Psalm 31:14-15A “But as for me, I trust in you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hand.” NKJV

It seems unavoidable, this thing called stress! We accept it as an inevitable part of life. Volumes of books, numerous podcasts, and a plethora of expert opinions offer solutions for this physical, mental, and emotional strain.

We all search for relief from such struggles. My personal reprieve takes me to the great outdoors for a long walk or to pull weeds in my yard. On rare occasions when my stress-level hits a category 5 on the hurricane scale, I combine both therapies into one: I walk the neighborhood, stopping to pull weeds in random people’s yards. In my mind, I totally see this as a good deed, but my husband is quick to point out I am trespassing. Sadly, my relief proves temporary.

So, what is the secret to transforming us from an “I’ll bite your head off” creature into the “I love you with the love of the Lord” person we pray to be? A perfect place to start is in the Psalms.

King David, despite wealth and power, found himself plagued with struggles. He became a hunted fugitive, his adultery with Bathsheba resulted in the child’s death, a vicious rape occurred within his household, a son led a rebellion against him, and his entire reign was marked by violence. Most likely, David penned Psalm 31 with trembling hand, documenting his cry for relief physically as his bones wasted away, (vs. 10) mentally from fear on every side, (vs. 13) and emotionally as a result of incessant grief. (vs. 10) David’s low-points are undeniable, but his title, “a man after God’s own heart,” was well earned, for in distress, David reaffirmed his relationship with God;

“But as for me, I trust in you, O Lord . . . My times are in your hand;”

Often, we too find ourselves on struggle-street, facing challenges at every turn. Those enemies today may come in the form of spiteful co-workers casting accusations our way, or a divisive marriage hurling spiteful words as daggers, or anxiety over bills stacking up faster than can be paid. We become paralyzed with fear and guilt, feeling as David, “cut off from before Your (God’s) eyes.” Gratefully, Psalm 31 reminds us of precious relief offered by a loving Father who holds our lives in His hands. So, Sisters:

“Be of good courage,” knowing “He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” (vs.24)

Father God, may we discover relief from the struggles in our lives as we place our hope in You.

Rita Cochrane

As you know, if you’ve been reading, for quite some time, I’ve occasionally been running little installments called “Mama’s K.I.S.S.” I know that lots of readers could give many more and far more creative ideas than I can offer, but these installments are just a few tried and true and mostly old-fashioned ideas for putting service hearts in our kids.  This is number 57  of a list of one hundred ways we train our kids to serve. K.I.S.S. is an acronym for “Kids In Service Suggestions”.

Two weeks ago, in this graduation season, we witnessed the graduation to glory of a faithful woman of God in the West Huntsville family. I love looking over at every single service and seeing two or three reps from our wonderful youth group flanking newly widowed Donald Dodd as they worship with him. It’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen to watch them singing loudly and fervently beside this man of God. I know that Don is encouraged by this. He never sits alone! But I am just as sure that the young men and women that are sitting beside him leave with hearts that have grown three sizes! It’s also neat that, so far, the teens who are surrounding him are doing so in family groups. For instance yesterday morning, the Anderson twins were on his pew beside him. Last night it was the three Wright kids. Last Sunday, I believe I saw the three Clarke kids. There have been others, too. I love that families are making this a “thing.”

And incidentally, I believe I saw every single one of these kids weeping at the funeral service of Carol Dodd. They probably saw me, too. I love these kids!

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another (Romans 12:15).

by Cindy Colley

When my oldest grandson was just starting elementary school, my daughter and her family moved to a new city. Ryan was interested in street names and getting from one place to another in a new location. It didn’t take long for us to realize that he could navigate the city quite well. He would ask where we were going and then tell us the best way to get there. I still sometimes get lost when I visit.

I love the fact that we now have GPS systems in our cars. I am direction challenged so I depend on mine to get me anywhere I have not been before and sometimes places I have been before.

Familiar roads tend to leave us with a sense of comfort, but they also prevent us from seeing our surroundings. We assume things are there or not there based on what we have seen before. This thought brings to mind a passage in Luke that may be worth our consideration.

One of the things so familiar in studying about the life of Jesus is His taking time to go off alone to pray. We see this in the beginning of His ministry when He and the disciples were traveling throughout Galilee. He would teach, heal the sick, raise the dead, and then require some physical rest and time with the Father. I cannot imagine His exhaustion at the end of each day.

As Jesus neared the end of His journey on earth, He made that famous trip on the back of a donkey to the city of Jerusalem. There He was honored and worshiped by the people. Five days later, they nailed Him to a cross.

In that week between the triumphant entry and the crucifixion, several stories are recorded about the activities of Jesus, His disciples, and other friends of the Master. But there is something that I have overlooked that is probably the most important thing that happened during those five days. Look at this passage and mark it in your Bible, because it is significant to what happened to Jesus and what can help us in our daily lives.

In Luke 22, Jesus prophesies of persecutions to come for the Jewish people. He warns them about their hearts being challenged with the cares of life. Then He tells them to pray for strength to escape these temptations that will come to them. The next verse, verse 37, is the one that caught my attention. “And every day he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and lodged on the mount called Olivet.” Remember where Jesus went on the night Judas betrayed Him? He went to the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. So, Jesus walked the road to the temple from the garden and back every single day. Twice a day He walked this familiar path, and anyone that knew Jesus would have known where He would be. Jesus knew that His journey would end in that garden, but He walked it anyway. Judas knew it too. He knew where to find Jesus.

In our day-to-day lives, we often travel the same roads. We tend to pay little attention to changes—a new pot hole, a new building going up, a burned-out building, or new landscaping. We might take notice of those things, but they don’t make us take a different route unless the road is closed. The same is true with our spiritual lives. We are traveling the same roads. We are seeing the same things, encountering the same temptations, and responding in much the same way. Sometimes we encounter a new temptation, but mostly we continue to have the same challenges we had the day before. We take little notice of the way we handle our temptations.

Most of the time we know where we ought to be, the road we should take, and what we should be doing. For our spiritual life, we need to use a spiritual GPS, God’s Protection System. Verse 36 is our guide. “But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Sandra Oliver

Illegitimate, and therefore not entitled to inherit his father’s property

Judges 11:1-2

11 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.

2 And Gilead’s wife bare him sons; and his wife’s sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father’s house; for thou art the son of a strange woman.

Escapes the violence of his half-brothers; lives in the land of Tob

Judges 11:3

3 Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.

Recalled from the land of Tob by the elders of Gilead

Judges 11:5

5 And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob:

Made captain of the army

Judges 11:5-11

5 And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob:

6 And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.

7 And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father’s house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?

8 And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

9 And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the Lord deliver them before me, shall I be your head?

10 And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The Lord be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words.

11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered all his words before the Lord in Mizpeh.

Made head of the land of Gilead

Judges 11:7-11

7 And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father’s house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?

8 And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

9 And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the Lord deliver them before me, shall I be your head?

10 And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, The Lord be witness between us, if we do not so according to thy words.

11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them: and Jephthah uttered

His message to the king of the Ammonites

Judges 11:12-28

12 And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, What hast thou to do with me, that thou art come against me to fight in my land?

13 And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, Because Israel took away my land, when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and unto Jordan: now therefore restore those lands again peaceably.

14 And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon:

15 And said unto him, Thus saith Jephthah, Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon:

16 But when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness unto the Red sea, and came to Kadesh;

17 Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land: but the king of Edom would not hearken thereto. And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab: but he would not consent: and Israel abode in Kadesh.

18 Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab: for Arnon was the border of Moab.

19 And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place.

20 But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his coast: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.

21 And the Lord God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them: so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.

22 And they possessed all the coasts of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok, and from the wilderness even unto Jordan.

23 So now the Lord God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before his people Israel, and shouldest thou possess it?

24 Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the Lord our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess.

25 And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them,

26 While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that be along by the coasts of Arnon, three hundred years? why therefore did ye not recover them within that time?

27 Wherefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me: the Lord the Judge be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.

28 “Howbeit the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him.”

Leads the army of Israel against the Ammonites

Judges 11:29-33

29 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.

30 And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,

31 Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.

32 So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the Lord delivered them into his hands.

33 And he smote them from Aroer, even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards, with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

His rash vow concerning his daughter

Judges 11:30-31

30 And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,

31 Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.

Judges 11:34-40

34 And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.

35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back.

36 And she said unto him, My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth; forasmuch as the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon.

37 And she said unto her father, Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows.

38 And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two months: and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.

39 And it came to pass at the end of two months, that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed: and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel,

40 That the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.

Falsely accused by the Ephraimites

Judges 12:1

And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire.

Leads the army of the Gileadites against the Ephraimites

Judges 12:4

4 Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead, and fought with Ephraim: and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites, and among the Manassites.

Leads Israel for six years, dies, and is buried in Gilead

Judges 12:7

7 And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

Faith of

Hebrews 11:32-40

32 And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets:

33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,

34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:

37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

(Outline is from Nave’s Topical Bible, Electronic Database Copyright © 1990 by Biblesoft, Inc. and TriStar Publishing)

Beth Johnson

Chennai Teacher Training School

Women’s Studies

Muliebral Viewpoint

Articles and Books by Beth Johnson

The following is an excerpt taken partly from one of my books Come to the Garden:

I learned the importance of having a purpose in life. Jesus gave you and me a marvelous mission to tell others of him,“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:16).

I learned that I must make adequate preparation before planting a garden. This is especially so when teaching God’s word.  Paul told Timothy, “Be diligent to show yourself approved to God, a workman who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

I learned that I can plant the seeds and water them, but I’m not in control. Paul said, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:7).  As I labor on this earth, I must remember who is truly in control of all things.

I learned that seeds usually come up in their own good time.  We must trust that after planting the seed of God’s word in the hearts of others, it will sprout according to God’s will (Luke 8:4-8).

I learned that while laboring in the garden, singing about Jesus makes a body feel better. Paul spoke of the spiritual boost that comes with singing, when he instructed that we should “speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.”  We should “sing and make melody in our heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19).

I learned that young people and older people work beautifully together. As we work together, laboring in the Kingdom of God, we see the value in each, and we esteem each other highly.  Paul wrote, “Fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind” (Philippians 2:2).

I learned the value of hard work. Everyone should feel useful and needed. Paul told the Corinthians, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

I learned that working together in the garden develops a cooperative attitude, a spirit of unity. Not much is accomplished unless we work in harmony.  As part of the body of Christ, let us endeavor “to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3).

I learned the value of being a good steward of all God has given me. Jesus taught this in his parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30.

I learned that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.  A discontented, argumentative person is just a person who is not at work. Paul warned of those women who, in their idleness, turned into “gossips and busybodies” (1 Timothy 5:13).

I learned that I reap what I sow. My actions have consequences.  I cannot reap life eternal if I spread the seeds of unrighteousness.  Paul warned the Galatians, “For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Galatians 6:9).

I learned that even against great odds, a scraggly plant can survive and flourish with a little TLC and  people are that way too. So I will try not to give up quickly, but pour on more Christian love and care. Scripture reminds us, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1-2).

I learned that in delicate gardens, one must tread lightly.  There are times when it is wise to keep my mouth shut.  The song writer, David, said it this way, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips” (Psalm 141:3).

I learned that dead leaves and branches must be pruned.  In our lives, evil companions and evil, negative thoughts must be pruned. The Hebrew writer said, “let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). Paul said we should “put to death” the fleshly desires that make us focus on earthly things (Colossians 3:2-9). But, “Whatever things are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and of good report . . . meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

I learned that gardens can be a source of healing for mind and soul. In truth, the events which began to unfold in the Garden of Gethsemane did just that! “He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

I learned that God takes ugly things and transforms them into a work of beauty.  If we’re patient, He will do the same with all of the ugly things that creep into our lives. Paul wrote these comforting words “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God . . .” (Romans 8:28).

I learned of the personal satisfaction that comes with a job well done.  I imagine how grand it will be to hear Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things.  Enter into the joy of your lord. ” (Matthew 25:21).

Today’s Verse: Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper (Psalm 1:1-3).

By Teresa Hampton
Note: the book Come to the Garden may be found at publishingdesigns.com

Audios available at http://christianwomanaudiodevotionals.abiblecommentary.com

Anxiety, worry, fear, surprise, and grief.  I went to bed with these feelings swirling around in my gut.  I prayed long and hard for our nation, for thousands of unborn babies, for the future of our children, and for peace.  Yet I still felt queasy, and sleep was a long time in coming.  I thought about a quote that a former Secretary of Education shared over three decades ago:  “We have become the kind of nation that civilized societies used to send missionaries to.”  I thought about moving to Africa.  My first thought upon rising this morning was, “What are we going to do?  What can I do?”

I had to put things back into perspective.  What really matters?  What will outlast who sits in the Oval Office?  What will really make a difference?  In fact, it’s the only thing that will make a difference.  We MUST get back to being an evangelistic church.  For America to be reinstated as a Christian nation, it has to be made up of Christians.  And who can accomplish that?  Not the President.  Or a political party.  I can.

Wringing our hands or stomping our feet won’t help.  Running away won’t help.  Ranting and complaining won’t help.  Praying will, but not prayer alone.  Christ didn’t tell us to go into all the world and pray.  We must remember who we are and why we’re here.  Is my neighbor a Christian?  Are my co-workers Christians?  If not, is it because they have rejected the gospel?  Or have I neglected to share it with them?  I am praying for the hand of the Lord to be with us.  In Acts, that happened when Christians “preached the Word” and “preached the Lord Jesus.”  Then, “the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord” (Acts 11:19-21).  These early Christians had been persecuted, but when Barnabas saw their zeal and efforts to teach others, he was glad.  He was encouraged.  And he encouraged them to continue their work for the Lord “with purpose of heart” (Acts 11:22-24).

What can we do?  We can double our efforts to reach the lost.  Each day each of us must look at those around us and make sure they know Christ.  Good old-fashioned Bible studies around the kitchen table and spontaneous conversations about the Word during carpool WILL make a difference.  It takes effort and energy to worry and fret, but we have better things to do with our time.  “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ” (Acts 5:42).

Prayer for Today:  Give me courage, Lord, to share Your truth with my fellow Americans.  Lead me to some soul today.

Kathy Pollard

Last Sunday my lesson for my 4th and 5th grade class was on the mustard seed. I always enjoy this lesson because it gets such a reaction from the children. They are so fascinated by the fact that such a tiny seed can grow into such a large tree. The application to this lesson is that anyone can serve God. Even a child can do something in the Lord’s service.

As we were talking about the application, I mentioned a lady that was ill and spent most of her time in bed. She was so discouraged that she could not do the things she use to do, so she wrote scriptures on pieces of paper and tossed them out of her window onto the street below. Time passed, and finally one day someone knocked on her door. They had picked up several of her scriptures, and they wanted to meet the person that tossed them onto the sidewalk.

Through study, this lady was able to convert this individual that came to her door. She couldn’t do much, but she converted someone that might never have heard the gospel any other way. After I told this story, one of the boys said that he would like to find some way to do something. Jokingly he said that he was going to write scriptures on paper and put them in a balloon and turn them loose. The children joke about it, and then they decided this was a wonderful way to try to teach the truth.

Several of them have decided to try this to see just how far their balloon might go. They have decided that they will put the church’s address on the paper to see if they will get a response. They certainly proved my point. Even a child can do something!

Sandra Oliver

We must work on improving ourselves. What do I mean by this statement? I mean, we need to grow as Christian ladies. The more we grow, the more we will improve, and we will be able to do more for the congregation of which we are members. There are many ways in which we can improve ourselves and grow in the service of the Lord. We can grow by studying by ourselves or with Christian ladies in a group. I enjoy being in a ladies’ class because I get so many ideas of ways to make myself a better Christian, because ladies have many great ways for all of us to grow in the Lord.

We can learn more Scriptures, learn to pray, learn to meditate on God’s Word, memorize verses of the Bible and many other ways to grow. How can we teach others if we have not studied the Bible other than to know how and why we became Christians? Our ultimate goal is for a person to be taught what is needed for her to become a child of God.

It is wise to go into a Bible study knowing where the Scriptures are found before trying to teach others the way of eternal life. In 2 Timothy 2:15, we are told to study the Scriptures, rightly dividing the Word. How can we rightly divide the Scriptures if we do not know what the Bible says? We can’t! This does not mean we need to know everything in the Bible; that is an impossible task. We do need to know the basics. The only way we can know God’s Word is by studying, as well as attending worship and Bible classes. During Bible study, the teacher should be using the Bible. Likewise, the preacher ought to use the Bible. We, as auditors of class teachers and preachers ought to follow along in our Bibles. As listeners and students of God’s Word, we are obligated to verify from the Bible that truth is being taught (1 John 4:1; 1 Peter 4:11).

Louis and I got into a situation trying to teach a young lady not to live with her boyfriend, maybe to be his wife. She did not have a scriptural divorce, and therefore, she does not have the right to get married again, according to Matthew 19:9. She had an affair while married to her husband, and then, she divorced him – also leaving behind three children. He did not treat her right by what she told us. He was not innocent in this marriage either. So, you see in this situation, she is not free to remarry, and he may not be either. She had made up her mind that she is too young to be alone. Unfortunately, she knows the Scriptures as well as we do. We quoted Scriptures, and her answer was, “I know what the Bible teaches, but someday we are getting married.” We were not the only ones trying to work with this younger woman. This is sad. However, we can only try to help those who will help themselves and be guided by God’s Word.

Sometimes the limit of what we can do about a particular situation is to resort to prayer. Prayer is a general term that includes any “talking to God.” When we pray, we need to include in our prayers what is taught in 1 Timothy 2:1-6. Supplication – is making requests to God. Prayer – is a close communication with God. Intercession – is pleading for others, such as the sick, the poor or needy, those having financial problems, those husbands and wives having marital problems and any other things that may be going on in their lives. Giving of thanks – is for our blessings. When we pray to our Father in Heaven, we should thank God for all He has given us. Many think they got all the things and money they have because they worked hard and long, having gotten these blessings on their own. This is far from the truth. Everything we have comes from our God (Ecclesiastes 2:24; 3:13; Matthew 5:45; Acts 14:17). We should forgive as found in Matthew 6:12. God will forgive us if we ask. We commit sins daily, some we know and some we do not know. In Romans 3:23, we are told, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Do you remember Simon in Acts 8:22? He wanted to be able to perform miracles like the apostles, and he tried to buy this ability from them. He was told to repent and to pray to God for forgiveness. We can ask for wisdom according to Philippians 4:6. We want to make wise decisions and desire our actions to be the best. There are plenty of people watching us, and we want our influence to be for good. In our prayers, we make requests for sinners, for Christians, for our families and friends, and for our enemies. God is our Heavenly Father, and He wants us to talk to Him. Our earthly fathers want us to talk with them, not just when things are going badly but when things are going well with us, too. God wants us to talk with Him when things are well with us. When things go wrong, people are more inclined to pray to God for help. When things are going well for them, then they seem to forget God. We also need to acknowledge that our prayers are in the name of Jesus. In Matthew 6:9-13, we have an example of our Lord teaching His disciples to pray. Today, we can follow this example, with the exception of praying for the kingdom to come. It has already come, following the death of Jesus on the cross and the establishing of His church. We need to watch our thoughts and words. People in the world and in the church watch our everyday actions and language. People are watching us, even when we are not aware of them being around us. There is a song, “Watch Your Eyes.” Do you know this song? We can help the church grow by the way we talk, by the way we act, by the way we dress and by where we go.

There is a saying, “Garbage in, garbage out.” This means what we put in our minds is what is going to come out in our thoughts, out of our mouths and in our actions. If we do not want GIGO, then we must replace it with “Best in, Best out.” I just made the BIBO up for our purpose of doing good. What are some things that would be considered GIGO? Dirty jokes, swearing, using God’s name in vain, using euphemisms, reading books with a lot of bad things in them. What are some things that would be considered BIBO? Reading our Bibles, memorizing Scripture, prayer, spending time with Christian friends talking about the Bible, listening to Christian music and many other good things.

In Matthew 12:36, we are told that we will be judged for every idle word. We are also told in Philippians 4:8 to keep our thoughts pure. “Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are no noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue. And if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” The only way we will not be held accountable at the day of Judgment is in this life to ask God that we might be forgiven.

We all want to go to Heaven when we die, and when we will stand before the Lord on Judgment Day. Therefore, ladies, we must be prepared at the time of our deaths. As Louis has said many times, “We are only one breath away from eternity.” So, let’s work on going to Heaven and take someone with us.

Martha Lynn Rushmore