A Strong Woman versus a Woman of Strength
A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape…
But a woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape;
A strong woman isn’t afraid of anything…
But a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear;
A strong woman won’t let anybody get the best of her…
But a woman of strength gives the best of her to everyone;
A strong woman makes mistakes and avoids them in the future…
A woman of strength realizes that life’s mistakes can also be
God’s blessings and capitalizes on them;
A strong woman walks sore-footedly…
But a woman of strength knows God will catch her when she falls;
A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face…
But a woman of strength wears grace;
A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey…
But a woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey
The Hidden Woman
A woman once fretted over the usefulness of her life. She feared she was wasting her potential being a devoted wife and mother. She wondered if the time and energy she invested in her husband and children would make a difference. At times she got discouraged because so much of what she did seemed to go unnoticed and unappreciated.
“Is there something better that I could be doing with my time?” she would ask herself.
It was during one of these moments of questioning she heard the still voice of her Heavenly Father speak to her heart. “You are a wife and mother because that is what I have called you to be. Much of what you do is hidden from the public eye. But I notice. Most of what you give is done without remuneration. But I am your reward.
“Your husband can not be the man I have called him to be without your support. Your influence upon him is greater than you think and more powerful than you will ever know. I bless him through your service and honor him through your love. Your children are precious to Me … even more precious than they are to you. I entrusted them to your care so that you may raise them right for Me. What you invest in them is an offering to Me.
“You may never be in the public spotlight. But your obedience shines as a bright light for Me. Continue on. Remember that you are my servant. Keep on pleasing me.”The High Calling
If God has called you to be truly like Jesus… He will draw you into a life of crucifixion and humility, and put on you demands of obedience that sometimes will not allow you to follow other Christians. In many ways He will seem to let other good people do things He won’t let you do.
Other Christians, even ministers, who seem very religious and useful, may push themselves, pull strings, and work schemes to carry out their plans, but you cannot do these things. And if you attempt them you will meet with such failure and rebuke from the Lord as to make you sorely penitent.
Others can brag about themselves, about their work, about their success, about their writings, but the Holy Spirit will not allow you to do any such thing; and if you begin bragging, He will lead you into some deep mortification that will make you despise yourself and all your good works.
Others will be allowed to succeed in making great sums of money, or having a legacy left to them, or in having luxuries, but God may only supply you daily, because he wants you to have something far better than gold, - a helpless dependence on Him – that he may have the privilege of providing your needs daily out of the unseen treasury.
The Lord may let others be honored and keep you hidden in obscurity, because he wants to produce some choice, fragrant fruit for His coming glory, which can only be produced in the shade.
God will let others be great and keep you small; he will let others do work for him, and get credit for it, but he will make you work and toil without anyone knowing how much you are doing. And then to make you more precious still, He will let others credit for the work which you have done; this will make your reward ten-times greater when Jesus comes.
The Holy Spirit will put a strict watch on you, with jealous love, and rebuke you for little words and feelings or for wasting time, which other Christians never seem distressed over.
So make up your mind that God is an infinite Sovereign who has a right to do whatever He pleases with His own, and needs not to explain to you a thousand things which may puzzle your reason in His dealings with you.
God will take you at your word, and if you absolutely see yourself to be His slave. He will wrap you up in a jealous love, and let other people say and do many things that you cannot say or do.
Settle it forever, that you are to deal directly with the Holy Spirit and that He is to have the privilege of tying your tongue, or chaining your hand back, or closing your eyes in ways that others are not disciplined.
Now, when you are so possessed with the living God that you are, in your secret heart, pleased and delighted over this peculiar, personal, private, jealous guardianship and management of the Holy Spirit over your life, you will have found the vestibule of Heaven!
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