknowledges that God is in control.



I can’t understand everything — I am finite and limited, but God—who knows all and understands all—is infinite and limitless. 



Why ask “Why?” — The man Job in the Old Testament never asked why when he was suffering. He worshiped instead. Notice very carefully what carried Job through his ordeal. Unlike the stance of the stoic (grin and bear it...or at least, grit your teeth and endure it), Job grabbed on to facts about God. Facts like—God is...

...too kind to do anything cruel,
...too wise to make a mistake,
...too deep to explain Himself.

Believing these facts about God should erase all why’s. We are to stop asking Why? and start looking at Who stands behind the scene. It is God in His absolute sovereignty! This calls us to worship.

It’s O.K. — When we can say this to God about our unexplainable and seemingly unacceptable situations, we experience the rest of faith and the peace of faith.



Let it go — Pry your grip off your problem, and let it be gone forever. Oh, the freedom you will experience, even without any change, when you accept the unacceptable. 



Let God be God — And what is He? Un-understandable, unsearchable, inscrutable, inexhaustible, unfathomable, and impossible to grasp.



Let go of your right to know — Stop demanding answers from God. Cease saying to God, “I’m not getting up from prayer until You tell me or show me why this is happening!”



These are God’s judgments — Whatever has happened to you, it is a part of God’s judgments...and they are “unsearchable.” You may never understand or know why, so you must accept the unacceptable.



These are God’s ways — Again, note the emphasis on God. Whatever has happened to you, it has to do with His ways, and they are “past finding out!” Again, you will never understand or find out, so you must accept the unacceptable.



No vengeance! — (And please note, that’s spelled n-o, not k-n-o-w!) God is the Author and Creator of your situation. He has a plan and a blueprint for your life that includes your situation and any people involved. God says to you, “Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘VENGEANCE, IS MINE, I WILL REPAY, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19). 



It’s not them, it’s Him! — One person does not have the power to limit, alter, or change your life. People are only God’s instruments, and He uses them to conform you to the image of His dear Son. 

RESPOND

Dear Lord, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of Your wisdom and knowledge, O God! How unsearchable are Your judgments and Your ways are past finding out. Your greatness cannot be imagined. You are greater than all language, and no words can express your majesty. You are above all, outside of all, and beyond all I can even imagine. You are without limits. When I speak of You I cannot refer to amount or size or weight, for You are beyond measure. You are not less or more, large or small. You are simply God, the infinite One. A human mind has no capacity to comprehend You. What I can do is praise, adore, and worship You.” Amen. (prayer by Robert Savage)

RENEWING RESOURCES  [image error]

Loving God with All Your Mind – Discover six powerful Bible truths that will help you draw closer to God and know His joy and love. Round out this powerful study with the DVD and study guide. 

REFLECT

Memorize Romans 11:33 and recall it when the Why? questions come up. 

Turn your focus away from your circumstance and onto God. Write on a notecard: “God did this! He allowed this, He planned this, He brought this. He knows this, and He has used it for my good. My situation is a part of His wisdom, His knowledge, His judgments, His ways—and those are past finding out!”

REMEMBER

Stop asking Why? and start looking at Who stands behind the scene.

Secret to Not Being Bored - Teen Tuesday

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You’re sitting at home, and it seems like there is absolutely nothing to do! Your friends can’t come over, your brother is at a birthday party, your sister is at church camp, you’ve finished your homework and chores. And you’re not in the mood to play a game or watch a movie.

Suddenly, out of your mouth comes a huge sigh and those two dreadful words—I’m bored!

The Secret to Never Being Bored 

Being bored is...well...boring! Did you know there’s a secret to never being bored? It’s this: Make a list of “Five Things I Want to Do.” You can list goals or dreams, hobbies, books you’d like to read, something new you’d love to know about or learn to do. Then file away that list and pull it out the next time the temptation to say, “I’m bored!” begins to creep over you.

God has big plans for your life—and...well, His plans are never boring! What can you do with a free afternoon? You could work on writing a book, complete with your own illustrations. You could write to a missionary or a pen pal. You could design and make your own jewelry. You could even work on a personal Bible study that’s just for you. You choose!

Time is a Treasure

Time is a treasure. It’s a gift from God. And He wants you to value each day and use your time well. Your parents and responsibilities determine much of how your time is spent. But anything beyond that is your free time. The better you use it, the greater the rewards will be later. Maybe God is growing something special in your life—and He’s giving You free time to develop those gifts and talents. Choose to use it—not waste it.

RESPOND

Lord, teach me the value of using my free time well, using it wisely. Whatever it is I do with  my schedule, I want it to glorify You. Amen.

RENEWING RESOURCES  [image error]

A Young Woman After God’s Own Heart – Learn how to grow close to God, get along with your family and friends, and make the right kinds of choices, and prepare for the future! Add the accompanying Devotional for only $5!

REFLECT

Make a list of “Five Things I Want to Do.” Under your list, write out what you need to accomplish your goals. It may be gathering material items like paper and scissors, or asking your mom for her help in using the oven to bake a cake, or borrowing your brother’s guitar to learn a new song.

REMEMBER

Time is a treasure. It’s a gift from God. And He wants you to value each day and use your time well.