SET APART MAGAZINE | No. 36

From the Founder

Amy Carmichael wrote, “To anyone who is under trial, give Him time to steep the soul in His eternal truth … and, as surely as dawn follows night, there will break upon the heart a sense of certainty that cannot be shaken.”1 I have found this principle to be true countless times in my own life. I pray that the words within these pages will freshly steep your soul in His eternal truth. In a world of uncertainty, it is so wonderful to remember that we stand upon an unshakable foundation in Jesus Christ!

Leslie

About Leslie Ludy

FOUNDER & DIRECTOR OF SET APART GIRL

Leslie is a bestselling author and speaker with a passion for helping women become set apart for Christ. She and her husband, Eric, are the authors of nearly 30 books that have been translated into over a dozen languages around the world, including their widely known classic, When God Writes Your Love Story. Leslie’s bestselling books for women include Authentic Beauty, Set Apart Femininity, and The Set Apart Woman. Leslie and her husband Eric live in Colorado with their six children. The Ludys train Christians in Gospel-centered living through their powerful discipleship programs at the Ellerslie Campus in Windsor, Colorado. Learn more at: www.ellerslie.com and www.setapartgirl.com.

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart, naught be all else to me, save that Thou art. Thou my best thought, by day or by night, waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my wisdom and Thou my true Word; I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord; Thou my great Father and I, Thy true son; Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my buckler, my sword for the fight. Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight, Thou my soul's shelter, Thou my high tower. Raise Thou me heavenward, O power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor vain empty praise; Thou mine inheritance, now and always. Thou and Thou only, first in my heart, Ruler of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, when victory is won may I reach Heaven's joys, O bright Heaven's Sun! Heart of my heart, whatever befall, still be my vision, O Ruler of all.

MARY E. BYRNE, "BE THOU MY VISION." 1905.

"

Be Thou my vision,O Lord of my heart, naught be all else to me, save that Thou art."

FROM THE HEART OF OUR TEAM:

What is one way you keep Jesus ever before you in a world of uncertainty?

Leslie Ludy FOUNDER, DIRECTOR, & WRITER

For many years, a key discipline of my soul has been to stop asking the question “How do I feel about this?” and instead ask “What does God say about this?” When something disturbing or disconcerting happens, it’s very easy to immediately consult my emotions or be swayed by the opinions of other people. But I have found that when I practice turning immediately to the Word of God and diligently seeking His truth, I become equipped to face the world, the future, and my own circumstances with faith and not fear. Building my reality upon His truth is the only thing that equips me to see the uncertainty in the world through a heavenly (not earthly) lens … and that changes everything!

Annie Wesche

CREATIVE DIRECTOR, DESIGNER, & WRITER

These simple song lyrics from childhood resound in my heart: “He’s got the whole world in His hands.” As we watch the world sink deeper into darkness and depravity, hear the foreboding around us of what's on the horizon, and ache over the suffering and confusion in so many hearts, I am anchored and deeply comforted when I remember that my God is … GOD. There is nothing outside of His mighty governance. There’s not a single thing that comes as a surprise to Him. He is not stretched thin. He is not overworked or distracted. He is present in it all. He rules and reigns over it all. His Gospel still saves, His power still overcomes, and His truth still sets free. And, whatever may come, I find great rest, peace, and joy in knowing that I am His and He is mine.

Sarah Mockler

MANAGING EDITOR & WRITER

Celebrating light is one way we can actively push back the ever-encroaching darkness that pollutes our world. No matter what the media may say, God is at work advancing His Kingdom and His truth is still marching on. He will shine His righteousness. He will execute justice. He will wipe the tears from our eyes. Let’s get behind what God is pushing forward — sinners coming to salvation, a godly couple entering into marriage, the persecuted Church burning brightly for Jesus, a baby’s birth, the glory of springtime. These seemingly small victories loudly proclaim God’s goodness. May we celebrate with highest praise and be reminded of these words, “…In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33b, emphasis added).

Mandy Saeler

CONTENT CURATOR & WRITER

Focus on the truth of God over and above the looming uncertainty. Elisabeth Elliot said, “Unfortunately, we’ve got a lot of Christians who don’t saturate themselves in this Book. They saturate themselves with what comes at them from the world. … The world is bludgeoning us with nonsense, with garbage, with rubbish. And we all know this.”1 Nearly 50 years later, her message remains relevant because the ways of the world haven’t changed! What are we to do? Filter everything through the foundational truth of God’s Word. “What is my aim as a Christian? God’s agenda. The will of God. To please God; to do what He wants me to do. To trust and obey.”2 In the midst of the unrest and doomsday predictions swirling around us, this certainly simplifies things, doesn’t it?

8CLINGING TO THE VINE Grasping the Secret to Vibrant Christianity by Leslie Ludy

Featured Content

BATTLEGROUND FOR THE BODY Rejecting Self-Glorification and Embracing God's Design by Jasmin Howell

TO KNOW HIM AS... Testimonies of the Faithful, Unchanging Character of God by the Set Apart Team

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GOD-CENTERED RELATIONSHIPS Special Q&A Answered by Leslie Ludy

58

GLEANING WISDOM A Gathered Harvest of Counsel from Godly, Older Women by Special Guest Contributors

A HEART OF WELCOME Practicing Hospitality in All Seasons by Lauren Robertson

Unless otherwise noted, photography by Bigstock, istock, Unsplash, Pexels, or Lightstock.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is taken from the New King James Version® copyright© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

John 15:5

Clinging to the vine vine

GRASPING THE SECRET TO VIBRANT CHRISTIANITY

by LESLIE LUDY

early one summer morning, I stood in line at a bustling local coffee shop waiting to place my drink order. As I waited, I absentmindedly glanced at a nearby bulletin board where various flyers and business cards were dangling from thumbtacks. One flyer caught my eye. It advertised a weekly Bible study that was open to the public and had a unique approach to recruiting new members.

“Only come if you are ready to finally be honest that your spiritual life is a mess and always will be!”

I studied the flyer more closely, realizing that I knew the hosts of this particular Bible study — a husband and wife who were openly caustic toward the idea of victorious Christianity. Through conversations with them, Eric and I had learned that they had tried, and failed, to live up to the standard of Scripture. As a result, they had become convinced that it wasn’t actually possible to be free from the controlling power of sin and that it

was unrealistic and foolish to expect anything more. So now they were proclaiming a defeated version of Christianity and influencing others to do the same.

Sadly, theirs is not an unusual story. Today, defeated Christianity is often not only accepted, but applauded — while victorious Christianity is viewed as an unachievable fairytale. In fact, Christians who desire to go after something more in their walk with Christ commonly feel ostracized or criticized by fellow believers.

But is it supposed to be this way?

Early in our marriage, Eric and I grappled intensely with that question. We read Scriptures such as:

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ… 2 Corinthians 2:14

…do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.

Romans 6:12

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness…

Galatians 5:22

And there were so many other verses! We wanted those victorious words to reflect the reality of our lives. We longed to have consistent victory over sin and live out a vibrant, joy-filled, peace-filled Christian walk, but there were a myriad of obstacles in our way.

The pressures of life and ministry, as well as cynicism from and defeat of other Christians, had taken their toll and caused us to occasionally wonder if we might be chasing a fairytale after all.

In the midst of our inner struggle, we stumbled across tremendous encouragement from Hudson Taylor’s biography. Hudson Taylor, known as "the father of faith missions," was a world-changing, vibrant Christian who built his life and ministry upon the victorious promises found in God’s Word. But it hadn’t always been that way.

Early in his Christian walk, Hudson Taylor was controlled by doubt, discouragement, and defeat. It was only when he awakened to a critical truth from God’s Word that his spiritual breakthrough came — the principle of abiding in Christ. He began to experientially understand the reality of “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27b). Just as a healthy branch clings tightly to the vine, Hudson began to cling to Christ alone as his spiritual life source — and it brought him from defeat to victory. He wrote,

WE WANTED THOSE VICTORIOUS WORDS TO REFLECT THE REALITY OF OUR LIVES.

It was in blessed reality, "Christ liveth in me." And how great the difference! — instead of bondage, liberty; instead of failure, quiet victories within; instead of fear and weakness, a restful sense of sufficiency in Another.1

Reading Hudson Taylor’s testimony reminded us that vibrant, victorious, fruitful, joy-filled Christianity was not only possible, it was God’s intention for us through Jesus Christ.

Even though other Christians scoffed at the idea of victory, we began to pursue it with all our heart. And

we discovered the same breakthrough that Hudson Taylor described — not by trying to rise up to God’s standard in our own human willpower, but by learning to abide in Jesus Christ and letting Him live the victorious life in and through us that we could never live on our own.

It wasn’t that we never struggled with sin or temptation again, but now we had the spiritual tools to say no to sin’s controlling power. And what a life-changing difference it made!

learning to Abide in Jesus Christ

1. Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor, Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret (Louisville: GLH Publishing, 2018), 164.

cynic

legalist

Choosing Our Response

When we catch a vision for what God intended Christianity to be and how He intended us to live, there are three distinct ways we can respond.

Option #1 Become a Cynic

It’s a familiar scenario. A Christian sees the epic commands and promises in Scripture and tries to live up to them. When he realizes he can’t, he assumes that God never intended for him to walk in victory in the first place. He resigns himself to being under the thumb of sin’s control and reinvents his doctrine to fit his own experience. He accepts a sloppy version of Christian living, taking on the attitude, “I’m a mess, you’re a mess, and we’ll always be messes — but at least we are finally being honest about it.”

Option #2 Become a Legalist

On the opposite end of the spectrum is the Christian who tries to rise up to the high standards of Scripture by sheer determination, discipline, and willpower. This type of Christian quickly becomes enslaved to self-imposed rules, believing that the only way to live a successful Christian life is to shroud herself in humanly constructed restrictions. She places her trust in a list of dos and don’ts, rather than in Jesus Christ.

If you have ever become either a cynic or a legalist in your Christian life, you know neither response brings true joy, peace, or freedom. In fact, the opposite is true. But there is another response that many of us

overlook when pondering the epic call to victorious living that we see in Scripture.

Option #3 Become a Branch

Elisabeth Elliot said it well: “…God never issued instructions that He is not prepared to enable us to follow.”2 And with what does He equip us? Himself. Jesus gives us a very simple and straightforward answer to the question of how to live out the impossible calling He has given us. He says: Abide in Me

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5, emphasis added).

On our own, triumphant Christianity is impossible to achieve, any more than a branch is able to produce fruit while laying detached from the vine on the ground. But when we are in Christ and He is in us, our Christian life can flourish without striving and effort, simply because we are connected to the Vine. Christ Himself becomes our spiritual life source. This is what Paul meant when he said, “…it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13, emphasis added).

Hudson Taylor wrote, “The branch of the vine does not worry, and toil, and rush here to seek sunshine, and there to find rain. No; it rests in union and communion with the vine … Let us so abide in the Lord Jesus.”3

CHRIST HIMSELF BECOMES OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE SOURCE.

Corrie ten Boom described the principle of abiding in Christ another way, using the analogy of a hand in a glove: “I have a glove here in my hand. The glove cannot do anything by itself, but when my hand is in it, it can do many things. True, it is not the glove, but my hand in the glove that acts. We are gloves. It is the Holy Spirit in us who is the hand, who does the job. We have to make room for the hand so that every finger is filled.”4

I in Christ, and Christ in me. This is the secret to a Christian life that actually works. Abiding means refusing to disconnect from the Vine, refusing to depart from your Life Source — Jesus Christ. It means letting Him live and operate through your life, enabling you to do what you could never accomplish on your own — just as the glove can only move and act when it is occupied by the hand, and just as the branch can only produce through the life of the vine.

To “abide” literally means to endure, remain, dwell, continue, and stay … in Jesus. Anything good that flows from our lives can come only from a place of abiding in Him, of letting His life and power flow through us.

Andrew Murray put it this way: "However strong the branch becomes … all its beauty and all its fruitfulness ever depend upon that one point of contact where it grows out of the vine. So be it with us too.”5

Becoming aBranch

Making It Practical

I’d like to share some biblical keys to strengthening that critical point of contact in your own life — your connection to Jesus Christ as your Vine.

Oswald Chambers once said, “There is no condition of life in which we cannot abide in Jesus.”6 That statement is biblical and true, but in today’s fast-paced and self-focused world, abiding in Christ can feel out of reach and even impossible. The enemy of our soul whispers many clever excuses in our ear to hinder us from clinging to Christ as our Vine.

If you are a mother of young children, the enemy will tell you that you are too tired and busy to cultivate your relationship with Jesus Christ. If you are battling a health issue, he will tell you that you don’t have the mental or physical strength to pursue a deeper relationship with Christ. If you are under stress and pressure, he will tell you that you should wait until things calm down before you go after more of Jesus. If you are in a difficult relationship situation, he will tell you that you are too emotionally weighed down and preoccupied to draw near to God.

And the list goes on.

These excuses sound reasonable and even wise. But Jesus said, “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered…” (Jn. 15:6a). When we disconnect from the Vine, we spiritually wither and die.

If sin and defeat (e.g., fear, doubt, addictions, etc.) have a hold in your life, Jesus is ready to equip you

4. Corrie ten Boom, Each New Day (Chicago: F.H. Revell, 1977), May 15.

5. Andrew Murray, Holy in Christ (London: James Nisbet & Co., 1888), 279–280.

6. Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest (Uhrichsville: Barbour Books, 1963), June 12.

"THERE IS NO CONDITION OF LIFE IN WHICH WE CANNOT ABIDE IN JESUS."

— OSWALD CHAMBERS

with His freedom and power, but it doesn’t happen by accident. We must choose to abide in Him every moment of every day. This only happens when we cease from fitting Him into our lives, and instead build our lives around Him

Jesus told a parable about a man who prepared a lavish banquet feast and invited all of his friends to come and partake of it. But everyone who was invited came up with an excuse for why he couldn’t attend:

“But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come’” (Lk. 14:18–20).

To each of these men, their excuses seemed completely justifiable. But they were passing up the most exquisite banquet feast they would ever experience — and we often do the same.

Each day, Jesus has prepared a spiritual banquet for us. He is ready to offer us every bit of wisdom, joy, peace, perspective, courage, comfort, and love that we could ever need. He is ready to fill us with all that He is. This is the essence of the abiding life. Yet how often do we say, “I have something more important to do, I cannot come”?

Are there any excuses that are keeping you from His banquet table today? Busyness, distraction, tiredness, personal pursuits? Ask for grace to overcome those excuses and cling to Christ with the same tenacity with which a branch clings to its vine.

There is not a formula for the abiding life. Abiding in Christ is a posture of soul. It means cultivating a continual dependence upon and availability to Him. And it’s made up of many small decisions throughout every day to not merely fit Him into our lives, but build our lives around Him.

Steps to the abiding Life

I would like to share a few practical steps that have personally helped me remain clinging tightly to Christ as my Vine, even in the hustle and bustle of daily life. I hope they will do the same for you.

» Find a quiet place, even if it is a closet or the corner of a dorm room to create an environment of stillness.

» Silence distractions (e.g., device notifications) so you can truly have a quiet heart before Him. Ask Him to speak to you in your innermost being.

» If you cannot get away from noise (e.g., you are a mom with young children), be purposeful to keep the gaze of your soul on Him, even as you are serving others.

» Journal your prayers and pour out your heart to Him. Share your struggles, fears, needs, and longings. He is the best listener we will ever have.

» Don’t be dependent upon emotions. Make Him a priority whether or not you have a strong spiritual high. Abiding in Him is not dependent upon feelings; it is a decision founded on faith.

» Practice turning to Him the very moment something difficult occurs (no matter how small), even if it’s just in the quietness of your own heart. As Amy Carmichael said, “Our loving Lord is not just present, but nearer than thought can imagine, so near that a whisper can reach Him.”7

» Talk to Him during daily pauses instead of automatically scrolling on your phone or doing other mindless activities.

» Limit time on social media, mindless texting, and other time-wasters so you have more time to be in His presence.

» Listen to audio Scripture, sermons, and Christian biographies throughout the day to fill your mind with His truth.

» Memorize key verses and repeat them throughout the day whenever you have a moment’s pause. Remember, Jesus is the Word of God who became flesh. When you meditate on His Word, you are meditating on who He is.

» Take it a step further and place key Scriptures in strategic places around your house, in your car, etc. in order to look at them often and be reminded of His truth.

» “Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it,”8 as Corrie ten Boom said — even if it means making sacrifices in other areas.

» Bookend your day with small nuggets of powerful truth. (e.g., classic devotionals such as: My Utmost for His Highest, Daily Light, Streams in the Desert, and Parables of the Cross are rich with powerful, bite-sized truths from His Word.)

Understanding His Heart

As we are seeking to enter into the abiding life with Christ, it’s critical that we realize that our desire for a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ is not one-sided. Jesus is not scowling at us in disapproval, annoyed that we aren’t “there yet” when it comes to the abiding life. Rather, He is gently, lovingly, tenderly, and longingly inviting us into a place of deeper intimacy with Him. He is ready and eager to fill us with all that He is.

During the last supper, Jesus offered communion to His disciples as a symbol of the covenant relationship He desired to enter into with them. It was a precious, sacred, intimate bond between the King of all kings and those called to be His disciples. And Jesus made an astounding and beautiful statement about this significant act: “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you…” (Lk. 22:15).

He longs for unhindered fellowship with us, just as we long for fellowship with Him — with fervent desire.

Jesus tells us, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Rev. 3:20).

He is standing at the door knocking, eager and ready to enter into intimate fellowship with us. And the moment we open the door to Him, He will come in and fill us with all that He is. So let’s respond to His invitation with a wholehearted yes!

. . .

The victorious Christian life is not a fairytale, nor is it only for a small handful of super-spiritual and special believers. It is available to each of us when we are willing to cling to the Vine and let His supernatural life flow through us. What an amazing privilege.

Abiding, not striving nor struggling; looking off unto Him; trusting Him for present power; … resting in the love of an almighty Savior, in the joy of a complete salvation…9

— Hudson Taylor

GETTING TO KNOW LESLIE

A blessing from 2022: Watching my children have some amazing life experiences and reach significant milestones in their creative and athletic development!

A hero of the faith that has deeply impacted your life: Amy Carmichael has been like a spiritual mentor to me since I was in my late teens through her books and biographies. She lived her entire life with a passionate devotion to Christ, and her example inspires me year after year in my own walk with Him.

Hard back, e-reader, or audiobook? As a busy mother of six, audiobooks are hands-down the most practical way for me to get in some reading. Through audiobooks I am able to dive into biographies and other impactful books that I never would have time for otherwise.

resting in LoveHis & Joy

toHimknow as...

OUR TEAM SHARES PERSONAL TESTIMONIES OF EXPERIENCING THE FAITHFUL, UNCHANGING CHARACTER OF OUR GOD.

Provider to know Him as

by ANNIE WESCHE

her hand reached up into the cupboard and pulled down the jar designated for grocery money. As she peered inside, I saw a flash of anxious concern on her face. The jar was empty. Unaware that my young eyes were watching her, my mum set the jar back up onto the shelf, closed the cupboard door, and turned around. Any expression of anxiety was gone and a small, trusting smile rested on her face which grew wider the moment her eyes met with mine.

My mum was a praying woman. She taught me to bring every need to the Lord — humbly, earnestly, and expectantly — and to never be timid in asking big things of God or in bringing Him the smallest of things. In that moment, she didn’t hide the need from me. She shared that we were a bit short on grocery money for the remainder of the month and invited me to join her in asking God to provide.

Later that day, Mum came in from the mailbox with wet cheeks, eyes glistening with tears, and an overflowing love for the One who had faithfully provided for us once again. Resting on top of the mail had been an envelope of cash! Only three of us knew of the empty jar — Mum, myself, and our God. But God had stirred someone’s heart to meet our need, even before we had come to Him with it!

It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.

Isaiah 65:24

This moment in our family’s story of faith was just one of many that laid a strong foundation in my life for knowing God as our Provider. And as I’ve grown into adulthood and the needs have grown far greater, I have continued to see His astonishing, loving, timely, and purposeful provision.

When I was finishing high school, our family lost our home, and we found ourselves unsure of where we would live. After weeks of going to our knees each night to ask the Lord for His help, His provision came through an invitation to live in and care for a million-dollar mountain home! God’s answer not only met our need — above and beyond — but the home He provided for us also served as an amazing place of ministry for others in their own seasons of need.

*

When my dear mum was walking through her battle with brain cancer, the financial needs rapidly piled up. Our only hope to meet them was in God’s promise to provide for our needs. One day, someone sent us a check for $10,000 to use wherever we had need … with the encouragement to use some of it

for making sweet memories with Mum during that time! It was far beyond anything we would have thought to ask for, and we were overcome by God’s goodness through the generous, compassionate heart of another.

This past year, I found myself under a weight of debt that I had been laboring to pay down for several years. I sought out a godly couple at church for their counsel and began fervently making it a matter of prayer. I was taking steps to take on some extra work and tightening my budget further, but God met my efforts with His astounding lovingkindness and mercy when people within the Body of Christ came forward to pay it off in full!

Beyond the material and financial needs I have faced, I have also seen God give me needed courage, discernment, wisdom, joy, hope, guidance, strength, words, grace, and creativity — teaching me that wherever I have need, He is my Provider. And so far, I have yet to find the boundaries of His supply!

In Genesis 22:14, God introduces us to His name Jehovah-Jireh, which means The Lord Will Provide. When Abraham was about to sacrifice his son out of obedience to the Lord, God stepped forward with His timely provision — a ram in the thicket as a substitute sacrifice. What a sobering and epic moment for God to reveal Himself as our Provider and a profound foreshadowing of the provision of God’s own Son, Jesus, to be the sacrificial Lamb provided to pay the penalty of our sin.

WHEREVER I HAVE NEED, HE IS MY PROVIDER. AND SO FAR, I HAVE YET TO FIND THE BOUNDARIES OF HIS SUPPLY!

Something I long to train my heart to better remember in moments of need is this: God has already provided for our greatest need — paying the debt of our sin through His own Son, that in believing upon Christ as our Savior, we obtain His forgiveness of our sins and receive eternal life! If He has already provided for the greatest need we shall ever have, would He not also be willing and able to meet all the lesser needs we will undoubtedly face in this earthly life? (See Romans 8:32.) And as He has made a way for us to enter into a personal, intimate relationship with Himself, would He not then also delight to care for those He has created, chosen, redeemed, and drawn near to Himself?

We may not always receive what we are asking of Him, and His timing isn’t always in step with our own. But we can trust in the unchanging nature of our God — that He is Jehovah-Jireh. (See Malachi 3:6.) What He may provide for us while we wait upon Him goes far beyond what we would even know to ask for — perhaps deeper intimacy with Him, the strengthening of our faith, or a maturing of our heart’s desires. He may also be protecting us from things we cannot see. Or He may provide us with a far better provision — something we didn’t even know we needed.

His name and character must reign s our perceptions, longings, disappointments, or fears. As women of faith, we must trust Him with what we cannot yet see and be fully expectant for how He will provide. And may we also remember that our life is not our own, but His. Each fresh need that we have — whether emotional, spiritual, physical, or material — is an opportunity to know Him more and for Him to be more fully glorified in our lives.

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

Be still and know thatHe is God.

Healer to know Him as

by SARAH MOCKLER

one Sunday morning, I set about my kitchen simply thrilled at the task before me — to make my new husband a piping hot bacon breakfast. My goal was, first, to bless my dear husband with one of his favorite foods and, second, to not smell like a piece of bacon myself by the time breakfast was served. I decided to bake it in the oven and streamline my order of operations. Quite satisfied by my solution, I stepped up to the task at hand.

How quickly a scene can change! Minutes later my newlywed moment was marred by hot oil that overflowed the warped cookie sheet and spread over my hand, disfiguring it instantly in the process. My mind went blank at the sight. Suddenly, I didn’t know what to do. This was more than a tidy burn that you plunge underwater or slather in aloe. My skin began rapidly showing signs of a second-degree burn, and the pain began to surge beyond what I could control.

I called for my husband. My husband called for Jesus. Together, we slowly stabilized my hand. Standing at the kitchen sink, Nate reassured me that this accident was not my fault and that it would be okay. He interspersed words of comfort with earnest prayers of healing for this ugly wound. My hand looked anything but lovely as it ballooned to accommodate the swelling blisters. I girlishly thought of how many times I took having a matching set of hands for granted and wondered if the scarring would be severe.

As family and friends shared natural remedies and trusty salves that promoted healing, we discovered that God had already provided a wealth of treatment options for us in and through His creation! I marveled at how honey instantly took the pain away while simultaneously providing an antibacterial barrier to prevent infection. But there was nothing so natural and powerfully effective as prayer.

Prior to my accident, I had experienced mild encounters of needing to rely on the Lord for physical healing. I was used to praying for a runny nose or for a stomach bug to pass. While I had taken stands for bold healing on behalf of others — cancer, chronic illness, and major surgeries — this was different. Never before had a need for physical healing been so up close and personal.

In the weeks that followed, the inflamed tissue angrily defied my faith to trust that the Lord would heal my hand without a scar. But I knew this was how the Lord was calling me to boldly pray in accordance with His character and nature. He was health! He was life! Hidden beneath sterile bandages and a thick layer of salve, the Lord was deeply at work … not just in bringing dead tissue back to life, but in something far deeper. God was strengthening my faith to watch what He could do.

The promises in Psalm 91 shone in a new light: “Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place … no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For He will command

his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways” (Ps. 91:9–11 ESV, emphasis added).

The Lord was my dwelling place. My position was in Christ, and as such, I was tucked close to His oncewounded side — the location of healing. (See Isaiah 53:5.) Each day presented an opportunity to find refuge in the Lord as the bandages were changed and a fresh round of prayer encircled my healing hand. As those days turned to weeks, my everpresent reminder of the need for physical healing turned my heart to meditate on how much we all need spiritual healing

God’s Word says that Jesus came to heal broken hearts as well as broken bodies. At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus proclaimed, “…He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted…” (Lk. 4:18b), and we are told that He, “…went about … healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people” (Matt. 4:23, emphasis added).

However, Jesus used physical healing to serve as an external expression of an internal spiritual need. The greatest healing each of us need, and

can ever experience, is that our souls receive healing from death-producing sin and are given eternal life in Him . This is exactly what Jesus meant when He said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Lk. 5:31–32). He truly is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Sin is a sickness of the soul — one that brings death. But those who are made righteous in Christ are restored to wholeness, or healed! Praise be to Jesus that His blood washes away our sin and clothes us in His righteousness alone. Whatever the outcome — whether my hand would remain scarred or not — I had already received the greatest healing of all!

. . .

That unforgettable moment unfolded months ago. Today you can barely see the faint outline where fresh, new skin merges with the old. Jesus healed my hand without a scar — just as I prayed. What a beautiful healer is He!

That I may know Him...

Shepherd to know Him as

by MANDY SAELER

itwas a cool autumn evening when crimson, rust, and cinnamon colored leaves had finally fallen to their rest. And a season of my life had done the same. I now found myself in the crux of a key decision concerning my future. I was prayerfully navigating the opportunity before me and began to feel that I needed to gain some outside perspective. As I sat down with trusted counselors, I laid out the decisions before me and shared the tug of war that was taking place in my heart. As my eager eyes peered across the table for their response, I truly didn’t expect what was returned to me, “We don’t know what to tell you…”

My eager eyes glazed over and a strong wave of helplessness flooded my heart. I had been diligently praying about the decision before me. And I had felt that it was the appropriate time to seek wisdom and input from godly mentors, only to be met with this. Even if my mentors didn’t have a clear directive to share, my lonely heart was aching for simple encouragement from the outside. And yet, there was silence.

My soul inwardly let out a sigh of disappointment and discouragement. Later that evening, I sealed myself away where my prayers could mingle with the frustration wrestling in my heart. I immediately reached for my worn brown leather Bible and opened to the Psalms, seeking consolation and a lift of truth for my disappointed heart. God met me as I resonated with the cry of the Psalmist, “To you,

O LORD, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me … Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help…” (Ps. 28:1–2 ESV).

My heart bent beneath the yoke of His Word as I surrendered afresh to His leading, and through misty eyes I thanked Him that even when human help had seemingly failed me, He never would. I rejoiced in the reality that, “The LORD is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed. Oh, save your people and bless your heritage!” (Ps. 28:8–9a ESV). In the midst of making the decision before me, my heart longed for the comfort of His clear direction that would lead me in the way of His blessing and best.

I THANKED HIM THAT EVEN WHEN HUMAN HELP HAD SEEMINGLY FAILED ME, HE NEVER WOULD.

As my eyes glanced over the very last sentence of the Psalm, the restlessness of the decision at hand lost its power and my heart came to its desired rest. “Be their shepherd and carry them forever” (Ps. 28:9b ESV, emphasis added). Imagery of a lamb being carried on the strong shoulders of its shepherd flooded my mind in that moment when my heart was weary and sought-out counsel was

silent. I felt as though God was extending an invitation to my heart, to rest as a lamb in His fold, safe upon His shoulders and secure in His unfaltering footsteps. Above the noise of my circumstances, the invitation to rest in Him — trusting Him as my Shepherd — gave me renewed perspective as His Word infused my soul with heavenly peace. And there, in His Word, I found the encouragement my soul desired.

I was safe upon the shoulders of my Shepherd. He would lovingly carry me to His desired place. In Him, my heart was helped.

After spending time with Him, I rose from my seat with the song of the Psalm in my heart, “Blessed be the LORD! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him” (Ps. 28:6–7 ESV).

HE WOULD LOVINGLY CARRY ME TO HIS DESIRED PLACE. IN HIM, MY HEART WAS HELPED.

He had been my Rock in my time of weariness and weakness. He had been my Shepherd to carry and lead me in His way. He had been my Counselor who consoled and fortified my heart. Truly, my heart had been helped. And with a singing and refreshed heart, I gave Him thanks. Perhaps even more than settling on a decision about my future, or even receiving the counsel I had sought, this was what my heart needed.

On that cool autumn night I learned a valuable lesson. Even when our motives are honoring to God, humans can fail to meet us when we feel we need them the most. But God, our God, never will. He will be our Shepherd and carry us — forever

So let us know, let us press on to know the Lord.

QUESTIONS ABOUT

GOD-CENTERED Relationships

Answered by LESLIE LUDY

When it comes to relationships, it’s hard to imagine a more confusing time in history than the times in which we live. Even in the Church, a fog seems to have settled over topics like singleness, purity, and pre-marriage relationships. If you are a single woman living in the midst of this fog, it can be tempting to take your cues from the culture instead of the unchanging Word of God. And if you choose to live according to a higher standard than what you see around you, it’s easy to feel alone and discouraged.

In this Q&A, I’d like to share some foundational truths from Scripture for godly relationships. Some of these principles may simply be refreshing reminders for you, and others may be concepts you have never considered before. Whether you are single or are influential in a single woman’s life, I pray these key scriptural truths will help to clear away fog and bolster your confidence in the amazing ways of our God!

During my teen years, I heard many messages about purity at youth group meetings and church conferences. I was told that embracing a purity commitment would give me a better future marriage, a healthier lifestyle, and a solid sense of self-respect.

But rarely, if ever, was purity described as an outflow of my personal walk with Jesus Christ. For years, I didn't truly understand real purity. I viewed it from a selfish vantage point. To me, purity was just a rule I needed to follow if I wanted to stay on God’s good side and avoid personal heartache and regret.

This is a common story among Christians today — and it’s why many modern Christians are rejecting the notion of purity entirely. When it comes to purity, we are often committed to a concept instead of to a Person. A true commitment to purity can only flow out of a heart that longs to love, honor, and glorify

Question One Are purity commitments pointless or even harmful? Why do purity commitments so often fail?

Jesus Christ above all else. When purity is merely a philosophy or concept, we can be easily talked or tempted out of it. But when purity is an outflow of our own passionate devotion to Jesus Christ, it’s a commitment that won’t easily crumble.

Many Christians have wrong motives for embracing a commitment to purity just as I did growing up. It’s all too easy to approach purity wondering what’s in it for us, rather than having an attitude that says, “Jesus has given everything for me — the least I can do is give Him everything in return, including this area of my life.”

If you want to have a purity commitment that lasts, cultivate a passionate, daily, intimate walk with Jesus Christ. Surrender to Him fully and completely. Let Him have access to your entire life, including your love life. When He becomes the center of your existence and your love for Him is greater than anything else, no one will need to twist your arm to convince you to walk in purity. It will become your greatest joy and deepest desire to honor the One who gave everything for you.

Additionally, we must never forget that in our own human ability, it is impossible to live a pure and set apart life for God. Only when we allow Him to equip us with His enabling grace can we truly walk in obedience to Him. He can do through us what we

are incapable of doing on our own. So yield to His enabling power, remembering that even though we can’t — He can!*

Question Two

What is inner purity, and why does it matter?

I used to view purity as a line that I wasn't supposed to cross. In my early teen years, I entered into several short-term flings in which I gave my heart and emotions to one guy after the next while venturing closer and closer to “the line” in my physical interactions with them. I told myself I was honoring God and living in purity because I wasn’t technically crossing the line, but inwardly something felt wrong. I knew deep down that I was giving away sacred things that were meant to be guarded. Later, when I truly surrendered this area of my life to Christ, He completely changed my approach to relationships. I began to recognize that purity is so much more than a physical line not to cross. In fact, true purity begins on the inside — at the soul level.

Many of us grew up with purity messages that only focused on setting physical boundaries in romantic relationships. But in reality, physical purity is simply

the natural byproduct of a pure heart, mind, and soul. When we cultivate God’s truth in the innermost part of our being, a lifestyle of purity is the outflow. As Jesus said in Matthew 23:36, “…first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.”

There are two key areas that are often overlooked when it comes to cultivating inner purity: guarding our mind and guarding our emotions. Let’s take a quick look at both of these areas.

Guard your mind. In Philippians 4:8, Paul outlines the kinds of things that should occupy our thoughts: things that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy. Whatever we feed our minds with will shape our thinking and influence our decisions. One of the best ways to cultivate inner purity is to be watchful over what we are meditating upon in the form of social media, movies, books, etc. I once knew a Christian young woman who saw so many movies that portrayed affairs as noble and right that it changed her beliefs about faithfulness in marriage. She adopted the idea that it was okay to leave your spouse for someone else if that person was your “soul mate.”

Other women I’ve known have been pulled into immoral relationships primarily through the influence of movies, shows, and books that promoted that kind of lifestyle as normal and healthy. No matter how harmless those cultural messages may seem when packaged in the form of artistry or entertainment, they can quickly erode our inner purity and derail us from God’s pattern of set-apartness if we entertain them. To keep a guarded mind, I encourage you to evaluate whether you are thinking on the things in Paul’s checklist from Philippians (whatever is true, noble, pure, lovely, etc.) or whether you are polluting your mind with ungodly messages. Be willing to remove anything that could steer your thought life in the wrong direction.

Guard your emotions. In Song of Solomon 2:7, we find an interesting exhortation: “Young women … I charge you … do not stir up or awaken love until the appropriate time” (CSB).

Being led by our emotions is one of the main ways that we “stir up” certain thoughts, feelings, and actions before the appropriate time. When emotions lead the way in a relationship, we can easily make

cultivate truth in the innermost part of our being

foolish decisions out of impulse or impatience. Only when our emotions are brought under the control of God’s truth can we cultivate a lifestyle of inner and outer purity. As Elisabeth Elliot said, “The difficulty is to keep a tight rein on [our] emotions. They may remain, but it is not they who are to rule the action. They have no authority. A life lived in God is not lived on the plane of the feelings, but of the will.”1

When my relationship with Eric was first beginning, we made a purposeful decision to surrender our emotions to God. We wanted to be led by Him and not just our feelings. We wanted our emotions to take a back seat to His agenda. We wanted our conversations to center around Christ and not just our feelings for each other. This didn’t mean that our relationship was cold and mechanical — quite the opposite! But, by God’s grace, our emotions were not allowed to take over and cloud our decisionmaking abilities. And we discovered that this was one of the primary principles to building a truly God-honoring relationship.

If you are looking for practical ways to cultivate inner purity in your life, it’s important to bring both your thought life and your emotions under the control of God’s Spirit. You will experience tremendous freedom and fulfillment when He is given His rightful place as Ruler of both your inward and outward life.

Question Three

spouse well into old age? Wouldn’t it make more sense to just take matters into your own hands? With dating apps, online matchmaking services, and singles mixers so easily accessible, “waiting on God” often seems pointless and needlessly frustrating. But waiting on God is a spiritual declaration of our dependence on and surrender to Him — and it brings His blessing. Here's a quick snapshot from His Word:

And I will wait on the Lord … and I will hope in Him.

Isaiah 8:17

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope.

Psalm 130:5

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.

Psalm 37:7 NIV

…those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength… Isaiah 40:31

God is very interested in lovingly orchestrating the details of our lives — including our love lives. But most of us are not willing to leave the pen in His hands and wait patiently for Him to do His work. Why? Because we are not finding our fulfillment in Him. The enemy often tries to convince us that we can’t be truly happy unless we get married. And when we listen to that lie, we either rush ahead of God and create an “Ishmael” of our own making, or wallow in discontentment and resentment.

It’s often viewed as foolish and naive to wait for God to bring your spouse into your life in His own time and way. After all, what if you are still waiting for your

The key truth is this: The choice to wait for God's timing and live faithfully for your future spouse is not what leads to the single-and-frustrated syndrome. It is buying into the lie that the only way to be truly happy is to finally get married.

Do you end up in a lonely, frustrated, extended season of singleness when you wait for God to bring along your future spouse?

Only Jesus can satisfy us at the deepest level of our soul.

Corrie ten Boom said it well: “…often [we] set our minds on some one thing we think will make us happy — a husband, children, a particular job or even a ‘ministry’ — and refuse to open our eyes to God’s better way. In fact, some believe so strongly that only this thing can bring happiness, that they reject the Lord Jesus Himself. Happiness is not found in marriage; or work; or ministry; or children. Happiness is found by being secure in Jesus.”2

A single young woman that I knew was once asked, “Are you called to singleness?” It was a sensitive question because she deeply desired to be married. But after a moment’s pause she answered simply, “Today I am.” She chose not to concern herself with whether she would be single for the next two, five, or ten years. She knew that God had called her to be single today and that He would give her the peace, joy, fulfillment, and contentment she needed to live out that calling well — today.

“Solving your singleness” does not bring a magic cure for discontentment. In fact, if you look to marriage to meet the deepest needs and longings of your heart, you will only become disillusioned and disappointed. Only Jesus can satisfy us at the deepest level of our soul. Build your life around Him — not the pursuit of a relationship — and you will never regret it.

When you build your life around Jesus Christ and find your fulfillment in Him, you can trust that He will be faithful to guide you to the right person at the right time (if His plan for you is marriage). And it won’t be a desperate, anxious, frustrating search for a spouse, but a beautiful outflow of your relationship with Christ. Whether you are single for a short season, a long season, or a lifetime, you can rest confidently in God’s promise that “…none of them that trust in him shall be desolate” (Ps. 34:22 KJV).

Question Four

Question Five

How do I know if a relationship is being orchestrated by God?

A group of Christian singles once asked Eric and me why our marriage had stayed strong through the years when so many other Christian marriages crumbled. As we thought about it, we recognized that there was one key reason — Jesus Christ had remained our first love. It’s easy to assume that a healthy marriage depends on having the right communication techniques, going to Christian relationships seminars, and reading the right marriage books. But while these tools can sometimes be helpful, marriage success truly boils down to one singular thing — putting Jesus first.

Why? Because if you enter marriage looking to your spouse to meet all your needs and fulfill you at the deepest level of your soul, you will typically end up nagging, complaining, and accusing him when he falls short. But if you enter marriage anchored to Jesus Christ and looking to Him alone to meet your deepest needs, you can love and bless your spouse far more effectively because you have been filled and satisfied by Christ Himself. Selfless love is what makes a marriage work. And selflessness is only cultivated when Jesus Christ is truly the center of your life.

If you are looking for the best way to prepare for marriage, my advice to you is simple:

» Let Jesus become your all in all.

» Let Jesus become your first love

» Let Jesus become your everything

Preparing for marriage is simpler than we often realize. When Jesus is in His rightful place in your life, you have a strong foundation for a marriage that will go the distance.

When my relationship with Eric was unfolding, my dad made a profound observation. He said, “The reason I know this relationship is from God is because ever since Eric has been in your life, you’ve grown closer to Christ as a result.”

Eric had (and still has) a contagious passion for the things of God. When we spent time together, instead of drawing me to himself, he constantly pointed me back to Jesus Christ. In fact, after conversations with Eric, I would often find myself going to be alone with God, soaking in His Word, and pouring out my heart to Him in my prayer journal. This hadn't been the case in my previous relationships, or even friendships, with other Christian guys who had always drawn attention to themselves rather than Christ.

One of the best ways to tell whether a relationship is truly God-directed is by the fruit it produces in your spiritual life. Does the relationship distract you from Christ, or spur you toward a deeper relationship with Him? Are you inspired to pursue Jesus more, or has your spiritual life taken a back seat to the relationship?

An earthly relationship should never distract us from the most important relationship of all — our personal walk with Jesus Christ. When God is truly the One writing the love story, both individuals become catalysts to lead each other closer and closer to Him.

If you are in a pre-marriage relationship that is distracting you from your first love, Jesus Christ,

What is the best way to prepare for marriage?

be willing to lay it down. As Jesus said, “He who loves father or mother [or husband or wife] more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matt. 10:37a).

No matter how exciting an earthly relationship may seem, nothing is worth jeopardizing our relationship with Him — the One who gave everything for us.

Question Six

His child. You should not expect a second-rate version of romance. Once you have been restored by Him, you are clothed in His righteousness. You are entitled to all the benefits of His heavenly Kingdom. Your forgiveness is complete. Your sin is removed as far from you as the east is from the west. It is finished. Don’t base your acceptance of His forgiveness on whether you “feel” forgiven or not — base it upon the unchanging solid rock of His truth. He has promised, and He cannot lie! (See Numbers 23:19.)

. . .

One of the enemy’s tactics to keep us away from God’s best is to constantly hold our past mistakes over our head. He often tells us, “It’s too late for you, so why even pursue something better?”

But God-scripted, Christ-centered love stories are not just for those who have never compromised. In fact, the very reason that Christ sacrificed everything for us was to offer us the chance to be restored, washed clean, and given a hope and future. Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Lk. 5:31–32).

It is never too late to be restored and made new by His amazing cleansing blood.

Repentance means turning and walking the other direction. Once you awaken to the fact that you are heading over a cliff, simply stop, turn, ask God’s forgiveness, and then — by His grace — head in the other direction. There is no reason to look back or second-guess your position as

In a world where Christ-centered relationships are becoming more and more scarce and God’s pattern is being openly mocked (sometimes even within the Church), my prayer is that we will choose, by God’s grace, to walk a totally different way — His way. God’s way is always the best way. As it says in Psalm 18:30a, “As for God, His way is perfect.” +

What if I feel it's too late for me to experience God's best in relationships and marriage?

Resources to encourage

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What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, "Stop, you're doing it wrong!"

Isaiah 45:9 NLT

Battleground for the bod

REJECTING SELF-GLORIFICATION AND EMBRACING GOD'S DESIGN

by JASMIN HOWELL

As a child, I never thought about my body. All I knew was that it was my means of exploring and enjoying the world.

As a preteen, a friend’s casual comment about the distinctive way I walked (a certain wiggle was mentioned) made me suddenly aware that my body was noticed by others. I started to wonder: Am I pretty? That thought had never crossed my mind before.

As a teen, I was proud of my looks. I was skinny and cute, and everyone said so. Because of the responses of others, I knew I was pretty and that kept insecurity

Yat bay — for a time. As I grew older, my body became more womanly. I wished I had a different body type and questioned my design. I often compared myself to others and managed how I presented my body to others with precision. I craved attention and praise.

As a married woman, I’ve been as thin as 120 pounds and as heavy as 198 pounds, and just about everything in between. I’ve bought, sold, recycled, and reinvented my wardrobe more times than I can count. And even though I’m happily married and complimented often by my husband, insecurity has remained a close companion of mine.

Most recently, my body went through its most dramatic change when I became pregnant. Every part of my body shifted to accommodate a growing child, including the day when I had an emergency C-section to deliver our son. After thirteen years of infertility, I didn’t think I’d ever have a baby, so gratitude initially kept my mind distracted from the fact that there was still about thirty pounds of unwanted weight that was (and still is) on my body. Growing insecurity gradually replaced gratitude. The body that I saw in the mirror was vastly different than the one from before.

This morning I changed my outfit five times — putting on and then discarding this pair of pants, then that shirt. Nothing felt right. As I viewed myself in the mirror, I felt so unhappy. When would I ever be content in this body?

. . .

For all intents and purposes, my contentment and peace in life have been largely driven by my weight and body image. Has yours?

Amy Carmichael wisely wrote, “If you would live in victory ... you must refuse to be dominated by the seen and the felt.”1 I would reason that there is not a bigger battleground for women than what we “see” and “feel” about our bodies. Many of us are inhibited from living fully poured-out lives for Jesus because we are fixated on issues related to our bodies — whether we feel hindered by our weight, overwhelmed by a chronic health issue, or consumed by comparison.

Learning to be in my body — to think about it in a God-honoring way and to use it appropriately as I move through my life on earth — has been a struggle. If you are like most women, you’ve probably had your own share of body-related struggles too. We are immersed in a world that doesn’t make it easy to gain a God-centered perspective in this area of our lives, but I take immense comfort in knowing that God didn’t design our bodies to be objects for our glory or sources for our shame. He has an altogether different purpose for our bodies: “…your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you … You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Cor. 6:19–20 ESV).

1. Amy Carmichael, I Come Quietly to Meet You: An Intimate Journey in God's Presence (Ada: Bethany House, 2005), 25.

reject self-glorification

God’s Word tells us that we are to glorify God in our bodies — not ourselves. Maybe we don’t like to admit it, but many times we love getting the glory for ourselves. Self-glorification of our bodies often looks like spending our time, thoughts, money, and energy on efforts designed to garner attention and praise. We must ask the Lord to help us reject the temptation to seek our own glory and instead learn how to embrace stewarding our bodies as vessels for His glory! Seeking self-glory will always leave us feeling empty inside, even if we attain a measure of physical beauty. Why? Because we weren’t designed to be the objects of our worship, but to be worshippers of the one, true God! Living with a focus of bringing glory to Christ — even if we still wrestle with our outward appearance from time to time — will give us hearts adorned with the radiant beauty of Jesus.

But what does that look like practically? Below are a few ways to start!

1. Embrace Your Heavenly Reality

“…In view of God’s mercy … offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is your true and proper worship” (Rom. 12:1 NIV).

First of all, we need to embrace the incredible truth that if we have come to saving faith in Jesus, our bodies are not our own! As Paul says, we were

bought at a price — and a very costly price — that included the substitutionary body of Jesus to be given in our place.

His physical body was sacrificed unto death in order to give us true life! And He calls us to follow His example, laying down our lives for Him and offering our bodies as living sacrifices. Through the finished work of Jesus, we are already free and given access to a heavenly reality, where He wants to minister in and through us until He returns.

However, to access this beautiful freedom, we are called to reject self-glorification. In other words, we are called to deny self and not be dominated by our flesh — what we see and feel. God did not create our bodies to be objects of worship, but rather to be a means of displaying His glory in creation.

2. Regularly Assess Your Motivations

See if you relate to either of these examples. (I’ve had both, by the way.) You enter into a gathering of people and have one of the following experiences:

SCENARIO ONE: After putting in all the effort to look your best, you still think everyone looks better than you. Nobody gives you a compliment, and you spend the night feeling deflated. You can hardly think about anything (or anyone) else.

SCENARIO TWO: After putting in all the effort to look your best, everyone immediately takes notice of you, gushing about how beautiful you look. Your heart soars, and you spend the night on cloud nine. You can hardly think of anything (or anyone) else.

These are both examples of self-glorification. Being overly interested in how we present our bodies to others — whether the result is positive or negative attention (or maybe no attention at all) — sheds light on the fact that we are overly interested in ourselves.

Now, please don’t misunderstand me. It’s not wrong to make an effort to look beautiful, to spend some time doing our hair or makeup, working out, buying clothes, or dressing well. I very much enjoy all of these things! But when our primary motivation for doing them is to get attention or when our mood is affected by how much praise we do or don’t receive, then we have to ask ourselves a few hard questions about our motives.

Are we living our lives primarily to minister to others, to encourage them in fellowship, and to point them to the hope and glory of the Gospel?

Or are we living to primarily gain attention, compliments, and praise for ourselves?

We should take our cue from Paul, who said: “…we [did not] seek glory from people … but we were gentle among you … ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves…” (1 Thess. 2:6–8 ESV).

If our motives emphasize us instead of the Gospel, then we need a reboot. And what is the best place to go for a reboot? God’s Word!

3. Replacing Feelings with Truth

Words like “confidence” and “insecurity” are common when we talk about our bodies. If you have an inner script that elevates your confidence

can become surrendered vessels women poured out For His Service.

or makes you feel insecure or ashamed, know that neither one is God’s plan for you, and you’re likely living in your feelings instead of in the truth.

We are told by our society that what we feel is of greatest importance. If we feel it, then it must be true. Have you ever said, “Ugh, I just feel ugly!” and two minutes later you redo your hair and walk out the door feeling pretty? Feeling ugly or pretty is not the same as being ugly or pretty. Contrary to popular opinion, feeling that something is true doesn’t make it true. Feelings are subjective, based on emotion, and quick to change.

We might feel ugly because of the way our pants fit a bit tighter this morning, or the way our hair frizzed up more than usual, or because we woke up with a giant pimple on our chin — but that doesn’t mean we are ugly. Feelings and truth are not the same, and being dominated by what we feel puts our sinful flesh on the throne of our life, rather than giving God His rightful place and submitting to His Word. Only then can we live in God’s reality and not in the trap of the seen and felt.

The only way to replace a bad script is to read a new one. And God’s Word is the best place to start! Here are some helpful references to help you break through unto truth: Psalm 139:13–18; 1 Corinthians 10:31; 2 Corinthians 4:16; 5:1–21; 1 Timothy 4:8. . . .

We are told in Scripture that “…God created man in His own image…” (Gen. 1:27). Each of us were perfectly designed in the image of God to reflect His glory in the world — and He gave us a physical body with which to do so. Our bodies will change over the course of our lives, but by the grace of God alone our struggles and our bodies can be transformed and healed, and we can become surrendered vessels — women poured out for His service. We can strike

a balance between having a healthy perspective of our bodies and being dominated by a self-focused, fleshly perspective.

He has a plan for each of our lives that includes bringing Him glory while in these bodies of ours — no matter their shape, weight, color, health, or any other factor. God is not limited by the limitations we perceive in ourselves! He gave each of us a very particular body, and He doesn’t make mistakes.

Instead of wrestling with our insecurities, arguing with God about His ways, and giving in to feelings, let’s trust Him and begin to proclaim this truth today: “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Ps. 139:14 NIV).

A blessing from 2022: Purchasing our beautiful home, something we've prayed about for years!

Others best know you for: My vast collection of funky accessories, my love for all things England, or maybe how I reheat the same cup of coffee twenty times a day!

A hero of the faith that has deeply impacted your life: My parents are heroes of the faith to me. As a child they pursued a call to overseas missions in Pakistan, and their faithfulness during that short time has born unbelievable fruit in the transformed lives of countless Muslims who have given their lives to Christ! They remain very involved in that work, even from Canada! I'm forever impacted by my parents' love for Jesus.

GETTING TO KNOW JASMIN

GLEANING W ISDOM

A GATHERED HARVEST OF COUNSEL FROM GODLY, OLDER WOMEN

Our team at Set Apart is blessed to know many women who possess radiant, life-giving wisdom that has been gained from their years of walking closely with Christ. We've invited them to share some of this beautiful and treasured wisdom here, that we may be refreshed, encouraged, and inspired in our own varied seasons of life.

Four Truths to Encourage a Waiting Heart...

LONG WAITING

Waiting is especially hard when the wait is long. It is tempting to wonder: Where is God? Has He forgotten me? Have I done something to displease Him? While it is good to ask God to search our hearts and show us where repentance may be needed, it is not wise to camp there. Be assured, God knows how to reveal sin and other areas of needful change to a heart that is ready to face the truth. How much time is wasted fretting and being depressed when we could have been investing in the deliberate pursuit of personal growth, concentrating on what we know God wants — rather than on what is shrouded by fog! Waiting provides the perfect opportunity to prepare for the future by pursuing God Himself and a knowledge of His Word with a heart that willingly obeys.

WHEN GOD IS SILENT

Sometimes God seems distant during times of waiting. However, His silence does not mean you are being ignored. He is unchanging and His promises are unfailing. Choose to open your Bible and study God’s character. I have found that meditating on a passage like John 17 gives me a glimpse into Jesus’ heart. In that prayer, He reveals

A single missionary who lives in the peace that comes from waiting on the Lord.

how deeply committed He is to those who believe in Him. You are not an exception!

Even in quiet seasons, God will never fail on the promises He has made. I remember waiting for something that never happened and never will. I was convinced God had made me a promise, but I was clinging to impressions, signs, and my own dreams rather than to the clear Word of God. I was afraid to consider that the “promises” I received were not directly from the Lord and instead continued thinking that if I just kept believing, it would eventually happen. After all, doesn’t Psalm 37:4 (NASB) say, “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.”? It was only when I grew weary of waiting for things that never happened that I learned to ask God to help me delight in Him and bring my desires in line with His. This new direction brought peace to my heart as I became aware of God’s hand wisely working in my life.

LOOKING BACK

A backward glance on our past brings relief that God did not give us some of the things we once desired. He truly knows best. And yet, because

Marli K.

of our difficulties in the past, we can sometimes think His best will always be the most difficult path. However, such thinking implants fear. Would the One who longs for us to experience His joy be determined to make our lives as hard as possible? There will be hard situations, but we can draw from His infinite resources as He shoulders the load with us. One day we will be thankful for the chisel in His sovereign hand that lovingly shaped us during those dark times. In our reflecting on the past, let us not harbor fear for the future, but stand in great faith for what God will do!

EXPECT THE SUN TO SHINE AGAIN

When the clouds gather and the winds howl, it seems as if the storm will last forever. Enduring the fierce storm becomes our consuming thought. Yet suddenly the skies clear, and the sun shines again.

Whether our storm is a gloomy gray with endless tears dripping from the dreary canopy or the sudden fierceness of a tornado, the sun will shine upon our circumstances again. As the light of the Lord and His truth clear the fog from our minds, we will see that all through the storm He was preparing us for more perfect gifts than we had requested by watering the garden of our lives so we could grow spiritually, strengthening the stems of our perseverance, and beautifying our blossoms into fragrant Christ-likeness.

In our reflecting on the past, let us not harbor fear of the future, but stand in great faith for what God will do!

Pearls of Wisdom for Someone Stepping into Ministry or Missions

LIVE COMPLETELY AND GRACIOUSLY SELFLESS

Being wholly surrendered to God is the most private, most significant aspect of life in Jesus. The humility that is needed for self-denial in each trying moment is key to loving God with all. Absolute selflessness requires an intentionality that must strongly remain at the very center of our heart-life before God.

And in a call to ministry or missions, one must be prepared for extreme death to self. As a seed must die, and even the flower of the seed must wilt and die in order for fruit to appear, so may we be required to die — even to the good and beautiful parts of life — in order to bear fruit unto God in answering His call. It was in just this way that Jesus Himself walked, in a different country and culture from His own, in the field of this world. (See Philippians 2:6–8.)

LOVE OTHERS WELL

“If … you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well” (Jms. 2:8 NASB, emphasis added).

Build a life of loving relationships with those who live near you. “Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Cor. 16:14 NASB). Be courageous and winsomely engaging. Practice sincere listening. Consider how

Sandi McConnaughey

A devoted follower of Jesus, veteran ministry worker, and just-starting-out missionary to Belize!

to respond with grace. Take time. Pray for wisdom, so that you may know how to respond and to make the most of every conversation. Be patient and kind, allowing no selfish ambition to overtake you as you pour out God’s heart of love within you to those who are near. (See Colossians 4:5–6 and James 3:13–17.)

A stirring quote that has blessed me as I have sought to love my neighbor is from Jessie PennLewis: “The secret of a fruitful life is … to pour out to others and want nothing for yourself, to leave yourself utterly in the hands of God and not care what happens to you.”1

It was in just this way that Jesus Himself walked.

CONTINUE ON WITH STOUTHEARTED ENDURANCE

“Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary” (Gal. 6:9 NASB).

In Hebrews 12:1 we are instructed to “run with endurance the race that is set before us.” We could look at the whole of life as that race, or we could consider all of the smaller, daily “races” that make up a lifetime. If we can endure the hard tasks of the day without giving up, growing weary, becoming disappointed or discouraged — no matter what — we will have endured well for a day. In due time, each day’s endurance will be an accumulated lifetime of perseverance. “Therefore … be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58 NASB).

1 CORINTHIANS 15:58

"Therefore ... be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord."

Three Gifts of Wisdom for a New Bride

Carrie Cooper

A devoted wife of 23 years.

Joy abounds, His grace falls, and two lives become one. Entering this precious new season beautifully showcases the fruit of so many answered prayers. Excitement permeates the air as the establishment of a new home begins. It also ushers in a season of transition, different rhythms, and new expectations. I pray this brings encouragement to your heart, as a new and beautiful bride.

KEEP "FIRST THINGS" FIRST

As this new marriage gives birth to the construction of a solid foundation, it is imperative we continue soaking up time in His presence, letting His Word wash over us as He fills our cup to overflowing. We must continue to grow in wisdom, letting Him not only teach us but refine us, as we sit at His feet and remind ourselves of the truth of His Word. Truly, spending time with our Father is a pillar in our day that we cannot replace or let slip away.

WALK AS A WOMAN OF PRAYER

What a privilege we have to take our husbands to the throne of grace. Pray that he would grow spiritually and that his life would bear much fruit as he delights in His Word. (See Colossians 1:9–11 and Psalm 1:3.) Pray that the Lord would fill him with a passion to lead well and that he would walk in strength knowing that Jesus never leaves him. (See Joshua 1:7 and Deuteronomy 31:6.) Also, pray that the Lord would provide strong relationships with other men. (See Proverbs 27:17.)

LET ALL THAT YOU DO BE DONE IN LOVE

Continue to cultivate your friendship and enjoy doing life together. Laugh a lot. Respect and serve him well. Let thankfulness overflow from your heart. Ask questions and listen well. Be quick to forgive and do not let the sun go down on your anger. Let kindness flow from your lips and hands. Savor these days, standing in amazement at what the Lord has done. He is faithful.

Savor these days, standing in amazement at what the Lord has done. He is faithful.

Keys for Parenting Children Who Wholly Follow the Lord

Carol Beth Sprenger

A loving missionary mother to eight children.

TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART

I distinctly remember the drive home from the hospital with our firstborn nestled awkwardly into a carseat that was way too big for him. He was crying uncontrollably, and tears were also streaming down my face as I sat beside him feeling the overwhelming realization that there was nothing I could do at that moment to console him. My desperate cry turned toward the Lord, and He immediately brought these words to my mind: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Prov. 3:5–6). That very significant car ride home impacted my whole experience of parenting and confirmed both the Lord’s promise to be present and involved in the parenting journey and my utter helplessness as a parent apart from His help and wisdom.

LOVE THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART

We began parenting with the realization of how important it was to intentionally lead our children toward Jesus. We sang with them about Jesus, talked with them about Jesus, and introduced them to Jesus through His Word. As our children grew older, it became apparent that the way we lived our lives in between Bible studies and prayer times greatly impacted our children’s understanding of

what it means to love the Lord with our whole heart and soul and mind and strength. (See Deuteronomy 6:4–9.) Our delight in the Lord overflowed into conversations around the table, ran throughout each day’s interactions and interruptions, assisted during chore time, fueled our adventures outside of the house, and graced our children before going to sleep. This meant that, as parents, we needed to be diligent to seek the Lord and cultivate a life of intimate fellowship with and wholehearted love for Him. “Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth” (1 Jn. 3:18 ESV).

SERVE THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART

Surrendering our lives to Christ has been a day-by-day and moment-by-moment adventure which led us to move our family to Asia where our eight children spent most of their formative years. Leaving family and friends and our familiar way of life has not always been easy, but it has been deeply fulfilling to be in the place where we knew the Lord was leading us. We desire for our children to recognize that laying down our lives and choosing to follow Jesus brings greater joy than conforming to the patterns of the world. As they grew into adulthood, we encouraged each of them to seek the Lord first and foremost, developing the gifts and abilities that He created them with to serve and glorify Him.

THE

GIVES

ISDOM

A NOTE FROM LESLIE:

My mom, Janet, is extraordinarily gifted at making things special for others. Ever since I was a child, I remember her making special occasions meaningful and memorable. To this day, I vividly remember some of the imaginative birthday parties that she put together for my brothers and me. I remember having a teddy bear party, a pink-and-purple party, a doll-and-teacup party, and many others. My brothers had outer space parties, cowboy parties, and many other fun little boy themes. My mom’s hospitality skills, creativity, and special touches have never been about displaying successes on Instagram or Pinterest (those didn’t even exist while I was growing up!), but simply blessing her family and friends. She continues to be an inspiration to me in this area!

Janet Runkles

Tried and True Hospitality Hints

I believe hospitality always begins with an attitude of generosity and thinking more of others than you do of yourself. Considering how you can serve and bless others makes being a hostess a joy and not a burden.

Once I came across a quote that said, “The goal of hospitality is to humbly serve Christ by serving others, to be a channel of God’s love and hospitable heart…”2 With that goal in mind, here are a few tips that I hope are helpful to you as you plan to open your heart and home to others:

OVERCOME PERFECTIONISM

Don’t wait until your home is perfect, or you’ll never feel you are ready to entertain or show hospitality.

THINK AHEAD

You can set a pretty table with a few candles, flowers, or fresh greenery from your yard. Don’t forget to make sure your centerpiece is low enough for everyone to see each other from across the table. If you are able, it can also be a great help to set your table the morning of your gathering, or even the day before. Prepare as much of the food ahead of time so when your guests arrive you can enjoy their company. They will feel more relaxed and welcomed if you are not running around the whole evening. Remember, hospitality is all about relationship!

BE OTHERS-FOCUSED

Your aim is to put guests at ease and make them feel comfortable. Often, I have an activity or game

planned that will keep the conversation going and is inclusive of everyone.

INCORPORATE SPECIAL DETAILS

For overnight guests, just a few extra touches can help them feel well cared for and that you are overjoyed they are in your home. Placing a single flower in a vase on the dresser and a bottle of water by the bed adds a welcoming touch. You could include nice soap, bath or shower bombs, and lotion in a basket for guests to enjoy accompanied by an encouraging note to feel free to use them.

HONOR YOUR GUESTS

You can elevate a simple tea or coffee date with a friend or family member by using pretty napkins and opting for china teacups on a tray. They add an “I am glad you are here!” message. I use my china, silver, or other fun serving dishes on a regular basis and not for just special holidays. Keeping some cookies or sweet bread in the freezer to have on hand when needed has come in handy more than once in my life!

KEEP GROWING

A few books I have read over the years that have been helpful and have the right perspective on beauty, relationships, and hospitality are:

Open Heart, Open Home by Karen Mains Getting Beyond “How are You?” by David Mains and Melissa Mains Timberlake If Teacups Could Talk by Emilie Barnes

Above all, relax, laugh at mishaps, have fun, and enjoy whomever God brings into your home.

Nancy Leigh DeMoss, The Quiet Place: Daily Devotional Readings (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2012),

A Heart of Welcome PRACTICING HOSPITALITY IN ALL SEASONS

by LAUREN ROBERTSON

Golden leaves, warm sweaters, and crisp air. There are few things I anticipate as much as the arrival of fall each year. The long, bright days of summer slowly shift into the cooler, shorter days of fall, and I eagerly welcome the changes. Whether you greet the arrival of autumn with this same delight or sadly watch the retreat of summer, we can all choose to approach this season with a heart to bless others.

As fall makes herself at home, we are naturally drawn indoors. It is precisely here that we all have a blank canvas before us just waiting to be touched with our unique gifts of creativity and ministry. But herein lies our problem. Some of us don't know what to do with our blank canvas. Perhaps the canvas is half-finished from the last move, and we are hesitant to open our home until everything is Pinterest-perfect. Or perhaps we are worried that there’s not enough seating around the dining table to accommodate dinner guests comfortably. However, whether you live in a two-story townhome (my current reality), a sprawling ranch, or a small dorm room, you can bring others into the warmth and welcome of your home.

TRUE HOSPITALITY

In God’s Word, we are instructed to “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling” (1 Pet. 4:9 ESV). Similarly, Paul tells us to “Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality” (Rom. 12:13 ESV). These clear directives (in addition to others found in Scripture) are a reminder that God desires our homes to be places where others can be refreshed in body, mind, and soul.

Over the past few years, I’ve noticed a renewed interest in homemaking and hospitality — even among those with a secular mindset. The world seems to be craving comfort and fellowship in the midst of these increasingly tumultuous times. Yet true hospitality involves more than a comfortable chair and conversation. True hospitality requires us to be dependent on God’s Spirit for our motivation, inspiration, and implementation.

What comes to mind when you think of hospitality? Crockpots, coffee cups, summer cookouts? In its essence, I believe that true hospitality begins with

a life that has been transformed by the Gospel. When we are living in the reality of who Jesus is and what He has done for us, we understand that every area of our lives is intended to be a means for communicating His truth. As we welcome others into a home marked by God’s presence, our guests can encounter His existence in the way we honor Him in the day-to-day reality of our lives. Our words, attitudes, and priorities speak of the One we serve, and even the more tangible expressions of beautiful music playing in the background, a welcoming hug, or the warmth of a steaming cup of tea can all be a means of conveying God’s love and truth.

HUMBLE HOSPITALITY

Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines hospitality as “the act or practice of receiving and entertaining strangers or guests without reward, or with kind and generous liberality.”1 I have been convicted as I’ve pondered this definition, remembering times when I indulged in feelings of reluctance, inconvenience, or irritation as I prepared to welcome others into our home.

What do all of those feelings have in common? Well, they are all very self-focused. It is entirely possible to approach something like inviting others into our homes with a selfish mindset. There have been times when I’ve rushed around shortly before guests have arrived, barking out orders to my family in a complete panic over the fact that unless we pull off a miracle, our guests (usually friends who know and love us) are going to see our home in a less-thanperfect state.

In these moments, my heart is not resting in Jesus, and I am not acting for His glory or with the intent to bless others. Instead, I am motivated by my desire for personal accomplishment, or simply, for the appearance of “having it all together.” None of this displays the humility we are to have towards others that Scripture promotes:

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ

Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped” (Phil. 2:3–6 ESV).

While my initial desire during these times may have been to turn outward to bless others, if I remain focused solely on how clean my house is or my proficiency as a host, I am missing the point. When done in the right attitude and for the right reasons, true hospitality refreshes both those who enter the home and those who live there. There will be times when we open our door feeling less than ready for last-minute guests or a little embarrassed over that very conspicuous (and overflowing) basket of laundry we intended to stash in the bedroom. These kinds of situations have helped me to humble myself before God and others, remembering that the goal of hospitality is His glory, not mine.

HOSPITALITY IN ALL SEASONS

Hospitality — the welcoming of others into our hearts and homes — will look vastly different in our unique seasons of life and location. We might find ourselves putting off hospitality because it feels too daunting with three little children underfoot, or we think our home is not ideal for hosting. And certainly, there are times when hospitality may need to be put on hold for a while for various reasons (e.g., health issues, welcoming a new baby, moving, or other times of transition). But as we consider our reasons against hosting, it’s important to seek God’s wisdom before

True hospitality refreshes both those who enter the home and those who live there.

we consult our feelings. Speaking for myself, if I opened our home only when I felt “up for it,” those times would have been few and far between!

However, if you are in a season where you can practice hospitality, look around and notice afresh what the Lord has blessed you with that can be shared. Do you have a living room where you could host a Bible study group? A table to gather friends to enjoy a simple-but-warming dinner of soup and bread? A front porch where you could sit with a friend or two and enjoy the beautiful fall weather as you talk?

When I was single, my roommate and I enjoyed inviting friends to our room for tea or coffee. Even though we had a fairly small space and limited resources, we made it our aim to keep our room beautiful and inviting. The space we shared was decorated with special items from home, photos of friends and family, lots of books, and fun thrift store finds. For a touch of whimsy, we even named our room “The Green Shutter Café,” as a nod to the chippy kelly-green window shutters we wrangled inside. We had the means to welcome others into a restful environment and share in encouraging conversation, laughter, and times of prayer.

Now that I am married and have three young children, hospitality usually looks like inviting friends over to share a meal or hosting our church community group. Sometimes I will invite a friend and her kids over for a playdate. At other times, I might invite a single young woman over during nap time so I can catch up on what’s going on in her life.

It is all too easy to neglect hospitality if we are waiting until our living room is arranged just so, or we finally have the whole house deep cleaned. Instead of dwelling on what we view as hindrances to opening our home, take note of these challenges. Ask the Lord to help you see them as opportunities to grow in flexibility and creativity. When we are viewing

hospitality through the lens of the Gospel, we are able to focus on what truly matters — and that is to proclaim Jesus in and through our homes. Whatever obstacles you might face in this area, ask God for His creativity and inspiration. He will enable you to see beyond the practical challenges and glimpse the eternal value of opening your home.

When you practice true and humble hospitality, your home will be a place of purposeful beauty and refreshment. So, in all seasons, seek to show hospitality to those God puts in your path. And as you seek to honor Him and love others, may He bless you richly with His presence.

"

Can a piece of furniture be important? The oval table in our dining room was the gathering place for hopes and dreams, the listening place for prayers and petitions, and the loving place for joy and laughter.2 Corrie ten Boom

Ways to Begin

❱

Collaborate with your housemate(s) and host a themed dinner or dessert gathering in your home, taking time to share testimonies of God’s goodness or another specific theme.

❱

Invite a couple mom-friends and their kiddos over for an afternoon playdate. Earlier in the day, have your kids help you prepare a simple treat as you talk about the blessing of hospitality.

❱

Take a fresh look at your surroundings with the aim to bring warmth and comfort to the space. Can guests easily find a place to set their mugs? Is it time to tuck away light throw blankets and replace them with cozy ones? Could furniture be shifted a bit to better facilitate conversation and connection?

❱

Put together a basket of toys and books for little ones who visit your home to enjoy.

❱

Identify an area of hospitality that feels daunting. Tackle this area with a resolve to learn and grow for God’s glory. This might look like asking an older woman for her best no-fail recipes, practicing your conversation skills, or learning how to make an amazing pot of coffee.

❱

Connect with others outside your peer group. Invite an older couple over for coffee and dessert or a group of singles over for dinner.

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RECOMMENDED READS TO INSPIRE A HEART OF HOSPITALITY

The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer & Deidre Ducker — A delightful Christian classic exploring the value of cultivating beauty and order as expressions of the First Artist. Written over fifty years ago, it is filled with rich inspiration for crafting a home (in any season) that testifies to the beauty and reality of God.

In My Father’s House by Corrie ten Boom — We know the ten Boom family for their incredible courage when they sheltered Jews in their home during World War II and for the intense hardships that followed as a result. But their readiness to say yes to God at that pivotal time was cultivated many years before as they intentionally chose to open their home to their community. As you read, take special note of how many significant moments and conversations took place at their humble table and within their home.

Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss — My mom gave me this book for my 14th birthday, and it has continued to encourage me throughout many seasons of life. It is the fictionalized journal of a young woman in the 1800s as she steps into marriage and motherhood. Some of her defining moments center around her struggle to surrender her ideals for home life and ministry as she learns to joyfully accept the assignments God sends her.

GETTING TO KNOW LAUREN

A blessing from 2022: Helping organize our church's very first women's Bible study!

Others best know you for: Being knee-deep in fifteen books at once. I just can't read one at a time! Or my love for supporting moms in labor as a birth doula.

A hero of the faith that has deeply impacted your life: Elisabeth Elliot has challenged, sharpened, and encouraged me time and time again through her writings and talks. Her life consistently displayed a theme of obedience to God and trust in His Word.

Fill your headphones with truth.

Join Leslie Ludy each week for a podcast that points you to Jesus Christ. Cultivate your vision for the beauty of Christ-centered femininity and be encouraged with practical tools to live it out.

MORE THAN

by NRJOHNSON

S"Stop kissing me!" I laughed, pushing Miah away.

We’d only been together for a couple of months, but her obsessive kissing was getting out of hand. It warmed my heart and made me laugh, but I still wasn’t keen on puppy slobber. Yet, every time I came through the door, I found her excitedly waiting to greet me with a holy (and wet) kiss.

If you’ve ever owned a dog, you know the feeling. Dogs adore their masters. You can walk out of the house, return a few minutes later, and most dogs act as if you’ve been gone for days.

Interestingly, this is the picture the New Testament paints for worship.

Worship. If you’re like me, the word brings hymnals, praise concerts, and singing to mind. But the concept of worship in Scripture goes beyond singing songs — it has more to do with how you live your life than the tune upon your lips. It’s all about lifestyle.

THE HEART OF WORSHIP

Biblically there are two key concepts associated with worship: beholding and kissing.

We already mentioned kissing. The most common word for “worship” in the New Testament is proskyneō. It means to bow down, pay homage, reverence, and adore. In ancient days, people would worship their pagan gods by kneeling and placing their forehead on the ground or by throwing kisses — touching their hand to their lips and “tossing” a kiss toward the idol. A similar picture that many Bible scholars use to describe worship is a dog licking its master’s hand.

Dogs are obsessed and overwhelmed with joy, excitement, enthusiasm, and a can’t-get-enough-ofyou attitude. Worship is like the love and obsession a dog has for its master. The question is: Do we have a similar passion for Jesus?

The other concept tied to worship is beholding.

When you see an incredible sunset, no one has to twist your arm to utter awe and amazement at the beauty; you can’t help yourself. The vibrant colors capture your attention, and a quiet “wow” escapes your mouth. The same thing is true when you behold God.

No one can truly force you to worship. Someone might be able to get you to sing a song and say nice things, but that’s not authentic worship. If you want to worship, you first need to see God for who He is, and then you won’t be able to help yourself. If you fix your eyes upon Jesus Christ, worship will naturally and continually bubble forth. (See Hebrews 12:2.*)

I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Psalm 34:1

My praise is continually of You.

Psalm 71:6b

A SHIFT OF LOCALE

Worship in the Old Testament was often associated with a physical location. The Israelites had to go to the tabernacle or temple to worship God, and they would gather several times a year in Jerusalem for the festivals so that they could offer sacrifices unto Him. It was about a location.

Yet things changed in the New Testament.

One day while Jesus was sitting near a well in Samaria, a woman came to draw water. During their conversation, Jesus said, “…the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father … But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him” (Jn. 4:21, 23 ESV).

Jesus emphasizes a shift in worship. It is no longer based upon a specific location, but is now experienced in spirit and truth.

The New Testament is full of this idea. Because we have become the temple of the Holy Spirit, worship is no longer a physical activity that we go down to a “church building” to do; instead, it is a lifestyle we continuously live. (See 1 Corinthians 6:19.)

Paul exhorts us, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). Ultimately, everything in your life is to be worship unto our King.

THE DEMAND OF ALL

In John 12, Jesus was sitting at the table with His twelve disciples and His good friend Lazarus, whom He had recently raised from the dead. After dinner, Mary (the sister of Lazarus) came with an expensive bottle of spikenard and anointed the feet of Jesus. It was extravagant, and the smell of the perfume filled the entire house. The disciples looked on with awe and scorn — this bottle of perfume was expensive and worth a year’s wages.

LOVE SO AMAZING, SO DIVINE, DEMANDS MY SOUL, MY LIFE, MY ALL.

Why would Mary “waste” perfume valued around $50,000 in today’s economy merely to anoint the feet of Jesus? Why not sell the perfume and give the money to the poor?

The story is all about worship and sacrifice. It’s about taking all that you have and laying it at the feet of Jesus. Worship demands all. You cannot be “half in” with worship. You are either fully given, or you are not truly worshiping.

Isaac Watts wrote in his hymn “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”:

Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.1

You are called to a lifestyle of worship. But this calling is not for the faint of heart, for those interested in merely putting time in on Sundays, or for anyone who wants to straddle the fence. The call is for all.

Romans 12:1–2 says, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

You are to be a living sacrifice. You must yield your life, rights, and all you have in order to offer yourself to Jesus — like Mary pouring out the spikenard upon His feet. It’s extravagant, yes, but just as Mary’s act of worship filled the entire house with the smell of the perfume, so your life will radiate the fragrance of Heaven when ALL is made available to the King of kings. (See 2 Corinthians 2:14–16.)

IN HIS PRESENCE

MORE THAN MUSIC

Growing up in church, the pastor inadvertently tied worship and singing together. “Stand and let’s worship the Lord,” he’d say as we stood to sing. I failed to realize that everything in the service was worship — fellowship, singing, preaching, taking the offering, communion, the monthly potluck, everything.

The difficulty with defining worship is that it is both “an attitude and an act,” as one Bible dictionary says. It’s more than your actions; it’s centered on the attitude and focus of your heart. In fact, the majority of times that worship appears throughout Scripture, it is not in the context of music. Singing and praise are certainly a part of a worshipful life, but biblical worship comprises more than music. (See Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16.)

For example, the first time worship occurs in Scripture is in Genesis 22:5, when Abraham takes his son Isaac up the mountain as a sacrifice unto the Lord. God tested Abraham on the thing he loved most — was it his beloved son Isaac or God Himself?

It was a test of worship, not merely of Abraham’s actions, but the focus and love of his heart.

We always worship the thing we love most. While we may give lip service and say, “I worship God alone,” our actions often betray us. Our lives often focus on and strive after fame, fortune, fitness, fashion, or fun. These, and countless others, can become the idols we worship.

We were created as worshipful creatures. We have to worship. The question is not will we worship, but what will we worship?

This is one of the reasons the greatest command in Scripture is to “love the Lord your God with

all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength … [and to] love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:30–31, emphasis added). If you loved God with everything, worshiping Him would be easy.

Do you genuinely love God with all?

Psalm 24:3–4 answers the question, “Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood and has not sworn deceitfully.” If you desire to worship God in spirit and in truth, Scripture demands you remove the idols from your life and have clean hands and a pure heart. We must come to God in humility and with a contrite spirit. (See Isaiah 66:2.)

You can sing songs all day, but as Romans 12:1–2 says, living a holy and upright life is a part of your spiritual worship. It includes everything in your life — actions, thoughts, words, and motives.

WORSHIP PRACTICE

A lifestyle of worship isn’t a theory we dwell upon; rather, it is to be practiced and lived. Consider taking this idea deeper in this simple study.

READ THE FOLLOWING PASSAGES AND JOURNAL YOUR RESPONSES TO THE QUESTIONS:

❱ 1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:23 — What does it mean to do all for the glory of God? How can you practically live this out by the grace of God?

❱ Psalm 103:1–2 — What is one way you can bless the Lord today? How can you remind yourself to always remember His benefits?

❱ Psalm 95:6–8; John 10:14–15; Psalm 23 — How is worship connected to the idea that God is our Shepherd?

❱ Exodus 20:4–5; Psalm 24:3–4 — What “idols” have you set up in your life to worship (e.g., fame, fortune, fitness, fashion, fun)? Give the Holy Spirit time to reveal any area in which you need to confess, repent, and be made clean with a pure heart. Spend time with Jesus surrendering and consecrating your life afresh to Him.

❱ 1 Samuel 15:22 — In what area is God asking you to obey Him today?

❱ Psalm 2:11; Psalm 29:2 — What does it mean to worship God in reverence and rejoice with trembling? How can you ascribe glory to His Name? How can you worship Him today in the majesty of holiness?

❱ John 4:24 — How can you practically worship God in spirit and in truth?

❱ Revelation 4:8–11 — Does it excite you that God is so infinitely good that He must be worshiped? Why or why not?

❱ Psalm 66:4 — While singing is not the primary focus of worship, it is a part of it. Write a heartfelt poem, song, or note to Christ expressing your love toward Him.

EXPLORE MORE AT DEEPERCHRISTIAN.COM

A place for intentional Christians who want to discover and experience a passionate love for God and His Word so they can grow in their faith, live victorious lives, share the Gospel boldly, deepen their intimacy with Jesus, and transform the world through the indwelling life of Christ.

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Take a season to dive into truth!

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR DISCIPLESHIP PROGRAM OPTIONS AT ELLERSLIE.COM!

— Cheryl K., Ellerslie Alumni

daily THUNDER

PODCAST SERIES

"It would not be a lie to say this podcast has transformed my life. These daily doses of biblical truth have brought me closer to Jesus and refreshed my outlook on what the Christian life truly is.”

– Apple Podcasts Review

Add some soul-stirring thunder to your day.

These powerful Daily Thunder series will remind you of the life-changing power of the Gospel and strengthen your vision for what it is to build your life upon Jesus Christ. Find these series and more at ellerslie.com/daily.

Vignette of Faith

by SARAH MOCKLER

MARCH 1951

TThe Mathews family arrived in Hwangyuan to knock on the door of the mission at the same time a curtain of Communism fell heavily into place across China’s front door. The little family of three with their darling of a daughter had carried big dreams to reach the Mongol people in Western China with a message of hope and light. That was a year ago. Foreign missions narrowed from ministering to an entire people group to simply trying to survive under the difficulty and monotony of house arrest. The Chinese Church was forbidden to interact with the missionaries, and they were barred from sharing the Gospel with others. Disillusionment, discouragement, and despair began to set in and Mrs. Wilda Mathews was now the one in need of hope and light.

If only the timing had been different, Wilda’s mind raced. If only we had a better place to live, house arrest would be easier to bear. If only we could witness of Jesus Christ to the Chinese Church, but they are afraid to talk to us. If only we had milk to give to our daughter this week. If only we were among the first families rescued and released back to the States. If only…

It was ironic that today was Easter. And what a black Easter it was. Instead of celebrating light triumphing over darkness and salvation to the uttermost, Wilda felt she was in a pressure chamber that only seemed to increase with each major and minor need that she and her husband were presented. She just couldn’t see the bewildering “why” behind God’s will of leading them into an unknown land only to be hostages at home and unable to bear witness of Jesus. Above all, she felt like a failure — as a wife, as a mother, as a missionary. As the lies continued to pummel her mind, she zoomed down a fast track to becoming convinced

that if her family was ever rescued, they would leave unwept, unhonored, and unsung.

If. There was that word again. But this time it sparked a memory of an encouragement she had read some time before. Alone in her drab kitchen, with her daughter Lilah sleeping contentedly in a corner, Wilda stepped away from their midday meal preparations and went in search of what she knew her soul needed. Finding the leaflet tucked in between the pages of her worn Bible, she allowed the words to wash over her afresh as if for the first time:

Then said Martha unto Jesus, "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”

Luke 11:32 KJV

I have come to think that there is an “if” in every life … It is something that God could have made different, if He had chosen, because He has all power; and yet He has allowed that “if” to be there … do not discount the “if” in your life. No matter what it is. … Come to the Lord with your “if,” and let Him say to you what He said to Martha. He met her “if” with His “if”! … The glory of God is to come out of the “if” in your life … Make a power out of your “if” for God … Do you know that a light is to fall on your “if” some day? Then take in the possibilities and say, “Nothing has ever come to me, nothing has ever gone from me, that I shall not be better for God by it…” Face the “if” in your life and say, "For this I have Jesus.”1

The words quelled the uprising of despair that threatened to overflow her weary heart. Wilda realized that a light would indeed fall on her “if”

someday. She knew that what the enemy meant for evil, God would convert to good. The entrance of His promises began to enlighten Wilda’s outlook.

Over the past months of difficulty, Wilda had resigned herself to her circumstances, but God was inviting her to more than mindless submission to His sovereignty. He was calling her to the same joyful participation Jesus portrayed when He delighted in despising the shame of the cross for the joy that was set before Him. God Himself would give her both the desire and power to walk out His will with a joyful heart.

New questions replaced the brooding thoughts from before and illumined the horizon of her mind: What if God had a purpose beyond what they could see? What if a cloud of unseen witnesses were watching their story unfold in accordance with God’s faithful promises? What if they flourished spiritually when everything surrounding them was plunged into darkness and drought? That Easter, Wilda crucified her endless questions and instead affixed a newfound answer to each of them — for this she had Jesus.

TO KNOW SARAH

Wilda Mathews (1909–1988) and her family were among the last missionaries from the China Inland Mission to be rescued from Communism after three years of starvation, seclusion, and challenge in China. Their story focuses on the Unseen Source of their secret nourishment. You can be reminded that God never wastes seasons of suffering by reading their story as told in Green Leaf in Drought by Isobel Kuhn.

For this, I have Jesus.

What is one way you best recharge with the Lord? Leveraging my mornings and evenings — a long, uninterrupted morning to quietly seek the Lord through His precious Word and a comforting cup of coffee is a delight, as is journaling with Jesus after a depleting day. Both of these refresh the gaze of my soul.

A blessing from 2022 was: Getting married to my best friend. Need I say more?!

Others best know you for: A love for stripes and anything reminiscent of bonny old New England and coastal living!

Christ is the Secret Source through which the unbearable becomes a blessing.

When we abide in Christ, we can have a green leaf in drought.

36

HONOR OF

BATTLE SCRIPTURES for fearand anxiety

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

ISAIAH 41:10

Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done marvelous things!

JOEL 2:21

Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

MATTHEW 10:29–31

But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel; "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine."

ISAIAH 43:1

Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.

LUKE 12:32

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

PSALM 32:8 (NIV)

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

PSALM 46:1

He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

PSALM 91:4

Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.

JEREMIAH 33:3

The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.

ZEPHANIAH 3:17

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms...

DEUTERONOMY 33:27

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.

ISAIAH 26:3

In the multitude of anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.

PSALM 94:19

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

JOHN 14:27

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

JOHN 16:33

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let you requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

PHILIPPIANS 4:6–7

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation.

ISAIAH 12:2

I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

PSALM 34:4

The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.

PSALM 34:7

I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him will I trust." Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.

PSALM 91:2–3

I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!

PSALM 27:13–14

Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.

PSALM 55:22 (NASB)

He will not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

PSALM 112:7

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

PROVERBS 3:5–6

Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.

PSALM 56:3

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

PSALM 27:1

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

PHILIPPIANS 4:13

He who calls [me] is faithful, who also will do it.

1 THESSALONIANS 5:24

So we may boldly say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"

HEBREWS 13:6

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

PSALM 23:4

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

2 TIMOTHY 1:7

BOLDNESS OF SOUL 26-30

VALIANT

take up your sword

ARMED WITH HIS GLORIOUS, POWERFUL TRUTH!

Friend, the Word of God is living and active. His words are right and true, enduring forever. The promises, commands, and exhortations shared on the previous pages have been given to us by God to comfort, instruct, strengthen, and lead our souls in triumph! What rich truth we have been lovingly given by our God that we might overcome the anxieties and fears of this world through Christ who is our hope and confidence!

To strengthen your spiritual grip, we’ve created a simple PDF containing all the Scriptures from the previous list so that you can download it, print it off, tuck it in your Bible, or take it on-the-go to be well-prepared for those moments when anxiety or fear are waging war on your heart and mind. Let us hide these mighty truths within our hearts and take up our sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God!

Download the PDF at www.setapartgirl.com/battlescriptures.

TO DO WITH AN

Than

by ANNIE WESCHE

HEART

Iwalked into the small apartment in Haiti that was our temporary home and looked around for a place that I could hide. My whole body felt the build up of anger and grief inside of me. The well of emotions had been rising all day, and I knew that I needed to get alone with the Lord to unburden myself before the One who knew and understood

The only place of true privacy was the bathroom, but it was too small of a space in which to kneel. And I felt desperate to get on my knees before Jesus.

My friend Gerda and I had been heavy-hearted over what we’d seen in the previous weeks. We had been taken to visit a local Haitian orphanage run by a corrupt man, who we quickly learned was exploiting the needs of the children for his own greedy gain. We’d encountered precious little ones who were severely malnourished, thirsty, and frightened into

silent, stoic behavior. We’d seen padlocks on the outside of wood shacks where the children slept. We’d seen the signs of neglect and marks of abuse on their bodies. We’d smelled the stench of their own urine on their skin and looked into their fearful or vacant eyes. Doing the best we could in our brief visits to extend love and care, each time we’d leave feeling angry, helpless, and overwhelmed.

Someone we knew had gone to the local police, pressing and pleading that they rescue the children and place them into better care. And we even reached out to people we knew working at local orphanages to find safe places for all the children. We had taken the steps we knew to pursue, but our efforts felt so small, so inadequate. The children not only needed physical care and safety, but their souls were desperately in need of the matchless love and healing balm of Jesus.

But that day, when we came back to our apartment, we had just learned that the police raid organized to rescue the children had failed. Someone had tipped off the man, and he had fled. The children were gone, and the place was abandoned.

What has become of those children? What can we do now? How can this happen? Oh, Lord, why did you allow us to see the suffering if we could do nothing to stop it, nothing to rescue those little ones?!

As my anger and grief intensified, I walked over to Gerda where she sat on her bed, clearly heavyhearted as well. “I’m needing to spend some time on my knees with Jesus, Gerda. I’m going to get down beside my bed on the floor, and you may hear me crying, but I want you to know that I’m okay. I just need to give this heaviness to the Lord.”

She responded with an understanding head nod and put in her headphones.

Going back to the far side of my bed, I knelt down onto the cold concrete floor. I took a pillow and wept into it, muffling the heavy sobs that poured out of my agonizing heart. I cried and screamed, fearful for the children who were now lost to us and angered by the evil that was harming them. I gave God my anger towards the man who was using the children to satisfy his greed. I cried out for God to bring justice. I pleaded with the Lord to show us something we could do. I asked for Him to comfort each child’s heart wherever they were now, giving Him each individual child that I could remember — their faces still so clear when I closed my eyes.

As my tears slowed and my heart experienced the grace that comes with laying burdens in the care of

love

COLUMN

the One able to carry them, I remained there in silence for a long time. And then, the Holy Spirit began to tenderly supply truth — directly reminding me that I was not the rescuer of these children. I was simply a vessel for the Lord, sharing in His heart, and called to serve His purposes and glory in the earth. He could use me in this work, but ultimately, He is the Rescuer. We had given our best efforts, but just because our plans had failed, that didn’t mean God’s rescue plans for the children had ceased. Could He not send more people to fight for those children? Could He not bring that evil man to justice? Yes! Was not His heart for these children the very reason my own heart ached to see them thrive in safety and love?

And then, I was reminded of something I could do for those children. I could still battle for their safety and their souls through the mighty work of prayer! God had orchestrated us meeting them, holding

them, seeing their suffering, and encountering the corruption. And that face-to-face reality was now a greater impetus for fervent prayer.

The overwhelm I felt going into prayer had been comforted and relieved — not by changed circumstances, but by looking to Almighty God. God had allowed me to pour out my heart before Him, my tears and groaning and desperation … and then He led me high above the circumstances to stand on “the rock that is higher than I” (Ps. 61:2). And standing on the truth of my God — my righteous, just, rescuing, mighty, loving God — brought true hope. He was not at all finished. Even if I didn’t get to see the end of the story with those children, I had no doubt that He could bring others to intervene, others He would use in the story to accomplish His work. Because Psalm 140:12 tells us that, “…the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and justice for the poor.” “He administers justice for the fatherless…” (Deut. 10:18). And He Himself is a “father to the fatherless” (Ps. 68:5).

GETTING TO KNOW ANNIE

A heartwarming fall flavor or scent for me would be: Fresh cranberries and apples slow cooking on the stove — becoming a delicious, healthy cranberry sauce for the holiday meals ahead.

Hardback, e-reader, or audiobook? I do thrill over a beautifully-bound hardback book, but some days, an audiobook is undeniably a convenient companion while on the go.

What is one way you best recharge with the Lord? A long prayer walk or solitary evening prayer always lifts my burdens, calms any overwhelm, and fills my heart with overflowing worship to the Lord.

Have you faced a circumstance or season that has left you feeling overwhelmed? Perhaps through difficult decision-making, long seasons of waiting, care of a sick loved one, a challenging relationship, financial strain, or daily responsibilities that seem too much to manage?

Whatever circumstances may usher in feelings of overwhelm, God has lovingly supplied a way for us to find fresh grace, hope, and perspective — in Himself. The heavy, earthly realities of this fallen world are meant to press us into the hope and peace of our heavenly reality — in order that we may bring that heavenly reality down as a testimony of Christ in this world.

Allow His words to quiet any overwhelm and lead your soul to rest in Him, where He reigns high above it all in faithfulness and power.

When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; and my prayer went up to You, into Your holy temple.

Jonah 2:7

When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, You knew my path.

Psalm 142:3 NASB

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28

Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.

Psalm 43:5

Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.

Psalm 55:22 NASB

From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Psalm 61:2

He reigns high above it all in faithfulness and power.

A publication from bestselling author Leslie Ludy BIBLICAL INSPIRATION FOR BECOMING A CHRIST-CENTERED WOMAN

FAITH NEVER KNOWS WHERE IT IS BEING LED, BUT IT LOVES AND KNOWS THE ONE WHO IS LEADING .

Oswald Chambers