Those that be planted in the house of the LORD
shall flourish in the courts of our God. - Psalm 92:13
We had a Women's Luncheon at our church where the theme was “Bloom Where You’re Planted.” There were cute garden decorations and games about flowers and gardening. We talked about how important it is for a Christian woman to be rooted and grounded in the Word of God by being faithful to church and content in her home and family where God has planted her. This is not always easy. Life brings us through different seasons and circumstances. Some days we are facing the warm sun like beautiful sunflowers basking in a wonderful stage of growth and beauty. On other days the storms of life beat us down and we resemble a withering plant. What do we do in times like these? After all, our natural response in hard times is to become discouraged and maybe even defeated at times. We look to the internet for advice or ask a friend or family member for her opinion. While these things are not wrong, the Bible tells us in II Peter 1:19, “we have also a more sure word.” I Timothy 4:7 says, “Refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.” The Lord promises in I Corinthians 12:31 that if we turn to Him, He will show us “a more excellent way.” We as Christian women have hope! Hebrews 6:19 says, “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast.” This is where the truths of God’s Word provide roots for our lives. The more Scripture you know and apply to your life, the deeper you are planted and the less likely it will be for your life and faith to be uprooted, even in the harshest of circumstances. That is why we must dig our roots wide and deep. But how? First we go to the Lord. We read His Word and speak to Him in prayer. As we continue to walk with Him, He leads us. “I being in the way, the Lord led me.” Genesis 24:27 Unfortunately, women like me stop there. God shows us what to do, we try for a little while, then give up on it and take matters into our own hands and rely on our own strength again. We forget that God is with us and is working even if we cannot see His hand. I have heard it said that most women view their life from the lens of what is happening or has happened “to” them instead of what is happening “through” them. May we not waste our trials but rather steward them so the outcome will always be that God receives the glory and people see Jesus in us. When we renew the inward man day by day, we sow seeds of faith. We leave our burdens at the Cross. Then when the rains fall and the winds blow, we reap what we have sown. Our roots hold fast and we only grow stronger and more beautiful for God. He brings Bible verses to our memory and before we know it, we are sharing with others what God is doing in our lives. These victories and defeats make up our life story…the good, the bad and the ugly. Everything about us is important to God. There is nothing in our life that is insignificant to Him. In the Bible we see how special women were to Jesus. As He carried His cross up the hill called Calvary, He looked into the crowd and saw the women crying. How Jesus responded to them is one of the most precious things I have ever heard. He called out to them and said, “Daughters, weep not for me.” “DAUGHTERS!” This is who we are in Christ. If you know the Lord, you are a “Daughter of the King.” Psalm 45:9 and 13 say, “Kings’ daughters were among thy honourable woman. The king’s daughter is all glorious within.”o This is what Jesus was saying. Women matter equally to God! Jesus surrounded His ministry with women. They prayed for Him, ministered to Him, fed Him, and washed His feet. When He died, they prepared His body for burial. It is no wonder that He appeared to the women first after He rose from the grave. He sent the women to go share this miracle with the men. Please do not ever forget how loved and valued you are in the sight of God! I am excited to introduce you to some remarkable women in the Bible through this blog whose godly attributes I greatly admire and seek to emulate. Their life stories are much like ours, filled with good days and bad. We cannot talk about Esther’s story without mentioning her parents died when she was a child. Sarah lived almost a lifetime without having a child. The story of Pilate’s wife included her having horrible nightmares. Some made mistakes, yet all of them turned not to religion but to a relationship with the Lord. Now their stories live on so that we can be helped. What is your story? God can use every part of it for His glory and to help others. I would love to encourage you to share your story with others, because this lost world needs to hear it! Are you saved? Then you are a “Daughter of the King.” How has God changed you? What has He brought you through? I pray that you will always remember to “share your story for God’s glory” and “Bloom Where You Are Planted.”