Devotionals – Page 17 – Oh Lord Help Us

dependable, devotion, faithfulness, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Faithfulness: Replicating God’s Loyalty in the Lives of One Another

DevotionalsJanuary 15, 2019January 15, 2019

Faith means having confidence in someone else’s ability without proof. To be faithful means your allegiance is solid and persistent; true to your word. God gave us proof of His faithfulness to us by sending Jesus.

An Incomplete Gift

For my mom’s most recent decade birthday (you know, 30/40/50…) I wanted to paint her an imitation of “365 Days of Happiness.” I purchased four rectangular canvases, acrylics, brushes, and sponges, then got to work. First, I coated each canvas with an ombré style base color to represent the four seasons. Once the background was dry I sketched the tree which stretches throughout the four pieces. Then I painted the tree and leaves on the middle two canvases.

At the time, my husband and I were working opposite schedules with all three of our children in school. In other words, I bit off more than I could chew and only ended up delivering two of the four canvases on my mom’s special day. I told her I would complete the final two prints by Christmas.

That didn’t happen.

Here we are, more than four and a half years later. So much life has transpired. I would say my faithfulness meter sank after the third year came and went without the completion of my masterpiece. Or perhaps it declined when we moved out of state in January of 2016. The two remaining partially completed canvases have moved with me twice now, and each time I come across them it is a glaring reminder of my failure to deliver on both the actual artwork and my word.

Being Compelled

Recently one of my pals referenced something a mutual friend of ours says to her three-year-old son: We can try again tomorrow. Those five little words have sprung to mind often since I read them. It reminds me of this reassuring passage:

…his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness! I say, “The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in him.”

Lamentations 3:22b-24, CSB

Regardless of current circumstances, God is a proven refuge, a sure fortress. As 2018 comes to a close, it feels natural to look back at how the Lord has worked through, sustained, and grown me. I am able to see how God is teaching me to view my failures and my sin properly, not through morbid self-introspection—which is just another form of pride, but with humility. He who began a good work will complete it. And I know I am safe and secure in His capable arms. No failure or sorrow or tragedy can pluck me from His hand. I am His own…and He is mine. God’s faithfulness is inexhaustible!

…if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself.

2 Timothy 2:13, CSB

I get stuck in the sinful pattern of living for myself, unsuccessfully searching for tips, tricks, and methods to be faithful. Yet Jesus calls me to once again look at His example and to allow His love to be the method that compels me to a life of faithfulness.

For the love of Christ compels us, since we have reached this conclusion: If one died for all, then all died. And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the one who died for them and was raised.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15, CSB

Restoring Faithfulness

It’s easy to look at failure through the lens of finality. But Jesus totally disrupted that when He rose from the grave! Letting failure take center stage emphasizes self, not Almighty God. Sin is super sneaky, planting seeds of cynicism and self-justification.

But we are free to try again.

Only when we do so, may it not be in our own strength, but through the proven power of Christ Jesus.

The question no longer is: Can I do it? Am I able? Can I overcome my moodiness, my laziness, my sensuality, my grudges, and resentments? The only question is: Is Jesus Christ able?

Lion and Lamb by Brennan Manning

In the spirit of Advent, and a discipline that comes straight from the Spirit of God, I completed the paintings. When I looked the original up online to reference which colors to use, the site noted that the picture is on the cover of—get this—“INSPIRED Faith: 365 Days a Year.” I laughed out loud that it had faith in the title! I took it as an affirmation from God that now is indeed the time to follow through. Then I ordered the devotional to accompany the paintings!

It’s easy to look at failure through the lens of finality. But Jesus disrupted that when He rose from the grave! Letting failure take center stage emphasizes self, not Almighty God. Click To Tweet

The Purpose

While I have no idea how my mom will react, the hope of her appreciation is not what constrained me to finish the artwork. It was confidence in and gratitude for the God who started a good work in me. Joy, anxiety, growth, misfortune, disappointment, and resolution can all occur in between the beginning of something grand and its completion.

But God never stops pursuing or working out His purpose in us.

For a moment in history He turned His face away, but He had compassion with everlasting love and sent us a Redeemer (Isaiah 54:8). Regardless of how others will receive it, it is never too late to exhibit faithfulness. The purpose of demonstrating dependability is to be Christ-like, not to show off some personal impressive skills. Clearly. It took me almost five years to deliver on a promise! Still, in a small way, I am able to replicate Christ’s devotion to the Father and to us by producing what I said I would.

I’m so glad Jehovah didn’t give us an incomplete gift. Praise be to God for keeping His promise and raising Jesus to ensure our freedom! His faithfulness is a protective shield (Psalm 91:4). Hallelujah!

Simon Fitall

healing, purpose, mentor, trust, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Mentor: Teaching Through Intentional Relationships

DevotionalsJanuary 14, 2019January 14, 2019

To mentor is to teach through relationship. It’s having someone to go to with questions, who will be honest. This is the purpose of Oh Lord Help Us.

For most of my life I have loved people, but feared their rejection. When I went into high school I was desperate to fit in. And after it became abundantly clear that I was too scrawny, too pale, with too little rhythm to fit in with who I deemed to be the cool crowd, I did find that I fit in with the athletic crowd, which led me to Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Guidance

This filled a massive void in my life, as my family did not have a church home during this season. And with my involvement in FCA came my first mentor. When I look back over my life, her influence has been hugely impactful in the trajectory of my path. She taught me, challenged me, confronted me, loved me. Even through college she was there guiding me to make decisions that would enhance my influence, rather than destroy it.

Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more.

Proverbs 9:9, NLT

Meanwhile… Throughout high school, I was also into horses. My parents supported me in taking lessons, learning how to ride English saddle – the fancy stuff. This sparked a dream to have a horse farm one day. Combining it with my love for FCA, it was to be a camp for troubled girls.

Growth

After college, I became involved with a church for the first time. Unknowingly at the time, the women’s ministry director was mentoring me. She told me she could see Jesus in me. She saw potential in me and sent me to conferences to become a speaker before I ever knew that was something I wanted. And she involved me in leadership when I was too immature to fully realize what she was doing for me.

let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance—

Proverbs 1:5, NIV

Meanwhile… Turns out, I don’t have what it takes to work with horses. That part of the dream died, but the love for ministry remained. I began a ministry at our church to provide mentoring for teenage girls. Just as it was getting off the ground, we moved.

Listening

A few years later, after my mom died, we moved to a new state with no friends, family, or church. While in Atlanta, I was desperate for an older woman in my life. I prayed, and God provided. She was actually one of my patients where I was working as a dental hygienist. For months we would meet once a week and just chat. She would listen to me dream and never told me it was a bad idea. She corrected me when I was off base. And she comforted me when the pain from missing my mom became too great to bear.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, NIV

Meanwhile… My desire to pour into young ladies was being met as I led a Bible study with some of the youth in our church. Honestly, though, my heart was running on empty. I did not have the maturity to see that I needed to be still in this season. The longing in me for my previous life was so great; I was trying to recreate what I had before. Through this, God was taking the purpose I was created for, and making a new thing.

Virtual

Our years in Chicago were a spiritual drought, but I still had my virtual mentors. Sermons I would listen to challenged my perception of contentment. Books I read brought me to a deeper understanding of provision. Being a new mom I found great comfort in parenting blogs assuring me that I was not losing my mind and that the newborn stage/toddler stage/preschool stage would indeed pass.

But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

John 14:26, NLT

Meanwhile… We opened a coffee shop in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago. Our desire was to be a bright spot in an area that was feeling the growing pains of gentrification. But with an ever-deepening pit of debt, and the emotional roller coaster of motherhood, we knew we had to pass it on.

Healing

Our years in Greenville, South Carolina were when mentors came into my life providing healing. Interesting thing, while I was with Oh Lord Help Us in Anderson, SC back in November at a Holiday Vendor Fair I saw my old pastor. Now, he would not know me from anyone. It was a fairly large church, and being that I was in a stage of healing, I kept to myself. But I was so excited to see him, you would have thought he was a long lost friend.

I absolutely went over to him, told him who I was, and how I knew him. He was generous with his time, asking me questions about our ministry and where life has taken me. I shared with him that when we knew we were leaving Greenville to come to North Carolina, I was sad but had complete peace. The Lord spoke to my spirit that we had come to Greenville to heal and that it was now time to fly.

When I spoke those words to him, he chuckled in a knowing sorta way. He told me that when they began the church in Greenville, their prayer was that it would be a place of healing. It was indeed that for me. Greenville and that church will always hold a special place in my heart. The people we encountered and did life with there showed me how to love others, how to give, and how to be comfortable in my own skin. My friends were my mentors.

Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.

Proverbs 17:17, MSG

Meanwhile… A friend and my husband thought it would be a good idea to start a blog. I tried to quit it, more than once, but the conviction in my spirit was so great I couldn’t. I knew that this thing, that would eventually become a bigger thing, was the vehicle to do the thing I have felt so passionate about throughout my life: mentoring.

Mentor

Mentoring is nothing more than teaching through relationship. It’s having someone to go to with questions. Someone who will be honest with you even if it’s not what you want to hear. It’s encouragement often, and rebuke when necessary. Mentoring can change the direction of your life, and keep you where you need to be.

This idea of teaching through relationship is throughout the Bible…

Moses to Joshua
Elijah to Elisha
Naomi to Ruth
Elizabeth to Mary
Jesus to the disciples
Barnabas to Paul
Paul to Timothy

Mentoring is not fixing others, instead, it is walking together as we heal and see our value and purpose. As painful as our stories are, none of us are a lost cause. There is value in our tragedies. Through redemptive healing, we can see tragedies as opportunities rather than assaults and become conquerors rather than victims. Having the perspective of another trusted woman helps us do this, and see our worth.

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.

Proverbs 27:17, NLT

Who has been influential in your life?

Mentoring is not 'fixing' others, instead, it is walking together as we heal and see our value and purpose. As painful as our stories are, none of us are a lost cause. Click To Tweet

Josh Carter

rest, season, shelter, suffering, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Resting: Experience God’s Gentle Shelter During Brutal Seasons

DevotionalsJanuary 13, 2019January 14, 2019

Some seasons of life can be extremely brutal. We can feel exposed and vulnerable. But we can draw near to God, resting in the shelter only He can offer.

My son Evan and I have spent the past 90 days in Philly after his transplant. We had finally been given the green light to return home. I had every vision of how this return home was going to go, but nothing prepared me for how hard, emotionally and physically, this would be.

The holidays were in full swing. I was surrounded by expectations. My own, my children, my own… did I say my own?! Rather than home feeling like a safe place, it felt too open, too germy, too exposed. I know I asked for prayer before we left and while we were there, but now that we are home asking for prayer seems too personal and too raw.

Elijah

My thoughts were drawn to Elijah, the prophet. I love his heart and the kind way God treats him throughout his journey. One particular event has always stood out to me…

Elijah prays for there to be no rain in the kingdom of Israel. It has not rained for 3 years. The lack of rain is in direct defiance to the king and queen ruling at that time. But the time for no rain is coming to an end. God is going to use Elijah to bring rain back to the dry ground and reveal His power to his people.

Elijah gathers 450 of Baal’s prophets. Two bulls were offered as a sacrifice. Whoever’s sacrifice that was accepted will show who the one true God is. This story is amazing all by itself. However, the story I am interested happens after this test. Elijah calls down fire from heaven. His sacrifice is burned completely, and Jezebel, the queen, calls for Elijah’s very life. It’s amazing and dramatic and all the feels. But Elijah is utter toast when this event is over.

Then he was afraid and he arose and ran for his life […] and he asked that he might die, saying ‘It is enough O Lord take away my life,’

1 Kings 19:3-4, ESV

Depleted

Go back and read that verse again. Elijah, the prophet, the one who called down fire from heaven, wants to die. He had nothing left. Depleted. Worn out. God sends an angel and what happens next gives me every confidence that God is more than I could ever imagine.

The angel gives Elijah food and drink twice and gives him rest. Not very exciting news. It can feel pretty anti-climactic. But how God treats Elijah after a hard battle, speaks volumes to me as another weary traveler. I cannot say I have fought 450 prophets, but I do know what it is like to be weary down to the end of my very soul.

Rather than eat, sleep, and recharge, I wrestle with all of those. I want action or a plan, but I do not want to rest. There are a million excuses for not resting. I say, “But if I don’t…” or “Without this, the consequences could be devastating.” Yet Elijah did exactly that. He took to resting as he prepared to meet with God.

Brutal to Resting

I am in a season that I would not wish on anyone. It has been brutal and it is far from over. We will be watching my son for signs of rejection for at least the next 6 months. We will see a doctor every 2 weeks and multiple other specialists over the next coming months. My nature is to do. And yet God, in His gentleness, calls me to be still. After one of Elijah’s greatest victories, he felt the most helpless and alone. I can relate to this.

I, even I only, am left […]

1 Kings 19:14

In the middle of all the suffering Elijah was experiencing, God shows himself in a low whisper. How do I live in the midst of my suffering? I could continue to fight and work and do. But I can also rest. I can fight to rest. Crazy thought, isn’t it? That resting would be a fight. My guess is rest doesn’t come naturally to any of us.

Come to me and I will give you rest—all of you who work so hard beneath a heavy yoke. Wear my yoke—for it fits perfectly—and let me teach you; for I am gentle and humble, and you shall find rest for your souls; for I give you only light burdens.

Matthew 11:28, TLB

What about you? I don’t know where you are or what you are dealing with. But I do know this: He is offering us rest. I will admit, I am not even sure what that looks like, but I want to know. That has to be a start.

Elijah experienced major suffering but God draws near in a low whisper. How do we live in the midst of suffering? We find rest in the gentle shelter of God. Click To Tweet

Aleksandr Eremin

dreams, foolishness, passion, wisdom, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Foolishness: Rejecting Worldly Wisdom to Follow Christ

Devotionals, Stay SaneJanuary 9, 2019January 13, 2019

Sometimes we feel foolish when we veer away from the path that the world prescribes for our lives, but choosing to live out our calling is not foolishness.

Years ago when I was in college, my mom gave me some sage advice. But at the time, I considered it foolishness. It was Thanksgiving break, and I had driven out to her little, off-the-grid homestead for a few days. During our visit, I basically spewed out all of my stress and anxiety about all of the school work that I had to do.

That following week, I would be taking the GRE (Graduate Record Examination), a challenging standardized exam required for graduate school admission. In addition to my GRE prep, a mountain of papers, presentations, group projects, and final exams loomed large on the horizon. Gripped by stress and fear, I could barely function, much less actually enjoy the holiday…

College Nonsense

On my last evening at Mom’s, she offered me some warm mulled wine to calm my nerves and settle my stomach. Sipping the hot, sweet concoction, I sat on a sheep’s fleece in front of a crackling fire in the fireplace. As I futilely attempted to practice my GRE vocabulary flash cards, I felt the strong brew hit my belly.

Just as I was beginning to feel tipsy and a little sleepy, Mom stood directly in front of me, leaned over, and stared me right in the eyes. With her typical dramatic flair, she emphatically stated:

Hopey, you need to quit school and go be a singer. You’ve gotta stop all this college nonsense and do what the Lord put you on this earth to do. Hopey, you have to sing!

Mom’s stark statement shocked me out of my sleepy stupor. Her words struck a chord inside of me because somewhere deep down, I knew that they were true. But at the time, I could not receive what she was telling me.

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1 Corinthians 2:14

Utter Foolishness

Rather than allowing myself to seriously consider her advice, as a means of self-protection, I took offense. I told Mom what an idiotic statement she had just made. Utter foolishness. Most likely I spouted off some comment like, “Yeah Mom, why don’t I just drop out of college, forget about graduate school, and go on the road and start busking for a living?! Sounds like a great idea. Really smart. I’ll be sure to get right on that.”

The next morning, as I drove the winding, hilly highway back to campus, I tried to shake the feeling that I was caving. Retreating back to the safety of the ivory tower. Back to the secure halls of higher education where Mom’s silly notion of pursuing my true passion was relegated to the annals of foolishness. I had organized my life in such a way that my education would be my ticket to success. Financial freedom and prestige were my goals. But all of the worldly ambitions I was clamoring for were drowning out the still, small voice of truth that simply said, “Sing”.

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.

1 Corinthians 1:27

Her Foolhardy Dream

I comforted myself with the thought that, in her younger years, Mom had been a first class fool herself. A few credits shy of earning her Master’s degree in Music Education from the prestigious Indiana University School of Music, she had run off to New York City to chase her foolhardy dream of singing on Broadway. Mom never actually made it to Broadway, but she did land a number of leading roles in Off-Broadway productions.

One time she told me that she had played the role of Eliza Doolittle in the Off-Broadway version of My Fair Lady. For those performances, she got to wear all of Julie Andrews’ costumes from the Broadway show. Another time she mentioned making $5000 in a single day for acting in a nationally syndicated Huggies commercial.

I had always been curious about Mom’s former life in the entertainment industry, but whenever I pried about her experience, she would sidestep the conversation. Mom had categorically written off those years as her foolish and sinful past. And she claimed that when she had been born again, she had died to all of that. Ultimately, she regarded her years in show business the same way that Paul describes his life before Christ:

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.

Philippians 3:8

A Dead End

Fast forward a decade from that Thanksgiving visit, and I then had both a Bachelors and a Masters degree under my belt. I was establishing my career, climbing the supposedly sturdy ladder of professional success. That is, until the Lord–in His infinite grace, mercy, and wisdom–allowed me to hit a dead end. It came in the form of severe depression, crippling anxiety, and unshakable thoughts of suicide. Somewhere deep down inside, Mom’s foolish advice was still reverberating. I knew I was not living out my calling, but I had no idea how to change course. I wanted to end my life.

When I finally hit that wall, I was crying out to the Lord to show me my purpose on this earth or else… And to my utter shock, the Holy Spirit actually answered me very directly! In a profound encounter, He reminded me of who I’ve always been to Him: His songbird.

Today I believe that–despite how it might look to the outside world–the Lord is leading and guiding me in the way that He wants me to go. And I’m learning to follow His lead. I don’t have aspirations of singing on Broadway, but I am learning how to sing to the Lord. How to worship Him in spirit and in truth. And He has given me so many original songs that have carried me through difficult seasons that I would not have made it out of on my own. And He’s showing me opportunities to share those songs with others who are hurting in their own journeys.

Even If You Feel Foolish

Beloved, if the world were to inspect the trajectory of your life–your career, your relationships, all the choices you’ve made–are there some twists and turns that might look foolish? If so, you’re likely on the right path! When sheer worldly wisdom is applied to the life of a true believer, there should be a great deal of the picture that does not overlap. Because on the face of it, certain steps of faith appear like foolishness to the carnal, natural mind. And more often than not, worldly wisdom does not apply to the path of faith that the Lord calls us to walk.

It’s taken many years, but I’m finally coming to appreciate the simple wisdom in what Mom was trying to tell me: Follow your dream. Pursue your passion. Don’t get bogged down in all of the pressures and anxiety that the world tries to heap on you. Don’t do what you’re supposed to do. Do what makes you come alive. Do what you know you are called to do. Whether it’s singing, painting, cooking, teaching, running, writing, serving, inventing… Whatever you know deep down that you were put here to do, do that! And this kind of advice is not foolish; it is life-giving. Despite what worldly wisdom recommends, above all else, follow and trust God with your life. Even if at times it feels crazy. Even if you feel foolish. Do what He has called you to do.

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

1 Corinthians 1:25

Have you ever taken some “foolish” advice that turned out to be wisdom?

Certain steps of faith appear like foolishness to the carnal, natural mind. And more often than not, worldly wisdom does not apply to the path of faith that the Lord calls us to walk. Click To Tweet

All scripture references from the King James Version of The Bible.

Ray Hennessy

faith, provision, trust, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Provide: Trusting God to Meet our Needs

Devotionals, Stay SaneJanuary 8, 2019January 13, 2019

We all struggle with trusting that God will provide for our needs. What if we decided to live by faith and truly believe that He will sustain us?

I am a worrier. I always have been. Faith is not one of my spiritual giftings so trusting God to provide for me has been a constant battle. There have been many times where I did not believe God’s promises to meet my needs. While most of the time I associate provision with material needs, it is not always what is lacking.

Surrendering Trust

While I have struggled with not feeling taken care of financially, I have also seen the idea of not feeling provided for play out in other areas: loneliness, discontentment, and healing. I have felt that I didn’t have the relationships I needed, that I wasn’t in the stage of life I should be, and that I wasn’t and those around me weren’t healed in the ways I thought we should be.

Even as I sit here writing this I am worrying. There are three trees leaning on my house and I don’t know how I will afford to get them off. Have I prayed, asking for help? No. Have I trusted that God is going to provide for my needs in this situation? No.

While my heart knows that God will meet my needs and sustain me, most of the time my head forgets. He has shown me time and again that He takes care of me, but I still haven’t learned to completely surrender my trust to Him.

All Our Needs

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19, NLT

ALL of our needs. Not some, all. God will meet all of our needs. This is so easy for us to forget. Sometimes we get caught up with what He is not doing that we forget to see what He is. Maybe when He isn’t providing something it simply means it isn’t something we need.

A lot of the time we focus on what we think we need and not what God says we need. We don’t consider that His provision may look different than we expect it to. It doesn’t mean He doesn’t provide, it means we aren’t looking outside our own perception of provision.

We often focus on what we think we need and not what God says we need. His provision may look very different. We need to look outside our own perception of provision. Click To Tweet

Faith

You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.

Matthew 21:22, NLT

Faith. There’s that word again. I struggle a lot with faith. I recently took a spiritual giftings test and among the lowest ratings was faith. It’s not that I don’t believe in Jesus or that I have no faith. It’s the fact that I don’t always believe I can ask for anything and receive.

Sometimes as Christians we don’t want to get into the habit of treating God like a genie. I think this stops us from even making requests. I have not thought to pray for help with the trees on my house. It seemed like too minor of an ask. I didn’t want to ‘waste’ a request on this when there are so many more things that are more important.

Scripture tells us that we can pray for anything. When we think something is not important enough we are acting like we are God. That we can decide what is important and what isn’t. This is not our right and not our job. We can ask for ANYTHING.

There is a second part to this…“if you have faith, you will receive it.” It is more than asking for something and boom it happens. It takes faith on our part. Faith that God will truly answer our prayer. Faith that He will provide for us. Without faith how can we expect God to answer us?

Do Not Worry

Let these words really sink in as you read this passage…

That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Matthew 6:25-34, NLT

Jesus is very clear. Do not worry. He speaks to the way that God provides for the birds and the flowers and how we are so much more than they. God provides for the creatures around us. The ones we were created to have dominion over. So why do we fret? Why do I worry? God knows our needs and He will provide for them. We must seek and have faith in Him. He is our provider, sustainer, and healer.

Provide

Every day we wake up, we have to choose whether we are going to allow worry to creep in or if we will have faith in God to provide for us. We are constantly surrounded by proof that He will, but we still struggle. What if we changed our thinking? What if every day we woke up and the first thing we did was say “God I have faith that you will provide”? This could change the course of our days and ultimately our lives. Let’s speak our faith into existence, let’s truly believe that He WILL meet all of our needs.

Ernesta Vala

God's Will, resolution, testimony, love, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Resolution: Reflecting on God’s Lessons and Moving Forward

Devotionals, Stay SaneJanuary 7, 2019January 13, 2019

Reflecting on the year gone by can help us move toward the future God has planned for us. Our resolution should be to testify of God’s goodness and great love.

A little over a year ago I wrote my first devotional “Love Letters: Expressing Our Desire and Commitment to God”. As I reflect on my year of writing devotionals for Oh Lord Help Us, I am reminded that love is what brought me here. My love of God, my love of writing, and my love for a friend.

Reflecting on God’s Lessons

As a teacher, I encourage my students to always consider what they have learned. In reflecting on my year, I am asking myself to do the same. I see the ebb and flow of my emotions, what is important, and a voice cracking through to be heard. Being vulnerable and allowing others to see inside has been scary, intimidating, and oh so rewarding.

God has shown me that fear is just the devil’s way of sidetracking His work through me. Fear is a human emotion that everyone feels, but trusting in God is the divine intervention that makes it possible to get to the other side of the fear.

Be strong and courageous! Do not fear of tremble before them, for the Lord your God is the one who is going with you. He will not fail you or abandon you!

Deuteronomy 31:6, NET

Every time I wrote an article I waited for some pithy comment, some sharp retort about what I had written, or criticism about my words. I got some, well-deserved critiques from friends and family. All given in the spirit of love and understanding. It took me a beat or two.

My knee-jerk reaction was anger and frustration. Luckily, God has taught me to breathe through it, listen with a spirit of willingness, and adjust as needed. Sometimes I needed to choose different words, sometimes I needed to give further explanations and sometimes I needed to stick to my guns and say what I said.

Being vulnerable can be scary. Fear is just the devil's way of sidetracking God's work through us. Trusting in God is the divine intervention that makes it possible to get to the other side of the fear. Click To Tweet

Where God Leads

I have also learned to listen to God’s soft whisper. As Mark Batterson says in his book Whisper, “What we’ve learned from Scripture is that He often speaks in a whisper. Not to make it difficult to hear Him, but to draw us close.” Sometimes I would rather be punched in the face with His message so I don’t have to stop my life or wait. But this year I have learned to listen more intently, look for the patterns in God’s path for me, and slow down. Okay, so that last one I’m working on.

As I write down my prayers to God, I can see His hand at work in my life. I can testify to His power to move in small ways. When you see small miracles over and over, month after month, week after week, even day after day – you can’t deny the power and overwhelming love of our Father.

For it is impossible in the case of those who have once been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, become partakers of the Holy Spirit, tasted the good word of God and the miracles of the coming age,

Hebrews 6:4-5, NET

Some days my prayers are full of gratitude and joy. Other days they are cries for help. I have begged for healing for friends and family members. I have sobbed out, as evidence from tear stained pages, for help when my children were hurting. Sometimes God sent abundant blessings and other times He carried me to the next day. He answers “yes” and He answers “no”. And sometimes He answers, “wait”. That is by far the hardest to hear.

Resolution

Once my students analyze their work and decide what it is they learned, I ask them to make a new goal. Something that pushes them to grow. So now it’s my turn. My husband laughingly asked me to write him more love letters when I shared it was time to write my next devotion.

He was being cute, but it kind of hit me when I read my first post from last year, it has been years since I wrote him a really sweet, gooey, love letter. It’s also something I feel very uncomfortable with, sharing my feelings about others. Over and over I have told you I want to be a reflection of God’s light. I’ve been trying to share my love of God more, but now I need to share the love in my heart that God has put there. I can’t horde it or feel it but not mention it. The words “I love you!” said with sincerity are super important. So my New Year’s Resolution is to say them more often.

What I am commanding you today is to love the Lord your God, to walk in his ways, and to obey his commandments, his statutes, and his ordinances. Then you will live and become numerous and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you are about to possess.

Deuteronomy 30:16, NET

Thank You

Dear reader, I love you! I love how supportive you have been of me on my writing journey. How you have cheered me on. I am so grateful for the stories you have shared of your own life and walk with God.

Oh Lord Help Us has been one of the greatest blessings to me. Katie and Rachael, as well as the rest of the writing staff, have been amazing. Their posts are rooted in God’s word. Our Father has been faithful through them in holding me through the bad days and celebrating with me through the joyful times.

May the New Year bring you freedom from fear, joy in abundance, and love that knows no bounds. God offers all that and so much more. I am so thankful and wait with an expectant heart for my Savior’s next plan in my life.

Dear God,

Thank You for all the wonder that You have shared with me this year. I see so clearly Your hand in my life. Sharing the testimony of this life you have blessed me with has not been easy, but so fulfilling. I cried out to you for peace and happiness. You have carried me through to the other side of my fear.

Help me to be more patient and wait for You. Be a constant reminder to me to reflect Your love. Not just in deeds but in true words. Help the words “I love you!” come easily and joyfully from my lips. Let those who hear them know that they come from You.

love,

Annie Spratt

mystery, unknown, safety, faithful, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Mystery: The Holiness and Fear Surrounding Not Knowing

Devotionals, Stay SaneJanuary 6, 2019January 13, 2019

Walking with mystery can feel very much like stepping off the abyss. Yet, if we choose a life without mystery, we’ve chosen not to see beyond the surface of God, ourselves, or others.

The lack of mystery in our modern life is our downfall and our poverty. A human life is worth as much as the respect it holds for the mystery. We retain the child in us to the extent that we honor the mystery. Therefore, children have open, wide-awake eyes, because they know that they are surrounded by the mystery.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, God is in The Manger, Reflections on Advent and Christmas

Literature

I love to read novels. All the major bookstores have long discovered that Dodie Smith is a sucker for books. They send me ads and coupons accordingly. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of my mother taking my brother and me to the library.

She also loved to read. She loved it enough to walk long city blocks with two young children to and from the local library so that we, too, would have the opportunity to enter the adventurous, mysterious world of books.

In the past, I read mostly literature and women’s literature, but for some reason, I’m tired of those. Many became too politically correct for me, I think. For several years now, I can lose myself for hours in a murder mystery.

Like my dad before me, I usually wait to read until an hour or so before bed; otherwise, I would never accomplish anything else! The nuances of discovering ‘who done it’ usually captures my mind rather quickly. If the plot moves too slowly or the main character isn’t likable, I move on to another book. Life is too short to stick with a boring book!

Mystery

Mystery. I often wonder why we lose the awe and wonder of childhood. At what point in life do we begin to feel the need to explain – or have explained to us – every, single detail of our existence? When did we decide that we wanted to be lord of our own lives…and over everything and have it all at our disposal, (Bonhoeffer).

I mean, that’s what it means, doesn’t it? The incessant, gnawing, obsessive need to know and understand everything…isn’t that a desire to be lord? To deny the presence of any mystery in our lives?

Yet, our God is and has always been, a God of mystery.

But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these:

Daniel 2:28, ESV

»«

Can you fathom the mysteries of God?
Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?

Job 11:7 NIV

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Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

Ephesians 5:31-32, ESV

Misty Fog

In Bible days, it was unfathomable to live without certainty. The people of God were surrounded by this God who spoke from a cloud of glory or from the mouth of a donkey and raised people from the dead. But they never expected to understand it; the mystery was hidden from them. They were not given eyes to see…as we have been.

In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit of God’s holy apostles and prophets.

Ephesians 3:4-5, NIV (emphasis added)

»«

Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began…

Romans 16:25, NKJV (emphasis added)

Yet, Jesus came on the scene and told His disciples:

…Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven…

Matthew 13:11, NKJV

God, through His Son and His Holy Spirit, graciously…magnanimously opened our blinded eyes and allowed us to see through the mist, the fog, the cloud and behold His mystery!

I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness – the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Colossians 1:25-27, NIV

Secret Unknown

Hallelujah!

On one hand, mystery has been revealed to us – the mystery of the gospel, the greatest mystery of all. On the other hand, each day God invites us to walk with Him in mystery, in faithful not-knowing, resting securely within the secret place of the Most High. However, He never forces our hand into His.

Walking with mystery can feel very much like stepping off the abyss…every day – during some seasons of life. Yet, if we choose a life without mystery, we’ve chosen not to see beyond the surface of God, ourselves, or others. In some situations, it can feel more comfortable or expedient. In reality, despite what we profess, we’re expressing that we prefer a calculated life, and perhaps a god we can tame or even control.

I’d never call Him a tame God, but the God of mystery is always, always safe.

Walking with mystery can feel very much like stepping off the abyss during some seasons of life. Yet, if we choose a life without mystery, we've chosen not to see beyond the surface of God, ourselves, or others. Click To Tweet

Omer Salom

loyal, friendship, faithful, love, pursue, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Loyal: Pursuing Steadfastness in Our Relationships

Devotionals, Stay SaneJanuary 2, 2019January 13, 2019

In times of stress, we tend to isolate ourselves from everyone and everything. But we need to be loyal to our relationships, our word, and our lives, portraying the steadfastness of Jesus.

The little break between Christmas and New Years can be disorienting. What day is this? When did I shower last? I know I bought batteries…where are they? But tucked in the midst of confusion are nuggets of reflection. As I was mustering the strength to pack for another trip to Indiana, I found myself reflecting over this past year and the years before.

There were several major differences from previous years, but one stood out the most: friendship. I have never been the one to juggle many different relationships and friendships, but here I am. I owe a lot of this to Oh Lord Help Us and a bit to volunteering at church. No matter who I owe, one thing is for certain: I am rich in relationships.

Introvert

I know just as well as anyone that moving to a new place can be daunting. Making new friends is even harder. Especially for those of us who identify as introverts. There are different levels of introvert, but all the same, it’s difficult and paralyzing.

It’s been four years since we moved to North Carolina and I just now feel like I’ve found some of my people. It took me stepping out, being uncomfortable, fighting against my nature. It’s more than just fighting against myself, it’s following through. Showing I’m reliable, accountable, trustworthy. Showing how much I care…

Wholehearted

I never regret the moments I push past myself to be uncomfortable. Sadly, I used to be extremely fickle… cancel outings, not answer calls or texts. It took me a long time to realize how surface my life was without quality relationships. I can name a few dear souls that never quit.

Praise Jesus for those people who wait patiently for you to get your act together. The loyal, wholehearted ones who know there’s a special friend somewhere inside. They wait… and they wait. Those are the ones who you should hold on to. The ones you thank over and over for not giving up on you. For pursuing you through prayer, texts, invites, etc. I strive every day to live the gracious example of these special friends.

Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.

Proverbs 3:3, ESV

We need each other… through hardships, pain, seasons of grief. Because this life is ever changing with swells of inconsistency and unknown, we need to be found loving and faithful through it all.

We need each other... through hardships, pain, seasons of grief. This life is ever changing with swells of inconsistency, we need to be found loving and faithful through it all. Click To Tweet

Richness of Relationship

Financially, this has been one of the toughest years to date. But what I lack in monetary wealth, I make up for with rich, rich relationships. In previous years of financial strain, I would isolate myself; cut myself off from the support and love of a friend or even family members. I allowed the overwhelm and embarrassment to overthrow my faithfulness.

Not only was my dedication to those I loved strained, but my loyalty to the Lord suffered. My bank account was poor and so was my spirit. I became sporadic in going to church and was even more disloyal in my Bible reading. Hitting my knees? Yeah, non-existent.

Praise God He stays true…

This is a trustworthy saying: If we die with him, we will also live with him. If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us. If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is.

2 Timothy 2:11-13, NLT

His loyalty to my heart didn’t bail me out of financial hardship, but it did draw me closer to Himself. In doing so, it showed me the value of relationship over wealth. Of loyalty over inconsistency. In this season, I’m thankful for that lesson. It’s kept my head above a tsunami of stress and encouraged me to draw close to those who love me.

Loyal Example

The Bible’s layout of loyalty is strictly relational. This is no coincidence. We follow Jesus’ example of loyalty straight to the cross. The cross is a symbol of loyalty to God’s divine plan and a devotion to all of us sinners. Not only did Jesus’ faithfulness make it possible for us to have a relationship with God, but also allows a devotion to one another.

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Mark 12:29-31, NIV

We need to strive each day to portray our steadfast devotion to Jesus, and in turn to one another. Love God, love each other. Loyal servants, loyal friends.

Jan Romero

focus, mission, vision, plan, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Mission: Looking Behind, Seeing the Vision Ahead

Devotionals, Stay SaneJanuary 1, 2019January 13, 2019

We can learn by looking back. We are taking time to reflect on the previous year of our mission and refocus our vision and purpose.

At the new year, my husband and I sit down and write out what happened the previous year and what we foresee in the year to come. Then the following year, we read over what we thought would happen and compare it to actuality. It’s a tradition that has brought awareness to how God moves in our lives.

So let us begin this tradition here at Oh Lord Help Us, shall we? Let’s reminisce over this past year and dream for the year we are now walking in.

Looking Behind

In the community…

Two thousand and eighteen began with a desire to begin connecting with women in our local community. The message I was feeling so passionate about provided the opportunity. Previously, I was sharing the but God message in the homes of friends. But in January, we decided to make it public here in North Carolina, and in April, the message went to Louisville, Kentucky. Looking back, it doesn’t seem like it should have been that big of a deal, but honestly, it stretched my faith and pushed me out of my comfort zone in so many ways.

I felt incredibly vulnerable. Whereas before I would never put myself in a situation where I could look like a fool, now I was putting myself out there with no guarantee that what I was doing would be received. Ok, honestly it was that I didn’t know if I would be received. See, the Lord revealed to me that I had my identity wrapped up in what I was doing, rather than in who He says I am. This is still a daily struggle – not gonna lie.

The Church in action…

February and March were consumed, personally, with training to become foster parents. For five Saturdays we were in class learning. And for five Saturdays we got to see the Church come together. The families in our small group all took turns watching our kiddos so that we did not have to pay for childcare. You guys. There are many ways to care for those in foster care. One way is to help, in practical ways, the families who are fostering.

The beginning of a vision…

In the fall of 2017, a vision began to form in my mind of our ministry becoming a nonprofit. The vision was incredibly blurry, which I know means it wasn’t time for it yet. God will give me glimpses to keep me motivated, but not so much that I run ahead of His timing. So as I was resting in the blurriness, we began to give to other non-profits who were being the hands and feet of Christ to women in need.

The revealing of a vision…

In the spring of 2018, the Lord began to reveal the vision. As I was feeling overwhelmed with making items for our shop, the Lord reminded me of the burden I felt through our foster care training for the older population of foster care youth. Specifically, those who are aging out. He spoke into my spirit, These are who you are to help. Help them through this transition. Mentor them, and employ them. Meet their physical need, and show them the love of Christ.

This brewed in my spirit for several weeks, until the opportunity came for me to put into words the vision that was given to me. And as is often the case for me, it all began to happen very quickly. The decision was made to make all of OLHU the nonprofit, and for this mentoring and employment of young ladies aging out of foster care to be a program called Hope + Vine. This gives us the opportunity for other mentoring programs in the future.

The struggles…

Even though so much has happened so quickly in the past 5 months, it often does not feel quick enough for my impatient, and fearful, spirit. I have been feeling overwhelmingly convicted of my lack of faith for God to provide. I know in my mind the truth, but I struggle daily to rest my soul in it. I know that if the dream came from the Lord, which I believe it did, then there is no failure. We are only to be obedient, moving when He says move, and remaining still when He says to wait. It will be what He wants it to be, and we will hold it with hands wide open. And for sure, He will bring it to our attention when we begin to close our grip.

There are lots of things to figure out, and it can seem overwhelming if I focus on these too much. It becomes about me striving to make it happen, rather than being obedient and watching God get the glory as He makes it happen. You all, I much prefer to sit back and watch God show off. But again, this is a daily struggle.

If the dream came from the Lord, then there is no failure. We are only to be obedient, moving when He says move, and remaining still when He says to wait. It will be what He wants it to be, and we will hold it with hands wide open. Click To Tweet

Seeing What is Ahead

Our year began with, but God, Where the Story Changes and ended with Hope + Vine. Throughout all of it, our heart has been for the woman who feels broken and messy; who feels she doesn’t belong; who feels unsure; and to help her find the freedom to be who she is created to be. And our heart will continue to remain with this woman. I am this woman. You are this woman.

So what is in store for this year?

The devotionals will continue. We have a desire to add a podcast and are praying and waiting for God’s timing on this.

We will be present in our community, meeting with women who desire to be honest with their struggles and to find freedom.

There will be more studies written and published, taking women deeper into knowing who they were created to be.

The shop will be expanding in a possibility of ways: Through affiliates, a mobile boutique, wholesale, or – who knows, maybe even retail.

By employing artisans through the Hope + Vine program, we will be able to provide custom made items for conferences.

We will be breaking the cycle of foster care by providing a stable environment for those in this transitional season.

My Prayer

I am so thankful to be walking this road with you. We are all messy. We mess up and cause messes. But I’m not afraid of your mess. We are all welcome here.

Oh Lord, help us know and be who you created us to be. I long for these precious women to know their value, to know they are chosen and beloved by you, Almighty God. Let us live with confidence, Lord, knowing we belong to you. And in that confidence, I pray we can act with boldness, with your love pouring out of us. I ask Lord, to be a ripple in the effect of your sacrifice. Amen.

You are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

1 Peter 2:9, NLT

Adam Birkett

Christmas, Mary, revolutionary, favor, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, mentor, ministry

Revolutionary: Expanding Our View of Mary, the Favored One

Devotionals, Stay SaneDecember 19, 2018January 13, 2019

Do we really know Mary? Yes, she is the mother of the Messiah, but she is also called favored, and righteous. She sets the example of being a revolutionary, living full of God’s power, and being a world changer!

“Mary, did you know…?” Picture me rolling my eyes.

CAUTION: It’s possible that I’m about to ruin for you one of the most popular and beloved modern-day Christmas songs of all time. The song is soothing, melodic (thanks to Buddy Greene), and asks a seemingly pertinent question. What I’m wondering, however, is how intimately acquainted the songwriter, Mark Lowry, was with Mary’s story.

Mary: Favored

Did HE know that God sent the mighty messenger-angel Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God (Luke 1:19), to a lowly peasant girl? Did Lowry realize that Gabriel, whose name means ‘God is great,’ was the same messenger who caused Daniel to fall on his face in terror (Daniel 8:17), and struck Zechariah dumb for questioning his message to him concerning John’s birth, (Luke 1:18-22)?

Yet, Mary, (while frightened when heralded by this magnificent angel,) was first confused that he called her favored. She was well-acquainted with her standing in Jewish society – she was poor, young, and an unmarried woman.

Favored? That word had never been used in reference to her before.

Mary: Righteous

Of course, there was the matter of becoming pregnant while remaining a virgin; Mary wondered how. Scot McKnight, author of The Real Mary, states that surely Mary was surprised at all of these happenings, but the “biggest surprise was that she consented to God’s plan.” Today, we have trouble grasping what she was agreeing to as an engaged Jewish girl. Her saying “Let it be to me according to your word,” would have ripped her world apart. Even today, imagine telling your fiancé that an angel told you God had impregnated you…and keeping a straight face!

Not only was she offering her reputation to be ruined and exposing herself to public humiliation, but her engagement to Joseph would most certainly have been reneged. Ultimately, she knew the Torah stated that she could face stoning (Deuteronomy 22:23-24). Life as Mary knew it would never be the same.

Most Protestants have cast Mary as the silent, docile, blue-clad mother of Jesus at Christmas. For the other eleven months of the year, we don’t have much to do with her because she was just some sweet girl God allowed to be the holy incubator for Jesus, right? Definitely, wrong; God isn’t in the business of giving anyone grunt work, (pardon the pun). And do we truly believe the Lord God would have chosen a random, small-town teen to be the mother of His pure and only Son?

In the NKJV, Gabriel calls her “highly favored one” and “blessed among women.” There is absolutely nothing random about those words. Because Mary was righteous, God chose to use her. Her faith in God gave her the courage to consent to His plan despite the suffering she would endure.

Mary: Revolutionary

Through the years, many of us have read or sung Mary’s Magnificat in a choir setting. Her Magnificat is found in Luke 1:47-55. Immediately after her cousin, Elizabeth, saw her, she began praising God for what He had done in Mary! (And believe me, Mary hadn’t texted or emailed her beforehand). Afterward, Mary offered soaring praise to God her Savior. However, in occupied Israel, verses 52-54 could have been construed as sedition. Imagine, meek and mild Mary – a revolutionary!

Would it shock you to know that a level of concern remains in the modern world toward Mary’s song in places where dictators fear an uprising among their repressed people? In fact, in the 1980s, the Guatemalan government “banned any public reciting of Mary’s Magnificat because it was deemed politically subversive,” (McKnight). Isn’t that astonishing?

I believe we need a paradigm shift concerning our views of Mary.

Mary was gentle, but also brave… bold…

and apparently a revolutionary!

The Magnificat

My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.

Luke 1:47-55, ESV

How dare she utter such provocative words: He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate. Herod had murdered for less under his bloody reign. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. Reckless utterances! The rich were the rulers, the powerful. With a word or nod, they could end her life.

Mary: Full of His Power

You know that sick feeling you have for a friend when she opens her mouth and spews out something at the absolute worst moment? Imagine she was stopped for speeding. You were with her. Instead of being contrite, she was belligerent. And you wish you could have slapped your hand over her mouth and said, “Woman! For the love of all that is holy, stop talking!”

That’s how someone listening to Mary might have felt… only more so. Her people were powerless, had been powerless, didn’t know the meaning of having power. While they obeyed the Torah, they quaked before the evil of which Herod was capable.

But she knew a greater Power. Mary knew the mighty One of Israel and believed He had come to set them free. She could not remain silent! Her faith in the Father emboldened her to follow Him onto a path that promised darkness and pain, but also mercy and deliverance. Mary stepped out into the inky unknown, resting in the palm of His hand.

Does this sound like the wallflower girl whom so many mistakenly picture Mary to be? I think not. Truthfully, I doubt if Joseph’s mother would have approved of Mary. She might not have been quiet or meek enough…but as Lynne Hybels titled her book in 2005, Nice Girls Don’t Change the World.

What about you… Are you a revolutionary Mary? Would you like to be?

Mary knew the mighty One of Israel and believed He had come to set them free. She could not remain silent! Mary stepped out into the inky unknown, resting in the palm of His hand. Click To Tweet

Ebi Zandi