What’s Wrong with Women?

Where there is no vision, the people perish… Proverbs 29:18 KJV

Women have significant contributions to make within their unique spheres of influence. So why do so many women have such a negative outlook on women? Where is our vision for who we are?

I am not speaking about a vision of what women need to do to be taken seriously. I mean a vision of who God created us to be. We women are the only ones to say:

I don’t like having female friends.

Women are just so passive-aggressive!

You can’t trust a woman.

The male population has not mastered life either, but you will never find them bonding over the dislike of their own gender. Why is that?

Instead of saying we don’t like women, I believe it’s more accurate to say we don’t like the image women have evolved or adapted to represent. We don’t want to be limited or seen as weak, so we try to take on the persona of someone who is rarely seen weak. But you are valued, and you were created as a woman for a purpose. There are unique things inside you that only you can do, and you will only achieve them if you are fully who God made you to be.

…Let me see your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely. (Song of Solomon 2:14 NKJV)

Lovely one, you are not what others say you are. You are who God says you are. He did not make a mistake by creating you as a woman, and you are not second-best. You have purpose. The passion, boldness, strength, or wisdom welling up within you is not meant to be tethered. It’s intended to be set free in Christ. He does not want you to try to fit into the mold of something you are not. Each woman was created to contribute a specific splendor, love, and beauty to the world. You are here for such a time as this.

Over 30 years ago, Lisa met John in college. John was a tennis-playing engineering student, and Lisa was a sorority girl. On their very first date, John shared the gospel with Lisa and she gave her life to Christ. Soon after, they got married, and they’ve been happily married ever since. They live in beautiful Colorado Springs with their four sons–Addison, Austin, Alec, and Arden–stunning daughter-in-law, Julianna, and two adorable G-babies: Asher and Sophia.

What you offer might not look like the contributions of your sisters or role models. It doesn’t have to. The body of Christ is made whole through diversity.

If our understanding as women is that we are a problem, our vision is skewed. God does not make mistakes; therefore, you are not a mistake. It is time to realign our vision with the purposes God has for us. Are you willing to do this? If so, pray:

Father, I am sorry for holding to a vision that does not reflect Your heart. I repent, and I want to move forward in believing what You say. I believe You call me lovely. You created me with purpose. I am not a mistake. Help me to step into all You have spoken over me. Amen.

/ In Christ, Lisa Bevere

Exercise Your Faith

God keeps His promise, and He will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out. – 1 Corinthians 10:13 TEV

The process God uses to build our faith is very similar to fitness training. The more we exercise and train our bodies, the stronger we become.

Any worthwhile training achieves results by exploring the limits of capacity. We do not discover untapped potential until we’re pushed outside of our comfort zones.

In the same that way fitness training is not comfortable, building our faith is not comfortable, but it is beneficial. If you trust God by putting your faith-strength in Him, He will give you the ability to go from glory to glory, faith to faith, and strength to strength.

The Holy Spirit is the perfect trainer for our faith. He knows what we can and cannot handle. He recognizes strength and potential when we don’t even know it is there. He has the ability to see beyond what we see.

“I alone know the plans I have for you…” (Jeremiah 29:11 TEV)

Over 30 years ago, John met Lisa in college. John was a tennis-playing engineering student, and Lisa was a sorority girl. On their very first date, Lisa gave her life to Christ. Soon after, they got married, and they’ve been happily married ever since. They live in beautiful Colorado Springs with their four sons–Addison, Austin, Alec, and Arden–stunning daughter-in-law, Julianna, and two adorable G-babies: Asher and Sophia.

The trials you face today are preparing you for the great feats you will accomplish tomorrow. Our Father is not the author of hardships, but He permits them so that we may be strengthened for what lies ahead. God will not bring you to challenging circumstances without first equipping you with the necessary training. God is more concerned about your long-term strength than your short-term comfort. Will you trust His plans and allow the Holy Spirit to be your faith trainer? Pray:

Father, I submit myself to You. I ask You to prepare me for the destiny You have for my life. Train me Lord; mold me into the person You want me to be. When I grow weary remind me that You have a perfect plan. I surrender myself to Your purposes. Holy Spirit, give me the strength to endure all of life’s challenges, that I might bring Your name glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.

/ In Christ, John Bevere

His Great Story

Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalm 139:16 NIV

What story do you want your life to tell? What legacy do you want to leave behind for your children?

When Jesus walked the earth as a man, He was a master storyteller. His parables illustrated timeless messages in words and pictures. He is the Author and Protagonist of the greatest story ever told, and He invites you to be a part of it.

Lovely one, God has written a story for you, but before you can unveil the most exciting parts of this tale, you must first discover the role you play. You can only discover your role in the story by being intimate with its Author. His Spirit speaks of the way you should go—the role you should play.

Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left. (Isaiah 30:21 NLT)

Each day can be likened to a page in the storybook of life. We decide the plots of our stories by the words we speak and the choices we make. He created us—we are His masterpiece. Choose to let Him write your story!

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Ephesians 2:10 NLT)

Over 30 years ago, Lisa met John in college. John was a tennis-playing engineering student, and Lisa was a sorority girl. On their very first date, John shared the gospel with Lisa and she gave her life to Christ. Soon after, they got married, and they’ve been happily married ever since. They live in beautiful Colorado Springs with their four sons–Addison, Austin, Alec, and Arden–stunning daughter-in-law, Julianna, and two adorable G-babies: Asher and Sophia.

God is the ultimate storyteller who wants to reveal His love story in you! He has written your role and scripted the desires of your heart. His plans for you are good and have been decreed from before the beginning of time. We do not get to decide how our stories will begin, but we are intimately involved in determining how they will end.

Have you been allowing the great Author to write your story? If not, pray:

Heavenly Father, I come before You in the name of Jesus. I ask You to be the Author of my story. I want to use my life’s story to bring glory to Your name. I believe You have a plan for my life and that it is good. Have Your way as I submit my weaknesses to You, Father. Cover them with Your strength. Speak to me the role You would have me play in Your great story! In Jesus’ name, amen.

/ In Christ, Lisa Bevere

Tell the Good News

God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. – 2 Corinthians 5:19

Very few unsaved people today have ever really heard the good news. Why? Because too many Christians are busy telling the world God is mad at them. And telling them that they’re terrible and wrong. Some call that good news, but it’s not, and it’s not what God has commissioned us to share.

He’s given us the ”word of reconciliation”!

He’s sent us to tell the news that God has restored harmony and fellowship between Himself and men. All men. Not just believers. Not just the people in your church, but everyone!

That’s right. The worst old reprobate sinner in the world is every bit as reconciled to God as you are. Look at Romans 5:10 and you’ll see what I mean. It says that ”when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son.”

Reconciled. That word is past tense. God has already restored fellowship between Himself and the world. He did it when there was not one person on earth except Jesus who believed in the new birth. He did it when the entire world was lying in sin.

Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God has cleansed and forgiven and restored to Himself every man, woman and child on the face of this earth. All any of us have to do now is receive that good news.

That’s the good word God has given us. That’s the word we need to share with those who are lost. If we’ll do it, I can almost guarantee you, they won’t stay lost very long.

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:10-21

Faith Is for the Middle

And a furious storm of wind [of hurricane proportions] arose, and the waves kept beating into the boat, so that it was already becoming filled. But He [Himself] was in the stern [of the boat], asleep on the [leather] cushion; and they awoke Him and said to Him, Master, do You not care that we are perishing? — Mark 4:37,38

The disciples probably were not nearly as excited in the middle as they may have been in the beginning. Although God often calls us to launch out to a new destination, He usually does not let us know what is going to happen on the way to it. We leave the security of where we are and start out for the blessings of the other side, but it is often in the middle where we encounter the storms. The middle is often a place of testing. The storm was in full force, and Jesus was asleep! Does that sound familiar?

Joyce Meyer (born Pauline Joyce Hutchison; June 4, 1943) is a Charismatic Christian author and speaker. Meyer and her husband Dave have four grown children, and live outside St. Louis, Missouri. Her ministry is headquartered in the St. Louis suburb of Fenton, Missouri.

Have you ever had times when you felt that you were sinking fast—and Jesus was asleep? You prayed and prayed and heard nothing from God. You spent time with Him and tried to sense His Presence, and yet you felt nothing. You searched for an answer, but no matter how hard you struggled against the wind and waves, the storm raged on—and you didn’t know what to do about it.

This storm the disciples found themselves facing was no little April shower or harmless summer squall, but a storm of hurricane proportions. The waves were not gently rolling and tossing; they were beating into the boat with such fury that it was quickly becoming filled up with water. It is at times like this, when it looks like the boat is sinking with us in it, that we must ”use” our faith. We can talk about faith, read books about it, hear sermons about it, sing songs about it; but in the storm, we must use it. It is also at such times when we discover just how much faith we really have.

I am with you

I am with you, watching over you constantly. I am Emmanuel (God with you); My Presence enfolds you in radiant Love. Nothing, including the brightest blessings and the darkest trials, can separate you from Me. Some of My children find Me more readily during dark times, when difficulties force them to depend on Me. Others feel closer to Me when their lives are filled with good things. They respond with thanksgiving and praise, thus opening wide the door to My Presence.

I know precisely what you need to draw nearer to Me. Go through each day looking for what I have prepared for you. Accept every event as My hand-tailored provision for your needs.When you view your life this way, the most reasonable response is to be thankful. Do not reject any of My gifts; find Me in every situation.

The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us. – Matthew 1:23

Devotion – Seek My Face at the beginning of your day.

This practice enables you to “put Me on” and “wear Me” throughout the day. Most people put on clothes soon after arising from bed. Similarly, the sooner you “put Me on” by communicating with Me, the better prepared you are for whatever comes your way.

To “wear Me” is essentially to have My mind: to think My thoughts. Ask the Holy Spirit to control your thinking; be transformed by this renewal within you. Thus you are well equipped to face whatever people and situations I bring your way. Clothing your mind in Me is your best preparation for each day. This discipline brings Joy and Peace to you and those around you.

When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.” – Psalm 27:8 nkjv

Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. – Romans 13:14

Awake to Righteousness

Awake to righteousness, and sin not. – 1 Corinthians 15:34

When your alarm clock goes off tomorrow morning, don’t just wake up to another day. Do what the Word says to do and ”awake to righteousness!” Reawaken yourself to the glorious fact that you’ve been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and given right-standing with Almighty God.

Why? Because tomorrow–and every other day of your life on this earth– Satan is going to try to convince you that you don’t have any right to the things of God. He’s going to try to bring you into bondage again to sin in order to control your life. But he won’t be able to do it if you’ll reawaken yourself every day to who you really are in Jesus.

Here’s a prayerful confession to help that revelation come alive in you:

”Father, I confess anew Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior today. Lord, You are the head of my life. I completely yield myself to You. My will is now Your will. My plans are now Your plans.

”As a new creation in Christ Jesus, I accept the gift of righteousness and all that gift includes: health, prosperity, peace, joy and life abundant. I put aside every weight and the sin that so easily besets me. I now look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith.

”According to Your Word, I can now reign in this life as a king. The power of sin and death in my life has been overcome. No longer am I ruled by the forces of evil but by the God above all gods. I am more than a conqueror through Him who loves me.

”I determine today to walk conscious of my right-standing with You, Lord, and with every step to draw closer and closer to You. Thank You for the gift of righteousness. Because of that gift, I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me.

”In Jesus’ Name. Amen!”

Scripture Reading: Colossians 2:9-15

Devotion – Psalm 47:1

Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! / Shout to God with the voice of triumph!

This psalm could have been written about the victories won under any number of leaders, including Moses, Joshua, Samson, Gideon, the sweeping military successes of King David, or his son Solomon. In the American culture, clapping hands and shouting are considered appropriate at almost any public event except a church service.

But according to this inspired text, a church service is perhaps the most likely place where clapping should be heard. We applaud a well-executed move in sports and excellence in music, but as we see from this verse, it is appropriate and Scriptural to applaud and shout to God. Perhaps modern day believers are too “sophisticated” about the things of God, and our worship services have become too safe.

Christian writer Annie Dillard in Teaching a Stone to Talk said: ”On the whole, I do not find Christians, outside of the catacombs, sufficiently sensible of conditions. Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it”?

The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies’ straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets.

Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. For the sleeping God may wake someday and take offense, or the waking God may draw us out to where we can never return.“LORD, we want to live in agreement with Your word. May everything we do this day, in accordance with Your call, be acceptable to You as a form of worship.

Devotion – Psalm 37:23-24

The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, / And He delights in his way. / Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; / For the LORD upholds him with His hand.

On the road of life, a believer’s pathway is established or ordered by the Lord. The emphasis here is on the fact that it is the steps of a “good” man that are ordered by God. If we will keep short accounts with God (confessing and repenting as soon as we stumble) and stay surrendered to His will (His Lordship over our lives), then His guarantee is that He will keep us headed in the right direction. God promises to order our path, watch our steps, and keep us from danger.When David says “Though he fall,” he may have been pointing to his own life of failing, when he didn’t stay on the right path. Even the “good’” man or woman will get sidetracked and stumble into sin.

Scripture points to many good men who stumbled off the path of God. Noah was a good man, but he got drunk. Moses was a good man, but he killed a man. King David was a good man, but he committed adultery. Peter was a good man, but he denied the Lord. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Rom. 3:23). That’s why we need a Savior, because “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Sometimes life is filled with twists and turns that sneak up on us completely unexpected. But we can take heart in the fact that God sees each and every one coming long before they hit.“LORD, we look to You alone to be the source for direction, protection, and forgiveness.”