Author: gfbcwomensblogeditor
Sola Scriptura: Romans 8
No dialog. No frills. No personal annotations. Simply truths from Romans 8 which can guide us through this path of life. Pray, read, and allow God to speak to your heart.
- There is now no condemnation in Christ.
- The law of the Spirit of Life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
- We do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
- The mind set on the flesh is death but on the Spirit is Life and Peace.
- Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
- All who are being led by the Spirit, these are the sons of God.
- You are not slaves to fear, you are adopted daughters of God.
- Our present sufferings are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come.
- The Spirit intercedes for us when we don’t know what to pray.
- All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
- If God is for us who can be against us?! (Rhetorical Question! Answer: no one!)
- What can separate us from the love of Christ?! (Rhetorical Question! Answer: nothing!)
- We are more than conquerors in Christ. I am. You are.
Back to Basics: Quiet Time
In my early twenties and fresh out of college, I was blessed to stumble upon a treasure of a book, Disciplines of the Beautiful Woman by Anne Ortlund. Anne became my mentor. I have longed for years since then to find a woman I knew to mentor me, but what the Lord finally showed me was that this woman, her writings, were the guide God put in my hands along with His word and a few other books, to grow me up. I’ve re-read the book several times. I find the key concepts of Anne’s writing are so fundamental to my beliefs that I frequently teach them as I mentor young women today.
So, if you are like I was and can’t seem to find that flesh-and-blood mentor to have a cup of coffee and chat with, then grab a cup right now – I’ll take Green Mountain breakfast blend with one Truvia pack and 2 teaspoons of peppermint creamer – and join me for our first mentoring session!While there are many areas of the spiritual life that need our attention, the 4 main ones we will focus on and their importance are clearly shown in The Wheel Illustration.
This illustration shows us the fundamentals of a well-rounded Christian life: Prayer & The Word – the ways we interact with God, and Witnessing & Fellowship – the ways we interact with people. If any one of these spokes is not being tended to or if Christ is not at the center of everything we do, we risk living an out of balance, wobbly life as we roll through our days here on earth; traveling with a flat tire so to speak.
The prime spiritual discipline that is the air our spirit breathes is a personal Quiet Time with God each day (built on Prayer and The Word). No matter your age, your spiritual growth and health is dependent upon this discipline. Your spiritual life will suffocate without daily time alone with your Father.
The Set Up.
- Have a set place. (Mine is a cushy love seat in our living room.)
- Have a set time. (30+/- minutes before you normally have to get up works well.)
- Have the materials you need. (Listed in next paragraph)
- Be consistent. (Commit to do this every day for a month and your time will be firmly established and easier to stick with.)
So how do you go about it? Simple. Grab your Bible, a pen, and a notebook. That’s all you need! God has promised to give His Spirit as your teacher (John 14:26).
Resting in the fact that a member of the Holy Trinity will be teaching you, this is
The Process.
- Pray. Pray praising God, thanking Him, confessing sins, asking forgiveness, and interceding for others. Most importantly Pray for God to open the eyes of your heart to understand what He is teaching you through His written Word. (Phil.4:6-7)
- Read a portion of scripture.
- Get yourself on a Bible reading plan. Look over the options in the link. If you’re new to this, one or two verses a day may seem to be all you can take in without being overwhelmed. So you might want to start slowly cruising through the book of John or Philippians a few verses at a time.
- Read with purpose. Don’t just read the words to check this off your list. Read trying to absorb what the scripture is saying. Ask yourself the 5 W’s and an H – Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. Leave your reading time with the attitude that you want to be able to tell a friend about it later that afternoon.
- Meditate on it listening for the truth God is teaching you. This may involve praying over portions. It may mean you read back through the passage very slowly, stopping every time you are curious and contemplating what the deeper meaning is. It may mean repeating a single verse of the passage over and over to begin to memorize it. Or you may personalize the scripture by putting your own name in it or turning it into a prayer. You may want to read the Word emphasizing different words to see a deeper meaning. Or read it looking for Biblical concepts or patterns and repetitions in the passage.
- Journal your thoughts and prayers. Even if your time is limited as you scurry off to work, take your notebook and take a moment to journal one take away from the scripture. Maybe it’s a promise in scripture you want to cling to in the issues you are facing. Maybe it’s a command you realize you need to obey to please God. Whatever it is, jot it down. Then follow up with a written prayer to end your quiet time. It can be brief. But personally, I have found these prayers to be very revealing and healing. As I pray writing it out seeking God’s heart I often write truth I’d never realized before, blessings the Lord speaks into my heart, wisdom that crystalizes into a clear thought, or even tender loving words or words of reproof to myself. When we open a conversation with Him in prayer, God speaks back if we will just listen!
- One process of Bible study is called Inductive Bible study. (Check out the link. More on this in another post.) Inductive reasoning is reasoning that derives general principles from specific observations. So inductive Bible Study hinges on deriving general life principles through diligently observing His Word, praying, and listening to what God quietly speaks to your spirit.
Thanks for the coffee! I loved our first mentoring session. So now that you know how to have an effective quiet time, I guess I’ll end with the Nike slogan “Just do it.” Blessings!
Happy New Year!
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making away in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19
As I write, it is October 28th. Gearing up for Halloween weekend here – church fall festival, costumes and candy. But since we plan this blog months ahead, I am catapulted into 2017.
What will the year hold for each of us? Will it be “The Best Year Ever!”? “The One That Nearly Did Me In”? Or just another year? There will be definite scheduled things you see coming now: You may graduate. Celebrate your child’s first birthday. Retire. Go on the mission field. Move to a new city. Get married…. And then there will be the unexpected things: Will you fall in love? Get transferred? Break up with the boyfriend? Bury a parent? Get your dream job? Experience serious illness? None of us know.
Life is a wild ride! Ups and downs, turbulence and smooth sailing. So are you up for the adventure? Or are you clinging to the status quo with white knuckles just hoping nothing very bad comes your way? Is there a way we can be prepared for these unexpected troubles that come our way? You know there is! I wouldn’t ask a question like that unless I was about to give you my wise answer! 😉
The way to be prepared for whatever comes our way, is to know and follow closely The Way, Jesus Christ.
Some of our goals here at Priceless blog that you can read on our “About” page are:
We hope to INSPIRE women to desire a deeper relationship with their Father God, to grow in the grace and knowledge of their Savior Jesus Christ, and to live a Spirit-filled life.
We commit to CHALLENGE women to study the Word of God, pray in faith, walk obediently as Christ-followers, and love and serve others around them just as Christ did.
We long to ENCOURAGE women as they daily experience the good times and even the mundane, but also the difficult times: the obstacles, the tragic, or the unknowns in life.
Hopefully, all our articles help women come to a deeper realtionship with the Lord. But in an effort to be intentional, instructional, and organized in this help, and in order to help you face the coming year ahead “clothed in strength and dignity,” we are trying something new over the next couple of months. Next Monday we will begin a discipleship series called Back to the Basics. It will consist of a series of articles that come out every other Monday on the foundational disciplines of walking with the Lord. It is for every age and every stage of life. We’ll cover topics like having a quiet time, reading the Bible, prayer and journaling, just to name a few. These topics are great for new believers and young Christians, but will also hopefully inspire the veteran Christian women. Also, we ask that you mature women would chime in on the replies and share tips and wisdom you have learned in your walk with Christ.
Following some spiritual disciplines in our lives will do several beneficial things for us on the road of life this year. First, our relationship with Christ will grow and flourish in ways that bless us deeply whatever our circumstances. As we come to know and love Him more through Bible study and prayer, we come to trust Him more, to understand His ways more, and to fear the future less. As our faith grows, we trust that we have a redeemer, a refuge, a defender, a guide, a savior, a healer, and a lover of our soul that carries us through every situation we encounter in life.
Second, we will develop habits that are good for our spiritual life. Having that organized quiet time, time in the word, prayer, etc. will carry us through the rough waters. We won’t wake up the morning after a crisis freaking out. We will wake up and go to our chair where we meet with God each day and spend time with Him, because that is our routine. And our hearts will receive peace and direction and wisdom for the issues of the day. That’s not to say that everything will be rosy; it’s to say that the God of all Hope has your back in every situation.
Third, we will change. We will become new. At salvation we are made a new creature. But the change does not end there. God is in the business of remaking us continually. All those self-help books get us nowhere in the long run. But a close and dynamic relationship with Christ rubs off those rough edges, sweeps out the hidden dirt, hammers out the dings, and shines up our tarnished places almost without us realizing it. His transforming work in our heart through the washing of His Word will cause us to become someone different, better.
Let me give you a guarantee. Walk faithfully following Christ and sticking with the spiritual disciplines presented to you through this series, and you will look back in 5 years (probably in only 1 year!) and say, “Wow! I can’t believe that was me back then. Look how He has changed me.” To re-word a Broadway lyric from Wicked, “I can say that I’ve been changed for the better. Because I knew Him, I have been changed for good!”
So on our journey this year, let’s seek Him daily. Let’s grow! Let’s live abundantly, faithfully! Let us not fear the future, but walk faithfully.
We ask that mature women would chime in on the replies and share tips and wisdom you have learned in your walk with Christ.
Merry Christmas!
Luke 2:1-20 (The Message)
“About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be accounted for. So Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David’s town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant.
While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.
There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God’s angel stood among them and God’s glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, ‘Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.’
At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:
‘Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.’
As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. ‘Let’s get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us.’ They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed.
Mary kept all these things to herself, holding them dear, deep within herself. The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they’d been told!”
From all of us to each of you… Wishing you a truly blessed holiday season as you worship the Savior!
The Gift of the Magi
Sometime during junior high I read O. Henry’s short story “The Gift of the Magi” and I fell in love with it. I vividly remember the day in that high-ceilinged, chalk-dusty room when we first started reading it. I assumed it would be about baby Jesus and the wise men. When it wasn’t, I was intrigued. Why that name for the story, I pondered? To this day that tale of the great love of Jim and Della and the sacrifices they made to buy presents for each other is one of my favorite short stories and is foundational in my character. I think of it often and use it as an example or lesson here and there. In fact, it was one of those behavior-changing stories for me. In college, when my newly wed husband and I were totally broke, the memory of that story challenged me so much, that I sold my highschool class ring to buy my husband a present for our first anniversary. If you haven’t already read the tale, now would be a good time. It takes about 5 minutes. Here’s the link. My Christmas gift to you! Knowing the story will give you some background for this blog article. Plus, you’ll love it!
So tonight as I sit alone under the glow of my Christmas tree lights in a silent house, I’m pondering this heart-warming story. The Biblical Magi gave gifts to the baby Jesus and this secular tale is a story about gift-giving; that is the basic reason behind the title (which I did figure out by the end of the story that first day as I read). But so much more is bubbling through my thoughts. Where is my heart this Christmas? What are my motives in gift-giving? Do I love well? Other than with my family, am I really generous at heart? Am I a Magi? I would like to be.
The scriptural Magi, the wise men, set out to follow a star to find and worship the newborn King of the Jews. They went through lengthy, difficult travels – no SUV with AC and a DVD to occupy the kids, stopping at fast food restaurants and well-manicured rest areas any time they needed a break. NO. Their trek involved days of preparations (if not weeks), taking with them all the food and animals, and animal fodder, and water, and clothing and whatever else they might need for a long journey to an unknown destination. Whoa! What a task. And all that work just to worship!
In your life, are you even on the journey? Or would you have been one of the thousands of “un-wise” men who didn’t bother to go search for Him?
Those Magi of old found the Babe, the Christ. The first thing they did was to worship Him. Is this our first reaction to Christ? To bow and worship? And what did they do after they worshipped? That’s the part we hear of the most. Springing out of their worship, they gave Him gifts. That’s why we give gifts today to celebrate Christ’s birth, because gifts were brought to Him at His birth and because the heavenly Father gave us this greatest gift of all – a Savior born in a manger.
If you’re on the journey, are you a diligent, whatever-it-takes wise man preparing to worship Him? Or would you have been an “un-wise” man milling around Bethlehem with a complacent “hmm-a star-meh” attitude?
I recently noticed something in scripture that I’d never really thought about. They opened their treasures and gave Him gifts out of their treasures. Do we bring gifts to Him out of our treasures? Or do we give him something cheap to us? Do we offer the thrift store present? Or re-gift him with the free one from last year’s Christmas party that we didn’t want? Or wrap up a happy meal toy that’s still in the plastic?
Would you have been a wise man who stood up to King Herod and proceeded undeterred to worship the true King? Or are you more of an “un-wise” man whose faith gets strangled out by the cares of the world or side-tracked by any opposition or fiery trial you face?
What do I treasure? My husband. My children. My home. My possessions. My job. My time. My plan for my life…. Have I given Him those things I value the most? Just a reminder in the words of Jim Elliot, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”
Facing all sorts of difficulties, would you have been one of the few who actually made it to the manger to see the Son of God? Or are you today one of the “un-wise” ones always wishing you could experience Jesus the way “she” does and just a bit jealous that you don’t, yet unwilling to put out the effort to get you past the obstacles and to the Christ? It doesn’t just happen. It takes effort on your part. How many times have you bumped into the President as you rolled your trash can to the street while wearing your robe on a random Thursday morning? Doesn’t happen. Ladies, if we wish to experience the Christ with other wise men, we must gather our goods, load our camels, and travel long journeys. We must diligently prepare to worship Him. Set our hearts on Him. Be willing to pay a high price. Spend time and effort on our own in the Word.
In The Gift of the Magi, Jim and Della gave the things they valued most – the treasured 
watch and her glorious hair. They sacrificed these things because they loved so deeply. Out of their scarcity they found a way to give. Just like the widow at the temple who gave only two mites (1/5 of a cent each) but was praised by Jesus for giving more than all the others because she had given all that she had, her treasure.
Where do we stand ladies? Do we give to the Father out of our abundance (because we should) or out of our treasure (because we love deeply)? It is never foolish to love lavishly and give prodigally. Scripture tells us that we love because He first loved us. The more we live in the Father’s love, the more our love will grow. The more we love the Father, the 
more we will love people around us. Even the ones that are hard to love. And the more we give to our Heavenly Father, the more we will show generosity to the world around us. Wise “men,” let’s hold our treasure sack loosely and draw out our costly gifts generously. Let us be like the wise men of old. Let’s be like Jim & Della. Let’s be modern-day Magi.
Keeping the Plates Spinning at Christmas
As I rounded the corner into the church parking lot on two wheels, I was feeling anything but full of the Christmas spirit. It was December 4th, and already I could sense the holiday season driving me. It had been a wild week. Husband out-of-town for 5 days on a project. Taking care of the grandkids each afternoon – one running a fever and feeling especially grumpy from the medication. Doing the Christmas parade alone with the 2 grandsons when that one was sick – what was I thinking?! Keeping a blog running during an intensely busy time. Carrying on consistently with my book writing project. Christmas shopping barely started. Last 2 months of preparations for a women’s conference – ordering, finalizing, securing the right people and equipment. Plus the daily necessary stuff to keep the house running.
And this particular Sunday… Up and getting ready. Oversleeping grandkids. The unexpected message of the passing of a dear friend’s mother. Scheduled to teach LifeGroup that day so we had to go in 2 cars. Only time for two sips of coffee. Downpour of rain as I drive up to church. Books to get to a friend. Teach class. Worship – the one calm focused hour and a half of the day. Dash home to leftovers for lunch – and whining because “I didn’t want that.” Last load of laundry to send the grands home with a bag full of clean clothes. Last minute edit on a document for a planning meeting. Out the door. Christmas open house at one of my dearest friend’s home. Trying to get the grandbabes to their parents. Planning meeting for the women’s conference at the same time Papa had deacon’s meeting. A message from our leader who needed something printed out for the meeting. Back home. Open the email – no file attached. Texts. New e-mail. Print 4 copies and staple. Back in the car to head to church and the “Low Fuel” light is on. When I finally wheeled into my parking space I was exhausted. My Fitbit said I already had 6,000 steps and it was only mid-afternoon.
Ok – enough of my whining…
This is just My story of the holidays this year. What’s yours? Are you feeling like the man at the circus with 14 plates spinning on various parts of his body? Feeling like you just can’t keep it all spinning and remain sane?
Well sweet friends, this is just the corner our enemy loves to back us into. We are in a season of great joy, yet we feel dry and tired. We are in a season of great giving, but it begins to feel like a chore instead of a joy to give. We are in the best season to share the perfect love of the Father with a desperate world, however, that enemy of our souls has a battle plan to keep us so busy that we have no time, energy, or even thought to spread the good news while hearts are open to hear it.
I’m ready to put on my warrior’s clothes and fight that nasty enemy! How about you? As I sit here in the calm after the storm at 11:47 p.m. – the rush over, the house quiet, the kitty purring at my feet, perspective comes. So as I type I am formulating my own battle plan.
- I choose not to do anything during the holidays just because some social structure says I ought too. I don’t have to bake Christmas cookies. I don’t have to spend a penny. I don’t have to send Christmas cards. I don’t have to have a perfect house,
ready for a visitor at the drop of a hat at the expense of my family. I don’t have to do Elf on th Shelf just because I did it last year. I don’t have to go to every party I’m invited to. I don’t have to get a Hatchimal just because media is proclaiming it as THE hot toy of the year. And neither do you! What are you feeling you HAVE to do due to outside pressure? Let me free you – you don’t have to do anything. You really don’t. Those external pressures bring stress and frustration. Choose wisely and be intentional in what you want to do. Do whatever you choose because it fulfills your goals for your life and your aspirations to be a Godly woman – NOT because you’ve bought into a message that you should do it. Who gives someone else the power to tell you that you should do anything? And what are their credentials? The “wise” media? The competitive young mother you know? The well-meaning family member? “They”? Who are these “they” anyway that are always the ones telling us what to do? “You know, they say you should….” - I choose Christ to be in my Christmas. I choose not to just tip my hat to Him and have token “Happy Birthday Jesus” cakes and ceramic manger scenes and rush on by those tokens ignoring the real Christ. Instead I choose to see the people rushing by
me and to verbally testify of Him in little and big ways every moment He presents me with an opportunity. I choose to soak in His Word and to absorb the Biblical accounts of all things surrounding the birth of Christ, to study and learn, and seek to find new truths through them that I’ve never seen before. To become re-enamored with the Lover of My Soul. I choose to count my personal, intimate, passionate relationship with Christ as more important than any substitute the enemy dangles before me. What about you? - I choose to start my mornings with worship of the Savior we are celebrating. Every morning. At least 10 minutes just singing praise, praying, and thanking Him. I choose to get my focus on Him first thing in the morning above all else because He is my love. AND I choose to end my day worshipping Him too. Meditating on His word in the precious quiet of twinkling lights and evergreen scent and praying, singing, celebrating, allowing my soul time to feel, time to long for Him above all the glittery things around me. How about you?
- I choose to carry on traditions that foster these things: joy in Him, growth in my relationship with Him, sharing Christ’s good news with those around me, strengthening bonds with family and friends, or magnifying and glorifying the Christ. Things like reading the Christmas story by candlelight with my kids on Christmas Eve and donating coats at my church for the homeless and Christmas caroling with songs that sing the story of the Christ-child and packing Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. What traditions do you choose and why?
- I choose to live out the Golden Rule during these holidays: Do to others what you would have them do to you. I choose to be genuinely aware of needs around me, to slow down and take time to notice strangers and offer the love, help, and prayer our hungry world is starving for. I choose to treat my family well and not like they are a bother because I am busy. In short, I choose to give to those around me what I wish I was receiving (and I may), but even if I receive nothing.
So this Christmas are you ready to drop the plates? To give up? When we quit spinning the things that don’t matter we usher in peace, real joy, authentic love, time to relate to those we love, time to share Jesus, and time to meet needs we see. What better gifts can we give ourselves and those in our homes? What better gifts can we bring Christ than our full attention, wholehearted devotion, and empty schedules that He gets to fill in as He sees fit? So girls, grab a fresh calendar. Start off with what really matters and see what Christ does to reshape your Christmas chaos!
Gratefulness
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:28-29
A challenge for today:
Starting today, document what you are grateful for. You can start a Gratefulness Journal recording at least one thing a day for which you are grateful. Or you can join the Instagram #100daysofgratitude phenomenon. Whatever you choose, if you are faithful to it you will find that having a grateful heart will change your perspective on life.
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The blog article today is written by YOU! We’ll all chime in too! In the “Comments” box below please share at least one thing you are grateful for today or this week. Let’s have a flood of replies to remind us all that there is much more to be grateful for than we may feel we have. Sometimes the worries of life and the struggles of relationships and the fears about the future keep us so bound up we lose sight of all we are truly blessed with!
So whether it is Thanksgiving day you read this, or a week from now when things are settling down, as the old hymn tells us “Count your Blessings, Name them One by One!”
When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings—money cannot buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God has done.
To Be or Not to Be (Offended)?
Years ago our sweet pastor’s wife taught about taking offense. She remarked that when something was done to us or was said to or about us, we could choose not to be offended. For me that was revolutionary thinking. How about you?
Is it a shocking idea that you have no right to take offense? You realize that you should forgive others, but do you quickly forgive and move on? Or do you enjoy the power of holding a grudge or being offended? What do you do with verses like Matthew 7:1-5 that talks about not judging and getting the speck out of your own eye first, or Romans 12:18 that tells us to live at peace with all men, or 1 Corinthians chapter 13 that is filled with characteristics for living a life of practical love? Do you equivocate? Pretend you’ve got it all together? Rationalize? In pride, we often focus on self and ignore God’s tuggings on our heart to truly forgive, to reconcile, to lay down our offenses at the foot of the cross.
We often think we are good at forgiveness. I’ve been there. In my early year, if you had apologized to me I would have been immediately gracious! I would hug you and genuinely forgive you. No grudges. Really! But if you didn’t apologize… whoa! Then I was offended! I felt I had a right to be offended. Yet, I thought I was handling offenses appropriately.
What made a difference in my thinking, and what will change all of us? When we realize and accept that our offenses (sins) against Father God are so much greater than any of the petty things we hold onto that have been done to us, then God’s transforming work begins in us.
The parable in Matthew 18:23-35 where Jesus is giving a word picture of forgiveness to Peter and the disciples will clear up our focus as we allow the stark light of scripture to stream into the dark corners of our hearts that we keep comfortably hidden. 
Jesus prefaced this parable with a command (a command, not a suggestion!) to forgive a person 70 x 7 times. A person. 70 x 7. A single brother. 70 x 7. Another Christian. 70 x 7 = 490 times! Then Jesus went on to tell the story, because stories pierce our hearts with truth.
God was piercing my heart. He was removing blemishes from my heart. He got my attention with that radical thought presented in our ladies Bible study group… I could choose NOT to be offended in any and every situation!
Once He had my attention it was like a seed being planted in my soul. The watering and fertilizing and sunshine started coming. Everywhere I turned I was confronted with verses and stories and examples of taking offense or not doing it. And that seed began to grow. I heard a stream of songs and sermons and wise proverbs on the subject. And it became a delicate little plant.
And this parable, of one who was forgiven of such a HUGE debt but was unwilling to forgive smaller offenses done to him, began to grow in my thoughts. And that plant started to thrive. I began to see the reality of my life and the HUGE amount of grace God had bestowed on me. I began to be humbled. I began to see reality, heavenly reality, through my blurred lens of self-righteousness and pride.
I realized no word spoken or deed done to me would ever come close to being as bad as my sin which nailed Jesus to the cross! My prideful, sinful heart which day after day after day after day chose my will over His and my ways over His, and my set of rules as to what was acceptable over His, had ruled my life. My self love had relegated My Creator and the God of the universe to the position of onlooker in my life, when in reality He rightly deserved the role of Chief Engineer, Conductor, President, Foreman, Principal, Boss,… the Sovereign Monarch of the domain of my life. Who was I that the Lord of the earth should take a back seat to me?
Over time that little seed turned into a way of life and a way of thinking for me. God’s love, His Word, and His grace worked in my heart as Isaiah 55:10-11 says “to accomplish what the Father desired and achieve the purpose for which He sent it.” You see when it comes to our Heavenly Father, His “Love is beautiful, but it is also terrible– terrible in its determination to allow nothing blemished or unworthy to remain in the beloved.” (Hannah Hurnard – Hind’s Feet on High Places)
Since this transformation, other people may have benefitted from my less-easy-to-offend attitude. I’m kinder, softer. But I am the greatest beneficiary of the blessings that have come from learning to forgive immediately and not take offense. I now know what it is like to walk in freedom from taking offense, to lie down at night to sweet sleep, not agitation and anger; to take criticism without taking offense; to maintain long term relationships even through hurts and misunderstandings; to be insulted, ignored, or mistreated and not have it ruin my day; to walk through church on a Sunday morning with a mind full of kind thoughts and blessings and prayers for the dear brothers and sisters I meet instead of an offended spirit full of hurt, anger, and self-righteous judgment!
I still get tempted to take offense. I still have people say or do hurtful things to me, but each time I have an immediate choice to give up self and choose love. To forgive. The 
transforming power of Christ and of the Word of God have changed me. When the God of love has planted that seed and grown a flowering, fruit-bearing plant in our hearts, personal offenses come into perspective and we can choose to walk in peace not prideful selfishness.
“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” 2 Corinthians 5:14-15
God’s “…Love is beautiful, but it is also terrible– terrible in its determination to allow nothing blemished or unworthy to remain in the beloved.”
Hannah Hurnard – Hind’s Feet on High Places
Singleness & Praying for That Hoped for Husband
by Guest Writer: Brea Burelle
I am Single. Never been married. Never had that special guy in my life. Been on only one date. Yes, I am weird, but loved by God. Did I want to get married, go on dates and live my life with that special guy? YES!!!! Of course, I did.
I remember as a teenager and young adult dreaming about the guy I was going to marry. Like everyone I had my life all planned out. I could tell you all about my dream wedding: the dress, the colors, the receptions. What style of house we would live in. (You know the one – white picket fence.) I even had a list of possible names for my children. Life was going to be grand. Just perfect. Everything I had ever dreamed about. Except the Lord never brought the guy into the picture.
In my 20’s I knew about God, but didn’t have a solid relationship with him. Church was a place to have fun with my friends and look for my future husband. In the meantime, I was going on with my life. I had a job and purchased my first home, still with no husband in the picture. When are you going to send that guy, Lord? People would talk about praying for my future husband, but without a good Biblical foundation I had no idea what they were talking about or how to start. The Lord knows what I want, why should I pray for my future husband. I know God’s plan for my life includes marriage.
As I grew older, my relationship with the Lord grew. I was learning about God and his Word. Bible study became important to me. But still no husband. The years went by and I reached the milestone birthdays of 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 and all the while I am questioning God: God, I thought we had this all planned out. Where’s my one true love? Why didn’t you fulfill my dream? Why am I not married? All my friends are married. Lord, my friends are having children. I want my own children Lord! Why am I not even dating? Am I supposed to stay single forever? Is there something wrong with me? Am I too picky? Lord, have I missed him? Did you ask me to do something and I didn’t obey you? Are you punishing me? But Lord, I have standards. I want a Godly man. I want a man who will take leadership of our household, a man that wants to study your Word. I don’t want to live as the world lives, I want to be set apart. I want my life to be based on your Word and your standards Lord.
As my relationship with the Lord grew, I just took it that I was supposed to be Single. Okay, singleness is the path you have for me Lord. If that is your will I will accept it. I will enjoy life. I have friends: married and single. I can go on Mission trips and travel with friends. I’m happy. I am content. I am serving the Lord. Lord I know that you are my husband and I am your bride. Even though the Lord has provided for my needs I occasionally still long for that special guy. You know the one. He thinks you are special, opens the car door for you, handles the problems when things breakdown in the house. Lord, I might be single, but I would like someone to grow old with here on earth. Okay, maybe children aren’t in the picture anymore, but there are other options: Foster care, Adoption, maybe he’ll come with children and grandchildren. Lord, what is your plan? I know that God tells me in his Word that he had a plan for my life before I was even born. What I have had to learn is that it is HIS plan; it is not my plan. God called each of us here for a purpose. Each one of us has a different path to walk. Some walk the path of marriage, others a single life. Each of us have things that God needs to teach us and he has planned for us to accomplish.
So let me ask you unmarried ladies a question: Did you pray for your future husband? Every once in a while you hear people talking about praying for their future spouse, but have you? I can’t say that I ever did. At least not any real serious praying. Mine was more like: “Lord, I want a husband, or Lord be with my future husband.” So you ladies that really prayed for your husbands and God answered your prayer, stand up and give your testimonies. Are we even teaching our young girls and single ladies about how to pray for their future husbands? What if God doesn’t bring that special mate? Are we teaching them to still follow the path God has for them, that God still loves them, that being Single is not the end of the world, to never give up, to not to let their desire for a husband keep them from doing all that God has planned for them, that God still answers prayers? Sometimes we have to be patient.
Just recently, I felt the Lord pressing upon me to begin pray for my future husband and future husbands of my friends. You see, I look out into our churches and wonder, “Where are all of godly, single men seeking the Lord?” I know that there are some single ones out there, but it is like looking for a needle in a haystack. The godly men I see are married. They are the ones I want my future husband and the future husband of my friends to learn from. I want someone who is already seeking the Lord. Maybe this is the singleness thinking in me, but how can I learn to pray with him if I have not already been praying for him.
Okay Lord, I will begin praying. But I didn’t know where to start. As I have grown closer to the Lord, I know that my prayers need to be more specific. So off to the Internet I go. I needed a list of things to pray for. During my search I came across the list below on a blog post by Cheryl Mackay and these are also in her book Finally the Bride, Finding Hope While Waiting. I have not read the book so I can’t give a recommendation. In fact, I know nothing about Cheryl Mackay, but when I read her list I knew that these are some things I would 
want in a future husband. Who knows if I will ever receive a “Yes” to my prayer, but for the time being I will obey the Lord. I will pray for my future husband and the future husband of my friends that are seeking. You married ladies might want to pray some of these items for your husbands or you may want to share these with someone who is single. Pray them for your sons that will one day be seeking a young lady. Pray for the single men out there that they will turn to the Lord and become the Godly Leaders us single ladies are looking for.
- Pray for his walk with God, that he continues to grow spiritually and is prepped to be the spiritual head of a household, and that he makes God the top priority in his life.
- Pray for his ability to hear God’s voice, for his ear to be in tune to hear all of God’s instructions.
- Pray for his will to be bendable toward whatever God wants for his life.
- Pray for his emotional health—that any past wounds be dealt with and healed. Pray for restoration in all areas.
- Pray for his physical health.
- Pray that he break free of any unhealthy addictions, if needed.
- Pray for his career, his life’s work, that he be established in the field where God wants to use him and that he be wise with his resources.
- Pray for his ministry—that he be sensitive to God’s call on his life when it comes to ministering to and serving others. Also, pray for God to prepare both of you for the ways you will minister together.
- Pray for his preparation—that he yields to all that God’s potter’s hands would like to accomplish in him.
- Pray for God to send any trials necessary into his life that will allow the preparation process to be complete. I realize that may be a bit controversial. Knowing how much God has accomplished in my life through trials, I would expect nothing less of my husband’s journey toward me.
- Pray for God to prepare him to be a father, if the two of you will ultimately raise a family together.
- Pray for God to help him be responsible with his finances and prepare him to be a significant contributor and provider to the household.
- Pray for his identity as a man, his masculinity and self-esteem, that he grows into the man God wants him to be.
- Pray for him to not be distracted by any counterfeits—especially other women that God doesn’t intend to use for his growth.
- Pray for God to allow this man to see you the way God wants you to be seen, with God’s heart toward you.
- Pray for God to show you how to pray for your husband. Be open to whatever His Spirit may whisper to you, to cover your husband’s needs. If you feel God gives you something specific, write it down and date it. Save it for later.
Priceless 
