Not Self-Help, But Supernatural Help!
“Seek from the book of the Lord and read…” - Isaiah 34:16
From Right from the Heart Ministries
Ever notice how much self-help information there is in our society? There are books, radio programs, seminars and numerous talk shows that urge you to take a look at who you are and then change yourself by your determined will.
Have you tried all those methods and yet you're still discouraged by repeating the same old habits?
There are some things that self-help cannot help; things like disease, overcoming certain sins, and most of all, death.
But I have good news: God has a plan for us that goes beyond our abilities. It comes through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, who supernaturally changes us where we can't change ourselves. As a bonus to that faith, He promises us victory over death, and eternal life. If you really want to help yourself, look beyond yourself to the only One who can save you and give you the ultimate victory. His name is Jesus Christ.
MY THOUGHTS
"Where we can't change ourselves"-isn't that always the issue? Sometimes we want to change, but we can't. The saddest part is when we don't want to change because we feel we don't have to. It's that old excuse that we should be accepted as we are-no matter how bad we have become.
It will be indeed a tragedy if we don't have a Higher, Supreme Being who can change all that for us. The best gift I have ever received is having God in my life. Changing myself is still a struggle. But when in the past, there was no effort, God has now implanted that desire to be a better person. I still cannot do it on my own. The 'fruit of the spirit' seems to be a long way off. But nothing is impossible with God. He had made a disciple out of a murderer. He's the only one who can 'mold me and hold me' and make me more and more Christlike.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
GARBAGE IS GOLD
See What God Sees In You
Last month, I bought a second-hand car.
The car was a beauty. (Yes, I’m still a guy. As a little boy, my favorite toy was the matchbox.)
I was curious why the owner was selling it—because it was just four years old. The leather seats still smelled nice. The paint was still shiny. The engine was still powerful.
When I visited his home to pay for the car, I realized why.
In the parking lot, he had newer, bigger, better cars. No wonder he was getting rid of his older car.
To him, the car was garbage.
But to me, the car was gold.
It’s funny how one thing can be garbage to one person and gold to the other.
God Chose Me
Once upon a time, I felt like garbage too.
That was how I saw myself.
I was a man with an uncontrollable sin. I was so messed up I was ashamed that I was even alive.
But Jesus looked at me and didn’t see the garbage.
He only saw the gold.
And He loved me so much, He bought me. He said, “No price is too high. Not cost too big. I want you.”
He ended up paying with His life, shedding his blood.
Friend, this is the Jesus whom we follow.
This Good Friday, I invite you to see what Jesus sees in you.
Find the gold that He insists is there in you.
And receive His love anew this Holy Week.
May your dreams come true,
Bo Sanchez
PS. See You Easter Sunday! Join me for our Easter Grand Feast on April 24, 8am to 12noon, at SMX (near Mall of Asia). I’ll be preaching on Today is Friday but Sunday’s Coming. It’ll be an experience you’ll be talking about for a long, long time. Don’t miss it! By the way, there are no tickets. No cost. Just walk in! And bring your family and friends. Don’t miss your Easter Blessing. For more information, call Tel. 09178424101. See you there!
MY THOUGHTs
God sees the best in people. It's hard to feel that way when all you see is filth. But God's command is for us to 'treat others as we want to be treated'. It's not easy. It's so hard. Until you see it the wasy Bo sees it - that I'm garbage and yet God saw gold.
Friday, February 18, 2011
looking beyond
i've never looked at faith that way - looking beyond this life and waiting for "the city...whose builder and maker is God." (Hebrews 11:10)
looking beyond. whatever the circumstances. knowing that His grace is sufficient and He had lovingly special place for us.
looking beyond.
looking beyond. whatever the circumstances. knowing that His grace is sufficient and He had lovingly special place for us.
looking beyond.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
"the closer you are to God, the bigger your heart for people"
i have this habit of reading old 'daily breads'. i think this is a 2006 edition.
today's reading is about (guess what?)love (what else?). but it's not about romantic love. it's the scary kind of love. sacrificial love.
have you ever thought of that? scary, isn't it? sacrifice means giving up things, doing the hard part, 'blood, sweat and tears'.
John 15:13 says "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends."
we may not have to die for our friends, but having a love that is centered on God, means sometimes forgetting our own needs to give way to the needs of others. may be giving up our own plans, our own schedules because someone needs your help?
"we say we love humanity,
but it is only true
if we're prepared to sacrifice-
for those God asks us to" - Sper
today's reading is about (guess what?)love (what else?). but it's not about romantic love. it's the scary kind of love. sacrificial love.
have you ever thought of that? scary, isn't it? sacrifice means giving up things, doing the hard part, 'blood, sweat and tears'.
John 15:13 says "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends."
we may not have to die for our friends, but having a love that is centered on God, means sometimes forgetting our own needs to give way to the needs of others. may be giving up our own plans, our own schedules because someone needs your help?
"we say we love humanity,
but it is only true
if we're prepared to sacrifice-
for those God asks us to" - Sper
Saturday, January 29, 2011
BEING THANKFUL WHEN YOU'RE IN PAIN
The Way to Rejoicing
Written by Rebecca Sample
I gave a homeless man five minutes of my time, a smile and a chance to earn a few dollars. In return he taught me a valuable lesson.
Honestly I had tried to avoid him at first. I saw him walking toward me as I pushed my grocery cart across the parking lot. He wore cutoff jeans, a t-shirt with holes in it and some beat-up sneakers. His curly hair hung in a ponytail down to the middle of his back.
“Can I wash your windows for some spare change, ma’am?”
I hesitated trying to remember if I had any cash on me. I finally said “okay.”
“What? Really?” A grin spread across his face revealing a few missing teeth. “Wow.” He shook his head. “You caught me off guard ma’am.”
I wondered how many people had said “no.”
When I drove off a few minutes later, my windows sparkled. He smiled and waved.
Back at my apartment, I unloaded my groceries and wondered, “Do I show God the same kind of gratitude for His good and perfect gifts that this man showed me? If I don’t give thanks in good circumstances, how will I ever manage to do so during the not-so-good times?”
Paul’s Super Power
The apostle Paul gave thanks locked in a prison cell or shipwrecked on an island just as readily as in the company of good friends. In his letter to the Philippians (4:4) he encouraged his readers to do the same. “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice!”
Paul seems almost super-human in his contentment, doesn’t he? No food? No problem! Imprisonments, beatings, shipwrecks? Praise God! But what about the rest of us ordinary humans? For those who have watched a loved one die, or for those who have known the heartbreak of a lost romance, the command “rejoice always” seems near impossible to carry out. But I have good news. Paul does not leave us stranded on our own islands of discontent. Later in his letter to the Philippians (4:13), Paul shares his secret: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Paul assumes the Christian empowered by Christ can do the near-impossible.
Paul’s “How-To’s”
He also gives some “how-to’s” to help his readers on their way. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Phil 4:6).
How-To #1: Don’t Worry
We read in Luke’s Gospel where Jesus said, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” (12:25–26). In this crazy world we take great measures to protect ourselves from harm. When we buy a car, we check Consumer Reports for the safety rating. When we buy a house, we ask about the neighborhood’s crime rate. When we buy a carton of eggs, we check to make sure none have already cracked.
And yet we know that at some point bad things will happen. So what do we do? We buy insurance: car insurance, health insurance, life insurance, home owner’s insurance, insurance for floods, fire, wind. There comes a time when we’ve done everything we can do. At this point we should sit back, kick up our feet, and give it to God, but instead we worry.
Worrying comes naturally to me. If this describes you too, don’t fret. When that familiar feeling comes, you and I can remind ourselves that we have direct access through Jesus Christ to the God of all creation, and then go to Him in prayer. We can use worry like a string tied around the finger. We can present our requests to God and remember to give thanks.
How To #2: Give Thanks
When I took a typing class, my fingers moved clumsily across the keyboard. I made a lot of mistakes, and I typed slowly. Today when I type, my fingers move of their own accord, apart from any conscious direction from me. The muscles in my hand seem to perform automatically. Our minds work the same way. Once we establish a habit we can use that built-in muscle memory to our advantage. Paul instructs his readers to dwell on “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable” (Philippians 4:8) for that very purpose. The more we think about praiseworthy gifts, the more we will give thanks and praise.
Let’s start by thanking God for the small things, the things we take for granted. When we wake up in the morning let’s thank God for our comfortable beds. As we go through our morning routines, let’s thank Him for indoor plumbing and a hot shower. We can thank God for a pantry full of food, and the electricity that keeps our refrigerators cold. When we imagine life without these conveniences, we realize how big these “small” things truly are. Look around your home. For what can you thank God?
Paul Shows Us How
In 1 Thessalonians, Paul instructs his readers to “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (5:16–17). How many times have we prayed to know God’s will or searched the Scriptures for answers? Right in this verse Paul says it plainly: God wills that we give thanks continually. Establishing thankful habits will prepare us to give thanks even in the not-so-good times.
God does not promise His followers lives free of suffering. When Paul pleaded with God to remove a painful circumstance in His life, God answered “no.” But He also said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). God did not remove Paul’s pain, but He did enable Paul to praise Him through it.
Maybe like Paul you have experienced a depth of pain unfathomable to most. But God’s truth remains true through any crisis. He commands us to give thanks in all circumstances because in hard times a thankful heart leads us out of our pain.
Noemia Cessito works with Children’s Relief International serving the poorest of the poor in Mozambique. Speaking about the AIDS victims in her ministry, she said, “Here in Africa girls become women early. Many become mothers at age 13 or 14. Real babies suddenly take the place of their dolls. When these women have an opportunity to play, they quickly become children again. They run like they never ran as children. They laugh until their bellies ache. In that brief moment of time, they give themselves over to joy and they forget about their AIDS.”
Acts of thanksgiving will not quick-fix our pain. But like those women who embraced the opportunity to rejoice even in the most dire circumstances, we too can find relief from our grief when we lift up a prayer of sincere thanks to God. When we see God and His good gifts through our pain, healing eventually comes, and through that process we learn worship. That worship turns our suffering into joy, our mourning into mirth.
After my encounter with the homeless man, as I put away my strawberries, my yogurt, my bread, my milk, and especially my ice cream, I thanked God for His provision, and the gift this man had given me. His abundant gratitude for my meager offering made me keenly aware of the meager gratitude I offer to God for His abundance. While I filled my refrigerator, thanks filled my heart, and I realized God’s command to give thanks is a gift in itself.
MY THOUGHTS
to be thankful when everything's falling apart? it's hard. and only God can bring back the song in your heart. no matter what.
Written by Rebecca Sample
I gave a homeless man five minutes of my time, a smile and a chance to earn a few dollars. In return he taught me a valuable lesson.
Honestly I had tried to avoid him at first. I saw him walking toward me as I pushed my grocery cart across the parking lot. He wore cutoff jeans, a t-shirt with holes in it and some beat-up sneakers. His curly hair hung in a ponytail down to the middle of his back.
“Can I wash your windows for some spare change, ma’am?”
I hesitated trying to remember if I had any cash on me. I finally said “okay.”
“What? Really?” A grin spread across his face revealing a few missing teeth. “Wow.” He shook his head. “You caught me off guard ma’am.”
I wondered how many people had said “no.”
When I drove off a few minutes later, my windows sparkled. He smiled and waved.
Back at my apartment, I unloaded my groceries and wondered, “Do I show God the same kind of gratitude for His good and perfect gifts that this man showed me? If I don’t give thanks in good circumstances, how will I ever manage to do so during the not-so-good times?”
Paul’s Super Power
The apostle Paul gave thanks locked in a prison cell or shipwrecked on an island just as readily as in the company of good friends. In his letter to the Philippians (4:4) he encouraged his readers to do the same. “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice!”
Paul seems almost super-human in his contentment, doesn’t he? No food? No problem! Imprisonments, beatings, shipwrecks? Praise God! But what about the rest of us ordinary humans? For those who have watched a loved one die, or for those who have known the heartbreak of a lost romance, the command “rejoice always” seems near impossible to carry out. But I have good news. Paul does not leave us stranded on our own islands of discontent. Later in his letter to the Philippians (4:13), Paul shares his secret: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Paul assumes the Christian empowered by Christ can do the near-impossible.
Paul’s “How-To’s”
He also gives some “how-to’s” to help his readers on their way. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Phil 4:6).
How-To #1: Don’t Worry
We read in Luke’s Gospel where Jesus said, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?” (12:25–26). In this crazy world we take great measures to protect ourselves from harm. When we buy a car, we check Consumer Reports for the safety rating. When we buy a house, we ask about the neighborhood’s crime rate. When we buy a carton of eggs, we check to make sure none have already cracked.
And yet we know that at some point bad things will happen. So what do we do? We buy insurance: car insurance, health insurance, life insurance, home owner’s insurance, insurance for floods, fire, wind. There comes a time when we’ve done everything we can do. At this point we should sit back, kick up our feet, and give it to God, but instead we worry.
Worrying comes naturally to me. If this describes you too, don’t fret. When that familiar feeling comes, you and I can remind ourselves that we have direct access through Jesus Christ to the God of all creation, and then go to Him in prayer. We can use worry like a string tied around the finger. We can present our requests to God and remember to give thanks.
How To #2: Give Thanks
When I took a typing class, my fingers moved clumsily across the keyboard. I made a lot of mistakes, and I typed slowly. Today when I type, my fingers move of their own accord, apart from any conscious direction from me. The muscles in my hand seem to perform automatically. Our minds work the same way. Once we establish a habit we can use that built-in muscle memory to our advantage. Paul instructs his readers to dwell on “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable” (Philippians 4:8) for that very purpose. The more we think about praiseworthy gifts, the more we will give thanks and praise.
Let’s start by thanking God for the small things, the things we take for granted. When we wake up in the morning let’s thank God for our comfortable beds. As we go through our morning routines, let’s thank Him for indoor plumbing and a hot shower. We can thank God for a pantry full of food, and the electricity that keeps our refrigerators cold. When we imagine life without these conveniences, we realize how big these “small” things truly are. Look around your home. For what can you thank God?
Paul Shows Us How
In 1 Thessalonians, Paul instructs his readers to “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (5:16–17). How many times have we prayed to know God’s will or searched the Scriptures for answers? Right in this verse Paul says it plainly: God wills that we give thanks continually. Establishing thankful habits will prepare us to give thanks even in the not-so-good times.
God does not promise His followers lives free of suffering. When Paul pleaded with God to remove a painful circumstance in His life, God answered “no.” But He also said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). God did not remove Paul’s pain, but He did enable Paul to praise Him through it.
Maybe like Paul you have experienced a depth of pain unfathomable to most. But God’s truth remains true through any crisis. He commands us to give thanks in all circumstances because in hard times a thankful heart leads us out of our pain.
Noemia Cessito works with Children’s Relief International serving the poorest of the poor in Mozambique. Speaking about the AIDS victims in her ministry, she said, “Here in Africa girls become women early. Many become mothers at age 13 or 14. Real babies suddenly take the place of their dolls. When these women have an opportunity to play, they quickly become children again. They run like they never ran as children. They laugh until their bellies ache. In that brief moment of time, they give themselves over to joy and they forget about their AIDS.”
Acts of thanksgiving will not quick-fix our pain. But like those women who embraced the opportunity to rejoice even in the most dire circumstances, we too can find relief from our grief when we lift up a prayer of sincere thanks to God. When we see God and His good gifts through our pain, healing eventually comes, and through that process we learn worship. That worship turns our suffering into joy, our mourning into mirth.
After my encounter with the homeless man, as I put away my strawberries, my yogurt, my bread, my milk, and especially my ice cream, I thanked God for His provision, and the gift this man had given me. His abundant gratitude for my meager offering made me keenly aware of the meager gratitude I offer to God for His abundance. While I filled my refrigerator, thanks filled my heart, and I realized God’s command to give thanks is a gift in itself.
MY THOUGHTS
to be thankful when everything's falling apart? it's hard. and only God can bring back the song in your heart. no matter what.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
in times of crisis
Molten Moments
Editor's page
Marshall Shelley | posted 1/17/2011
Nobody wakes up and starts the day thinking, I hope I find myself in a crisis today. Ever known anyone to write at the top of the personal wish list: "A real crisis"? I didn't think so. Me neither.
While no one longs to be in crisis, that's where we often find ourselves, especially as leaders. The crisis can be personal, or it can be organizational: a financial crisis, a painful conflict, a health concern, a crisis of faith, a public failure, a costly loss, a season of grief, a crucial moment of decision, or some other high intensity defining moment.
And in a church, with the number of people we deal with, someone is in crisis almost continually. In fact, as veteran pastor Alan Redpath once observed, "If you're a Christian pastor, you're always in a crisis—either in the middle of one, coming out of one, or going into one."
Crisis can become the norm for those of us in church life, not unlike it is for those who work in an emergency room or homeless shelter. But we don't often think of it that way. Too often a crisis catches us by surprise.
On the positive side, crisis moments are often the times God does his best work. Ask almost any mature believer, and they will tell you that they grew more as a person, as a Christian, during seasons of loss, pain, and crisis than they did at any other time.
While no one longs for personal crisis, the saying is true nonetheless: a crisis is too valuable to waste.
In one of my favorite PreachingToday.com sermons, Bruce Thielemann calls them "molten moments." He describes work in a foundry and that brief period in which metal has been heated enough to be shaped into something useful. And when things cool, it's too late.
Similarly, crisis is a short-term opportunity to do some long-term good.
And in the current issue of Leadership, John Ortberg writes: "Actually, the wonderful and terrible thing about crisis is that it's the one resource we do not have to fund or staff or program. It just comes. However, pain does not automatically produce spiritual growth. Ghettos and barrios and abusive homes and trauma wards may produce scarred souls; they can cripple more human spirits than they strengthen. Crisis can lead to soul strength, but not if the soul is starved of other nutrients, and not apart from certain responses."
To develop this theme, we've gathered the stories of various churches and the different kinds of crisis, and crisis response, they encountered. And we'll be featuring them on our website over the next few weeks. You'll learn from the responses of the leaders involved.
In some cases, the crises became a "stress test" of their faith, revealing areas of weakness that needed to be strengthened. In other cases, the crisis was a "proving ground" of faith, revealing the resilience and equilibrium that confidence in God can produce.
But what becomes clear in almost every case: The time to prepare for a crisis is before it happens. Jesus' example in the Garden of Gethsemane is instructive. There Jesus does his intense preparation for the upcoming crisis, praying in anguish till "his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground." But after that, when Judas arrives and throughout the crisis itself—his arrest, interrogation, trial, and crucifixion—he is steadfast and demonstrates astounding poise.
While crisis may not be your favorite leisure activity, it's certain to come. And when it does, we hope that you'll be prepared to face it in faith, knowing that God is at work.
Marshall Shelley is editor-in-chief of Leadership.
MY THOUGHTS
i call it "crunch time". it's like a tea bag. you see the true color only after it is soaked in boiling water. that is what crisis does to people. you may have glimpses of a person's character through your daily , normal encounters. wait until after a serious problem crops up. then you'll see the real score.
Copyright © 2011 by the author or Christianity Today International/Leadership Journal.
Click here for reprint information on Leadership Journal.
Editor's page
Marshall Shelley | posted 1/17/2011
Nobody wakes up and starts the day thinking, I hope I find myself in a crisis today. Ever known anyone to write at the top of the personal wish list: "A real crisis"? I didn't think so. Me neither.
While no one longs to be in crisis, that's where we often find ourselves, especially as leaders. The crisis can be personal, or it can be organizational: a financial crisis, a painful conflict, a health concern, a crisis of faith, a public failure, a costly loss, a season of grief, a crucial moment of decision, or some other high intensity defining moment.
And in a church, with the number of people we deal with, someone is in crisis almost continually. In fact, as veteran pastor Alan Redpath once observed, "If you're a Christian pastor, you're always in a crisis—either in the middle of one, coming out of one, or going into one."
Crisis can become the norm for those of us in church life, not unlike it is for those who work in an emergency room or homeless shelter. But we don't often think of it that way. Too often a crisis catches us by surprise.
On the positive side, crisis moments are often the times God does his best work. Ask almost any mature believer, and they will tell you that they grew more as a person, as a Christian, during seasons of loss, pain, and crisis than they did at any other time.
While no one longs for personal crisis, the saying is true nonetheless: a crisis is too valuable to waste.
In one of my favorite PreachingToday.com sermons, Bruce Thielemann calls them "molten moments." He describes work in a foundry and that brief period in which metal has been heated enough to be shaped into something useful. And when things cool, it's too late.
Similarly, crisis is a short-term opportunity to do some long-term good.
And in the current issue of Leadership, John Ortberg writes: "Actually, the wonderful and terrible thing about crisis is that it's the one resource we do not have to fund or staff or program. It just comes. However, pain does not automatically produce spiritual growth. Ghettos and barrios and abusive homes and trauma wards may produce scarred souls; they can cripple more human spirits than they strengthen. Crisis can lead to soul strength, but not if the soul is starved of other nutrients, and not apart from certain responses."
To develop this theme, we've gathered the stories of various churches and the different kinds of crisis, and crisis response, they encountered. And we'll be featuring them on our website over the next few weeks. You'll learn from the responses of the leaders involved.
In some cases, the crises became a "stress test" of their faith, revealing areas of weakness that needed to be strengthened. In other cases, the crisis was a "proving ground" of faith, revealing the resilience and equilibrium that confidence in God can produce.
But what becomes clear in almost every case: The time to prepare for a crisis is before it happens. Jesus' example in the Garden of Gethsemane is instructive. There Jesus does his intense preparation for the upcoming crisis, praying in anguish till "his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground." But after that, when Judas arrives and throughout the crisis itself—his arrest, interrogation, trial, and crucifixion—he is steadfast and demonstrates astounding poise.
While crisis may not be your favorite leisure activity, it's certain to come. And when it does, we hope that you'll be prepared to face it in faith, knowing that God is at work.
Marshall Shelley is editor-in-chief of Leadership.
MY THOUGHTS
i call it "crunch time". it's like a tea bag. you see the true color only after it is soaked in boiling water. that is what crisis does to people. you may have glimpses of a person's character through your daily , normal encounters. wait until after a serious problem crops up. then you'll see the real score.
Copyright © 2011 by the author or Christianity Today International/Leadership Journal.
Click here for reprint information on Leadership Journal.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Life Lessons from Women of the Bible
Life Lessons from Women of the Bible
By Claudia Mair Burney
from www.beliefnet.com
For centuries they’ve inspired, enlightened, and empowered us. With their unadorned faith, the women of the Bible continue to teach us how to live authentic, God-touched lives. No matter what our spiritual traditions are, we can find ourselves in their stories.
Here are 11 Biblical women whose lives are as relevant today as they were when they were first recorded.
Eve, the Mother of All Living
Genesis 2:4b and 3:1-24
God created Adam and found him wanting. Enter Eve, formed from Adam’s rib, made of the same raw materials as he, and given the power to choose between good and evil?. In the creation story we find a strong, interdependent Eve, fully engaged with the world around her. She explored the Garden, dialogued with a serpent, decided on the forbidden fruit, and liked it enough to share the experience with Adam.
Eve’s story reminds us that women can be both creative and destructive. She teaches us to weigh our choices carefully, tempering our desires with wisdom.
Hagar, the Stranger Welcomed by God
Genesis 16:1-16 and 21:1-21
After God promised He would make of Abram a great nation, Sarai, past childbearing age, suggested he impregnate her maid Hagar. Be careful what you ask for. Once Hagar was pregnant, Sarai regretted her scheme, and heaped so much abuse on Hagar that the weary woman fled. There, in the wilderness, the slave, whose name means, “stranger,” received a comforting message. “The Lord has heard you. God has answered you.” Hagar returned to her abusive mistress with a promise that her own son’s descendants would be too many to count.
If you are disenfranchised, despised, or despairing, listen for the voices of angels. You may find your courage is only a prayer away.
Rahab, a Harlot with a Heart of Gold
Joshua 2:1-24
Centuries before the tart with a heart became Hollywood fodder there was Rahab’s story. She single-handedly saved two of Joshua’s spies by hiding them, lying to the authorities, and helping the pair to escape. As shrewd as she was gorgeous Rahab knew an opportunity when she saw one. “Swear to me by the Lord, that since I am showing kindness to you, you will in turn show kindness to my family.”
Lest you think her actions were manipulative, consider how offering assistance to the spies put her own life in peril. But Rahab recognized the divine favor that rested upon the men. She boldly asked for and received what she desired. Rahab teaches us to use our wiles effectively and with great love. After all, the life you save may be your own.
Deborah, the Warrior Princess
Judges 4 and 5
In a time in which it was improper for a woman to be alone in a house with a man, Deborah sat outside beneath a palm tree and judged Israel. After 20 years of oppression, it was she who summoned the military general Barak to take ten thousand soldiers and storm Mt. Tabor against their enemy Sisera. Barak answered, “If you go with me.” Deborah agreed, but told Barak he’d receive no glory. “The Lord will have Sisera fall into the power of a woman.” This prophecy would have dual meaning, for not only would Deborah be remembered as the real leader of this victory, Sisera would literally fall because of a woman. (See Jael.)
Deborah inspires us to trust our wisdom and instincts and to humbly accept the credit due us. A canticle (Judges 5) is dedicated to her bravery. Her example admonishes us to always remember and respect the power of a woman.
Jael, the Ordinary Woman with the Heart of a Lion
Judges 4:17-22 and 5: 6, 24
When the war-weary, defeated general of Canaanite forces staggered into Jael’s encampment, he couldn’t have known that through her husband the calculating woman had bonds that obligated her to Israel. She sheltered Sisera, hid him, gave him milk when he asked for water, and comforted him until he slept. Then Jael, tiny in stature compared to the fearsome Sisera, murdered him in his sleep, fulfilling Deborah’s prophecy.
Jael’s story lets us know sometimes a girl has to slay the giants in her life, using whatever crude tools are available. Jael’s hands may have been bloodied in the process, but Israel experienced 40 years of peace because of her lion-hearted act.
Ruth, the Lovely Friend
The Book of Ruth
Their names say it all. Ruth, believed to be a short version of “retut,” or lovely friend, was the widowed daughter-in-law of Naomi. Naomi, also a widow, was exiled from Moab because of a famine and had returned to Bethlehem after the death of her sons. She told old friends, “Call me Mara, for the Lord has made it very bitter for me.” What Naomi missed is the sweetness of a special gift: Ruth. Naomi had released her grieving daughters-in-law to return to their people, but Ruth declared, “Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.”
Fortunately for Ruth, Boaz, a close friend of Naomi’s husband’s family, noticed her charms and blessed her. That got Naomi’s attention, which goes to show you: a lovely friend can turn the heart of a bitter women. Naomi hatched a successful plan to bring her kinsman, Boaz, and Ruth together. The couple later had a son, Obed, the grandfather of David. Ruth disappeared from the story, only to be remembered later as one of four women named in Matthew’s lineage of Jesus.
Ruth’s lesson to us? Steadfast love and loyalty may just lead you into a glorious destiny.
Bathsheba, from Lust Object to Queen Mother
2 Samuel 11:2, 3, 12:2, I Kings 11:31, 2:13-19, I Chronicles 3:5
Beautiful Bathsheba, wife of Uriah, bathed on her rooftop while the king of Israel watched in secret. The country was at war, and David should have been with his men, but the king had grown more self-indulgent in his mature years. He had no qualms about sending for another man’s wife, simply because he lusted for her. And Bathsheba didn’t hesitate to go to him. The king and Uriah’s wife shared a night of passion, but not without consequences. Bathsheba became pregnant, and David had her soldier- husband killed. The prophet Nathan pronounced judgment upon the king. “Thus says the Lord, ‘I will bring evil upon you out of your own house.’” The child Bathsheba carried died a week after its birth.
But God had mercy on the couple. Though they’d continue to have trials, God blessed the pair with Solomon. Bathsheba would be remembered not only for her early indiscretion, but also for her wisdom and leadership as Queen Mother. She teaches us that mercy can be the beginning of a brave new life, and that we all must carry our grief, release it, and live again.
Esther, a Clever Queen
The Book of Esther
Esther was a simple orphan, raised by her cousin Mordecai, until she decided she was destined to be royalty. Hiding her Jewish identity, she became a harem contestant, and after a year of spa treatments, emerged a stunner. The king may not have been bright, but he knew how to pick a beauty queen. Smitten, he rewarded Esther with a crown. It was good to be Esther until a tip from Mordecai forced her into action. The king, who led more by whim than wisdom, was convinced by his evil minister Haman to kill all Jews. Mordecai begged Esther to intervene, even though an unsummoned appearance before the king could be deadly, even for queens. But Esther knew she had to act on behalf of her people. “If I perish, I perish,” she said. In the end her wisdom prevailed, and her bravery saved her kinsmen.
Esther reminds us to be imaginative, as well as courageous. We don’t always have to fight to get what we want; sometimes we just have to outwit our adversary.
Mary, the Mother of Jesus
Luke 1:26-38, 1:39-56, 2:1-7, 2:21-38, 2:41-52, 4:16-30, 8:19-21
Much has been said about accepting Jesus as the personal savior, but no one accepted him in a more personal way than Mary, his mother. She literally “fleshed out” the unthinkable: Immanuel, God with us. The Scriptures tell us that the young virgin, betrothed to a carpenter, Joseph, was granted a very special favor. “You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David… and of his kingdom there will be no end.” What is most notable is not the miraculous visitation, it’s that she said an unprecedented “Yes."
Mary was the first disciple of Christ. She had to believe in him before anyone else. Her faith in Jesus was not a product of her extraordinary actions. It was a gift. Her lesson to us is that we must let go of the notion that we create faith based on our works. God gifts us with faith, which makes our good works possible.
Photini, the Woman at the Well
John 4: 1-30
Like Jesus, the Samaritan woman came to the well thirsty. Jesus wanted to quench his bodily thirst; so did the woman, but the story hints at deeper layers of meaning. Perhaps Jesus thirsted for souls, and the woman for at-long-last love. “Give me a drink,” Jesus said, a scandal; Jews were forbidden to share anything in common with unclean Samaritans. When she questioned him he replied, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
Living water must have sounded good to the ex-wife of five, now shacked up with a sixth paramour. She took a long, deep drink, never to thirst again. Photini became one of Christianity’s earliest evangelists, telling everyone she knew what Jesus had done. She teaches us that no matter how parched our dry soul places, love can make a surprising appearance and quench all our thirsts.
Mary Magdalene
Matt. 27:55-56, Mark 14:40-41, Matt. 28:1-9, John 20:18
Poor Mary Magdalene. St. Gregory the Great ruined her reputation suggesting she was a prostitute. Scholars have since rejected his thesis, and today Mary Magdalene is seen as one of Jesus’ most powerful allies. Sure, he may have had to cast seven demons out of her, or at least healed her of an undisclosed illness, but the grateful woman of means in turn led his female disciples and offered Jesus financial support. The four Gospels cite Mary as following Jesus to the end of his life, while his male disciples scattered. It was she who was brave enough to go to the guarded tomb of a convicted felon and chat with angels, and she who first encountered the risen Christ. She became the Apostle to the Apostles, when she ran, not walked, to the men by proclaiming the good news, “I have seen the Lord.”
With Mary as our example, we can follow our passions with everything within us, fearlessly, no matter what obstacles we encounter.
MY THOUGHTS
3 biblical women struck me the most: Ruth with her "steadfast love", Batsheba who "carried her grief, released it and lived again; and Photini whose "soul was like dry parched land but surprisingly found love to quench her thirst".
By Claudia Mair Burney
from www.beliefnet.com
For centuries they’ve inspired, enlightened, and empowered us. With their unadorned faith, the women of the Bible continue to teach us how to live authentic, God-touched lives. No matter what our spiritual traditions are, we can find ourselves in their stories.
Here are 11 Biblical women whose lives are as relevant today as they were when they were first recorded.
Eve, the Mother of All Living
Genesis 2:4b and 3:1-24
God created Adam and found him wanting. Enter Eve, formed from Adam’s rib, made of the same raw materials as he, and given the power to choose between good and evil?. In the creation story we find a strong, interdependent Eve, fully engaged with the world around her. She explored the Garden, dialogued with a serpent, decided on the forbidden fruit, and liked it enough to share the experience with Adam.
Eve’s story reminds us that women can be both creative and destructive. She teaches us to weigh our choices carefully, tempering our desires with wisdom.
Hagar, the Stranger Welcomed by God
Genesis 16:1-16 and 21:1-21
After God promised He would make of Abram a great nation, Sarai, past childbearing age, suggested he impregnate her maid Hagar. Be careful what you ask for. Once Hagar was pregnant, Sarai regretted her scheme, and heaped so much abuse on Hagar that the weary woman fled. There, in the wilderness, the slave, whose name means, “stranger,” received a comforting message. “The Lord has heard you. God has answered you.” Hagar returned to her abusive mistress with a promise that her own son’s descendants would be too many to count.
If you are disenfranchised, despised, or despairing, listen for the voices of angels. You may find your courage is only a prayer away.
Rahab, a Harlot with a Heart of Gold
Joshua 2:1-24
Centuries before the tart with a heart became Hollywood fodder there was Rahab’s story. She single-handedly saved two of Joshua’s spies by hiding them, lying to the authorities, and helping the pair to escape. As shrewd as she was gorgeous Rahab knew an opportunity when she saw one. “Swear to me by the Lord, that since I am showing kindness to you, you will in turn show kindness to my family.”
Lest you think her actions were manipulative, consider how offering assistance to the spies put her own life in peril. But Rahab recognized the divine favor that rested upon the men. She boldly asked for and received what she desired. Rahab teaches us to use our wiles effectively and with great love. After all, the life you save may be your own.
Deborah, the Warrior Princess
Judges 4 and 5
In a time in which it was improper for a woman to be alone in a house with a man, Deborah sat outside beneath a palm tree and judged Israel. After 20 years of oppression, it was she who summoned the military general Barak to take ten thousand soldiers and storm Mt. Tabor against their enemy Sisera. Barak answered, “If you go with me.” Deborah agreed, but told Barak he’d receive no glory. “The Lord will have Sisera fall into the power of a woman.” This prophecy would have dual meaning, for not only would Deborah be remembered as the real leader of this victory, Sisera would literally fall because of a woman. (See Jael.)
Deborah inspires us to trust our wisdom and instincts and to humbly accept the credit due us. A canticle (Judges 5) is dedicated to her bravery. Her example admonishes us to always remember and respect the power of a woman.
Jael, the Ordinary Woman with the Heart of a Lion
Judges 4:17-22 and 5: 6, 24
When the war-weary, defeated general of Canaanite forces staggered into Jael’s encampment, he couldn’t have known that through her husband the calculating woman had bonds that obligated her to Israel. She sheltered Sisera, hid him, gave him milk when he asked for water, and comforted him until he slept. Then Jael, tiny in stature compared to the fearsome Sisera, murdered him in his sleep, fulfilling Deborah’s prophecy.
Jael’s story lets us know sometimes a girl has to slay the giants in her life, using whatever crude tools are available. Jael’s hands may have been bloodied in the process, but Israel experienced 40 years of peace because of her lion-hearted act.
Ruth, the Lovely Friend
The Book of Ruth
Their names say it all. Ruth, believed to be a short version of “retut,” or lovely friend, was the widowed daughter-in-law of Naomi. Naomi, also a widow, was exiled from Moab because of a famine and had returned to Bethlehem after the death of her sons. She told old friends, “Call me Mara, for the Lord has made it very bitter for me.” What Naomi missed is the sweetness of a special gift: Ruth. Naomi had released her grieving daughters-in-law to return to their people, but Ruth declared, “Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.”
Fortunately for Ruth, Boaz, a close friend of Naomi’s husband’s family, noticed her charms and blessed her. That got Naomi’s attention, which goes to show you: a lovely friend can turn the heart of a bitter women. Naomi hatched a successful plan to bring her kinsman, Boaz, and Ruth together. The couple later had a son, Obed, the grandfather of David. Ruth disappeared from the story, only to be remembered later as one of four women named in Matthew’s lineage of Jesus.
Ruth’s lesson to us? Steadfast love and loyalty may just lead you into a glorious destiny.
Bathsheba, from Lust Object to Queen Mother
2 Samuel 11:2, 3, 12:2, I Kings 11:31, 2:13-19, I Chronicles 3:5
Beautiful Bathsheba, wife of Uriah, bathed on her rooftop while the king of Israel watched in secret. The country was at war, and David should have been with his men, but the king had grown more self-indulgent in his mature years. He had no qualms about sending for another man’s wife, simply because he lusted for her. And Bathsheba didn’t hesitate to go to him. The king and Uriah’s wife shared a night of passion, but not without consequences. Bathsheba became pregnant, and David had her soldier- husband killed. The prophet Nathan pronounced judgment upon the king. “Thus says the Lord, ‘I will bring evil upon you out of your own house.’” The child Bathsheba carried died a week after its birth.
But God had mercy on the couple. Though they’d continue to have trials, God blessed the pair with Solomon. Bathsheba would be remembered not only for her early indiscretion, but also for her wisdom and leadership as Queen Mother. She teaches us that mercy can be the beginning of a brave new life, and that we all must carry our grief, release it, and live again.
Esther, a Clever Queen
The Book of Esther
Esther was a simple orphan, raised by her cousin Mordecai, until she decided she was destined to be royalty. Hiding her Jewish identity, she became a harem contestant, and after a year of spa treatments, emerged a stunner. The king may not have been bright, but he knew how to pick a beauty queen. Smitten, he rewarded Esther with a crown. It was good to be Esther until a tip from Mordecai forced her into action. The king, who led more by whim than wisdom, was convinced by his evil minister Haman to kill all Jews. Mordecai begged Esther to intervene, even though an unsummoned appearance before the king could be deadly, even for queens. But Esther knew she had to act on behalf of her people. “If I perish, I perish,” she said. In the end her wisdom prevailed, and her bravery saved her kinsmen.
Esther reminds us to be imaginative, as well as courageous. We don’t always have to fight to get what we want; sometimes we just have to outwit our adversary.
Mary, the Mother of Jesus
Luke 1:26-38, 1:39-56, 2:1-7, 2:21-38, 2:41-52, 4:16-30, 8:19-21
Much has been said about accepting Jesus as the personal savior, but no one accepted him in a more personal way than Mary, his mother. She literally “fleshed out” the unthinkable: Immanuel, God with us. The Scriptures tell us that the young virgin, betrothed to a carpenter, Joseph, was granted a very special favor. “You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David… and of his kingdom there will be no end.” What is most notable is not the miraculous visitation, it’s that she said an unprecedented “Yes."
Mary was the first disciple of Christ. She had to believe in him before anyone else. Her faith in Jesus was not a product of her extraordinary actions. It was a gift. Her lesson to us is that we must let go of the notion that we create faith based on our works. God gifts us with faith, which makes our good works possible.
Photini, the Woman at the Well
John 4: 1-30
Like Jesus, the Samaritan woman came to the well thirsty. Jesus wanted to quench his bodily thirst; so did the woman, but the story hints at deeper layers of meaning. Perhaps Jesus thirsted for souls, and the woman for at-long-last love. “Give me a drink,” Jesus said, a scandal; Jews were forbidden to share anything in common with unclean Samaritans. When she questioned him he replied, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
Living water must have sounded good to the ex-wife of five, now shacked up with a sixth paramour. She took a long, deep drink, never to thirst again. Photini became one of Christianity’s earliest evangelists, telling everyone she knew what Jesus had done. She teaches us that no matter how parched our dry soul places, love can make a surprising appearance and quench all our thirsts.
Mary Magdalene
Matt. 27:55-56, Mark 14:40-41, Matt. 28:1-9, John 20:18
Poor Mary Magdalene. St. Gregory the Great ruined her reputation suggesting she was a prostitute. Scholars have since rejected his thesis, and today Mary Magdalene is seen as one of Jesus’ most powerful allies. Sure, he may have had to cast seven demons out of her, or at least healed her of an undisclosed illness, but the grateful woman of means in turn led his female disciples and offered Jesus financial support. The four Gospels cite Mary as following Jesus to the end of his life, while his male disciples scattered. It was she who was brave enough to go to the guarded tomb of a convicted felon and chat with angels, and she who first encountered the risen Christ. She became the Apostle to the Apostles, when she ran, not walked, to the men by proclaiming the good news, “I have seen the Lord.”
With Mary as our example, we can follow our passions with everything within us, fearlessly, no matter what obstacles we encounter.
MY THOUGHTS
3 biblical women struck me the most: Ruth with her "steadfast love", Batsheba who "carried her grief, released it and lived again; and Photini whose "soul was like dry parched land but surprisingly found love to quench her thirst".
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