See, I Am Doing a New Thing!

 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:19

How thrilling to see signs of new life peeking out of our recent snow. Not even our eight inches of the weekend snowfall can deter spring from bursting forth. Our mighty God has set the seasons on due course and spring will prevail. After our long, harsh winter, I'm ready for new life!

One of my favorite things about where I live is how we can see the changing seasons. Each is so distinct, and each is always clothed in the most beautiful of colors--the deep, rich, earthy hues of fall; the glorious greens of summer; the dazzling displays of ice and snow; and the magnificent display of spring colors that shout praises to our God for the new life, the new ways He creates for us. 

God is doing a new thing! Our creator is always up to something new and fresh. Our only problem is that sometimes we don't perceive it. If we are not looking carefully while being keenly sensitive to His Spirit, we might miss what He brings to us. When the busyness of life overwhelms, our eyes are usually focused on all that WE have to do and we may be missing what GOD is already doing. 

Have you sensed God leading you into new territories, new beginnings, a fresh start in your life? Have you felt trapped in the gray, winter-weariness of your routines. Are you missing something new that God wants to do in your life? You can rest assured that God has been busy--even in the midst of some of our sunless days--to bring about opportunities for you to bask in His glorious, life-giving Light. He calls each of us to something new everyday and in every season of our lives. Oh, I do pray that you won't miss what He is doing in your life!

 

He has been busy in my life and in the lives of all our Women to Women writers.  None of us could have guessed a little over a year ago when we started Women to Women all that God would bring into our lives. We've shared with one another personally more about those life-changing events in our lives than what we have posted here. Over the last year we have developed a strong and lasting bond as we encouraged one another and prayed for each other. We have been blessed so much by our 170 faithful followers and our over 13,000 guest visits. Many of your comments have blessed us and our readers equally--some even being challenging and encouraging devotions within themselves. What fantastic followers to grace our site!

Now, we are all seeing God doing something new in our lives. In very different ways, God is calling each of us to new opportunities, new ministries, new direction in our lives. And as any obedient disciple must do, we each must follow where God is leading. God is breaking through some snow in our lives to display the brilliance of a new plan. And we are all excited about His faithful hand that guides us because we rest assured that His plans are always for our good. 

I know that God is calling me to new endeavors. I've taken on several new ministries at my church and I know there are a number of ways I could be of more help to my pastor husband. My immediately family is seeing changes, and I would love to spend more time with those I love, those who need me. I won't speak specifically for our other writers, but I know from their discussions with me, that God is up to new things in their own lives too.

So for this season, we are closing Women to Women. That decision comes not from inactivity here, but from God's amazing activity in other areas of our lives. We can't thank you enough for sharing this journey with us, for opening your hearts to all who would come here for refreshment. You have amazed us with your thoughts and we pray that as you have shared in this ministry, God will show you the fruit He has shown to us. 

I'm ready to brush off this snow, and pick some fresh flowers in God's lush garden of possibilities. I invite you to look where He is moving, to acutely perceive the new thing He wants to bring into your life. 

Thank you for blessing us...thank you for coming here to share YOU with all our guests, thank you for your continued prayers for all who have walked with us as we exalted Christ together. It is simply with a new voice and a new song that we will sing!

Blessings over your day...and the new thing God will bring your way!

Diane Noble

My Times Are In Your Hands

Written by Diane Noble

My times are in Your hands...
Psalms 31:15

Such a simple, but profound verse! Do we believe that God has ordained our days, and that He holds each of them in His hand?  And if we believe that He does, what impact should that have on the way we live them?

Psalm 139:16 says, "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."  Before we even started breathing, God ordained the day we would begin. And He has already ordained the day we will breathe our last breath. Does this thought frighten or comfort you? Does it make any difference to you as you rise up and begin your day, or when you close your eyes at night?

God holds our days and our nights firmly in His grasp. If He cares deeply enough to hold them...to hold us...then He surely cares how we go about each and every day. In thinking about the implications of this verse for my own life, I have determined the following:

•  If God ordained each of my days, then each has specific purpose. My days are not a random chain of events, nor or they directed by whim. God has given them to me with intention. And I believe He desires to show me each day what He would have me do with everyone of my moments.

• If God ordained each of my days, then each is a precious gift. They don't belong to me...not really. While given to me to enjoy, to live abundantly, my purpose is to live them for Him. In essence, I am to give each one back to Him. So I must start each day saying, "Thank you, Father, for the gift of today...how would you like me to use it?" Do you think if you ask God that question, He will answer you? 

• If God ordained each of my days, then each is to reflect Him. I don't know what tomorrow will bring, or if it will even come. I don't know what opportunity given today to reflect Christ will be  removed forever from the rest of my days. I am compelled to shine for Him every moment I have.

• If God ordained each of my days, then each is safely guarded. Why should I worry? At the end of my days, I will be transformed into an eternal being. Time for me will not cease...it will only really begin when I cross over the threshold of this temporal life. If He has every single day ordained, marked out, secured just for me, then doesn't it stand to reason that He will guard every one of them? Will they end before He is ready? Will someone foil His great plan for my life? Unthinkable! My Sovereign Lord holds every day in the palm of His hand. No one can snatch me, or my days from His mighty grip. How utterly freeing is that? 

God gives us each of our days, and He takes us through every season of our lives. Through every storm, we are strengthened. Through every long night, He is our Light. Through every heartache, He is our comfort. Through every maze, He is our compass.

Through moments, through seasons...He is our God. He holds us now, and He will hold us when time is no more. Hallelujah!

A dear friend recently gave me this poem written by her daughter-in-law several years ago. What a heart this woman has to live every one of her ordained days in praise and service to her King. I trust it will bless you like it did me! The poem is based on Ecclesiastes 3.

In everything, there is a reason and a time to every purpose under Heaven.

Lord, You know my time, my reason, You know my purpose. 

Share with me.

A time to be born - let me live.

And a time to die - to myself, my pride.

A time to plant - let it be seeds of love.

And a time to pluck up that which is planted,

To share with others your bounty.

A time to kill - my hate, my greed, my pride.

And a time to heal - quiet my aching heart.

A time to break down - my selfish barriers.

And a time to build up - those around me.

A time to weep - for the times I let You down.

And a time to laugh - for the happiness I find in You.

A time to cast away stones - to turn away from the things that bring me down.

And a time to gather stones together-to draw close to the things that strengthen me.

A time to embrace - to show my love for others.

And a time to refrain from embracing - to share, not to force.

A time to get - thank You for my blessings.

And a time to lose - that I may grow.

A time to keep - the lessons I have learned.

And a time to cast away - memories that have hurt me.

A time to rend - tear me away from the past.

And a time to sew - mend the damage that I may have done.

A time to keep silence - Help me Lord!

And a time to speak - fill me with Your words.

A time to love - let it be Your love.

And a time to hate - all that is not of You.

A time of war - let me be willing to fight for you.

And I time of peace - give me the peace that passes all understanding.

There is a season and a time to every purpose under Heaven.

Let the purpose be YOU and the time be NOW!

---written by Jackie Lou Russell

Unexpected Gifts

 Written by Edith Greene

Through the last few weeks, I was given so many gifts. None came wrapped in pretty packages adorned with ribbon & bows. In fact, some were given and were not really noticed; they were perhaps a little more obscure. Each gift was unexpected. Each gift was given. Yet, each gift could be treasured only if it was recognized and received.

Let me share with you just some of the gifts that I received:

• A list of monthly promises for the year: I looked at them this week – January's promise was God’s presence – “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you (Heb 13:5)” Have you felt God’s presence this past month? His promise does not end just because we have flipped the page on the calendar. His presence will go with us through this month also.The promise for February is for God’s protection – “I am your shield” (Gen 15:1) Ps 121 says, “The Lord watches over you… the Lord will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore”. No matter what comes our way during these next weeks, we can be sure that God is watching over us – He is our shield. What a wonderful assurance to know that we don’t have to fight all our battles on our own strength – He is our shield – He protects us from danger – He protects us from evil in ways that we won’t even realize

• Friends: those who walked with me as I faced uncertainty, loss, or unspeakable joy Ecclesiastes 4:10 says, “If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” What a treasure we have in these kinds of friends!

• Beauty in nature: Did you see the moon in the night lit sky at the end of January? What a picture of stunning beauty. Even though most of us would not see it, God still chose to pour out His splendour and glory across the star-studded sky.

• Grace: given in the form of forgiveness… answered prayer… strength for the moment… James 4:6, “But he gives us more grace.”

• Music: lyrics that lifted me when I was discouraged; words that expressed my love for God when I couldn’t seem to find the words to adequately say what I was feeling

• Scripture: words that flooded over me as a healing balm when my world seems turned upside down. I was standing at the bedside of my mother-in-law in her last moments and our pastor began to read some verses of Scripture. I have never before sensed such an incredible peace flood over me as I soaked up the words he read. What an incredible gift in a moment of deep sorrow.

These are just some of the unexpected gifts that I received these last weeks. I am grateful that God showers us with blessing – He gives and gives and gives – even in the midst of loss, He continues to shower us with blessing. Usually, I’m too self-absorbed to even realize how much I am given. Nevertheless, when I push the “pause button” long enough to turn my attention to Him – to notice what He has given – I am humbled by His lavish love poured out on me.

Questions to Ponder:

1. If you were to take a few minutes to reflect over the last few weeks, what gifts have you been given?
2. Which one of those gifts was like a healing balm for you soul?
3. In what way will you share with others the impact this gift has had on you?

Little Bunny Foo Foo versus the Bushel Basket

Written by Peggy Sue

Little Bunny Foo Foo

Hopping through the forest

Scooping up the field mice

And bopping them on the head.

Harassment versus hiding . . . are these our only choices? I know most of you are probably familiar with that little ditty from childhood. The headlines might read "Mythical Bunny Harasses Local Rodent Population".  I'm sure some of us know Christians who use their Bible to thump people over the heads, coming in with a complete frontal assault that leaves the recipient bewildered and upset.

Then there is the bushel basket approach. "I am saved and I am going to treasure my light but keep it well hidden because . . ."—well, there could be any number of reasons. "People will think I'm not politically correct, not tolerant."  "I'm not eloquent." "I'm not brave." "I'll lose friends."

These two images, the bunny and the bushel basket, came to mind as I was reading the commentary about a woman whose spouse fell from a powerful position, and how she handled the subsequent upheaval with dignity, grace and aplomb.  But there was one statement in this article that struck me like a hammer blow. As they were describing this woman's strong abiding faith, the article emphasized her low-key public approach to her beliefs and used this quotation from an acquaintance, "You could be friends with her for 20 years and she would never bring up the religious stuff."

That's what Christian faith is to many people in this fallen world, just 'religious stuff.' 1 Corinthians 1:18 (NKJ) says, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." Perishing . . . they are perishing. If I am truly friends with someone, if I care about the fallen world, would I care enough about eternity to speak of Jesus Christ? To talk about what He has done for me and what He can do for them? Is that what I would want said of me, that I lived a life of deep, abiding faith, but we were friends for years and I never mentioned it?

Jesus told us to go out into the world and make disciples of all nations in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19). You don't accomplish this mission by keeping all that 'religious stuff' to yourself. Every day we live on this earth, whether the end of the world is a millennium away or a decade, we move one step closer to the final judgment. Do I care enough about my friends to share my faith so they don't end up in the lake of burning fire, condemned to eternal darkness, eternal separation from God?  If I believe that then yes, I will bring up that 'religious stuff' with my friends and those I care about.

All you have to do is share your story. You don't have to be a Bible scholar, pastor or missionary, and you don't have to use a baseball bat or bop folks on the head. Nothing is more powerful a story than what Jesus has done for you personally. "I was lost and Jesus found me. My life changed." Invite friends to church, invite them to a Bible study. The worst they can do is say no. The worst you can do is to never ask. So there is just one question for this particular devotional . . . what would your friends say about you? 

Questions for Your Response:

1. What hinders you from openly and freely sharing your faith with those you know are lost?
2. What makes it easier for you to share your faith? Maybe your method can help someone who struggles in sharing her faith.
3. Is there a difference in living your life before others as a testimony and verbally sharing your testimony?

Never Give Up!

Written by Carin Orth

Growing up I was in Sunday school every Sunday.  I loved the Bible stories my Sunday school teacher, Mrs. Bauer, would teach.  That was back in the days of the flannel graph board… do you all know what I am talking about? I know I am showing my age… times were different then.  One of the stories I found so fascinating was the account of Elijah in the books of First and Second Kings.

Here is a condensed version of Elijah’s story from I Kings 18 and 19… he was a prophet of God.  There was a three year drought in Israel.  God provided for Elijah with water from the brook and food from the birds… not bird food either but meat and bread!  After the water from the brook dried up God sent Elijah to a widow and her son to provide food and water for him.  The lady’s pantry was empty… she only had enough food left to make one biscuit for her and her son before they would starve, but Elijah told her if she would share her food with him the Lord would not let her flour and oil go empty until the drought was over.  She did as she was asked and God did as He promised. 

God then sent Elijah to meet with King Ahab.  This is the part I find so fascinating… Elijah challenged King Ahab and the people of Israel to a “cook-off” of sorts.  They each had a bull to sacrifice… the prophets of Baal called Baal, a false god, to start the fire under their meat on the altar, but of course there was never a spark… no matter how loud Baal’s prophets cried… Baal failed them.  Elijah set up his altar, poured water on the wood and around the altar… twelve barrels of water!  Elijah called the Lord to start the fire and immediately God sent fire that burned up the sacrifice and the altar and even scorched the ground around the altar… God did it in a big way!  God did as He promised.

Queen Jezebel wanted to kill Elijah after his demonstration of the power of God, proving the God was the true God, so Elijah went into the wilderness.  By this time Elijah was feeling tired and weary and just wanted to sit down and die, but God was not done with him yet.  An angel from God came and baked a cake (Is that known as angel food cake?) for Elijah to eat not just once but two different times.  Elijah received strength from that food… enough strength for forty days.  Once again God did as He promised.

Time after time Elijah saw the great miracles God did yet he still felt like just giving up.  I will admit I have those moments too… times when I would just like to hide under the covers and not face the world.  We may not see the same kind of miracles Elijah did but everyday God gives us our own miracles, both big and small.  Like Elijah we become so wrapped up in our own fears and concerns that we forget what God is doing in us and through us and what He has promised to do.   

“Remember the word and promise to Your servant,

in which You have caused me to hope.”  - Psalm 119:49

Are you feeling overwhelmed or discouraged by circumstances in your life?  Are you forgetting what God has already done for you?  In these tough economic times it is hard sometimes to keep looking up.  We need to shut the news off and let God speak to us His Good News… as Christians we are not allowed to give up.  God has so much He wants to do through those times of weakness.  Let your strength and hope be in the Lord.

“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you,

for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’

Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my weaknesses,

that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” - II Corinthians 12:9

I hope this is a bit of encouragement to you, my sisters in Christ… remember we are in this together… resting in His Promises,  Carin Orth

Think about it:

1)   Do you ever feel like giving up?  What do you do to keep yourself from giving up?
2)   Share one of God’s promises you hold dearly?
3)   Read Matthew 6:25-34
4)   Meditate on Philippians 4:19

Lessons Learned (I Hope)

Written by Christy Junge

This past year has been very eventful for my family. At the top of the event list was a move from Alabama to Tennessee. Moves are always very stressful events, add to that stress trying to sell a house in the worst economy we’ve seen in years, and you have a real recipe for an ulcer!

As is always the case, when those trying times in our lives come, God uses them to teach us a lesson. The lesson that I learned was to pray about EVERYTHING!! People kept telling us that we were crazy for moving during these economic times, and that we would never sell our house. We said God can do anything…and we prayed. I prayed like I had never prayed before, everyone we knew prayed, and long story short, we sold our house in four months. We sold it at just the perfect time to be able to buy our house here in Tennessee. The interest rates were at their lowest, and the people we bought our house from had just dropped the price by a huge amount, so we were able to get a much better house than we ever thought possible. God knew what He was doing, and had the plan all along. I still thank God every day for the blessings he bestowed on us.

Once we got moved, and things calmed down, I began to question myself. Why don’t I pray about everything like I prayed about selling that house? Why don’t I pray for my husband and children with the same fervor that I prayed for that house? Why don’t I pray about finding God’s will for my life like I prayed for a mere material possession that could be gone in a moment? So I determined that I was going to start praying with more fervor about the things that are truly important like my family and my spiritual life, but I also determined that I was going to start praying about everything, even the “little” things. Ephesians 6:18 tells us “And pray in the spirit on ALL occasions, with ALL kinds of prayers and requests…” It doesn’t say some occasions, and some requests, it says ALL. 1 Thes. 5:17 tells us to “Pray without ceasing” and Phil. 4:6 tells us “Do not be anxious about anything, but in EVERYTHING by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” How often do we put God in a box? We think that certain things are not important enough to bother God with, or worse, we think that we can handle things on our own. I don’t know about you, but that’s when I really get into trouble. I have come to the conclusion that I can handle NOTHING on my own, and if I try, I will completely mess it up!

So this brings me to the actual story that I wanted to share with you. I needed a new car, mine was old and worn out, but as is the case for most of us, finances were an issue. In the past, I would have put this in the “I can handle this myself category” and not bothered God with such a trivial thing. Then I would have proceeded to find a car I liked, that cost way too much money, taken out a big loan, and then complained for the next 5 years about paying that loan! In my new endeavor to bring everything to God, and really seek His will before doing anything, I began to pray. I looked for several months off and on at cars, each time praying before I went that God would show me His will, and work it out if was meant to be, and not let it happen if it wasn’t meant to be. Each time something didn’t work out, I took that as God’s will, and just kept waiting. After a few months, we got a call from my Grandfather that at the age of 95, he had decided to get rid of his car. This car was the proverbial “only been driven to church on Sundays” car, and even though it was older in years, it was almost new in miles. Still I kept praying that God would work it out only if it was His will. Wouldn’t you know, He did. I ended up with a much better car that I ever dreamed, at a price I could actually afford. Isn’t it amazing what God will do if we will seek His will, and then are willing to wait on His timing!

Matthew 7:7-8 says “Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” Does this mean that we will get everything we ask for? Certainly not, but God does promise that when we truly seek His will, He will reveal it to us. Sometimes the answer is not what we want to hear, it may be no, or it may be wait, but I have been shown over and over that beyond any doubt, God always knows best. If we are willing to let Him, He will provide for us in ways much better than we could ever imagine! Take some time truly seeking Him today, and see what blessings you will find!

Food for thought:

1) Do you pray about everything, or just the “big” things?

2) Do you pray as much about the truly important things in life as you do about the material things of this world?

3) And here’s the hard part…Are you willing to wait on God’s answer? His timeline rarely matches up with our own, how many blessings do we miss because we are too impatient to wait on Him?

4) And finally, and this is another hard one, Are you willing to accept God’s answer if it’s not what you want to hear? We must always remember, God knows best, if His answer is no, He has a reason for saying no, and we must trust Him.

The Best Laid Plans

                                                                                 by Jane Haas

Once there was a couple from the east who planned an extensive, month-long camping vacation to sightsee through all the national parks west of the Mississippi River. They packed their Jeep with luggage filled with clothes and coolers filled with water and food. They connected and programmed their GPS unit. They secured their bicycles on the bike rack. They packed their binoculars and cameras in their backpacks. They had all the necessities—flashlights, tent, sleeping bags, water jugs, matches, insect repellant, and more. Their goal was to see Mt. Rushmore, then Yellowstone, and then continue their journey, seeing all the beautiful parks before returning to show and tell their students God’s awesome creations in the Fall.

The couple overcame a few challenges along the way including a flat tire, a hail storm in the mountains, and a visit to the ER because of a spider bite. They focused on the adventure of seeing new sites, bicycling in mountainous settings, and meeting people from all over the world.  They enjoyed their trip despite the bumps in the road.  Before leaving the Grand Canyon, fellow campers warned them to avoid one of the highways in the southwest because of a massive rock slide. Listening to that warning, the couple changed their route and eventually returned to the east without any bad consequences. They thanked the Lord for their adventure-packed journey, and for His better plan He revealed for their vacation.

Have you ever had your plans go awry? Or not according to your schedule?

Let’s look at a journey made long ago, recorded in Matthew 2:1-8. In the year or two after baby Jesus was born, the magi from Arabia (astronomers, magicians, scientists) had studied the skies and “saw His star” (Numbers 24:17), a miraculous event, a best laid plan straight from God Himself! The brightest star that ever appeared in the sky was a sign pointing the magi to a true “epiphany” or revelation. The magi packed what they needed, remembering to include their best gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh for the newborn King. They saddled their camels and left their homes to follow the path led by the bright star. When they arrived in Jerusalem, they visited King Herod to inquire about the new King’s location. Herod’s chief priests directed the magi to Bethlehem, since the prophet Micah had written that the “ruler who will shepherd My people Israel” would come from Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).” Herod’s plan, when he sent the magi to Bethlehem to find the newborn king, wasn’t to worship Jesus—it was to kill Jesus. Herod feared that his rule would be challenged! He didn’t want any other king invading his territory. He hoped the magi would let him know where little Jesus and his family were. But God had a better plan!

The magi continued their journey, as recorded in Matthew 2:9-11. The brightest star guided the magi from Herod’s throne room to the house where Joseph, Mary, and Jesus lived after they left the stable in Bethlehem where Jesus was born. God led the magi to “rejoice exceedingly with great joy” and they “fell down and worshiped Him.” God revealed to the magi that Jesus was more than an earthly, human king. He was God made Man, the King sent by God as the Savior of all humankind. The magi gave King Jesus their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

On each January 6^th, some Christians commemorate the Festival of Epiphany, the revelation/appearance/manifestation of God made Man in Jesus—God’s showing King Jesus to the non-Jewish people through the visit of the magi.

God’s best laid plan included keeping Jesus safe, as recorded in Matthew 2:12-23. God warned the magi in a dream not to return to Herod to let him know where Jesus was. By keeping Herod in the dark about Jesus’ location, God’s plan allowed time for Jesus and His family to travel to Egypt. After Herod’s death, God’s plan included the family’s move to Nazareth, where Jesus grew up and later began His ministry.

What does this mean for you and me? Day by day, we don’t know where God is leading us. Maybe we’re challenged with the loss of a job. An illness. A broken relationship. Fear and self-doubt. Grieving the loss of a loved one. Financial hardship. Or a flat tire when we really needed to be somewhere! Amid all the negatives, we can always be thankful for God’s blessings in our lives, especially His living Word! One thing is for sure: God our Father loves us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to be born for us, to grow up to die on the cross for all our sins, to come alive on the first Easter Day, so that we don’t have to pay for our sins. He has done it all for us! We can be sure that God is always with us, and that His plans are always for our good.

God’s plans for you and for me: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to proper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). What better plans could there be for us?

God’s desires for you and for me: “Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to You. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD … (vs. 12-14). As you listen to God, what plans and desires do you hear Him telling you? How can we become even better listeners and followers of His Word?

The birth of Christ fulfilled God’s promise of a ruler from Bethlehem, a shepherd for His people. What a wonderful plan our heavenly Father has for us, as sheep of His flock and as children of His family!

Read and reflect: Matthew 2; Micah 5:2; Ezekiel 34:23; John 21:15-17

A prayer starter: Dear loving heavenly Father, You love me so much that You gave Jesus as a Savior for me! You’re with me every day, leading me and showing me Your paths. Help me to pray with Jesus, “Your will be done,” and help me to follow where You lead. Your plans are best for me … Amen.