Category: Women of the Bible

HELLO SARAI PART II


Last week I introduced Sarai. I spoke about how her desperation led her to influence her husband to make an unwise choice.
Read Hello Sarai Part I here
This week I want to explore the aftermath of Sarai’s choices.
Sarai took control of the situation thinking she could force the promise to come to life. She thought that maybe she was not the one God would fulfill the promise through.

In Genesis 16:2 Sarai said to Abram, “The LORD has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her.” And Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal.

My Thoughts on that statement:
1. Did she think her servant would be okay with this arrangement?
2. Was she planning on just taking the baby away from the servant girl and raising it as her own?
3. Did she truly believe God would bless this arrangement?
4. Where did her faith go?

Post Abram’s agreeing to sleep with the servant girl, we quickly see the situation spiral out of Sarai’s control.
I want to share two points that I found in this passage.

Verse 4 tells us that Abram slept with Sarai’s servant and she became pregnant. 
Read her reaction
, “when she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.
Uh oh!
So much for Sarai’s plan to create a family with her servant’s child!
As we continue reading Genesis 16 we learn what the servant’s reaction causes. Verse 5 
Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me.”
Hold up!!!!!
“You are responsible…”? Really Sarai?!?!
Last time I checked whose idea was this?!?! Who came up with this genius plan?
Point #1: Sarai’s plan caused division in her marriage.
She made the choice to suggest and encourage it but instead of taking responsibility for her poor decisions she blames Abram. I’m not saying that he is completely innocent in this, he very well could have said NO! He didn’t have to accept the indecent proposal but he did… womp!

In verse 6 Abram responds to Sarai. He put’s it back on her washing his hands of the whole situation. “Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar…
Point #2 Sarai’s plan causes unmanageable resentment towards her servant.
I can’t imagine the pain Sarai felt in these moments. I mean, she’s been married for decades and has undoubtedly slept with her husband enough times to conceive. Her servant sleeps with her husband ONE time and immediately becomes pregnant! I’m tempted to excuse her resentment. I feel badly for Sarai. I think I might have responded the same way if I had been in her sandals. This situation reminds me of the quote,
“Hurting people hurt people.”

That’s exactly what happens here. I think Sarai, a normally God fearing woman doesn’t know what to do with her emotions and finds herself treating her poor servant girl horribly.

There is so much to learn from this portion of the story.
Firstly, it reminds me to be introspective. It’s so important to make the time to self evaluate our choices and reactions.
Let’s make sure we take responsibility for our own.
Let’s not blame those in our lives for matters they had no control over.
Secondly, I learned that it’s easy to lash out when we don’t get our way. Sarai is totally throwing a temper tantrum here because things did not go as she planned. I can relate. I’ve acted out tantrum style in my adult life… haven’t you?!
I think we benefit from being aware of our emotions and taking control of them before they take control of us.
Let’s not mistreat those around us who are innocent bystanders to our messes. Yea, I know. Easier said than done, but if we learn to control our thoughts we will be able to grab hold of our emotions which stem from our thoughts.

I love how much this story is like a telenovela!
I’m excited to say that I will be extending the three week series to a four week Sarai/Sarah series.
Next week I want to explore chapter 18 and see what God says next. I hope you can stop by again next Friday and take a look at Hello Sarai Part III. 

Memory Verse: Philippians 4:8
Philippians 4:8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.


My Prayer for you:
Heavenly Father, thank you for your precious word. I believe it is alive and working in us. I pray for all of the readers who are struggling with the guilt or shame of a poor decision. I ask you to help them surrender those emotions to you. Help them accept that even though the choice was bad they are NOT bad. I pray, Father God,  that you may minister to someone through Sarai’s story. That we may see and understand the relevance that her experiences then have to our lives today. Help us lean into your word and glean the wisdom you desire for us to gain. Thank you, Lord. I am confident that you will show up and show off in the lives of my readers. I trust that you guide us to reflect on our choices and emotions that we may not blame or hurt the innocent but that we may allow you to turn all of our circumstances into good for your Glory! In Jesus’ name, Amen!

HELLO SARAI PART I

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Genesis 12:11 Sarai was a beautiful woman

In Genesis 12:5 we meet Sarai, Abram’s wife. Chapter 12 is where we learn some background info on their life. Up to this point they’ve done well for themselves. They are pretty much rich, have servants and a comfortable life. Then, all of a sudden God speaks to Abram and tells him, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.”
Talk about shaking things up. Sarai must have had it good up to this point. Verse 5 tells us that she follows her husband on this new adventure. They leave their families and comfortable lifestyle to become nomads. They roam and roam, they stop in Egypt get some more riches and get kicked out when the Pharaoh learns that Sarai is actually Abram’s wife and not his sister.

This story is pretty juicy, if you’ve never read it click here.

After leaving Egypt they travel some more and end up finding themselves in the land of Canaan. Now a lot has happened between chapter 12 and chapter 15 including wars and rescue missions.
In chapter 15 God speaks to Abram again. This time he gives Abram an unbelievable promise, “Look at the heavens and count the stars – if indeed you can count them… so shall your offspring be.”– verse 5.
What a weird promise to give to a man who is nearing really old age and has not had any children.
At this point in the story I start thinking about Sarai.
Her barrenness.
Her lack of motherhood.
How much did she suffer?
How insecure was she?
I wonder how incomplete she felt.
Did Abram share God’s promise with her?
I was thinking through this and it occurred to me that they were husband and wife…. marriage made them ONE.
[Genesis 2:24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become ONE flesh.]
So technically if God gave this promise to Abram then the promise was for Sarai too!
Did she believe it?
Did she get excited?
I picture her daydreaming about that moment when she would get to hold her newborn child, a child she has waited practically forever for.
I imagine her waiting for the confirmation of pregnancy and the first year passes. Then the next and the next until it’s been 10 years and Sarai has yet to feel the squirming of a baby within her womb.
After 10 years of waiting for her dreams to come true I think Sarai became a bit impatient. In verse 2 of Genesis 16 Sarai utters these words,
“The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave…”
I bet there was exhaustion, frustration, disappointment and disillusionment in her tone, maybe even a little bit of resentment and bitterness towards God. I mean He made this grandiose promise and hadn’t followed through.

Haven’t we all been here before?!
There is that one thing that comes to mind. You’ve been praying for and working towards this for years and years and have yet to see the fruit of your faith and efforts.
It’s so typical for us as women to throw our hands up in the air and shout,
“I AM TIRED OF WAITING!!!!”

I know I’ve said it. I know I’ve cried it.

These emotions that lead us to take control.
That moment when the patience has completely dried up and we start making erratic decisions thinking we can play God.

In this very state of desperation Sarai makes a horrible decision. A decision she ends up regretting terribly.
I mean come on!!! It has to be a desperate move to tell your husband to sleep with another woman! The first attempt at surrogacy. And guess what… she took matters into her own hands and everything ended up blowing up in her face big time!!!  


Next week I will go into further detail on Sarai’s decision and the repercussion of her poor choice and lack of faith. I hope that we may learn from her experience. Let’s not lose hope! Let’s not forget the ways that God has already come through for us! Let’s hold on tight. He WILL come through! You will see your blessing!!!!

Memory Verse: Psalm 130:5
Psalm 130:5 I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.

My Prayer for you:
Heavenly Father, I pray for those readers who are struggling with patience right now. I pray that you may remind them of your past faithfulness. I ask you to give them supernatural hope in this moment that they may not lose faith. That they may hold on tight to your word and your promises. I thank you for all that you have already done and ask you to continue to show up and show off in our lives. I pray that as we experience moments of fainting and doubt that we may not forget the lesson Sarai teaches us. That we may not try to take control where only you can make things work. Thank you for hearing our prayers and for your faithfulness. I am confident that you have good things for each of us and we will see the fulfillment of your promises in our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Comment below with your thoughts on Sarai’s choice. I can’t wait to read your feedback!

HELLO NOAH’S GIRLS

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May 2013

Genesis 6-9
One of my favorite bible stories is the story of Noah and the Ark. At first glance it seems so cruel. God destroys all of mankind in this crazy flood. Everyone except for Noah, his wife, their three sons and their wives. All of a sudden it becomes a story of redemption. God didn’t want to end His relationship with mankind. He wanted to redirect the direction mankind was going in.
Noah’s wife and daughters-in-law are not named. The four of them are simply mentioned throughout the story as having been present in the major events.

I wonder the doubt that passed through Noah’s wife’s mind as he is sharing with her what God told him. I wonder her disbelief. I wonder the discomfort at being ridiculed by her neighbors while Noah built the ark in the middle of a land that had never ever seen rain before.

I wonder what the first cruise was like. Confined space with her daughters-in-law. I hope they got along. I bet there must have been some drama involved. Whenever more than one woman is in a small space for more than a day there’s bound to be some type of drama. Right?! Was there a lot of complaining going on, because if it were me I know I’d be biting my tongue raw.

But no, seriously.

Did these four women have any idea what they were signing up for? (That’s starting to be a pattern with all these women… things don’t always go as expected.)
Were the daughters-in-law trying to skip out or did they have faith and believe what Noah heard from God?

I imagine the smells on this boat. The noises that rang out at random times. Cleaning up after those animals must have been something else.

These four women are not named and not much is mentioned regarding their character or their dispositions. Scripture doesn’t share whether they loved it or hated it.

However Genesis 6: 8-9 says, “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord…. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time and he walked with God.”
I dare gather two points from these verses.

  1. Noah loved and feared the Lord.
  2. Noah led his family (wife, sons, & daughters-in-law) to love and fear the Lord.

I can’t help thinking that if I were in their place I would have grumbled and griped the whole time we floated along. Yet, I truly believe that these women took up their assignment with grace and poise. Maybe they knew the importance of their cooperation or maybe they just loved the Lord so much they were willing to sacrifice their daily comforts for His will be to be done. I choose to believe that these four unnamed women left an example for all of us to follow.

My Prayer for you:
Heavenly Father, thank you for the story of Noah and the Ark. Thank you for the covenant you made through the symbol of the rainbow. I pray that we may take on all of the assignments we have before us with an attitude of excellence. That all that we do we may do it with you in mind, thinking of your glory and lifting your name high. Please help us to have a graceful heart and spirit that we may not waste time grumbling and complaining but that we may use our words to praise you instead. Please continue to be glorified. In Jesus name, Amen!

Memory Verse: Colossians 3:23-24
Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.


HELLO LAMECH’S GIRLS

Genesis 4:19-24
19 Lamech married two women. The first was named Adah, and the second was Zillah…. 22 Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah.

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Adah and Zillah are the first “sister wives” of the bible.
Both women were married to a man by the name of Lamech. He was part of Cain’s genealogy, last week we talked about Cain’s unnamed wife, read more here.

Zillah had a daughter named Naamah. She is the first daughter to be recorded.

Adah, Zillah and Naamah come as a packaged deal….
3-4-1 if you will.

                     ADAH:
                                Adah is the next woman named after Eve. She was Lamech’s first wife.
It does not say how long they were married before he took a second wife.
I wonder if Adah was in agreement or if she put up a fight and lost. Or maybe they were all married at the same time.

According to different sources Adah’s name means “adorned”1 or “ornament”2. Her name gives me the impression that she must have been a beautiful woman. This makes sense considering that it’s only been 6 or 7 generations since Adam and Eve so humans are still close to perfect beauty.

The passage doesn’t give much information about Adah except to mention that she had two boys. These boys are special because they had skills that advanced the civilization of their time. In verse 20 we read that her first born Jabal raised livestock. Jubal, the second son born to Adah is named in verse 21; he is said to be a musician who played the flute and harp. Jubal was quite the cultured one.


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                    ZILLAH
Zillah is Lamech’s second wife. Her name is said to mean “shadow”
3. What a dark name. The word shadow makes me think of darkness; of secrets lurking in the “shadows”.
Did Zillah feel that her life was a shadow? Maybe life as a sister wife wasn’t as bright as Lamech made it out to be.
Zillah also had a son. He is mentioned in verse 22. His name was Tubal-Cain, a reminder of who their ancestor is. He created tools out of bronze and iron. It’s interesting because the passage says that Lamech boasted of using his son’s tools as weapons to murder and that he’d be more untouchable than Cain.

Lamech’s ruthlessness makes me think that both Adah and ZIllah were not God fearing women. They married into Cain’s blood line which because of Cain’s decisions generations early was far from the Lord.


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                Naamah
Naamah is Zillah’s daughter. Her name means pleasant. I like that meaning for a name. I hope she was “pleasant3.

It’s interesting to me that she was recorded in the Genesis chapter 4. She’s the first daughter to be named. I trust that God placed her there for a reason however from my research it appears that scholars are unsure. There seems to be some controversy surrounding Naamah: who she really was and why she was mentioned in the scripture to begin with. If you would like to read some of the those theories check out the links below.



Lamech’s Girls are part of Cain’s lineage. Cain the father of the Canaanites who were far from God and who God condemned for their wickedness.
This grieves my heart because by association and family ties Adah, Zillah and Naamah are also condemned to God’s wrath.

It’s totally relateable to us today because how many of us allow others decisions and choices to bring us down? How often are we affected by the shrapnel that shoots into our lives cutting and bruising us as a result of an explosion in someone else’s life?

The good news is simple! There may be explosive material flying around you but when you are in Christ you will be protected by His hand. Someone else’s condemnation does not need to be yours.
God has promised us that “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” Romans 8:1!

Are you in Christ?!

If your answer is YES! Then no matter what comes, no matter your family ties, associations or lineage, YOU ARE FREE IN CHRIST!!!

If your answer is NO! Then let today be the day that you cry out to God and ask Jesus to set you free! He will! He died to set you free!

My Prayer for you:
Lord help us set up boundaries in our lives to protect us from others decisions. I pray Father God that you may cover those reading this today. That Adah, Zillah and Naamah’s story may speak to their hearts. Lord I pray for those reading this who do not know you as their savior, I ask that as you knock on the door of their hearts they may open their hearts to you and allow you to transform their lives. Thank you Jesus for your sacrifice, your forgiveness, salvation and protection. In Jesus name, Amen.

Memory Verse: Romans 8:1
Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

HELLO CAIN’S WIFE

Genesis 4:17 Cain made love to his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch.

When I read this verse with the intention of writing this post one question came to mind.

  • She’s important because why??? (yes, that’s exactly how I thought it and how I wrote it in my notes…)


I continued to think about why she would even be mentioned.
Who was she really?
She is unnamed. Not significant enough to be named but the fact that she is mentioned at all tells me that there is something to be learned from her. She is mentioned in one line as if a passing comment.

Let’s start by listing some attributes:

  • she had to have been a daughter
  • she was a wife
  • she was a mother


About her being a daughter:
There seems to be so much controversy around the question…. Where did Cain’s wife come from?

Here are some resources that helped me answer that question for myself.

The gist of the story is that Cain’s wife must have been his sister or niece. Apparently incest wasn’t considered incest yet. Actually there was nothing wrong with it for a few hundred years. I’m guessing that it started causing defects or something because it was happening all throughout Genesis and Exodus. Until one day in Leviticus (the third book of the Bible) God said “no, no, no, not in my house!!!” and a law was written against it. Leviticus 18 has a whole string of “Do not have sexual relations with…” 
I know some people may find it far fetched… but either you believe the Bible to be true or you don’t… no gray area!

About her being a wife:
The thought occurred to me that Cain’s wife stayed with him even though he was a murdered. She stayed by his side in spite of the fact that he lost all favor before God. She stayed with him through exile. I imagine she had to leave her friends, her family, the people who raised her and loved her.
That makes me sad for her.
I wonder, what did she cling to? Did she continue loving God even though Cain turned his back on God?
Now, I am not a wife so I really have no authority to speak on this however I’m going to say it anyway.
I’ve often heard respectable women and men in ministry tell God fearing women married to non-believing men to continue loving, respecting, praying and living by example in their marriages. I truly believe that God will totally Show Up and Show Off. If you happen to be in that situation take heart! Hope on! Love your husband, respect your husband and most importantly pray for your husband! I believe that God will nudge his heart, remove the scales from his eyes and save his soul!

About her being a mother:
I feel that this is significant! In the one line that she is mentioned she is called a wife and a mother. She bore Cain a son whom he named Enoch.
[Not to be confused with Enoch from Genesis 5 who was so close to the LORD that he was taken up to heaven.]
Cain built a city named after Enoch. I bet she was proud of this honor to her boy. After her one liner a list of generations is mentioned before the story pauses on Lamech and his two wives who we will be meeting next week. One commentary states that this information is included in the story to refer back to the beginnings of the Cainites. Loads of history that I’m not going to get into. Even still it shows that she is significant as the mother of that lineage. Read more on it here.

Towards the beginning I questioned Cain’s wife’s significance. I think that sometimes we as women question our own significance. I know I’ve dealt with identity issues. Who am I? Why am I? What am I for? The answer to all those questions… JESUS. I am the daughter of a KING! I am created with purpose to be of blessing and to glorify said KING. I am loved and honored by said KING. I am and so are you!

My Prayer for you:
Father God, how easy it is to feel like Cain’s wife. Like our lives are just one liners. Like we are a side comment that most people overlook without a second thought. How grateful I am that to you we are more than one liners. To you we are fearfully and wonderfully made. To you we are significant, cherished and delighted in. Thank you for loving us. Thank you for making our stories significant even if in a quiet way. We are still important to you! I pray that you may press that thought on our hearts daily. Please give us daily reminders of your love for us. Help us see how you pursue and romance each and every single one of us in such a way that is personal and unique to our individual spirits and hearts. In Jesus name, Amen.

Memory Verse: Isaiah 43:4a
Isaiah 43: 4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you.


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Reasons For Hope

Did you miss Hello Eve?!? Catch up today!!!

HELLO EVE PART III

What can we learn from Eve…
(more than what I can fit in a three week series!!)
1. Temptation sometimes gets the best of us.
But gratefully Jesus said,

“Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”
(John 8:7)
Let’s not throw stones!!! Let’s forgive and love instead!!!
2. Doubting will get us kicked out of paradise.
(Genesis 3:23)
Eve doubted God’s goodness and faithfulness and it cost her everything!!!
James 1: 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
3. When you sin don’t hide from God!
(Genesis 3:8)
Turn to Him instead!
*Side note* It’s interesting to me how immediate the guilt set in. As soon as they ate of the fruit Adam and Eve noticed their nakedness. They felt the repercussion of what they had done.
Recently someone shared with me,
“Guilt turns to shame in 3 days.”
My dear sister, DO NOT sit in your guilt! Repent! Ask God to forgive you. HE WILL!!! DO NOT allow the shame to drown you. That’s exactly what the enemy wants! Fight back! Take hold of your freedom in Christ!
Sometimes we lose a battle but the ultimate war is already won!!!! You have victory in Jesus!!!
(1 Corinthians 15:57)

eve part 3

Tavo Quiros Original

Genesis 3:6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

Honestly, I feel bad for Eve! I mean let’s be real. How many of you in her situation would have been like, “Kick rocks, serpent!” And yet forever upon forever Eve has been blamed for all of the sin in the world. She may have been the first to sin but I guarantee she’s not the only one who would have chosen the fruit.
I can’t begin to imagine how delicious it looked. I bet it smelled better than any of the other fruit in the garden. And on top of looking and smelling amazing the thought of gaining WISDOM!
Curiosity killed the cat!!! No doubt about that!!!
But at what price? Was it worth it?
I wonder how much Eve regretted her poor decision. Just like Eve, I have been drawn in by the serpent’s craftiness. I have made bad choice after bad choice and woken up the next day to regret it. Like Eve I chose to hide and run away from God. To sew fig leaves together and cover up my sin.
Thank God, that Jesus, the Savior was the plan all along.



My prayer for you:

Heavenly Father, your grace is sufficient! I pray for every hurting heart. Every reader who is struggling with guilt or shame. I pray that you may embrace them in this moment. That as they read this they may feel your love and compassion. I thank you for your mercy which is new every morning. I thank you that you do not leave us in our sin to die but you stepped in and took the death in our place. Please show up and show out like only you can. Heal the hurting hearts. Ignite a passion in their spirits that they may know that their stories were not in vain. In Jesus’ healing name, Amen!

Memory Verse: Luke 1:45
Luke 1:45 “You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”

I hope you have enjoyed this 3 part series on Eve.
Check out part 1 and 2 below.
Come back on Monday for another Bonus Monday and next Friday we’ll be studying the next woman mentioned in Genesis chapter 4.
I can’t wait!!!

 

HELLO EVE PART II

Genesis 2:21-22 (MSG) God put the Man into a deep sleep. As he slept he removed one of his ribs and replaced it with flesh. God then used the rib that he had taken from the Man to make Woman and presented her to the Man.

Last week I talked about Eve being a solution to a problem and how womankind was created with a specific purpose. (Read it here.) Today I want to touch upon two revelations that a dear mentor of mine shared with me once.

1. Both Adam and Eve had alone time with God.
2. Eve was created whole and complete.

In Genesis 2:21 God gives Adam a forced nap time. Prior to this nap  Adam had an opportunity to commune with God. One on one time. He then falls into a deep sleep, I love the imagery, it’s a deep sleep as opposed to a light sleep lest he woke up in the middle of woman’s creation.
In verses 22 God creates woman. During this formation process and until God presents the woman to Adam, they too have an opportunity for some much needed QT. I was blown away when it was presented to me this way.

I love that thought: God had alone time with Adam and Eve separately before bringing them together. Independent of each other.

This reminds me that as much as I long for a husband who will lead me and my family in chasing after God, it will always be of utmost importance that I have that same quality time with Jesus myself.

Ladies, communion with our King is key for point number 2.

Have you ever heard the expression, “God created a God sized hole in your heart that only He can fill.”? I happen to believe that to be true. I want to break the mindset that so many women have. A mentality that has been perpetuated by novels, fairy tales and movies.

LADIES, NO MAN CAN EVER EVER EVER COMPLETE YOU!!!!!
NO MAN CAN EVER SATISFY YOUR SOUL OR LOVE YOU TO YOUR CORE LIKE ONLY JESUS CHRIST CAN!!!!

I really cannot stress this point enough. Trust me as I type it I remind myself.

That second revelation that was shared with me is that woman was complete in the moment of her creation. I imagine her sitting there in Eden, feeling comfortable in her own skin, ready to be of service, confident in her ability, secure in her designer and creator.
She was COMPLETE!!! 
She wasn’t boggled down by insecurities, lack of confidence or the pressures that we face today.
My dear sisters, I have good news!
You and I were created by the same God! We too were made complete in God’s own imagine! We too can experience the confidence and wholeness that blessed Eve’s spirit. Seek your King Jesus and ask Him to fill that God shaped hole in your soul. Chase after Him with reckless abandon and watch as He heals and satisfies you.

My prayer for you:
Heavenly Father, I know the pain of feeling incomplete, of chasing after the things of this world to satisfy the depths of me that only you can quench. I pray that as you have worked in me you may also move in the hearts and minds of every woman reading this now. That she may see the importance of spending time with you to allow you a chance to refresh her spirit. I pray that she may lean into you and find her satisfaction in you. I pray that every woman reading this today may know what it is to be confident and secure in her designer and creator. I thank you in advance for how you will move in their lives. In Jesus holy name, Amen!

Memory Verse Colossians 2:10 (ERV)
Colossians 2:10a And because you belong to Christ you are complete, having everything you need.

 

HELLO EVE PART I

Genesis 2: 18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” … 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

I love the sequence of this passage. The main idea is laid out plain and simple in verse 18. God noticed that Adam was alone and needed a companion, so He decided to provide Adam with a “suitable helper”.
The implication makes me smile.
Woman was created as the solution to a problem. 
The problem: Adam was alone. (v. 18)
The solution: God created the woman. (v. 22)
Don’t you see?!?
My heart swells as I think it through again.
You and I, dear sister, were designed with care and purpose. We did not stumble upon this earth by chance. Just like Eve we too were created to be the solution to a problem. We too were created to be a suitable helper.

While searching for a deeper understanding of Eve’s story I found that “helper” in Hebrew is “ezer”. All of the commentaries I came across stated that the term “helper” is used throughout the Old Testament referring to God as our helper. Jesus also used the term in the New Testament when he foretold of the Holy Spirit coming to be our helper.(1)
I take the time to point this out because I think it’s important to understand that Eve, or womankind, was not created to be man’s slave or subordinate.
Never allow yourself to be treated as such!
We were created to complement and be equal to man NOT to be enslaved by man!!

My prayer for you:
Heavenly Father, I pray that every woman reading this, young and old, may know in the depths of her soul that she belongs to you. That you took special care to design her and form her with unique gifts and talents. You created her with the ability to be the solution to a problem. I pray that you may reveal that very special and specific purpose. I thank you Lord for the richness of your word and the opportunity to see your love in it. In Jesus name, Amen.

Memory Verse: Psalm 139: 13-16
Psalm 139: 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Comment below with your favorite part of this weeks memory verse.
Come back next week for Hello Eve Part II…
I’ll be touching on two eye opening truths.
For more on Eve check out the links below:

 


HELLO WOMEN OF THE BIBLE (WOTB)

For over a year now I’ve had this growing desire to study the women of the bible. I’ve read the SheReadsTruth.com Women in the Bible devotional series. I’ve attended bible studies at my church (Church by the Glades), which focused on women in the bible. I’ve talked about how interested I am in the women of the bible so much that friends have gifted me books and I have purchased and wish-listed additional books.

Their stories fascinate me.

Their courage inspires me.

Their faith motivates me.

Their realness still resonates loudly in our culture today.

These women knew what it was to cry out to God for the deepest desires of their heart. They knew, like many women today, what it feels like to WAIT, to lean on God and not their own understanding.

Some of my favorite women are Sarah, Ruth, Esther, and the woman with the bleeding disorder. Each of these stories has spoken to my heart in one-way or another.

I am so excited to officially begin this journey of an in-depth study of every woman in the bible in chronological order. The assignment feels bigger than anything I’ve ever done before. I know that by focusing on one to two women a month this project will take a few years to complete. I look forward to the extra time in God’s word.

I realize that I am far from a bible scholar or expert. I’m simply an average girl trying to seek my King. My plan is to read the scripture with new eyes. I will be using different resources to help me understand the richness of each story.

I am so excited for what God has planned for me to learn. What secrets will be uncovered?!?

The best part of this new venture is that I will get to share all of my “findings” with YOU!!!! I look forward to connecting with you and reading how God has moved in your life through SUPERSTARNAT.COM.

Get ready and join me every Friday for a new installment of the WOTB Series. I pray that as God uses these women to heal, mold, and strengthen my heart yours may also be blessed in supernatural ways.

January is all about Eve. So come back next week for Hello Eve Part I…