Encouragement

This should encourage women.  When God created men and women they were both made in His image and likeness.  There are some women that come to mind like Eve, Naomi, Ruth, the Samaritan woman, Rahab, also Mary the mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalen and I almost forgot Deborah and there were others.  The Lord loved and used many women in His Word and all down through the ages.  Some people may think the Lord doesn’t love women as much as He does men but He chose to use many women to further His kingdom here on earth and not all these women were godly women when they had an encounter with Jesus.  Of course we know that all of them sinned and fell short of the glory of God, just like the men did, but the Lord still loved them.  Women were a vital part of Jesus’ ministry and were a blessing to Him.

Let’s look at Rahab’s life; she was a harlot who hid the spies that Joshua sent out to spy out the land of Jericho. The Lord in His great mercy could have destroyed her but He spared her and all her family.  

Now let’s look at Naomi, she had lost her husband and her two sons and thought she was afflicted of God.  She did experience very difficult times and wanted the people to call her Mara, for she said the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with her.  She seemed to think she was abandoned by God, but the Lord was always with her and He provided Ruth her daughter-in-law to provide for her, with the help of Boaz their kinsmen redeemer.  Read what the women said towards the end of Naomi’s life.  Read Ruth 4:13-17, “So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bare a son. And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him. And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it. And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.”

Many believers go through difficulties and rough times and some think the Lord has abandoned them but Jesus said this in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

And what about Mary Magdalen, read what it says about her in Luke 8:1-2, “And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him, and certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils..”

Many women ministered to Him read verse 8:3, “And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.”

Esther was a lady that God used to save the Israelites in the Old Testament.  The Samaritan woman was a half breed and the Jews hated them and they hated the Jews in turn.  To get to Jerusalem the Jews would go all the way around Samaria when it was much shorter to go through there, but where do we find Jesus talking to the Samaritan woman?  He was at Jacob’s well in Samaria.  What is He doing there?  He is telling her everything she ever did, according to her, because He loves women and His enemies and sinners.  Read about what it said about how the disciples responded to what Jesus did and what the woman said when she went into town in John 4:27-30, “And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.”

I could go on and on but this shows how much Jesus loved women and He still loves them today and uses them in His work of furthering His kingdom.  The Lord loves you and He wants to change your lives like he did for all these women and He never makes a mistake.  So don’t get discouraged by what the media or the commercials say, believe God’s report and not man’s report that says you are not good enough or pretty enough or tall enough or smart enough or wealthy enough or any other negative thing.  The Lord loves you and if you will trust in Him and repent of your sins and ask Him to forgive you and be the Lord of your life, He will give you a sweet and gentle spirit and you will be so beautiful on the inside that it will show forth on the outside!!

I hope this has been a blessing for each one that reads this and I hope you have a super day!!  May the good lord bless you and yours!!  And don’t forget to thank and praise the Lord!!