My blog

Tag: pray

  • A Queen’s Beauty

    To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to shew the people and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look on. Est 1: 11 NKJV

    The book of Ester is my favorite Old Testament book of the Bible.  I’ve read it many times and am always amazed at Ester’s strength and courage.  How God worked out the circumstances to preserve His people is mind-boggling.  Every little detail.  His love, commitment, and grace to His people always astound me even though I shouldn’t be astounded…I always am.

    Now the context for the verse I highlighted today.  The first ten verses of the chapter starts with King Ahasuerus who reigned over 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia.  In the third year of his reign, he had a feast for all his princes and servants, nobles and princes of the provinces.  In those days, feasts lasted for three months. The king showed off his kingdom and his wealth.  After that, he gave another feast for all the other people great and small in the palace.  His queen, Queen Vashti, gave a feast for the royal women of the palace. On the seventh day, the King ordered his seven chamberlains to bring Queen Vashti to him.

    In ancient times, women were only chattels to their husbands and particularly a queen would bow to her husband’s wishes, the king. It was the way it was.  It’s historical.

    Something important my husband said to me when we got married was: “I’m only middle management.  I have to answer to God if I treat you poorly.”  This has been something that I cling to when things get rough…and it has been rough on occasion but we both knew we had a third person in our marriage to help us through the tough times.  Jesus.

    We could not have survived the many upheavals we’ve had if Jesus were not a part of our marriage.  It’s interesting to me.  My husband once said, “I don’t know how other couples make their marriage work without Jesus in it.”  I believe he’s right.

    What are your thoughts on making Jesus the center of your marriage?

     

     

  • Dealing with Disappointment

    Disappointment. We’ve all experienced it. Sometimes daily!

    Whether it’s that job you wanted and was filled or that friend, spouse or child who let you down, it won’t be the last time you experience that sinking, awful feeling in the pit of your stomach. Disappointment will happen again.

    The question is, how do you handle it? Do you hide in your room buried under the bedcovers curled into a ball until the feeling goes away or do you stand tall, smile and face disappointment head on?

    It’s easy to hide but much more difficult to face disappointment. Why? Because we fear what we cannot control. Many times we can’t control circumstances or how others behave but we can control how we react to situations and people.

    How you react to life’s disappointments shapes your character. Reactions make or break you as a person.
    Recently I had several disappointments, but I realized that my need to overcome them far exceeded my need to retreat. It is in that moment of disappointment that having faith in One who is greater than me makes the road to overcoming it easier. That isn’t always the case.

    What can you do to mitigate disappointment in your life?
    • Allow yourself time to absorb the loss or disappointment
    • Pray. Find Bible verses that speak to your disappointment
    • Search for something good that can either come out of such a disappointment or a result of that disappointment. For example, maybe you lost a job because of a communication issue. Perhaps God was protecting you from a situation that may not have been the right fit for you even though you wanted it. Not everything we want is good for us.
    • Believe God has a plan for your life. He’s in control of everything and knows what’s best for us in our life

    Here are three verses to help you through the disappointment. Read and print them out to keep around your house or on your desk. Better yet, memorize them so you have them in your heart when you need them.

    Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

    Romans 8:28 NKJV And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

    Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

    What verses have you found to help you with disappointment?