Gwendolyn Harmon's Blog: Learning Ladyhood, page 15

Uncondemned

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:1

As Easter approaches and we prepare to celebrate the death and resurrection of our Savior, this passage takes on even more significance. Because of Christ’s sacrifice in payment of my sin, I can rest in the confidence that I am forgiven. I am in Christ Jesus: there is no condemnation.

And yet…

Sometimes we as believers don’t feel this verse to be true. We go to...

Safety is of the Lord

Earlier this week, I went on a solo trip to the coast to see if I could get some progress made on the sequel to my novel. Staying by myself, even at home, is always a struggle for me, but when I ran across a news article about how unsafe it is for women to stay alone in hotels, I quickly made the leap from looking forward to my trip to dreading it.

A friend reminded me that my mindset about the trip shouldn’t be based on a new story, but on the fact that God—the God who made the universe and has...

When Hope Turns Bitter

The Israelites had just come out of Egypt, miraculously delivered from slavery by God Himself. They had seen the Egyptian army, whom they had so feared, drowned by the very water that had stood up to form walls on either side of the Israelites as they walked through the Red Sea on dry ground.

They sang and rejoiced as they began their journey into the wilderness, but soon that rejoicing faded as they were faced with a new problem: where to find water.

The first day passed, then the second, and w...

Responding to God

This year I’ve been journaling my way through the Bible, taking time as I read to think and pray and really study things out. Well, I was reading in Genesis 15 the other day and something caught my attention:

First, God comes to Abraham with a stunning truth:

 

“I am Thy shield, and Thy exceeding great reward.” (v.1)

 

Just imagine! God not only appeared to Abraham, but declared Himself to be Abraham’s shield, or protector, and also his reward—and not just any reward, his “exceeding great reward.” Go...

What to Do When You Feel Like Complaining

Lately, I have been catching myself complaining… a lot.

I could try to blame it on a busy schedule, lack of sleep, or simply my body’s struggle to ward off all the germs my little students bring to class. I mean, surely I have reason to complain! –But in the eyes of God, there is never a good reason to complain. Philippians 2:14 says,

 

“Do all things without murmurings and disputings”

 

I don’t know about you, but that seems pretty clear to me.

According to Strong’s concordance, the Greek word for ...

Goodness Like a Fetter

Our society abhors things that restrict. From the post-pandemic “comfy” trend in clothing to the “don’t tell me what to do” attitude towards rules and authorities, things that restrict or limit are almost universally seen as negatives.

But in Christianity, the limits and restrictions God places in our pathways are not bad, but good. In fact, they are glimmers of God’s goodness to us.  

I was singing “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” with my church last Sunday when a phrase popped out at me:

“Le...

The Deciever’s Mother

Jacob is often referred to as a deceiver, and if you’re familiar with the first part of his life as recorded in Genesis 25-27, you would probably say that the description fit. However, another look at the events surrounding Jacob’s deceit show that he wasn’t the only one involved in the scheme. His mother, Rebekah, pushes him along so blatantly, we can’t help but see where Jacob got his deceitful streak.

In fact, if you read the narrative closely, you’ll see that Rebekah was the architect of the...

How to Encourage Yourself in the Lord

Have you ever felt discouraged? Perhaps you are familiar with feeling overwhelmed, hopeless, with no idea what to do or how you will make it through a particular situation. I am so thankful that the Bible addresses the whole scope of human emotion!

1 Samuel 30 tells of a time when David, still exiled from his homeland due to the jealous persecutions of King Saul, came home from a battle only to find his city destroyed and his family (and the families of all his men) taken captive. Not only this,...

What to Do with a Rough Morning

It was morning.

I knew that much, as I foggily surfaced from sleep just long enough to touch the part of my phone screen that silence the alarm. Yes, it was morning, and I could feel myself slipping back into a doze as I mentally began to form the words of prayer that have become my first instinct upon waking.

Lord, thank you for this day… I need Your help for today…Lord, I yield myself to You…

It was morning.

I surfaced again, fumbling over to shut off yet another alarm. I looked at the time and ...

Sowing, Reaping, and the Generations to Come

Reading through the first few books of the Bible, it’s not hard to spot the generational emphasis. If nothing else, the many genealogies should give us a clue that God actually cares about each generation, whether or not they accomplished anything we might call significant.

The importance of the following generations can be seen in Eve’s name, which means “life-bearer.” It can be seen in the severity of the punishment God dealt to Cain when he killed his brother Abel. It is again seen in the com...