I have a friend who is the best person at giving gifts! She just has such a knack at knowing what people would enjoy! She’s creative, on-time, and right on target with the needs of the receiver. It just seems so easy for her.
If you’ve ever been to the home of another one of my friends at our church, you’ll see hospitality being displayed in such an effortless way. She welcomes with her heart before you even enter the doorway of her house. As a matter of fact, if you see her at church, you sense that warm hospitable heart in the aisle and pew. It’s not about the food she makes or the home in which she lives; it’s her spirit. Everyone feels so accepted and loved by her. I just don’t know how she does it!
This post is part of the continuing series as we review A Woman After God’s Own Heart, by Elizabeth George.
I heard about a woman who was having a dinner party and fixed an elaborate meal. Everything was cooking, chilling and baked, ready for her guests that would arrive a couple hours later, but she found herself hungry. She sat down and ate a couple of large candy bars “just to tide herself over.” When it came time to serve her guests, she had no appetite for the lavish meal!
We are guilty of doing the same thing when we foolishly binge on things that have no value to our spiritual life. Let’s glean some great practical advice that Elizabeth George was given by a friend that will help us to grow spiritually because we’re feasting on God’s Wisdom.
The fires that burned their way through the Great Smoky Mountains several years ago destroyed acre after acre of forestry, leaving only charred stumps where mighty oaks and evergreens had stood. In an effort to restore the mountains to their beauty, forest rangers have placed small trees and plantings with hopes of restoring the color, blooms and life that had once been flourishing.
In our spiritual life, we must also have a time of planting. We need times of digging our roots deep down so that we will not faint when the heat of life, trials and hardships come.
In her book, A Woman After God’s Own Heart, Elizabeth George tells about a time of planting Fig trees. Thirteen were planted, and twelve did well, but one withered up and died. When her husband went out with a shovel to dig up the dead plant, he found that He didn’t need the shovel. The plant died because it had no roots, so it came easily out of the ground. That plant portrays an important spiritual truth – for us to have a heart of faith, we must be devoted to nurturing a root system deep in God’s Word! What’s going on in the root system becomes known to everyone! If the plant is flourishing, it’s because the roots are deep and strong. If the root dies, it’s because the roots are weak. So it is for us!
If you and I are going to be women devoted to God, we must have a root system anchored deep in Christ.
John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Our life must be hidden in Christ.
What will that look like?
Roots are tucked away (unseen). We must spend time unseen by others, and seen only by God. Elizabeth explained that an iceberg is hidden under that water where 6/7 of the ice is hidden from view. Even though a sailor can only see 1/7, the iceberg was something to be in awe of because of the part that was hidden away! When you and I are in the public eye, they should be witnessing strength that comes out of our time that is out of sight from others – the time we spend alone with God.
“The greater proportion of your day and life spent hidden in quiet, in reflection, in prayer, in scheduling, in preparation, the greater will be the effectiveness, the impact, the power, of the part of our life that shows.” Ray and Anne Ortland
The impact of your ministry to people will be in direct proportion to the time you spend away from people with God. That will only happen by making wise choices. “We must say no not only to things which are wrong and sinful, but to things pleasant, profitable and good which would hinder and clog our grand duties and our chief work.”
How do we know what to say no to? It comes from that time in prayer as we give ourselves to God and ask Him to direct our paths – Prov 3:6
Henry Drommond said, “Talent develops itself in solitude.” Let’s think about a talent like piano playing. When my girls were students, they didn’t learn by going around to all the recitals and hammering out their pieces. It came from hours of practice alone on the piano bench. If we’re going to learn the gift of prayer, of Bible study, memorization, or meditating on Scripture, it will only happen in solitude. Those roots are growing while no one else sees.
Roots are for taking in. Elizabeth says that when we take in God’s Word, there’s an exchange that takes place.
Weariness is replaced by strength Weakness is replaced by power Burdens is replaced by freedom Frustrations is replaced by peace Turmoil is replaced by calm
What do you need to give to the Lord in time alone with Him so He can give you His great exchange in its place? Your roots need to take in His Word in order to receive it.
Roots are for tanking up – Roots are a reservoir – Jeremiah 17:7-8 The person who trusts in the Lord shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river. If we are tanking up on the life-giving water of God’s Word, we will…
Not be afraid of the heat. The reservoir we have stored up from the Word of God will sustain us through the fiery trials
Bear fruit faithfully. Even when our situation is rough, we won’t wither up and die because we have the reservoir of God’s Word deep in our heart that will sustain us. Psalm 84:7, 11
At times when perhaps we can’t even reach for our Bible, the well of water of God’s Word will feed us and sustain us during those difficult days.
D. Roots are for toughness – Without a network of roots, a plant will become top-heavy because it has no support. Without a root system of God’s Word in our spiritual life, we will fall over and need to be supported when hard things come.
Elizabeth shared about how shipbuilders select a tree located on the top of a high hill as a potential and future mast for their ships. They cut away all of the surrounding trees from that chosen tree. They take away the trees that would shield it from the harsh forceful winds. As time passes, the winds would blow fiercely on that tree and it grows stronger and stronger until it was finally strong enough to be the foremost mast on the ship. When we have a strong roots system, we will gain the strength we need to stand against the trials of our life.
Yes, but how?
Develop the habit of drawing near to God. Recognize that without this time, you are powerless!
Design a personal time for drawing near to God –
When?
Where?
What aids?
Dream of being a woman after God’s Own heart Write down the growth you’d like to accomplish in one year –
Read through the Bible, Read 12 books Memorize 12 verses – chapters Be mentored for 12 months Mentor a younger woman Attend a Bible study
How old will you be in 10 years? What do you want to be like at that age? Write it down. Pray about becoming that woman for God’s glory.
What kind of plant will you be in a year? In ten years? What kind of root system will you have? It’s your decision. Make today count.
I am going through one of my favorite books…again. A Woman After God’s Own Heart, by Elizabeth George. When I was a young mom, I began reading this book every other year because I found it so helpful for growth in every area of my life! Now I have the blessing of going through it with a woman who is in the same stage of life as when I began studying these truths that Elizabeth carefully penned. These principles are life-changing. For that reason, I thought it would be helpful for me to share highlights from the chapters as I review them. I won’t give all the details, but will share the important truths from each chapter. I pray that you’ll find them as helpful as I have over these years.
Discipline – nothing great happens without it, and that includes spiritual growth. We don’t grow by our grit, but by the steady commitment to being a woman who stays in God’s Word. It cannot be a casual approach that studies when we have time, or only when there is a crisis. But how do we have the discipline to be a woman after God’s heart?
We must choose God at every opportunity.
In Luke 10 we read the beloved story of Jesus visiting Mary and Martha. Mary chose to stop all activity and listen to the Lord. She ceased all other activity so she could do just that.
Perhaps we need to ask –
What activity in my life is keeping me moving, anxious and unable to listen to the voice of the Lord in His Word?
How do I find myself “interrupting Him” as Martha did?
It’s hard to hear and heed God’s Word without the discipline to sit still and listen. We must make the choice to choose the one thing that is needed. Then after we’ve given it to the Lord, He takes over. He does the Psalm 32:8 thing ~
I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.”
Each day, commit yourself afresh and anew to the Lord. Give Him your time, your possessions and your home – even if they are few, yourself – even as weak as you are, and ESPECIALLY because of your weakness!! Give him your husband and each child. Name each one. If you are not praying for your husband, who is? If you are not praying for your child, who will?
Andrew Murray said, God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.
Elizabeth says to “cultivate a hot heart for God.” Cultivate is to “Foster the growth of,” “To improve by labor.”To have a hot heart for God is to go against the culture of this world where we are only encouraged to “have it your way!” But we have to do the work necessary to have that heart that is burning for Christ!
I’m always intrigued to read obituaries in the paper. When I see that a Christian has died, I always wonder how they are described by their family. “She loved the beach” “She loved to bake cakes for others.” “She was the best grandmother.” I pray I can be remembered as a woman who had a hot heart for the Lord!
How do you want to be remembered? If it’s your desire to be a woman who follows God and has a heart for Him, then you must make a daily decision to choose God’s ways, make a commitment of yourself to the Lord daily, and then a cultivate a heart of spiritual fervency.
What you’re doing with your life today is contributing to how you will be remembered. Make today count.
In a couple of weeks, I will have completed another read through the Bible. That’s saying nothing about me, but I do want to say something about God’s Word – it changes me!
The reason I started reading through the Bible many years ago is because I had not really gotten the “whole story” in my head. I had broken up segments of the Old Testament happenings I’d heard since my childhood. I knew some of the psalms and loved Paul’s epistles, but reading all the way through the Bible has taught me and profited me so much!
Reading through the Bible has shown me the thread of redemption that is woven throughout all of Scripture. After the fall of man,, we see God providing, not just Adam and Eve’s present needs, but telling He would provide a sacrifice for mankind. Then all through its pages, we see pictures and types of Christ, coming to save us from our sin. From Abraham, Joshua, Moses, Joseph and the psalms, we are pointed to His suffering, death and resurrection!
Reading through the Bible has given me a greater love for God’s Word. I see the way Scripture commentates on itself. I see Christ on each page. I see the way the Word is knit together like the yarns of a scarf through the weaver’s shuttle. It’s a Book like no other book! It is alive! It is powerful! It is life-giving!
Reading through the Bible has caused me to grow spiritually. Oh, how dear it is to open my Bible and hear God speak Truth to my heart! The Spirit of God teaches me His character, gives me hope for the future, and convicts me of sin so I can get it right. All of this causes growth.
Reading through the Bible has given me a greater desire to memorize Scripture. Because I see its value to change me, I know it’s essential to have it hidden in my heart. Psalm 119 is full of reminders why I need to memorize – it gives comfort, it gives me words to answer others, it guides me, it keeps me from sin…and so many other reasons.
I will definitely be reading through the Bible in 2022. Whitney shared on her blog this week that she’s going to be doing The Bible Recap. That is a chronological reading. I’m praying about whether to do that or to repeat the Bible in a year on you version. It takes you through the old and New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs. I love the variety. Through this plan I’ve also seen the redemption thread woven so beautifully.
Have you ever read through the Bible? If it seems daunting to you, realize you just take it one day at a time. I believe having a plan doesn’t overwhelm you, but it keeps you on track. Pray and ask God to give you a hunger for His word, and then make a plan to dive in come January 1, 2022.
You can go here to see a tool that has helped me as I’ve read the Bible.
RefreshHer 