Women: God’s Instrument for Justice

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me. Psalm 138:7

Anyone who tells you that the Bible degenerates women hasn’t closely examined it’s message of unconditional love, especially for the vulnerable.  The Bible is rich in accounts of God using the weak to defeat the strong (what an amazing way to show His power!). In the fallen world of patriarchal culture, circumstances often left women broken and victims of the destructive desires of men.  But the suffering will not last, and Jesus will one day come back and defeat evil once and for all. (Revelation 19:11-21)  Men’s power cannot stand next to God’s power.

In the book of Exodus we get a glimpse of God’s power to defeat evil men when He used women as his instrument of justice.  Pharaoh was fearful of the growing Israelite nation and sought to destroy them through the genocide of all newborn boys.

Two blessed midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, defied Pharoah’s order to kill all the Egyptian baby boys as their mothers gave birth to them. (Exodus1:15-20)  These heroines remind me today of the many women who work in crisis pregnancy centers, adoption agencies, and foster care; protecting and advocating for the most vulnerable among us. They stand powerfully against seemingly unstoppable injustice.

In addition, Pharoah’s own daughter was instrumental in his own destruction. She found baby Moses hidden in the reeds. She brought him into Pharoah’s house and raised him s her own. Pharaoh’s adversary grew up in his house because God used his daughter to thwart Pharaoh’s evil plan of genocide for the Egyptian people. (Exodus 2:5-10)  In perhaps what seemed to be quiet ways, these women through God’s diving will toppled the terrifying and oppressive power structure that reigned with ear over their lives.

Dear Sister, you are precious in the sight of God.  He can use you powerfully for His glory. While the world may objectify, sexualize, and stereotype women as less interested or capable of leading; God knows your great worth.  Men will fail you and leaders may oppress you, but God has not forgotten you.  He has heard you.

There is deliverance.  The powers of this world:  nations, unjust leaders, abusive boyfriends and husbands will fall. . . so hold on.  God is trustworthy and good. The oppression of this world cannot stand though it’s weight may be crushing.  God is working in the midst of the broken and vulnerable.  We can rest in his promised victory, and we can look for how He might use us to bring justice. . . just as He used Shiphrah, Puah, and Pharoah’s daughter.

About the writer:
Caroline is a wife and mom who loves Jesus. She also has a career in commercial real estate investing. God has given her a heart for encouraging other women. She and her husband, Eric, are the directors of the Fellowship Class, a young married Sunday School class at First Baptist Dallas.

The Faith of a Child

One summer my daughter decided she wanted to learn to play the piano and wanted a piano of her own. This was no small request as funds for a piano were certainly not in our budget. Her father was in school, and I was the only financial support for our family. I told her I would pray with her about the piano. We wouldn’t let anyone know, and we would simply trust that if God wanted her to have a piano He would provide one.

One day my pastor’s wife called and asked if my daughter wanted a piano. She had a piano that her parents had given her when she was twelve, and none of her children wanted this turn of the century upright piano that she dearly loved. She decided to pray about the piano, and God directed her to my daughter.

I explained to my pastor’s wife that we had been praying for a piano but had told no one about it because we wanted to know that if God provided a piano that it was truly from Him. She was overjoyed to know that she had heard clearly from the Lord and that it met a need that we had been praying about. We made arrangements to pick up the piano, and my young daughter learned a great lesson in trusting God to supply her needs. Paul writes in Philippians:

And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

This is a scripture that has been very important to me for many years, and it is one that my daughter truly understood at the age of nine.

I won’t say that my daughter has always had everything that she ever wanted, but she certainly has always had a very strong and positive faith in God and that He would supply her needs. Her faith has always encouraged my own faith through the years.

My prayer is that others will see that this lesson of waiting for God’s provision laid the foundation for a lifetime of trusting in God for my nine year old daughter. As parents, we don’t always need to give our children everything that they want. Sometimes the best gift we can give them is a lesson in waiting on God’s provision.

About the Writer:
Anna Schaefer leads the W.E. C.A.R.E. team for the Women’s Ministry of First Baptist Dallas, a widow, a mom, a grandmother and grateful to the Lord for giving her opportunities to share with other women in several ministries through First Baptist Dallas.

I Like Play-Doh®, but I Am Not the Potter!

It’s a rainy day, a day fit for remembering. I don’t know why, but colorful Play- Doh ® memories are rushing in and filling up my head! You know what I mean, don’t you—days around the kitchen table with fresh containers of colorful, sticky craft dough? On Play-Doh® days, lids are popped open, and hands roll and press, stretch and pull to make the pictures in little heads take shape in little hands. On these kinds of days when my three children were small, many times they called me to intervene—to take over the molding because their hands weren’t big enough. Things just weren’t taking shape the way they dreamed. It brought me great pleasure to take the clay into my hands and press until the finished product appeared before our eyes.

Right in the middle of all this remembering today, the Lord redirected my thoughts to see things clearly about His faithful, loving hands—hands so trustworthy to intervene! I have certainly called on Him to help. My hands just aren’t big enough to handle things. Wait! That is not a strong enough statement! My hands are not big enough, skilled enough, nor faithful enough to handle anything!

As mothers, we repeatedly find ourselves desperate for the Lord’s mercy and grace in our own lives and in the lives of our children. More than once we must cry out to our Father to intervene. Time and time again, we must surrender our children to His faithful care, His work, and His will. I confess that this has been a struggle for me. Though I trust the Lord with my life, I often find myself anxiously asking the Lord, “Pardon me, Lord, what are you doing in my child’s life?” I ask, knowing full well, He will answer by working in my heart. He, the Potter, presses me, the clay. He shapes and molds with precise tenderness. He is tireless, and He works on until finally, I am convicted and convinced that He always does what is best for His glory and for my good. And then, I am reminded once again, I can trust Him!

It is in these desperate moments that I know great comfort by the Spirit’s work in my mind and heart; furthermore, I can be fully assured of the Lord’s boundless, extravagant love for my children, and so can you. He is certainly trustworthy regarding those we love. The Lord is tender toward the desperate cry of a mother—it is her cry of surrender, and it is proof that her faith is in Him alone and not in herself.

“. . . Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand . . .”
Jeremiah 18:6

“But now, O LORD, Thou art our Father,
We are the clay, and Thou our potter;
And all of us are the work of Thy hand.”
Isaiah 64:8

About the Writer:
God’s grace has proven sufficient in Cindy’s life over and over again, and she loves sharing His truths! She is a daughter, wife, mother, and grandmother who enjoys travel, flowers, fresh herb and vegetable gardens, compelling books, a cup of robust coffee, a pot of tea and warm scones, lively family meals, good cries, hearty laughs, and long walks with her husband, Doug. 

Every Good and Perfect Gift

In the words of the ancient Greek philosopher, Heraclitus of Ephesus, “All is flux, nothing is stationary.” That the world around us is constantly changing is a natural law that one can bank on. Isn’t it a relief that God’s character does not follow His creation’s nature of change (James 1:17)?

Transition and changes in life are typically mingled with emotions. Also, some changes come unexpectedly and without our consent. In one particularly radical period of transition in my life, I remember it seemed there wasn’t a plan or hope left standing. Relationships, previous goals, career aspirations, independence, health, finances, possessions, ministry — everything seemed to be destroyed from the inside out. It was at that point I encountered a test: today would I obey God and trust Him? Would I try yet again at my own way or avoid what I knew He had prepared for me? Would I obey God when I didn’t understand and didn’t like His direction?

This past month the First Dallas Women’s Ministry highlighted a Bible Study by Pricilla Shirer on the life of Jonah. After studying Jonah, one might easily come to the conclusion that he is not the poster child of a joyful servant. In the same way, I may not meet every change of direction with the grace of a skilled dancer — I may stumble my way through the awkward confusion of leading versus following. Either way, God is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He wants my heart to trust His unchanging character as I choose to follow Him through life’s ups and downs, twists and turns.

In the words of the Apostle Paul to the church in Ephesus, I believe we find courage and hope to meet Heraclitus’s observation. God loves us. He has a full, abundant life waiting for us, and He is able to accomplish more than we can comprehend. Hidden inside His calling to meet the unexpected with trust and obedience, is a gift beyond our limited understanding. More of Him.

 “May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.”

Ephesians 3:19-21

About the Writer:

Lyndsay has been many things in her past, but no career, experience, or calling define her more than the desire to follow Christ. At present, she teaches movement classes and works as a wellness consultant in addition to raising her daughter to know and love the Lord. 
Lyndsay has a blog dedicated to sharing and celebrating the work of Christ through her experiences as a missionary, world traveler, knowledge seeker, and recipient of God’s lavish grace.