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Thoughts for a Woman's Heart |
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encouragement in things that matter |
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Speaking to Kings
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Fear hinders us from reaching the potential God created us for. Fear of the unknown or the unexpected. Fear of taking a risk. Fear of what I feel untrained or unprepared for. Fear of being prodded, stretched, maybe even hammered. Fear of being fully known. Fear of failure. Fear of trusting. The freedom that God offers and desires for all of His children has the capacity to transform those fears and allow us to reach, to stretch, to risk, and to trust. It allows us to become all that God created and designed us for. In Psalm 119:43, the psalmist presents a plea to God. "Do not snatch your word of truth from me, for my only hope is in your laws." I hear strong desire in the words of the psalmist – a passionate cry, almost a desperation. Although believers are sometimes accused of glibly parroting Christian phraseology for real life situations, the psalmist rightly recognizes the necessity of knowing, understanding, and applying the truth of God’s Word. Even in our technological, intellectual, fast-paced society of independence, we need a foundation for truth that speaks dynamically to the hearts of real people living in a real world. We have that foundation in the Word of God. But, what are we doing with it? Do we find ourselves desperate to know, understand, and apply God’s truth? I know personally that when I become desperate, I also become dependent. When fear hinders or life becomes confusing, I know there are no other options for bringing stability and direction into my life. God’s Word and His principles of truth need to be my foundation, my lifeline, and the means by which God replaces fear with freedom, and enlarges my capacity to be all I possibly can be. The psalmist goes on to say, "I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments. I will speak to kings about your decrees, and I will not be ashamed." Think about those words – freedom, an ability to speak to kings?, about spiritual things?, and without any hesitancy? Now, most of us will not find an audience with a king, but God does have other things in His plan for us. Perhaps teaching a Sunday School class, representing Christ before our neighbors, or showing godly attitudes and behaviors at home doesn’t sound as high a calling – but it is, if that is what God has asked you to do. The freedom God nurtures in us as we become desperate for His Word moves us past the inadequacies of our lives, or through the oppressing difficulties, and allows us to grow and mature, even beyond our imaginations. |
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— Bev |
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