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Power
Woman!
By
Barbara
Case-Speers
Many
times I have heard throughout my life that the Bible is too hard
to understand. Yes, if you thumb through certain books, the Bible
is very difficult without reading or studying other passages that
make that particular text clearer in meaning. But there is one
chapter of the Bible that is so clear I highly recommend it to
female readers of all ages. This text is the personification of
what I call a “power woman”!
Proverbs
31:10-31…”Who can find a virtuous woman? For her worth is far
above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her: So he
will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the
days of her life. She seeks wool and flax, and willing works with
her hands. She is like the merchant ships. She brings her food
from afar. She also rises while it is yet night, and provides food
for her household, and a portion for her maidservants. She
considers a field and buys it: from her profits she plants a
vineyard. She girds herself with strength, and strengthens her
arms. She perceives that her merchandise is good, and her lamp
does not go out by night. She stretches out her hands to the
distaff and her hands holds the spindles. She extends her hands to
the poor, yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy. She is not
afraid of snow for her household, for all her household is clothed
with scarlet. She makes tapestry for herself; her clothing is fine
linen and purple. Her husband is known in the gates when he sits
among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells
them and supplies sashes for the merchants. Strength and honor are
her clothing: she shall rejoice in time to come. She opens her
mouth with wisdom and on her tongue is the law of kindness. She
watches over the ways of her household. And does not eat the bread
of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed: her
husband also, and he praises her. Many daughters have done well,
but you excel them all. Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing.
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of
the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the
gates.”
Wow! God’s definition of
a power woman is one who is: trustworthy, faithful, kind hearted,
full of wisdom, does good for her husband, trains her children,
faithful to God, prepared for all situations, keeps herself
physically fit, dresses with dignity, has good self-esteem and
self-worth, never idle, volunteers to help the less fortunate,
gives to the poor, gets up early, cooks, cleans, uses her skills
for financial gain, rejoices and worships God.
By today’s
standards, this woman should be on the cover of Forbes.
Who says the Bible is outdated? God wants Christian women to be
industrious in all aspects of their lives. We should radiate energy,
drive, and enthusiasm into our families, relationships, Christian
walk, employment, hobbies, and recreation!
We
should be immersed in our zeal for life - not just getting by day
by day. Life is a gift! When will we live it like that? We can be
that example of a virtuous woman! By doing this our daughters and
granddaughters will have a Godly example to follow.
Today
our young girls are taught from an early age that charm and beauty
are what it takes to be successful. They don't understand that
youth is fleeting. In Ecclesiastes 11:9-10 the inspired writer
uses the term young man. Replacing that with young woman it would
read, "Rejoice, O young
woman, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the
days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart and in the
sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God
will bring thee into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from thy
heart, and put away evil from the flesh: for childhood and youth
are vanity".
II
Timothy 2:22 says, "Flee also youthful lusts: but follow
righteousness, faith, charity, peace with them that call on the
Lord out of a pure heart". When youth passes away, all that
is left is an empty shell. Just think -
if you add to your youth all the characteristics of a
virtuous woman you will reap the benefits of your labor! Your face
may have wrinkles, but your soul will be as new as the day it was
born!
It
is never too early or too late to achieve the recognition of being
a virtuous woman. God can bestow upon us the power to achieve that
title! If we act upon that power, our works will praise us at the
gates. Inward beauty lasts eternally!
Barbara
Case-Speers
bas@precisionelectronics.net
www.victorious2000.com/magazine.htm
This
article is copyrighted by the author. All Rights Reserved. No part
of this article may be reprinted without permission of the author.
©Copyright
2001
PEOPLE
WATCHERS!
By Barbara Case-Speers
What I am
about to propose to you is nothing new. Perhaps you have heard it
from the pulpit or read it in devotional material. The topic is so
crucial, yet too often we shrug our shoulders and say, "It
doesn't apply to me because I don't teach.".
Whatever you are
doing right now is sending a signal to someone. Are we all
teachers? Yes. How are we teaching? People are watching us. If you
don't believe that, go to your favorite shopping mall and look at
the people who are sitting in the food courts and benches. Yes,
you are being watched! It is one of America's favorite pastimes.
To
“teach” according to Webster’s
New Collegiate Dictionary means:
1.
To cause to know a subject
2.
To cause to know how
3.
To accustom to some action or attitude
4.
To make to know the disagreeable consequences
or
some action to impart the knowledge of
5.
To guide studies of
6.
To impart knowledge of
7.
To instruct by precept, example or experience
8.
To seek to make known and accepted
9.
To provide instruction: act as a teacher
It is very obvious that
everyone has the ability to teach something. Yes, even you!
“But
Barb, that can’t be. I am not in a classroom or heading up a
sales meeting at work. I get scared going in front of crowds. I
don’t know enough to teach anything to anyone. So, how am I
teaching?”
Simple.
Your very life is teaching something to someone all the time,
whether you know it or not! We are all people watchers. Someone is
watching me. Someone is watching you. How we conduct our lives
teaches others about us.
Jesus our "masterful
teacher" taught by using common illustrations to make a
point. In the fifth chapter of Matthew, we find the Lord's famous
discourse - the Sermon on the Mount - where he teaches us how to
live and why we should live that way!
In Matthew 5:13 He says, “Ye are the salt of the earth:
but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be
salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out,
and to be trodden under foot of men.” Wow! How many of us are on
salt-free diets? Our example is so far from the Beatitudes that we
are bland, tasteless in the eyes of God? Other people look at our
lives and wouldn’t have a clue that we were Christians. I
don’t know about you, but I like pretzels with salt on them. If
the pretzels lose their flavor, I throw them out to the birds. God
feels the same way about unsalted Christians. They are good for
nothing and will be cast out.
Let
me share with you a personal example. Recently I got angry and
blew-up over something ridiculous. My example was pitiful, to say
the least. First, I rationalized my behavior by telling myself
that it was okay because everyone gets mad. Then, I complained how
I was provoked to anger by the other person. When that didn’t
ease my conscience, I pleaded ignorance. Finally, I blamed God.
Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit shook His head, patiently waiting for
me to settle down, so He could speak to my heart. Looking into the
spiritual mirror, the finger of blame was pointed back at me! I
realized that I was not a good example. I lost my salt. Ouch! I
faced God and man, asked for forgiveness for I had failed as a
teacher. Yes, a teacher! We all teach by example. My example was
like an unsalted pretzel. Who would want it?
Without
these miserable failures in our lives we would never understand
God’s love and grace. 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He
is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.”
Don’t
be discouraged. We all fail! Each day, each hour, each minute we
have a new chance to be a better teacher. The Apostle Paul in the
letter to the Romans said, "we have all sinned and come short
of the glory of God! " (Romans 3:23). We need to learn and
build from our mistakes. We shouldn't give up and destroy
ourselves. No one is perfect all the time.
Jesus
came for the sick, not those who are healthy! If people are too
healthy to see Doctor Jesus, well, maybe they are really sick and
just don’t know it! The illness they have is called pride.
Unless we humble ourselves like little children we shall never
enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3)!
If
Jesus didn’t feel that our example was important, He would not
have said, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on
a hill cannot be hid. Neither, do men light a candle, and put it
under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all
that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that
they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in
heaven” (Matthew 5:14,15).
What
did I say before? We are all people watchers. In Philippians 2:15,
the Apostle Paul wrote, “That ye may be blameless and harmless,
the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and
perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world…”.
Are
we all teachers? Yes. How are we teaching? People are watching us.
What are we teaching? By our example the world will know who Jesus
really is! 1Thessalonians 1:6-7, “And ye became followers of us,
and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with
joy of the Holy Ghost: So that ye were ensamples (examples) to all
that believe in Macedonia and Achaia….”
Barbara
Case-Speers
bas@precisionelectronics.net
www.victorious2000.com/magazine.htm
This
article is copyrighted by the author. All Rights Reserved. No part
of this article may be reprinted without permission of the author.
©Copyright
2001
Red Light
By Barbara Case-Speers
I
warmed up the car, on a cold winter day and getting in, I realized
I had forgotten my briefcase in the kitchen! Turning off the car,
I jerked the keys out of the ignition and stomped back. With much
haste, I quickly found the leather tote, rushed out and locked the
door. I hope this is not an indication on how my day will be.
Backing
out of the driveway, I waited for the garbage truck to pass.
Approaching the corner where the stop sign is in full view, I
observed that traffic was heavy. Normally, I would stop for one or
two cars, but today they seemed endless. A caravan of cars paraded
before me! As I waited, I started to prioritize my workload, and
within minutes I was overwhelmed. A lull in traffic and I quickly
pushed hard to accelerate, to take advantage of MY TURN.
Speedily,
I soared over the bridge to be faced with yet another obstacle, a
red light. While waiting, I contemplated making two additional
stops before going to the office. This would save some travel time
later in the workday and provide a few more minutes to devote to
catching-up paperwork.
The
light blinked green and of course I was making a left turn, so, I
yielded to oncoming traffic. Soon the lane was clear, and I turned
left on a yellow light, to avoid another red light. This was not a
normal driving procedure for me, but apparently time is a
commodity today! As I drove down the hill, all I could think about
are the obstacles I have in my life. How simple life would be if
we didn’t have to wait on red lights! My pity party lasted until
the next intersection.
The
next traffic light was also red, but within a few seconds I was
able to get up to speed, once again. Getting into the left lane to
turn at the next crossroad, I abruptly stopped because the light
was red. Hearing a loud noise to my left, turning my head, an
accident had just occurred in the lane I was going to turn into.
Just a fender bender, but making a left turn right now would cause
even more delay. Another obstacle! “Lord why today? You know
what I have to get done. This will make me late for my first
morning appointment.” I spoke out loud, under my breath.
How
selfish of me to not be concerned about the people involved in the
accident; although from a distance they seemed fine, apparently
shaken. They were talking outside of their slightly crumpled cars,
hugging themselves to keep warm from the frigid morning air. All I
could think about is, “I have so much to do and here is another
stumbling block.”
The
light turned green and I was able to move back into the right lane
in order to make a detour to avoid the police who would be
arriving shortly. “Well, this detour will cost me another
fifteen minutes of time. But it might save me an hour of waiting
for the police to clear the accident,” I thought to myself.
As I
grumbled, thinking only about MY life and what I WANTED to do, I
could feel stress rising. Already frustrated and the day hasn’t
begun! Approaching the next main road, I attempted to make another
left turn and the signal changed.
Instantly,
hitting the steering wheel, I began to whine until I saw in the
distance, birds. At least thirty gray- feathered birds flying
above. They had no beauty to behold. Inconspicuously they soared
in the subdued dreary winter sky. My eyes were attracted and I
watched as if these meaningless intruders had complete control of
my mind! With one graceful swoop, thirty little bodies landed upon
the roof of a building. A magnificent tall-stone building, with an
ornate-white steeple, pointed to God’s throne. Immediately, I
saw God’s face!
No,
this was not a vision or a supernatural occurrence. Just the
realization that God was in my life, telling me to look around at
ordinary things, and know that He is in control! As I waited for
my turn to go, I was in no hurry for I felt the strong presence of
God with me. I felt Him sitting next to me in my car and I
didn’t want this moment to ever end. My worries disappeared and
I was no longer in a hurry! I realized that I needed to
spiritually prioritize my life. I was in a spiritual void.
Red
lights have a whole new meaning to me. They remind me to look
around and see God’s face in the beauty of His creation! I find
that even my worst days are my best days, for each day I am
blessed beyond measure!
“Be
still, and know that I am God:
I will be exalted among the heathen,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalms 46:10
Barbara
Case-Speers
bas@precisionelectronics.net
Victorious (book)
www.victorious2000.com
Victorious Christian Magazine
www.victorious2000.com/magazine.htm
NEW BOOK THIS FALL - INTERCESSION
This
article is copyrighted by the author. All Rights Reserved. No part
of this article may be reprinted without permission of the author.
©Copyright
2001 |
