I am examining four things you and I need to learn—and re-learn and re-learn! For example, how often do we need to learn to be content. Someone once said, “The thing about life is, it’s just so daily.” Do you find it that way sometimes: Routine, mundane, repetitive, and seemingly meaningless? Learning to live with the dailyness of life is a key to contentment and joy.

At times, we are victims of looking on the other side of our fence and deciding the grass over there sure looks greener than our grass. It just sometimes seems like our lives are painted drab gray and everybody else has bright red or yellow!

All our lives are made up in large part of those daily duties, those mundane tasks, those repetitive responsibilities. Nobody escapes them. Regardless of how green the grass looks in someone else’s garden, believe me when I tell you their lives are very daily, too.

Someone once wrote: “The uncommon life is the product of the day lived in the uncommon way.” That means a person whose life is exciting and full is one who finds meaning and satisfaction in the seemingly insignificant, daily things in our lives.

Let me give you a very simple example: I have some china I really love. And it’s gives me great pleasure to set my table with it, to hold it, even to wash it. I enjoy my china. I remember once, when my daughter was very young, she found it rather strange to hear me getting excited about this china that I had owned for years.

And I said to her, “If you can find pleasure and joy in the little things in your life, your life will be full of pleasure and joy. Otherwise, it’s going to be very drab most of the time, with a few high points only now and then.”

Regardless of how humble and unpretentious your daily life may seem, you can elevate it if you can learn to enjoy and appreciate the “dailyness” of your life—if you can appreciate what you have. As the Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 4, it is learning the secret of being content in any and every situation. Contentment brings meaning to our daily lives and frees us from the dreariness of looking over our fence at someone else’s grass.

Have you enrolled in the school of contentment? You can begin today by appreciating the small things, smelling the roses in your life, instead of being focused on what you don’t have and looking over your fence all the time.

Life is full of “what ifs”, and often they are negative, right? They are usually full of fear and worrisome imaginations. And when you focus on all those “what ifs,” when you allow your mind to go to those negative possibilities, you become discouraged and frankly, miserable. So, let me ask you: How much time do you spend in the “what ifs” of life? In fear and worry, thinking about what could or might happen?

Here’s another “what if”: What if you changed “what if” to “even if”? Even if I lose my job, even if I get a bad health report, even if I’m robbed, even if someone I love dies. If you’re born from above through faith in Jesus Christ, what if you faced your “what ifs” with truth from God’s Word—truth that would set you free from the fear and worry and despair that your “what ifs” have caused?

We have promises from God’s Word we should throw in the face of our “what ifs.”

Promises like:

Isaiah 43:2: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

Hebrews 13:5: Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

So, when you’re facing a “what if,” stop and talk to yourself. Seriously, you need to talk to yourself—out loud if possible—and remind yourself of God’s promises. Remind yourself of these truths. Bring those “what if” thoughts into captivity and make them obey the Lord.

You remember the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, three Jewish young men who were forcibly taken from Jerusalem to Babylon to serve in King Nebuchadnezzar’s court (Daniel 3). Shortly after they were forced into the service of this pagan king, they were faced with a direct affront to their faith in Jehovah God, as the king set up a golden image and ordered everyone to worship this pagan image or else be thrown into a fiery furnace.

Talk about a “what if”! What if they continued to serve the true God, Jehovah, and refused to bow down and worship that golden idol? They would perish as young men in the prime of their lives. This was a serious what if; there was no question that refusing to obey the king’s order would result in death. So, what was their decision? Here it is from Daniel 3:16-18:

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

They went from “what if” to “even if” and declared their trust in their God to deliver them. Even if they were burned to death in the furnace, they would not bow to any other god.

Maybe you’re facing a fiery furnace of your own—something that could destroy you or so it seems. Maybe it’s a financial furnace, or a health furnace, or a relationship furnace. You’re in the “what if” stage as you face the furnace. Can you replace your “what if” with an “even if,” declaring that even if your fears are realized, even if the worst happens, you will trust in God to deliver you, to go through it with you, and to rescue you?

Can you say with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, “Even if he does not, I will trust him”? That is walking by faith and not by sight, and even if your faith seems small or weak, God will be pleased with your “even if,” and you can be sure he will get you through. I pray you will place your trust in the same God who delivered these young men and who will deliver you.

Then there’s the story of when God confronted Moses and told him he had a job for him to do—to face Pharaoh and deliver his people from bondage. Moses had a bunch of “what ifs.”

Moses said, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”

“What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?”

“Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” (Exodus 3:13, 4:1, 4:10).

Moses had lots of reasons why he could not do what God was asking him to do. But God said to Moses, I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you’ (Exodus 3:14). God reminded Moses that he could go with confidence in God’s ability to do what Moses could not do. Moses’s “what ifs” were real, but God Jehovah was greater than his fears.

Are you in the “what if” stage of doing what God has asked you to do? What if I fail? What if people think I’m crazy? What if I don’t have enough resources? If that’s where you are, I understand. I’ve been there, but I’ve learned that if God is in it, he will accomplish it through you. Following Jesus is not risk-free.

In The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, C. S. Lewis introduces us to Aslan the great Lion, who represents Jesus in the book. When Susan learns that she is going to meet Aslan, she says, “Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion”…”Safe?” said Mr Beaver …”Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”[1]

If you’ve decided to follow Jesus, you are learning that it’s not always safe, but it’s always good to do what God is calling you to do. You can trust God, wherever he is leading you. He is good and he will take care of all your “what ifs,” just as he did for Moses. Remember, his name is I AM—I am everything you need. And you can replace your “what ifs” with this truth from 1 Thessalonians 5:24: “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.”

What if the day comes when you and I will be truly persecuted because we follow Jesus? That is not a far-fetched possibility, is it? We have seen our religious liberty seriously threatened, especially in the last few years. What if you will have to choose between keeping your job and standing true to your commitment to Jesus Christ? What if you will be ostracized or isolated or mocked because you claim to know and love Jesus? What if you are required to agree to certain politically correct principles you know are wrong and false?

These are real possibilities for Christians, even here in our free country, and some are even facing these situations already. This is a “what if” we need to think about, and it can be frightening. Here is what Peter tells us about suffering for Jesus:

Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. (1 Peter 3:13-17)

This is a good example of what it means to go from “what if” to “even if.” Even if you are called to suffer for your faith in Jesus Christ, Peter says you are blessed. And Jesus addressed this possibility clearly in his Sermon on the Mount:

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12).

So, even if you find yourself suffering in some way because you are standing firm for what you know is true and righteous, you have this promise from Jesus of a great reward in heaven. So, don’t dwell on the “what ifs” of being persecuted for righteousness sake; focus on the “even if” and rejoice and be glad that you are qualified for a great reward.

In the past years we’ve all gone through a lot of “what ifs,” haven’t we? Facing a global pandemic can cause you to imagine all kinds of “what ifs.” And this caused fear to grip our country and the world.

Now we are living through the aftermath of what fear can do. It brings out the worst in people, doesn’t it? It causes those in authority to place lots of restrictions on us because they fear what might happen. I wonder if you have been caught up in the “what ifs” of fear?

The book of Habakkuk in the Old Testament is full of the “what ifs” of the people of Israel. Their way of life was being threatened, but listen to what Habakkuk said to them:

I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior (Habakkuk 3:16-18).

Notice that he recognized and confessed his fear and the effect it had on him. It affected him physically and spiritually, as fear always does. And he lays out all the bad things that could happen to them; they could be wiped out. But Habakkuk declares that even if that happens, he will rejoice in the Lord and be joyful in God. He sets his will to do what he knows he should do—trust God and be joyful.

Can you do the same today? Will you say, “YET I will rejoice in the Lord,” even though your prayers have not been answered or your dreams haven’t come true? Rejoice today because the joy of the Lord is your strength and remember that even if your “what if” becomes a reality, God will not change, and he will see you through. Instead of what if, set your heart to know that even if you are in the hands of Almighty God, and he will never leave you or forsake you.

[1] Lewis, C. S. (1950). Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Arcturus Publishing Ltd. (Original work published 1950)

This is a very special day for me personally. I’m recording program number 10,000. Each program is 3 minutes long so that’s 30,000 minutes this Monday to Friday daily has been broadcast on many stations. I am humbled to see how God has allowed us to continue the purpose for which I began this program in 1984—to equip, encourage and empower women in the workplace to see their calling as God’s ambassador wherever their career takes them.

Having had a long-time corporate career myself, I understood the need for more resources based on God’s Word to help us navigate the many challenges of living out our faith on our jobs, particularly in secular environments. I remember recording the first programs, and believe me, I was as green as it gets. I had stepped out on faith, believing this kind of program was needed, and trusted God as I walked through each open door.

We began on one station in Chicago, and honestly that was the limit of my vision at the time. I never dreamed God would make it possible to reach many other cities and even other countries through radio and now the internet.

I am pausing today to say thanks and to celebrate God’s faithfulness. Thanks that God can use anybody, even a woman with few qualifications and virtually no experience. Thanks that so many others have come around me through the years, helping me, teaching me, and encouraging me. Thanks to so many thousands of listeners who have supported this ministry.

I would encourage you to take seriously any passion God has laid on your heart and ask God what the next step is. It will be a step of faith, and you probably won’t be really qualified, but when he calls you, he will open the doors and empower you to flourish by his grace.

One verse comes to mind: The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it (1 Thessalonians 5:24).

I testify that God is faithful, and what he calls you to do, he will equip you to do—for his glory and your good.

In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines. (Proverbs 18:17).

I’m looking at a proverb a day to show us the way. This proverb is very good advice for us.

What it teaches us is to withhold judgment and opinions until we’ve heard both sides to any story. We shouldn’t be gullible, and we shouldn’t jump to conclusions.

This is a particularly difficult area for me. I am very impulsive and very much an over reactor. And every time I do that, I regret it. I am by God’s grace focusing prayer and attention in my life on learning to wait until I hear both sides of any story, to make sure I’ve got my facts straight, to remember there may be something here I just don’t know yet.

I remember coming into the office on a very busy day to find a message that irritated me at once. With only partial information, I thought this other person was doing something way out of line, and I overreacted. I went to the phone and started calling her, to get things straightened out. Thankfully, she was not in, and I didn’t get to speak with her at that time.

When she returned my call and explained the situation, I realized the message had not been complete, and if I had talked with her earlier, I would have overreacted and probably hurt her feelings. God protected me that time and reminded me how much I need to learn not to overreact.

Wise Solomon warned us the first person to present their case can sound very convincing because we haven’t heard the other side of the story. We need to listen to people but not be too quick to agree or disagree with them until we’ve sorted the facts out and know what we’re dealing with. This is good advice for managers and employees alike.

I want to encourage you to go to the Proverbs daily for guidance. There are 31 chapters, so you can read the one that corresponds to the day of the month. I’ve been doing that for several years, and many times God has used the Proverbs to give me clear guidance, especially on job-related issues.

I’m looking at a Proverb a day to show us the way, because the book of Proverbs is wonderfully applicable to the situations we face in our everyday lives.

[If] you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth. So do this… Go and humble yourself… Allow no sleep to your eyes… Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler (Proverbs 6:2-5).

How many times have you wanted to crawl under a table because you said something you wished you hadn’t? Perhaps they were words spoken in anger or haste, or words of gossip, or judgmental words. Unkind, untruthful, harsh, unnecessary words that inflicted harm of some kind.

What do you do? You can’t unsay them; you can’t delete them; you can’t erase them. Those words hang there in your memory and the memory of others. What can you do?

Solomon says to go and humble yourself to the person your words harmed; go, confess to them, and do it immediately. Apologize and do all you can to free yourself from the damage of those words.

I know that’s not easy to do, but it’s a lot easier than not doing it! Once in a hotel on a business trip, I accused a hotel employee of neglecting to follow my instructions. I was certain I had given those instructions. Nicely, but directly, I said, “I’m sure it’s your fault; please correct it.”

A few minutes later I came to realize I was the one who was wrong, not him. It was embarrassing; I wanted to run away. But I forced myself to go to the phone, call the young man and apologize to him. Even a simple apology like that wasn’t easy, but once I did it, I felt so free. And I could tell it made a big difference to him. He kept saying, “That’s so nice of you to call. Thank you.” It wasn’t nice of me; it was just the right thing to do.

If you’ve offended someone with words, don’t procrastinate. Go right now and apologize. That’s good advice from Proverbs.

I’m sharing a Proverb a day, which will show you the way. Listen to this passage from Proverbs 6:

Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provision in summer and gathers its food at harvest (Proverbs 6:6-8).

In the margin of my Bible by this verse I have written “self-motivated.” The ant is a self-motivated creature. Without anyone standing over all those ants and telling them what to do, they perform their jobs diligently and are prepared for what lies ahead.

Self-motivation is a key factor in our business world today. Have you ever worked with someone who was just trying to get by with as little as possible. They don’t look beyond their noses to see what else could be done. They take no initiative and are not willing to go any extra miles.

A Christian in the workplace should be like the ant: self-motivated, willing to dig in and get the work done without prompting or constant supervision. Does your manager trust you? Can she or he be assured you diligently will do your job whether anyone’s watching or not? Certainly, a Christian should produce that kind of reputation.

Your witness in the world will only be effective if there is a difference in the way you work. If you have the “it’s not my job” attitude, drag your feet and do only what you’re told to do, gripe and complain about doing anything above and beyond your job description, how will your coworkers and management know Christ makes a difference in your life? They won’t, and your verbal witness, if there is one, will fall on deaf ears.

If you are a Christ-follower, you have a power far beyond yourself to motivate you. You have God’s Holy Spirit dwelling within you to give you the strength you need to be self-motivated. And when you are motivated to do what’s right, you will have an outstanding testimony because you do your work right whether anyone’s watching or not. You do it to the best of your ability, and you’re willing to go the extra mile.

Go to the ant and consider its ways. We can learn wisdom and self-motivation from those tiny ants.

There is a book in the Bible full of wisdom for our everyday lives, and that is the book of Proverbs. I’m going to share a proverb a day, which will show you the way! We’ll look at four different proverbs and see the wisdom for us. I encourage you to make Proverbs a daily reading habit. There are 31 chapters, so it’s easy to read the chapter that corresponds to the day of the month. I’ve been doing that for several years and find the practical advice most beneficial in my life.

Let’s look at Proverbs 22:10. It says, drive out the mocker and out goes strife; quarrels and insults are ended. Another translation reads, drive out the scoffer and contention will go out. Even strife and dishonor will cease.

Have you ever worked with a person who was a mocker and a scoffer? That’s the person who makes fun of others, who ridicules people and organizations, who is arrogant and causes problems seemingly on purpose. When there’s a mocker in the group, the work environment can be miserable and having a unified team is almost impossible.

This proverb says by getting rid of a mocker, you get rid of strife. If you are in a management position, it’s good to remember there are times when the best thing you can do is to let an employee go. Now, I hope that doesn’t sound cruel, but a person who is intent on offending others—and some people are—can have detrimental effects on an organization.

Of course, as Christians, we still must care about people regardless of how unlovable they are. And though we can never change people, the Holy Spirit can, so we shouldn’t give up praying for them. But that doesn’t mean we allow them to ruin the working environment for everyone else. Remember, the workplace is not a rehab center or a counseling office. We want to help people, when possible, but you don’t hire people to reform or change them; you hire them to do a job.

Solomon said, in his wisdom, you’re better off to drive out the mocker and the scoffer, for by so doing, the strife and dishonor will stop, people will be able to work productively together, and everyone will benefit, including the person who is the troublemaker. Allowing him or her to continue to get by with that inappropriate behavior doesn’t help the individual.

Some years ago, someone sent me this story, which illustrates this truth—God won’t let you go. Let me tell you it.

On a hot summer day in Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. He jumped into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.

His father working in the yard saw what was happening, and in utter fear, he ran toward the water, yelling to his son. The little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his father. It was too late. From the dock, the father grabbed his little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs.

That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the father, but the father would not let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard the screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.

Remarkably, after weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scared by the vicious attack of the animal. And on his arms were deep scratches where his father’s fingernails dug into his flesh in his effort to hang on to the son he loved.

The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said, “But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too, because my Dad wouldn’t let go.”

You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too. No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past and present crises we may be facing. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused deep pain or regret. But some wounds are because God has refused to let go. Amid our struggle, he’s been there holding on to us.

God just won’t let you go, no matter what you’re going through. Think of Joseph. Through, no doubt, some childish bragging to his brothers, they decided to get rid of him, and sold him into slavery in Egypt. Joseph had done no great evil; he didn’t deserve to be so terribly mistreated, but there he was, a slave and a prisoner in Egypt (Genesis 37-50).

But God never let go of Joseph, because Joseph never forsook his faith in Jehovah God. And he was used by God to deliver many people, including his own family, from starvation. I wonder how many times, as he sat in that prison, he just wanted to give up. It looked hopeless, but God didn’t let go.

We have many wonderful illustrations in the Bible of how God didn’t let go, even when his people foolishly waded into dangerous and sinful situations, sometimes out of ignorance, sometimes out of disobedience.

Think of Elijah. You remember the story found in 1 Kings 18, where Elijah challenged all the prophets of Baal, with great courage, and their pagan gods could not deliver them. Elijah triumphed over all that evil, proving that Jehovah God was the only true God. It was an incredible victory.

But the very next day, brave Elijah became a coward, fearful of one woman, Jezebel, who had threatened to kill him. He ran out of fear for his life. Elijah no doubt would have been diagnosed by doctors today as having a deep depression, even as being deluded, as he ran for his life.

But God didn’t let go, and with great patience and kindness, he nurtured him back to strength, taught him some wonderful lessons, and brought him out of that deep funk an even better man of God—refined like gold.

Are you there? Has your faith failed you? Are you full of fear? Are you in that kind of deep depression where everything looks hopeless? Maybe you feel worthless, and you’re sure that life is coming to an end—at least life with any meaning? The world around you is a mess, and that could cause you to be frightened and depressed. But I want to encourage you today to know God won’t let go of you. He will patiently guide you back to wholeness, as he did with Elijah.

How did Elijah recover? He needed some rest and nourishment. You know, when you are physically depleted, it will affect you spiritually and emotionally. So, God put him in a quiet place for some rest and nourishment. Then he reminded Elijah of who God is, he helped him get beyond the pity party he was having, and then he sent Elisha to be his companion and coworker.

God never let go of Elijah, and if you are his child, he will not let go of you. David wrote, For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock (Psalm 27:5).

Just as this young boy foolishly and ignorantly dove into the dangerous water where this alligator lived, we as children of God sometimes foolishly dive into dangerous situations, not knowing what lies ahead. But then there are times when we are thrown—so to speak—into that dangerous swimming hole, against our will and through no fault of our own.

The swimming hole of life is filled with peril, and we forget the enemy is waiting to attack. The Bible says the enemy of our soul, Satan, prowls about like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Peter goes on to say, Resist him, standing firm in the faith…And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast (1 Peter 5:9 – 10).

If you feel like you’re in the alligator swamp right now and you’re about to go under, remember God has said if you are called to his eternal glory in Christ, he will himself restore you and make you strong again—after you have suffered a little while. God is not going to let go of you.

But why does he allow us to suffer a little while? Unlike the story of the father who fought to save his son, God is not helpless against Satan. He could deliver us sooner rather than later, and we puzzle as to why he doesn’t, don’t we?

There are various reasons God allows his children to endure suffering, but in every instance, it is to bring us to maturity so our lives will bring glory to God. In writing about suffering, James said, Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy (James 5:10-11).

James reminds us that in retrospect, as we look back to the suffering saints of old, we consider them blessed who persevered through suffering, and he uses Job as an example. In other words, James says, “Get the big picture here. Look beyond your momentary pain and consider what God is doing through your suffering.”

Whether your suffering is a result of your wrongdoing or it’s just the hardships of life, it didn’t catch God by surprise, and he intends to use it for your good. He is not going to let go of you, so hang on and trust him. He is a trustworthy God.

God will never let go of you. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of your life, he is committed to you and will keep you for all eternity. Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice: I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish: no one can snatch them out of my hand, My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one” (John 10:27-30).

Maybe you’re thinking, “Yeah, but Mary, you don’t know what I’ve done. I’ve committed a sin, knowingly, and I’ve wandered far from God.” That may be true, but it doesn’t change the promise Jesus gave us. If—and that is an important “if”—you have truly been born from above through faith in Jesus Christ, you can’t even jump out of his hand. Your own disobedience and sin are not strong enough to break his grip on you.

I would remind you of David, a man after God’s own heart. You can’t go much further wrong as a believer than David did—committing adultery, murdering another man (2 Samuel 11). He tried to cover it up, to bury it and forget it, but until he confessed it and admitted his guilt, he was the most miserable person alive. That’s always true for a believer. If you are living in willful disobedience to God’s principles, as a true child of God, you will be more and more miserable until you come to full repentance. Read Psalm 51 to remind yourself of David’s agony because of his sin.

None of us escape the consequences of our sin, whether believers or not, but nothing can separate a true believer from God’s love. Not even our sin. I want to encourage you today to come back to God with a repentant heart, with a commitment to forsake your sin and walk in his way, and he will restore to you the joy of your salvation, just as he did for David.

My own story corroborates this truth, for I foolishly chose to walk away from my commitment to God’s principles for a period of ten years—ten long years. It wasn’t ignorance, but it was a willful determination to run my own life and get what I wanted. I failed miserably in that endeavor, and at the end of my emotional and mental rope, I came back to God, truly repentant, and he has proven himself to be a God of great mercy and grace to me. That was many years ago, and I can testify that God simply never let go of me. He let me run my own show until I ran it into the ground, and then he restored me.

In Romans 8 Paul tells us those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God, and because of that, we can cry “Abba, Father.” We are permitted to call the God of creation by an intimate term, a family name, if you please—Abba, Father, Papa. He is our heavenly father, and he will never let us go.

I think of a friend of mine who never knew her father; he abandoned her before she was born. Others have fathers who simply neglected them, and still others have fathers who abused them. If something like that is true for you, your concept of a father could be warped. But let me assure you that God is your heavenly Father, if you are born again, and he is perfect. Don’t transfer your negative experience with your earthly father to God, because you will then miss the joy of fellowshipping with him as Father, Abba, Papa.

I had a wonderful earthly father who never neglected me or mistreated me, but even he could not promise to never leave me. But my heavenly Father can say, “I will never leave you or forsake you,” and I have full assurance that he will always be with me. He will not let me go, and the same is true for you, if you are his chi

Let me share these wonderful verses from Romans 8:38-39

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God won’t let you go. You can count on it.

Presented by Lauren Stibgen

There are so many studies about the Proverbs 31 woman and aspirations to be like her. She is a powerful example of a working woman from the Old Testament, and she is an important example of male/female unity between mothers and sons and husbands and wives. Maybe you aren’t a mom or son or wife or husband, but the foundations of unity between men and women are found in this chapter and show us God’s heart for male/female unity in his kingdom.

This proverb was taught by a mother to her son, the King Lamuel. I think it is important to note the unity between the mother and son—the importance of this male/female relationship. She’s imparting on him rich wisdom and outlines for him the importance of unity with a woman who fears the Lord.

The unity between this man and woman—husband and wife—shows trust, gain, and good. The Proverbs 31 woman is a smart worker. She provides for her home. She invests and burns the proverbial candle at both ends. She gives to the poor and makes sure those working for her are provided for. She even dresses well! This woman is so well known that the man she is in unity with is “known” at the gates.

In addition to her work, she shares her wisdom and teaching. Her husband and children praise her!

This is a long and exhaustive list. And it is a very good example of many of the Christian working women I know. There are many lessons we can take from this chapter, but let’s consider the unity the Proverbs 31 woman has: unity with the Lord, her husband, her workers, her community, and her children. In all these relationships, unity is part of her success.

God wants us to be in unity with our closest male and female relationships. He wants his daughters to teach and his sons to listen to their wisdom. He wants his daughters to fear him and seek trust and unity with others. He wants his daughters to work, serve the poor, and provide for their families. He wants us to be kind and not be idle.

God created us in his image. Male and female, he created us. And, just like the unity of the trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, he wants us to live in unity with others.

How can you create more unity with the closest men or women in your life?

Presented by Lauren Stibgen

Are you under the impression that the women in the Bible weren’t working women? Many of the Christian women I encounter haven’t heard this important truth. Women have always worked! In fact, we examined this when we discussed the creation story of Genesis, the prophetesses Miriam and Deborah, and the women who worked in unity with Jesus! God needs us working in unity with men for his glory!

Women played an important role in the early church. I think about Mary being the first to see the resurrected Jesus. Scripture could have skipped ahead to meeting the disciples in Galilee, but it doesn’t! God wants us to see how his story includes the men and women he created in his image.

The Old Testament prophet Joel states, I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy. This verse can be found in Joel 28 and in summary in Acts 2.

The Spirit is for sons and daughters—both to prophesy!

One of the first accounts of healing in the book of Acts is of Tabitha (also known as Dorcas) in Acts 9:36-43. We learn she had died, and she was considered a woman full of good works and charity. She was apparently a very good seamstress as the scripture speaks of the tunics and garments she had made. We learn it was men urging them to come to the bedside of Tabitha. She was clearly respected. And she was raised to life by Peter.

Lydia is described in Acts 16 as a seller of purple goods and a worshiper of God. Paul came to find a group of women who had come together in prayer. He sought them out—to be in unity with them in prayer. His seeking and the Lord’s opening of Lydia’s heart to hear the good news of Jesus, opened new unity and provision for Paul when Lydia invite him to stay in her home. We also see that Paul returned to Lydia when he was released from prison. Lydia needed unity with Jesus, and Paul needed unity with Lydia for his work! We also learn those in Lydia’s household encouraged Paul.

Lydia was a seller. She worked. God used her work and leadership to help grow the early church!

God is still doing this today. Are you a creator like Tabitha or a seller like Lydia? Not only does your influence with others serve as an important way for the gospel to be shared, but your financial provision also can help ministries lay groundwork to encourage others to spread the good news and cause an increase in the Church of Jesus Christ! This is why your work and the unity between men and women is important to the Lord. Working together will ultimately create a much greater impact for the glory of the kingdom.