Reading for the soul
This morning I slept in and it felt terrific! When I woke up, I didn't feel like getting out of bed, so I started reading another book out of the series Francine Rivers wrote on women from the Bible. She wrote five books on five different women, 'unlikely women who changed eternity'. So far I've read 3 and have really been thoroughly convicted and inspired by them. These women were all faced with impossible circumstances but, rather than giving up on life, they believed that God had more for them. They were ostracized by friends and family for turning their backs on the idols they were brought up worshiping. They persevered through their individual storms and came out with amazing character and faith... and were blessed abundantly because of it.
These books are not a difficult read (only about 130 pages each) so I read the entire book on Tamar today before starting my day. What a woman she was! She was handed a really rough set of problems to deal with: forced into marriage to a vicious, brutal husband, then after he was struck down by God, she was given over to his brother, who was even more cunning than the first. He refused to give her a child (which was absolutely necessary for women back then) to be her first husband's heir. That husband, too, was struck down after only 2 days of marriage! Talk about anxiety. She played an important role in Judah (one of Joseph's brothers) laying down his pride to receive God's forgiveness and blessing.
Anyways, I highly suggest this series of books. Check them out from your local library if you don't have the money to purchase them (I chose the library). You won't regret it.
Reading these books makes me realize the shallowness of my thinking and overall faithwalk at this point. These women endured unthinkable hardships and yet maintained unshakeable faith. God is still the same- He desires the same obedience and fellowship with us today, as He did back then.
As a woman grasping after God... I look up to these women. Someday when my life is over, I hope people will tell similar stories about me- that they will say I was an unlikely woman who changed eternity.
These books are not a difficult read (only about 130 pages each) so I read the entire book on Tamar today before starting my day. What a woman she was! She was handed a really rough set of problems to deal with: forced into marriage to a vicious, brutal husband, then after he was struck down by God, she was given over to his brother, who was even more cunning than the first. He refused to give her a child (which was absolutely necessary for women back then) to be her first husband's heir. That husband, too, was struck down after only 2 days of marriage! Talk about anxiety. She played an important role in Judah (one of Joseph's brothers) laying down his pride to receive God's forgiveness and blessing.
Anyways, I highly suggest this series of books. Check them out from your local library if you don't have the money to purchase them (I chose the library). You won't regret it.
Reading these books makes me realize the shallowness of my thinking and overall faithwalk at this point. These women endured unthinkable hardships and yet maintained unshakeable faith. God is still the same- He desires the same obedience and fellowship with us today, as He did back then.
As a woman grasping after God... I look up to these women. Someday when my life is over, I hope people will tell similar stories about me- that they will say I was an unlikely woman who changed eternity.
posted by Cristina | 5:05 PM
4 Comments:
sounds like some good stuff! I will have to check that out.
LOVE the series! I read them all about 5 years ago whenI worked in the library. :) My personal favorite was Ruth.
Thank you SO MUCH for the advice about the cake biz. I've been battling depression, and relying on my own strength way too often lately, and the Lord is revealing quite a bit about myself. Selfishness, greed, and pride are right at the top there. Quite embarassing, and I hope that nobody else sees these things in me. But the chances are that, if in fact I am noticing these things in myself, then they've probably been emblazoned across my forehead like a firey billboard for all the world to see.
But thanks for the advice! I'm excited to see if this is what the Lord has in store for me.:o)
Blessings!
Jes
(this is now my fifth time trying to post this response and I"m getting quite addlepated. lol Anyways, if you need to delete multiple posts by me, feel free. I won't be offended. ;) Much. lol j/k )
im reading bathsheba right now!!!
I'm about to start Bathsheba, Rachel!
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