A Lesson in Patience

Ladies, please forgive me for just now posting this! It's a little late.......

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My mom recently learned a lesson in patience, and I wanted to share it with you, in hopes that through it you will see just how important it is to wait on the Lord! This story may seem like a small thing to you, but it was really really neat for us!

Back in January, Mama had contacted a local cabinet maker. She wanted him to make her a big bookcase for our den. She knew he was a very busy man, and that she would therefore have to wait a couple months for him to be ready to come by to pick up her drawing for the bookcase. But she was not prepared for how long it really took, and she began to grow impatient. Month after month rolled by, with no word from him. She called and called and called some more and all he would ever say was that he was really busy but would get to her as soon as possible. More months went by, and more calls were made, and nothing happened. One day, a few weeks ago, she called once more. A man who works for the cabinet maker answered the phone. They talked for a few minutes about the bookcase and about the cabinet maker's schedule. One of the last things this man said before they hung up was, "Well, there's a reason for everything. Obviously there's some reason why it's taken so long." And indeed, there was.

About a week or two ago, Mama was looking at her drawing of her desired bookcase, as she had many times in the past, just to check and make sure once again that there was nothing at all that she wanted to change about it. For the very first time, she discovered that there actually was something that needed changed! And do you know what happend?! You can probably guess! Just a couple short hours after Mama discovered the change that needed to be made, the cabinet maker called letting her know that he was ready to stop by to pick up the drawing, so that he could get to work on the bookcase. Mama was amazed!!! She knew that that was the Lord. He had taught her a lesson that I know she will never forget!

What might have happened if the Lord had allowed her to have her way, and she could've gotten her bookcase started in a much shorter time? She would have paid for a bookcase that wasn't what she truly wanted. She would have been upset, sad, possibly even angry. But the omnipotent Lord God Whom we serve, knew what was best for her, and thus He made her wait. He taught her a valuable lesson in patience!

So, dear ladies, let this true story serve as a reminder and inspiration to you, especially during those times of long waiting. The Lord always knows what is best for us! All we need to do is trust in Him, be patient, and wait for His perfect timing.

Devotionals on wisdom-Part 2 of study on 1 Timothy 4:12

Hello, dear sisters! I'm so sorry that I had to break off the last devotional like I did-it had already reached devotional length, and I had to go do my schoolwork. :) We are currently on part 2 of a 7 part study on 1 Timothy 4:12, which says, "Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. If you did not get the chance to read part 1 of this study, please click here and read it before continuing on to this one. Thank you!
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We are currently on the first part of 1 Timothy 4:12, which says(NKJV), "Let no one dispise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word,". I left off with the other devotional by saying that we must not partake in idle conversations. This is so very important, ladies! As we saw in Proverbs 31:26, this woman "opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness." She ensures that every single word which escapes her mouth is glorifying to God. During all of her conversations, she is saying things that would minister to others and glorify God. She is not involved with gossip, slander, etc. Neither is she involved in what my pastor, Mr. Steven Morse, calls idle conversations. This means that she does not waste time talking about things which don't mean anything and will not last. Rather, she spends her time speaking about the Word, giving her testimony, encouraging others to stand up for Christ, teaching other ladies what the Bible truly says, strengthening others in their walk with Christ, and telling others what the Lord has been doing in her life and teaching her. This is what it means by "She opens her mouth with wisdom". She takes every spare moment and used it as a witnessing tool, so that she may fulfill the commands found in Matthew 28:19-20a, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;" and 2 Timothy 4:2, "Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, will all longsuffering and teaching." (Please don't misunderstand what I'm saying here, and think that I am saying that women should be preachers, because clearly, we find in Scripture that that is unbiblical. I'm simply saying that in conversations, and when teaching other women [Titus 2:4-5], we are to speak with wisdom. :))

The second part of Proverbs 31:26 says that "on her tongue is the law of kindness." This is so important, and we so often speak without the kindness that should be evident in our words. First, I want to begin by saying that I want you to please notice that this comes directly after "She speaks with wisdom,". This means that when she is "convincing, rebuking, and exhorting (2 Timothy 4:2) others, she is doing so with kindness. She is showing them what the Bible truly says, but she is not being rude and judgemental while doing so. She is rather "speaking the truth in love." We must also remember to speak with kindness when we are addressing our siblings and the other members of our family. Even though it should not be so, often the ones we love the most are the ones we hurt the most. As James 3:8 says, the tongue "is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." We so often find ourselves speaking in a manner that is anything but kind. We always must check ourselves to see whether or not the tone of voice we use/our manner of speaking is kind. The tone of voice we use is almost as important as the words we say at times. Speaking in a loud, angry, rude or obnoxious tone of voice is anything but kind, and is therefore something that we must avoid doing. Also, we must ensure that the words we speak to those around us throughout the day are kind and loving, as a Christian's words ought to be. In James 3:8-10(NKJV) we read, "But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similtude of God. Out of the same mouth mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so." Amen! The words that leave our mouths should always be 1. Glorifying to God and 2.Loving and kind to others. This is something we absolutely must put into practice daily!! As Christians, the things we say must be Christlike!

One last thing I want to address before I close, is that we, as ladies, should act as true ladies and therefore speak in a meek, quite, gentle, ladylike and feminine tone of voice. 1 Peter 3:3-4 says, "Do not let your adornment be merely outward-arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel-rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." We must form a habit of speaking in such a way as this. We are to "be an example to the believers in word," which means that we, as young ladies, must be an example of meek and quiet speaking to the women with whom we come in contact. I'm sure you've heard a lady speak in this manner. It is so beautiful, and you just can't help but love hearing that person speak. My great-grandmother speaks in a very quiet, sweet tone, and I know what a blessing that is to those whom she comes in contact with. I strive to be more and more like her each day, for she has truly been an "example to the believers in word." And may the Lord richly bless her for that!!

Unfortunately, not one unkind thing that we say is able to be taken back. But there is something we can do. If you find that you have spoken an unkind word to someone, or have used an unkind tone of voice, go to that person and ask forgiveness. This is what all Christians are called on to do when they wrong someone, and it causes humility to be developed in us, which the Lord truly loves. After you have asked for that person's forgiveness, go to your Father Who is in Heaven, and ask His forgiveness as well. 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." What blessed assurance! Be sure to also ask the Lord for the strength to do better next time, so that you may be an example to the believers in your words!
Many blessings to all you dear ladies!
~Rebekah Ann
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Part 3 of this devotional study on 1 Timothy 4:12 will be continued on Friday, on my blog, with a devotional on us being an example to the believers in conduct. Please be sure to come back then!! :)

Devotionals on wisdom-Part 1 of study on 1 Timothy 4:12

I wrote some devotionals on how to speak wisely (they are parts 1 and 2 of a 7 part devotional series on 1 Timothy 4:12 that I'm beginning on my blog . New devotionals are posted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so please be sure to check them out!).

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I'm doing something new again. :) This will be the first in a 6 part devotional study on 1 Timothy 4:12. I hope this series proves to be a rich blessing to you!
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Let no one dispise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
~1 Timothy 4:12 (NKJV)

Today we will focus on the first part of this verse: "Let no one dispise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word," One thing that I find so amazing in this verse, is that it says we are to be an example to the believers. Just reading this verse, we would expect that it would say we need to be an example to unbelievers. However, that is a given. What strikes me as amazing is that despite our age, we are to be an example to those believers who are our age, but also to those who are older than ourselves. We would often think that those older than us would be more mature in Christ, and thus they would be an example to us. While this is often the case, nonetheless, there are obviously instances in which we are the ones who are to be examples for the older men and women in Christ, or else this command would not have been issued.

One thing from this verse that I want us all to grasp, is that we continually and daily must check ourselves to see if the way we are acting and whether or not the things we are saying are shining forth as a good example or not. Even if we are just at home, we have a huge responsibility to be a good example for our siblings, especially our younger ones. They are at a most impressionable age, and often tend to copy those older than themselves. Therefore it is so crucial that we be a good example to them. Throughout the day when we are with them, we are to be a godly, God-fearing role model that they will be able to copy. Matthew 18:6 shows this cruciality: "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea." Not only must we always check ourselves to ensure that we are being godly examples to our siblings, but we must be so careful to ensure that we are being good role models for those believers and unbelievers who are among us, be it at church, at the groery store, at the post office, at the mall, at the gas station, at the movie theatre, or wherever else it may be where we are around others. The world is watching us, and it is therefore vitally important that we are salt and light when among them. But we also must remember that this verse commands us to be examples to the believers! We must put into practice now, being godly role models daily for those believers around us.

That said, I'm now going to move on to the first area in which Paul says we are to be examples-in word. This covers a lot! As we find in Proverbs 31:26, the Proverbs 31 woman "opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness." She speaks with wisdom!! She is not involved with idle talk, but when she is in conversation with someone, she is rather speaking wisdom into their lives. Idle conversations profit nothing, and this wise woman understood that! She used every conversation she entered into to be profitable for that person to whom she was speaking. Our Lord and His precepts were continually a part of this lady's conversations. And that, dear friends, is how it should be! Yet despite this truth, most of our conversations revolve around ungodly gossip, slander, etc. Even if we aren't talking in sinful ways such as the ones I just mentioned, we're still often talking about things which have no lasting importance. This should not be, precious sisters in Christ!!

And with that, I'm going to be forced to close for now, and pick up right back where I left off on Wednesday. This, as you can see, will actually be a 7 part series now, as I'm having two devotionals on being an example in word. :) Please come back Wednesday, for the continuation.
Many blessings to you all!

Great bible verses on wisdom

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

James 3:13-18 (NKJV)

"How do I acquire wisdom??"

Wisdom is something that we all want to possess, right, dear ladies? But it, along with all other things worth having, does not come along easily and without work. There are some things that we must do if we hope to acquire wisdom. They include:

• Reading the Bible daily

We all must do this! It is so vitally important! We can never hope to gain wisdom if we do not stay in God's Word. I can't stress enough the importance of being in God's word daily. In the Psalms, David often tells of how he meditates on the Word day and night. This is a practice that we too, need to begin. Wake up early in the morning and begin your day with a quiet time with your Savior. Thank Him and praise Him for yet another new day in which to glorify Him! And thank Him that indeed His mercies are new every morning. Read His Word and meditate upon it-this way, the Scriptures are the first things you think about during your day! What better way to start off your morning than with the Bible? Also, while you're lying in bed at night, right before you go to sleep, read some passages from Scripture. If you do so, you are able to meditate on what you have just read while you fall asleep, and thus the Scriptures are the last things you think about before you head off to dream land. Putting this into practice will not only increase your wisdom, but will also provide you with a more peaceful and restful night sleep. This is far healthier than going to bed worrying and stressing over something that occured that day!

• Memorizing God's Word

Read the post below this one for some wonderful memorization tips from the very wise Mrs. Brigham. :) I can't even begin to stress to you the huge importance of Scripture memorization. It is so crucial and vitally important if you want to lead a productive Christian walk! What I do, thanks to my mother's idea, is take a small 80-page ringed notebook (you know which ones I'm talking about, right? If not, I'll take a pic of mine and will include it in a future post.) and using colored index tabs, devide the notebook into subjects such as trusting in God, wisdom, strength, hope, obeying God, character traits I need to attain, etc. and then under each heading I write out all the verses I can find in the Bible that pertain to that subject. It is a really helpful way of finding a verse to memorize when I am, for instance, struggling with completely trusting in Him. I also have two other notebooks, one of which contains verses on theological issues (the resurrection, trinity, virgin birth, creation, etc. etc.) and the other which contains verses on issues pertaining to women (being a homemaker, being submissive, not dating, being modest, being femine, etc.). This way, I will be able to obey the command found in 1 Peter 3:15, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear." Without memorizing Scripture, we will be unable to obey this command, and that, my dear sisters, is a sin.

• Praying for Wisdom!

How can we expect to receive wisdom if we do not pray and ask the Lord for it? In 1 Kings 3:5-14, we see that the Lord told Solomon to ask of Him what he wished for. Solomon replied by saying that he desired to attain wisdom. How do we know that the Lord granted that unto him? Because Solomon went on to write most of Proverbs, which is full of some of the wisest sayings in the whole of Scripture! He also gained the reputation of being the wisest man. In Matthew 7:7a, Jesus says to us:"Ask, and it will be given to you." In John 15:16 we read: "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you." If you diligently seek the Lord, read His Word, and pray and ask Him for wisdom, He will grant it to you!

God bless you, dear sisters in Christ, as you seek to please and glorify your Savior while striving to attain wisdom.

Have a blessed weekend!

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This is Mayden Fair's 50th post!!

...And on her tongue is the law of kindness.
~Proverbs 31:26b (NKJV)

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The Proverbs 31 woman was in no way perfect, yet she did strive to please and glorify her Savior by the way she spoke to those around her. She did not let herself give into her temper, even if she was getting agitated with someone, because she knew that that would not please the Lord. Not only did she say kind words to people when she spoke to them, but her tone of voice shone forth with kindness as well.

Daily examine yourselves, as I often have to, to see whether or not the law of kindness is on your tongue as well. Is the way you speak to your parents honoring, respectful, revering and kind? Do you speak to seniors and those in authority in the same way? What about the way you speak to your siblings? To your older siblings, do you seek to be an encouragement to them in the way that you speak? Are you kind and considerate, or do the words you say bring them down instead of build them up as they ought? What about your younger siblings? Because they're younger, they often follow us around everywhere, copy us, etc., and that sometimes annoys us. But despite that, does the love of Christ shine through us in the way that we speak to them? Are we abundantly kind and sweet to them, or does the way we speak leave a little to be desired?

If you find yourself about to give into your temper, just wait, don't say anything, but rather ask yourself the following before you speak: "Would the tone of voice or the words I was about to say have been honoring to Christ and encouraging to this person, or would they have saddened that person, hurt him or her, or angered them?" If the words or tone of voice would have done so, then simply ask the Lord for the strength to speak as you know you should, rather than the way your sinful nature wants you to.

All of us, because we're sinners, say things throughout the day that we later deeply regret. When you know you've done so, first go to the Lord and ask His forgiveness. Then go to that person that you wronged, and tell them that you're sorry and ask for their forgiveness as well. This is a very humbling thing to do, and therefore it is often a hard thing for us to do, but rememember: the Lord hates pride, and that is one characteristic that should not belong to any of His children. Ask the Lord for strength each morning that you would speak in the way that He would want you to that day. And as you learn to speak kinder, you too will have on your tongue the "law of kindness".

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***For more devotionals, please click here

A Mayden is... List

This next year, we are going to study the Mayden's character list. They are:

A Mayden is:

Respectful

Trustworthy

Thrifty

Wise

Kind

Honorable

Clean

Content

Beautiful

JOYFUL

Godfearing

Hospitable

Creative

Modest

Feminine

Forgiving

Successful

A Healer

A Missionary

A Teacher

A Student

A Servant

A Warrior

A Lover

This is what we will be touching in the next year or so, and so, we hope you will join us, as we study these character traits, that we need to adopt!

If you find something missing from the list, please tell me, and I will add it!

Laura