Women of the Word Blog

By June Evans

A physical therapist told me that the key to health and body strength is to have a strong core. The core, the part of the body between shoulders and legs must be kept strong for the organs of life reside in the core.

You have a spiritual core. Your core is what you really do believe. The core is not evident in the good times of life. Tribulation and trouble reveal your core. Your spiritual core should be your commitment to God’s truth. The word of God is truth. God always tells the truth because He cannot lie. The trouble with truth is that life gets in the way. Tribulation occurs, and life seemingly is not going to work. Life is not going according to your “playbook.” If this happens you must have a core of commitment to truth, not to the tribulation you are experiencing.    A core of commitment means that it is inconceivable to your thinking that God’s word will fail, that God would have told you a lie, or that God would fail you. God will never betray you or let you down. His word cannot fail. That core must be in you when trouble comes. So build the strength of truth in your core and entrust your life to God.

The apostle Paul wrote about his core belief: “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day” (II Timothy 1:12). Know whom you have believed. Be persuaded that He is keeping you, and things will work out exactly as He has already told you they would. That core will hold you steady during the rough times of life. Worked for the apostle Paul. Works for me. It will work for you.

June Evans is Pastoral Advisor to Women of the Word and will be speaking at the Spring WOW “Grace and Truth” conference April 10 – 12. Join us there to strengthen your spiritual core! Registration information.

By Betsy Roy

“…all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the LORD, for it is an awesome thing that I will do with you!” Exodus 34: 10c

We can all agree that it has been a very long, cold and hard winter in many parts of the US. Today is the official start of spring on the calendar – March 20th! Yet, we see little evidence of it, especially here in the Northeast where there is still snow on the ground and the forecast says more is coming later today. However, there have been a few days above freezing and with that a lot of snow did melt. Last week something appeared in my backyard as the snow melted. Part of it is still covered by snow but right now it is a “cross”.  It is up an embankment across from a stream but I spotted it as I looked out my kitchen window.

What are you saying LORD? You are always with me? You will never leave me nor forsake me? You indwell me? You are thinking of me? You are protecting our land, home and family? All of this is true – amen! But, I sensed there was a deeper meaning and so I have been pondering over it.  Under the blanket of snow I could not see that cross. It only appeared when melting began. So it is with the formation of the LORD’s character in us. As the ice and hardness of our hearts melts in the warmth of HIS presence, the hidden man of the heart, CHRIST JESUS, begins to emerge. As we take our stuff, attitudes, and self-life to the cross we begin to change, conform, and reflect HIS image. Hallelujah!

Years ago Bette Midler sang a song that had some lyrics along these lines – Just remember in the winter, far beneath the bitter snow, lies the seed that with the sun’s love in the spring becomes a rose. We have a seed within us – a spirit – that with the SON’s love becomes more than a rose! It becomes the reflection of the life of Christ! It is an indestructible life – Praise God! Yes, this earthly life has difficulties, temptations, struggles and many disappointments. I am not minimizing the pain of loss, nor the hurts experienced in this life. We all face them in various degrees and at various times. But, HIS life in me causes me to become an overcomer, just like Jesus!  My job is to submit and be patient in the process. He is doing a work in me and through me even when I can’t see it. And, HE is doing it in and through YOU also! It is an awesome work!! And others will see it and give HIM praise! His WORD tells us so!

Yes, the winter has been long! But it’s time to shake off the winter duldrums and spring into the life God has for us in Christ Jesus! Raise your expectation and declare the Lord’s promise over yourself, your family, your church, and your circle of friends – “…all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the LORD, for it is an awesome thing that I will do with you!” Exodus 34: 10c

Raise your level of expectation! Join me and hundreds of women at the Spring WOW April 10 – 12 in Portland, Maine. Together we will experience the beginnings of all the awesome things God will do with us! God is desirous of sharing Himself with you! Let’s hear HIS invitation and come! There will be uplifting praise and worship, powerful teaching and ministry, prayer, fellowship, laughter, and probably some tears too. Tears are cleansing so they are good and God sees every one! I can’t wait to welcome you and see you there! Register today. 

Join in our Conference Call with Dr. Lynn Lucas on Monday March 23 at 8 pm Eastern Time and be inspired as she shares about the awesome things God will do with you and Women of the Word.

By Barbara Benton

Did I ever mention that I have a granddaughter named Madison? I know, I know – only 10,000 times! Madison is almost ten years old and brings such joy and laughter to us. Michael, our son, was in the Ph.D. program at the University of Wisconsin, so Madison spent the first three years of her life in Madison, WI. While in Wisconsin, Michael’s family lived in a small two-bedroom apartment with one tiny bathroom. When Madison would visit us, she would run around my house, or she would follow me from room to room. One day she looked at me and said, “You have a big house!” Actually, Gaylon and I don’t have a big house at all. Madison’s comment was based on her perspective of what she was experiencing in her life at that time.

Let’s fast forward to Madison’s third birthday which she spent with us in Alabama. They were actually moving to Baton Rouge, LA, where Michael took a position as an assistant professor at LSU. We went with them to Baton Rouge to  move into their brand new home. It was a nice, two-story home with two and one-half baths. It was so much fun to watch Madison run around in the large empty rooms! After we finished the move, Gaylon and I headed back to Alabama.

Several months later, Madison was visiting us again and following me around my house. She said, “Granny, your house is kind of small.” She made me laugh out loud. She was again basing the size of my house on her perspective of how she was experiencing life at the time.

Perspective is Everything!

Have you ever felt as if life was like an oven turned up to 500 degrees and you were inside? In times of great testing, it may seem as if God has gone on vacation without leaving a telephone number where you can reach Him. The thing I have to guard against is judging everything by what I am experiencing at the moment. It seems as though I am either basking in the sweetness of God’s grace or sweating on the hot seat of challenging circumstances. Life seems to bounce between the two. How about for you?

We have a tendency to see things from an earthly perspective, while God sees things from a heavenly perspective.  Alan Redpath stated,

“There is nothing—no circumstance, no trouble, no testing—that can ever touch me until, first of all, it has gone past God and past Christ right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with a great purpose, which I may not understand at the moment.”

God is always at work in our lives – ALWAYS. We see the beginning, while He sees the beginning and the end. He sees the completed puzzle, whereas we see a stack of puzzle pieces lying all over the place, not knowing where each piece is supposed to fit. Our lives at times seem like the underside of a tapestry. There are lots of threads that have no rhyme or reason, colors running together, chaos.  When the tapestry is turned over one can see that every thread had a purpose in completing the picture.

Perspective is everything!

Isaiah 55:8 – “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

Barbara Benton is a speaker for Women of the Word.  Thank you Barbara for sharing your blog with us. Join us at the Spring WOW April 10 – 12 to hear her teach and minister in person. She is powerful and you will be blessed! Don’t miss the early bird deadline of March 20 to save some money. Register today!

Women of the Word is dedicating to transforming women into Christ’s image through the teaching of His Word and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. WOW offers inter-denominational, inter-generational, and inter-cultural events in the form of conferences, retreats, and one-day seminars. Our speakers are anointed and teach life application of biblical truths in relevant ways. You may laugh and you may cry, but your heart will be touched as God speaks to you.

Isaiah 54 is our theme scripture. Many women experience barrenness at various times in their life. This barrenness may be physical, but it can also be spiritual and emotional. God wants to teach us that when we live life according to His Word, He will water these barren places and cause them to become fruitful. He has purpose for us and we can learn to sing even in barren places.

God’s purpose for us is that we become transformed into the image of His Son and then reflect that image to the world. He wants to use each of us –  at home, in the workplace, in the community,  in the marketplace, and in the church. He tells us to enlarge the place of our habitation (dwelling place) and to stretch out and not hold back. He is for us!!

God wants us to affect the next generation. Our walk with Him is not just about us. It is also about our descendants. God has a plan for them too! He promises to teach them and to give them great peace. They will possess nations! Women, let’s be such lovers of Jesus that the next generations will see the Word made flesh in us and run after Him. Let’s live out what the Bible teaches. This brings blessing to us and to our children and their children.

God encourages us to “fear not”! He is our husband and our Redeemer. Whatever shame may be in our past will be forgotten. Perhaps we looked for love in all the wrong places. We thought that our job, our marriage, our children, or our ministry would complete us. God shows us that we are only complete in Christ!

God has compassion on us with an everlasting love. He has called us! We have a future  as we yield our lives to Him and set our hearts on following Him. He is in covenant relationship with us and His steadfast love will not depart no matter what! What a promise! We will be blessed and we can also be a blessing!

Join us at WOW and bring your friends. It’s about relationship with Jesus and relationship with one another. God bless you !

www.women-of-the-word.net

Are YOU coming to the spring WOW?  Did you get the promo card in the mail this week? Contact us for cards and posters to share!   We’re here to help! Check our website, email us with questions or call the WOW office at 413.525.1804.