Today’s Truth ”The seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop” (Luke 8:15 NIV).

Friend To Friend Have you ever thought about how frustrated God must feel when He calls out to us and gets no response?  The Lord taught me a little lesson in how to be a better listener through a gift from my son. 

When Steven was thirteen, twelve years ago, he thought I was still living in the Dark Ages because I didn’t have a cell phone.  But I didn’t want a cell phone.  My car was one place where I could get away from the telephone’s constant pull on my attention, so I settled for being a little  archaic. Besides, he really just wanted me to have one so he could call into the radio station and win prizes on our drive to school each morning. 

Boy, was I surprised that Christmas when I opened my lovely present from Steven to discover a flip-top cell phone purchased with his own money.  How could I not appear grateful for a gift from my own child (that sly dog)?  Of course he convinced my husband to pay the monthly fees.  “After all,” he argued, “it is much too dangerous for a woman to be driving around town without a cell phone.”

“Thank you, Steven,” I said.  “Now whenever Dad and I are out and you are home alone, I can call you anytime, from anyplace, to see what you’re doing.”  From the look on his face, I could tell that the thought had never crossed his mind.

A few weeks later I decided to try out my new toy.

“Steven, this is Mom.  Dad and I are in the car.  When I hang up, I want you to call this number and let’s see if the phone works.”

We waited about three minutes, but the phone never rang.

“Steven, this is Mom again.  What happened?”

“I called the number,” he explained, “but the operator said that your phone was turned off or that you were out of the calling area.” 

I decided to call the cell phone company to find out what had happened. 

“Let me explain something,” said the technical assistant.  “A cellular phone works by sending out and receiving radio waves from a cell tower.  You were at a point on the road that dips and forms a small valley, and the radio waves could not reach down into the dip for you to receive the signal.  Another possibility is that your message was being blocked by a large building.  And finally, Mrs. Jaynes, was your battery powered up?  Have you charged it lately?”

“Yes,” I answered.  “I charged it today.”

“And was the antenna up?” (This was when cell phones actually had antennae.)

“Yes,” I said.  “The antenna was up.”

Finally I asked, “Why could I send a call, but I could not receive a call?”

“Because it takes more call strength to receive a call, than to send one,” she explained.

I was more than frustrated with this two-by-six-inch piece of plastic, but it made me consider other transmissions that I had trouble receiving from time to time.  John 10:27 says that the Lord speaks to His sheep and His sheep hear His voice.  But why do I have so much trouble hearing from God?  Could it be the same reasons that I have poor reception with my cell phone?

If I’m having trouble hearing from God, I have to ask myself the same questions that the technical assistant asked me.  Am I in a dip in the road?  Sometimes a valley of depression can clog my spiritual ears in such a way that I don’t hear His gentle voice coaxing me to higher ground.  Then, I need to start singing praises like David did in the Psalms and watch Him turn my valley into a level path. 

Have I erected walls that are blocking God’s signals: walls of materialism, selfish ambition, or religion?  If so I need to tear them down.  Is my battery pack powered up?  If not, I need to plug into the Word and get recharged.  Is my antenna raised or have I put it down like the Israelites who, because of fear, told Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen.  But do not have God speak to us.” (Exodus 20:19 NIV).  If I want to hear from Him, I need to make sure my spiritual antenna is up and that I am expectantly waiting to hear His voice.

Finally, why is it that I can sometimes place a call but often have trouble receiving one?  I can go before the Lord at any time and He hears me.  Though it doesn’t take more power to receive a message from Him, it does take more effort on my part to be receptive.  In our fast-paced world, it takes more effort to be still and listen than it does to speak.  But I need to realize that what God has to say to me is much more important than anything I have to say to Him. 

I held my little flip-top phone in the palm of my hand and thanked God for showing me once again how to hear His voice.  What I realized was that hearing from Him was more than just receiving; it was also about making sure I was receptive.

Let’s Pray Dear Lord, help me to hear Your voice when You speak.  If there are walls that I have erected that are blocking me from hearing You, please show me what they are so that I can tear them down.  Fill me afresh with the Holy Spirit today.  Charge my spiritual battery! Thank You for giving me two ears and only one mouth, and teach me to use each one appropriately.
In Jesus’ Name, 
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn I love this quote: “If you’re talking, you’re not learning anything.” – Lolita B. West (Former elementary school teacher). 

Journal about a time when you felt like you could not hear God’s voice.  What was this experience like?  How did it make you feel not to be able to hear the Shepherd’s voice leading you?  Did you feel scared, anxious, or frustrated? 

I challenge you to take a few minutes to be still before the Lord today.  That’s right.  Do not talk.  Do not move a muscle (but don’t fall asleep!).  Simply get still and quiet at His feet.  Many times our biggest struggle is that we are so busy talking to Him that we aren’t learning anything from Him.  Just like a disruptive child in a classroom, when we do all the talking, the Teacher cannot teach us or anyone else!

I’d love to hear how God is speaking to you!

 Today’s devotion was taken from Sharon’s book, Becoming a Woman who Listens to God.  If you would like to learn more about how to hear God through the Bible, prayer, creation, circumstances and other people, then this book is for you.  In it, Sharon also teaches about Road Blocks that hinder hearing from God and how to remove them.  Also, make sure and check out the featured summer resource.

Today’s Truth 
“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat.  But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail.  And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31-32 NIV emphasis added).

Friend To Friend 
June was a senior on the debate team when she presented a pro-life argument.  She did her research and displayed amazing pictures of the development of a child in his mother’s womb.  She won the debate and received the highest grade possible.  It was six months later when she had her first abortion.

See, simply knowing the truth does not assure that we will walk in the truth.  June knew the truth in her head, but did not have the courage to apply it to her own life.  “I could not speak what I supposedly believed any longer,” June lamented.  “I was a defeated failure.”  June went on to have two more abortions while attending college and eventually dropped out of school.  Pregnant for the fourth time, she packed her bags and went home to her parents.  As far as they knew, this was her first pregnancy.

This time, June knew she would have her baby…and she did.

Peter, the disciple, and June walked a similar path.  While June denied her children the right to live, Peter denied his Savior’s Lordship.

During the last meal that Jesus celebrated with his disciples before he faced the cross, Jesus warned them that he would be leaving soon.  “Lord, where are you going?” Peter asked.

Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”

Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now?  I will lay down my life for you.  Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will” (John 13:37, Matthew 26:33).

Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me?  I tell you the truth (He always does), before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!” (John 13:36-38).

“But Peter declared, ‘Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you” (Mark 13:41).

I imagine Jesus simply looked at Peter with a knowing eye and a wounded heart.  Sure you will, buddy, he must have mused. You will die for me, but not today.

Peter was so sure of himself as he stood before the debate team and presented the facts.  And yet, before the sun rose over the horizon he did the very opposite of what his self-assured, overconfident words proclaimed. 

“You are not one of disciples, are you?” a girl asked at the door to the High Priest’s courtyard.

“I am not,” Peter replied.

“You are not one of his disciples, are you?” someone asked as Peter stood warming his hands by the fire.

“I am not,” Peter denied.

“Didn’t I see you with Jesus in the olive grove, and aren’t you the fellow who cut off my relative’s ear?” challenged another.

“I am not!” Peter declared for a third time.

The moment the third denial escaped Peter’s determined lips, a rooster crowed.  As the new day broke over the horizon, Peter’s heart broke over his sin.  Peter wept bitterly over his cowardly actions.  This brash, boisterous, demonstrative fisherman had cowered under the accusing gaze of a mere servant girl.

I am fearful that we have put this story on a shelf for safe keeping.  We, as believers tend to follow the baseball rule book rather than God’s Word when it comes to the failure of our brothers and sisters – three strikes and you’re out.  But the Umpire of the Universe calls it differently.  He puts on the cloak of mercy and grace, calls us to repentance, and invites us to get back in the game. 

Let’s Pray 
Dear Heavenly Father, I have failed so many times.  Thank You for not turning Your back on me, but welcoming me home with open arms.  Help me to extend the same grace to others that You have extended to me.

In Jesus’ Name, 
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn 
Can you think of a time when you felt disqualified because of a particular sin or mistake?

What do you think God would say to you about that?

Can you think of a time when you gave up on someone because of their failings or felt they should be disqualified because of a sin…even if they had repented?

What do you think God would say to you about that?

Today’s Truth 
“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3 NIV)

Friend To Friend 
One Saturday night, my family hunkered down on the den sofa with an oversized bowl of popcorn, tall glasses of soda, and an action-packed vide Raider’s of the Lost Ark, starring Harrison Ford.  We were ready to be entertained by suspense, intrigue, and a touch of romance.  Like any good movie, there were three principal characters: the good guy, the bad guy, and the damsel in distress.  The good guy, Dr. Indiana Jones, who was a professor of archeology, obtainer of rare antiquities, and student of the world-renowned Dr. Ravenwood of the University of Chicago, quickly charmed us. The bad guy, a waxy-faced Nazi with a sinister grin and breathy laugh, who was always accompanied by an entourage of brutal, salivating, gargantuan, henchmen, quickly appalled us.   Then there was the damsel in distress — the not-so-fair Marian, daughter of the now deceased Dr. Ravenwood and sole proprietor of a drinking establishment in the snowy mountains of Nepal.

In the opening scene, Dr. Jones is pulled from teaching his archeology class to meet with two agents from U.S. Army Intelligence.  It seems that Hitler is obsessed with religion and the occult and is on a mission to find the whereabouts of the Ark of the Covenant which has been missing since Solomon’s temple was destroyed in 586 B.C.  Obviously, the government officials missed a few days in Sunday School, so Dr. Jones fills them in on the significance of this rare treasure.  The Ark contains the Ten Commandments and symbolizes the presence of God.

The government officials explain they have intercepted a German communication that reveals the Nazis are searching for the Ark of the Covenant in Cairo, but in order to determine its exact location, they need a map that is engraved on a gold medallion, once owned by Dr. Ravenwood.  Dr. Jones’ mission, should he choose to accept it, is to locate the medallion, uncover the Ark of the Covenant, and bring it safely back to the United States.

Professor Jones, with the gleam of adventure in his eyes, whisks off his bow tie and wire-rim glasses and dons his suede Indiana Jones hat, leather whip, and trusty pistol.  Off he goes to Nepal to find the fair Marian and hopefully, the medallion (which she has been wearing around her neck for years).  Unfortunately for Marian, the waxy-faced Nazi also realizes that she is the key to finding the map and pays her a little visit just before Indiana Jones arrives.  In adventure film fashion, a fight ensues, a fire breaks out, and the damsel’s life is in peril.  Just before the blazing walls come crashing down, the spy notices the gold medallion engulfed in flames and hanging from a pole.  Without considering the consequences, he grabs the metal disc from the flames, only to quickly drop it from his hot little hand, but not before it leaves a lasting impression.  One side of the map is forever burned into the palm of his hand.  Of course, Indiana Jones comes to the rescue.  The music soars; the hero cracks his whip, saves the damsel in distress, and recovers the medallion.

The Germans, thinking they have the map in the palm of their hand (actually the palm of Mr. Waxy-Face’s hand) start to dig.  But what Professor Jones realizes is that the map is actually on the front and back of the medallion.  The Germans have only half of the map and thus are digging in the wrong place.

Now I have to tell you, this was supposed to be an evening of mindless activity and purely entertainment, but God spoke to me is a big way.  He used this movie to teach me about searching for God’s presence, hearing His voice, and how different people go about it.  Many people would like to have the presence of God in their camp.  And just like in the movie, we could potentially play one of three roles.

Some people are like the damsel, who had been wearing the treasure map around her neck for years, but had no idea what it was.  She only wore it because her beloved father had given it to her as a gift.  Likewise, there are those who wear a cross around their neck, but don’t truly understand the significance of the gift of sacrifice and salvation from their heavenly Father.  There are others who have a dusty Bible on a crowded bookshelf or displayed on a living room coffee table, but don’t realize that it contains God’s Words to them.  They don’t understand that the Bible is the map to experiencing God’s presence and hearing His voice in their daily lives.

Some are like the bad guy with only one side of the medallion burned into the palm of his hand.  They have heard parts of Scripture, read a few verses here and there, or visited a church on Holy Days such as Easter or Christmas.  They are searching for hidden treasure of life, but because they don’t understand the whole truth of God, they are digging in the wrong place.

Finally, some are like the heroic Dr. Jones who possessed the whole map and knew exactly where to search for the treasure above all treasure — The Ark of the Covenant — the presence of God.  Oh the joy that comes from following God’s map…not just parts of it…but all of it.  God has not left us alone to figure out this thing called life on our own.  He speaks to us through the pages of the Bible to tell us great and mighty things we did not know (Jeremiah 33:3).

The movie was over.  My popcorn bowl was empty, but my heart was full. As the credits rolled across the screen, God seemed to say, “There are three principal roles. Which character will you play?”

Let’s Pray 
Dear Lord, thank You that You have given me the entire map of where to find the treasure of all treasures…eternal life.  Help me to unfold Your truth all the way, see the entire picture, and not simply look at one panel or one particular part.  Thank You, Lord, for loving me enough to give me a map with such clear directions.  I am looking forward to the day when I reach my final destination and spend eternity with You.

In Jesus’ name, 
Amen

Now It’s Your Turn 
In the above devotion, which character do you resemble the most?

Which character would you like to resemble the most?

Do you need to make any adjustments in your life in order to have the map readily accessible in your mind?

If so, what adjustments do you need to make?

Today’s Truth 
“A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24 NIV).

Friend To Friend 
I believe that God, our Father, understands a woman’s desire to have close friends. He made us that way. He created us to be in relationship.

In Luke 1, the angel Gabriel delivered some pretty incredible news to young Mary.  While still a virgin, she was going to conceive a child by the Holy Spirit and give birth to the Savior of the world.  Before Mary could catch her breath, the angel continued by telling her, “Oh, by the way, your supposedly barren cousin, Elizabeth, is also pregnant with a child in her old age” (Jaynes version). He knew the young girl was going to need the encouragement of a friend who would understand, so before she could even ask, He sent her to Elizabeth.

So Mary, probably around sixteen years old, traveled one hundred miles from Galilee to Judea to spend three months with her friend.  When Mary walked into Elizabeth’s home, the older woman gave her a blessing. “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!  But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.  Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished! “(1:42-45).

Can you imagine the turmoil Mary felt as she traveled to Judea? “No one is ever going to believe me? Joseph could have put me away. And what will my parents think?”  Can you imagine how those words of encouragement were a balm to the young girl?  God divinely revealed His plan to Elizabeth and she in turn affirmed Mary before Mary even revealed her news to Elizabeth.  What a precious Lord we serve!

Mary was so encouraged, she broke out into song. She stayed with Elizabeth for about three months, no doubt helped with the labor and delivery of John and then returned home.

Jesus Himself had best friends.  Think of concentric circles with graduated smaller ones inside the larger like an archery target.  His first and largest realm of influence was to the multitudes. Next, He gave special attention to 72 men whom He sent out ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.   Smaller still, Jesus gathered 12 men to be His good friends whom He closely discipled, but then He chose an even smaller group of 3 to be His best friends — Peter, James and John.  These three men were privy to Jesus’ transfiguration (Mark 9:2), his deep sorrow in the garden (Mark) 14:32), and the joy of the empty tomb (John 20:3).  But then there was a “place of deeper still” — the bull’s-eye of friendship, if you will, that Jesus shared with no man.  It was a place reserved for God alone.         

Before His arrest, Jesus took Peter, James and John with Him to Gethsemane to pray.  However, He left the three and went a “little farther” to be alone with His Father. It was a place where no man could join Him, no man could calm Him, and no man could reassure Him.  He had to go alone. I honestly believe that is a place we rarely go, but a place where Jesus longs for us to join Him.              

Dee Brestin, in her book, The Friendships of Women, describes our relationships “like gently moving streams joining into one river, we round the difficult bends of life together, strengthening each other with a fresh water supply.  We are free and flowing and unconcerned with boundaries….We are afraid to run toward the ocean alone.  We feel a sense of panic in solitude.” (Dee Brestin, The Friendships of Women, (Wheaton Illinois: Victor Books, 1988) p37.)

What a beautiful picture of the refreshing, refueling, and renewing power of friendship.  However, our friends were never intended to meet our greatest need to be in relationship.  No woman – or man- can fill all our emotional needs, and if we look to one friend for everything or even a few, we’ll be doomed to disappointment. That is an empty place only Jesus can fill.

I have found that when I feel empty inside and try to grasp desperately at friends to fill the void, I come up emptier than before.  At those low points, friendships seem to elude me. The more frantically I grasp, the more elusive true friendships appear.  However, if I go to Jesus Christ, allow Him to fill me with His love, I move from needy to full, and from being a taker to a giver.  Then I find friendships are plentiful.

When God calls us to come “a little father” away to be completely alone with Him in the garden of our souls, but we go to others instead, we will be sorely disappointed.  People are a poor substitute for God.

However, I do believe that there are times when God gives us the wonderful gift of friendship with another.  When we find such a friend, we have found a treasure indeed.

Let’s Pray 
Dear Lord, I thank You that You have created women to be in relationship with other women.  I pray that You will send me that special friend with whom I can share my deepest longings, dreams, desires, and struggles.  I pray that she and I will help each other grow closer to You each time we are together.  I thank You for the friends that I do have and pray that You will teach me how to be an encouragement to them.  Most of all, Lord, I desire that You call me Your friend.  Forgive me when I go to others, when I need to go to You.

In Jesus’ Name, 
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn 
How do you think Mary and Elizabeth spent their time together?

What common ties did they have during their lifetime?

Why do you think God sent Mary to Elizabeth, rather than some other relative?

Write a letter to a woman who has been a mentor to you, thanking her for her friendship and example.  Tell her specific ways she has been a mentor to you.

Make a list of younger women, or perhaps younger women in the faith, to whom you can be a friend and mentor.

If you do not have a close Christian friend, ask God to send you one, and then pay attention to those who cross your path.

Today’s Truth 
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV). 

Friend to Friend 
God promised, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).  This is more than a casual glance before heading off to work or to the carpool in the morning.  It’s more than a hit and run encounter with God.  He desires to speak to us through the pages of our Bible and it requires meditating and seeking God with our whole heart.

Jesus told His followers, “If you abide in my Word then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).  Abide means to continue in, to tarry on, to dwell on, and to remain. It is not reading the Scripture for information, but for transformation.  There are many scholars who have read the Bible for information, but have never entered into a relationship with Jesus Christ. This reminds me of the difference between the woman who memorizes a menu at a restaurant and a woman who enjoys the food.  Only one gets truly fed. Let me ask you, who can describe a sunset more accurately — a blind person who has read all about sunsets (what causes the colors, the time of day they occur, the effect of clouds on the hues) or the person who has seen and experienced the vibrant oranges, blues, pinks and purples painted across the sky as the sun creeps below the horizon and the rays play peek-a-boo behind the scattered clouds?  I dare say the one who has experience the sunset for herself.

 When we study God’s Word and couple that study with listening to His voice, we will come to know Him on a much more intimate level than a Biblical scholar who has studied the words on the page but never taken the time to converse with the Author Himself.

Let’s Pray 
Dear Lord, Thank You that You have given me Your Word as a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I pray that as I spend time with You each day, You will open the eyes of my heart to see You more clearly.  I pray that I will be able to hear Your still small voice in the clatter of everyday life.  I love You, Lord, and can’t wait to see what You have in store for me today!

In Jesus’ name, 
Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn 
As you read the Bible today, ask God to show you something that you have never seen before.

As God reveals His truth to you today, write down what you’ve learned.

As you write down what you learned from God’s Word today, also write how you are going to apply it to your life.

How passionate are you about hearing from God through the pages of His Word?

With that in mind, how much opportunity are you giving God to speak to you?  In other words, how much time are you spending abiding in Him?

Remember, abiding in Christ is not necessarily how many verses you read, but how in tune you are with God.

Today’s Truth

 “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6 NIV).

Friend to Friend  In the Old Testament, there is an interesting account of two kings, two sins, two convictions, and two responses.  What makes it interesting is that one king’s sin doesn’t seem so bad, but his kingdom was taken away, and yet the other king, who committed a heinous act, is referred to as a “man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14).  But I’m getting ahead of myself.  Let’s take a look at these two stories.

 King Saul was “elected” the first King of Israel, mainly because he was tall, dark, and handsome.  He would have looked great on TV, if there had been such a thing back then.  Oh, he didn’t really want to be king at first, he hid when the people began chanting his name.  But, he sheepishly accepted the kingship, and God anointed him with the Holy Spirit.  Things went pretty well for King Saul at first.  He won a few battles, gained the respect of his followers, and gathered the booty from the conquered foes.

 As a matter of fact, Saul became so confident, he decided being a King wasn’t so hard after all.  He decided he didn’t need God or the prophet Samuel who was appointed over him.  After each battle, Saul was supposed to wait for the prophet Samuel to come and offer sacrifices to the Lord.  But Saul disobeyed God, and offered the sacrifice himself – basically making himself a prophet.  Samuel arrived just as Saul was putting the finishing touches on the sacrifice.

 “What have you done?” Samuel exclaimed.

 Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.  So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering” (1 Samuel 13:11-12).

 Oh, I could quote Saul word for word, but let me sum it up for you.  Instead of repenting of his sin and asking for forgiveness, Saul

• Defended himself
• Justified his actions
• Blamed others
• Tried to cover up his sin
• Acted as though nothing had happened
• Was more concerned with looking good to his peers than repenting of his sin (1 Samuel 15:30).

 What was Saul’s most heinous sin?  I don’t think that it was actually assuming the role of prophet and the offering of the sacrifice.  I believe that was an outgrowth of his sin.  Saul’s sin…was pride.  And even though he was caught red-handed with the blood of the animal sacrifice still on his hands, Saul did not repent of the sin of pride.  He was an unrepentant, unbroken man.

 Now let’s look at the second king, with the second sin, and the second response.

 King David was Saul’s successor.  While Saul was the people’s choice as king, David was God’s choice.  One day, while the rest of the men were at war, King David was lollygagging around the palace.  While strolling on the roof, he noticed his next door neighbor bathing on her roof.  He saw, he wanted, and he took.  David committed adultery with his neighbor’s wife, Bathsheba, and subsequently plotted the murder of her husband to cover it up.  Several months later, when David was confronted by the prophet Nathan, he did not try to defend himself, justify his action, blame others, or cover up his sin. David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:13).

 David repented before the Lord, mourned before his people, and penned two beautiful psalms humbling himself before generations yet to come.  Yes, he was “a man after God’s own heart.” 

 As we see with these two kings, God is more concerned with the depth of our repentance than the breadth of our sin.  As Martin Luther once said, “God creates out of nothing.  Therefore until a man is nothing, God can make nothing out of him.”

 Let’s Pray  Dear Lord, forgive me of the sin of pride in my life.  I admit that I have tried to take things into my own hands, have not waited for your direction, and have thought more highly of myself than I ought. Help me to be more like Jesus, who, “being in the very nature, God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing” (Philippians 2:5,6)  Break my pride, Lord, as a loving master breaks the stubborn will of a wild mareIn Jesus’ Name,  Amen. 

Now It’s Your Turn
Do you see any areas of pride in your life?

 Is there a sin that you have been hiding rather than repenting of?

 Are you more concerned about what God thinks of you or what other people think of you?

Does your life reflect the attitude of King Saul or King David?

 What is your attitude when confronted about sin in your life? 

(Dear friend, these are hard questions.  I do not ask them lightly, but struggle with you to be a woman after God’s own heart.)

Write out your own prayer of repentance for any sin that you’ve been holding on to.

 To comment on today’s devotion, visit Sharon’s blog at www.sharonjaynes.com/blog

Today’s devotion was taken from Your Scars are Beautiful to God. To learn more about turning pain into purpose, hurt into hope, and miseries into ministry, check out this life-changing resource.  It also includes a Bible Study guide.