The Second Quality of a Blessed Woman

>> Monday, July 21, 2008

She has Faith in God
As we discussed previously, the first quality of a blessed woman is that she fears God, Proverbs 9:10 says that “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” The next quality of a blessed woman is that she has faith in God. Faith is defined in Hebrews 11:1 as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Another Bible translation simply says “Faith is being sure of what we hope for. It is being certain of what we do not see” (NIRV). Just as godly wisdom is attained by having a healthy fear of God, faith cometh by hearing and receiving the Word of God.

How important is faith? Faith is essential to salvation. It takes faith to believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6); not only does faith save us, faith will sustain us. With faith a blessed woman is given the inner strength to endure tuff and trying times; to shape and reshape (if necessary) her family’s values, to encourage those in need, to share godly principles with others, and to believe that she has a home in heaven although she has never seen it.

How much faith do you need? All it takes is faith as small as a mustard seed, and nothing will be impossible for you (Matthew 17:20). However, “without faith it is impossible to please [God], for he who comes to God must believe that He is…” (Hebrews 11:6).

What were some of the results of faith? The author of Hebrews 11:30-39 says…

“The people had faith. So the walls of Jericho fell down. It happened after they had marched around the city for seven days. Rahab, the prostitute, had faith. So she welcomed the spies. That's why she wasn't killed with those who didn't obey God. What more can I say? I don't have time to tell about all the others. I don't have time to talk about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah. I don't have time to tell about David, Samuel and the prophets. Because of their faith they took over kingdoms. They ruled fairly. They received the blessings God had promised. They shut the mouths of lions. They put out great fires. They escaped being killed by the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became powerful in battle. They beat back armies from other countries. Women received their dead back. The dead were raised to life again. Others were made to suffer greatly. But they refused to be set free. They did that so that after death they would be raised to a better life. Some were laughed at. Some were whipped. Still others were held by chains. They were put in prison. Some were killed with stones. They were sawed in two. They were put to death by the sword. They went around wearing the skins of sheep and goats. They were poor. They were attacked. They were treated badly. The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains. They lived in caves. They lived in holes in the ground. All of those people were praised because they had faith...” (NIRV).

Your Call to Order...
Faith is a powerful thing! If you are lacking in faith increase your knowledge of God, and what God is capable of doing. Read the Bible, read testimonies of faith, examine your own life--it’s possible you’ll be able to see God hands through your own experiences.

Power Verses

"For You are my hope, O Lord GOD; You are my trust from my youth. By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb. My praise shall be continually of You" (PSA 71:5-6).

See also "The First Quality of a Blessed Woman"
See also "The Third Quality of a Blessed Woman"

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Let Your Voice be Heard

>> Saturday, July 5, 2008


Most people who know me will tell you that I am a pretty reserve person. The less attention I bring to myself the better. In my younger days, I was known for ducking behind people, slumping down in my chair, or sneaking out the back door at the mere mentioning or slither of the tongue to form an “S.” All right I’m exaggerating a little, yet this past weekend while watching my son play soccer, you couldn’t shut me up. I was totally oblivious as to who was looking at me, judging me, or wishing I would be quiet. There was a little boy out there who was doing his best to master the game of soccer, and I wanted him to know that someone sees his efforts, and appreciates the fact that he is playing his little heart out. When I finally came to my senses and realized I had gone from quietly sitting on the bench to shouting “You go D.J.” and giving two thumbs up on the sidelines, the still small voice of the Holy Spirit asked me: “Are you ready to let your voice be heard like that for God?”

For a moment I was taken aback by my thoughts, but then I realized that God wants that same passion in our hearts that we give to our loved ones, when we are cheering them on in their endeavors. You know, that boldness in acknowledging in public and in private who God is and what He sacrificed so that we might have life and have life more abundantly.

I am convinced that love, produces the fruit of boldness and strength. How else can you explain, people boldly quitting their jobs to do something they love and are passionate about; or women who have been given the strength to stay in dead relationships because love has them believing that things will get better; and have you every considered the possibility that it was God's love for us that gave Him the strength to lay down the life of His only begotten son?

Jesus says in John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends." Because I love my son, a reserve person like me can lay down shyness and be the loudest person in the house. Because I love you, I am willing to be open and honest and share with you what God has shared with me. Because I love God, I am willing to boldly proclaim His name to the world. Do you love God enough to boldly proclaim His name to the world?

Your Call to Order...
If you struggle with sharing the gospel with others, get to know Jesus better. When you begin to understand and feel how much He loves you, you can not help but share. Just as my son will remember those times I cheered for him; God will remember those times we spoke up for what was right; led someone to Christ; and praised His Holy name.

Power Verses

"Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching" (2 Timothy 4:2).

"The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, And his tongue talks of justice" (Psalm 37:30).

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