The world has plenty to say about what a woman should be. She should be successful, attractive, independent, influential, and capable of doing everything for everyone.

But in Titus 2, God gives us a very different picture than the one the world paints.

“Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.” (Titus 2:3–5)

At first glance, this passage may sound like a list of instructions for women to follow. But Paul is describing much more than a checklist of duties.

He is describing a life transformed by Christ.

Paul is saying that an older woman’s entire manner of life should reflect someone who belongs to God. Her speech, attitude, conduct, priorities, purity, and relationships should display the holiness and dignity of someone devoted to Christ.

Her beauty is not primarily outward, but inward (1 Timothy 2:9–10; 1 Peter 3:3–4).

She has “put on the new self” (Ephesians 4:24), and her life increasingly reflects the character of Christ.

Her reverence is not confined to one area of life. It permeates every part of who she is.

Reverence is not merely something we display on Sunday morning, ladies. It is evident in the way we speak to our husbands, children, and friends. It is seen in the way we respond when we are misunderstood, disappointed, or treated unfairly. It is revealed in the way we handle conflict, temptation, suffering, and the ordinary frustrations of daily life.

A reverent woman lives with a continual awareness that she belongs to God.

She desires to honor Him in every circumstance.

But she is not called to keep what God has taught her to herself. Titus 2 says that older women are to teach what is good and encourage younger women. They are to offer wisdom shaped not merely by age, but by years of walking with Christ.

Younger women, in turn, are called to receive that wisdom and live faithfully within the relationships and responsibilities God has given them.

This kind of discipleship does not usually happen from a platform. It happens through conversations, prayer, hospitality, encouragement, correction, and the quiet example of a godly life.

So, what’s a woman to do?

• She is to belong wholly to Christ.

• She is to live reverently.

• She is to love faithfully.

• She is to teach what is good.

• She is to help the women coming behind her walk in truth.

As Paul emphasizes throughout Titus 2, our conduct either adorns the doctrine of God our Savior or brings dishonor to His name (Titus 2:5, 10). To adorn the doctrine of God means to live in a way that makes the truth of the gospel attractive and credible to others. Our behavior does not add anything to the gospel, but it can beautifully display its transforming power.

Beloved, remember: when our lives reflect Christ, a watching world can see that what we believe is real.

That is exactly where we find the prophet Elijah in 1 Kings 19.

Just one chapter earlier, Elijah stood boldly on Mount Carmel as God sent fire from Heaven. He confronted false prophets, called a nation back to truth, and witnessed one of the greatest displays of God’s power in Scripture. But immediately afterward, everything came crashing down around him emotionally.

Why?

Because let’s face it spiritual battles are exhausting.

Elijah had been under intense pressure for years. He had lived in isolation, carried the burden of confronting wicked leadership, endured constant danger, and now faced a death threat from Jezebel. Instead of revival, he encountered resistance. Instead of rest, he faced another battle…this time for his life. There was no rest for the weary and he was afraid.

So in 1 Kings 19, Elijah runs into the wilderness, sits beneath a broom tree, and says:

“It is enough now, O Lord, take my life…” (1 Kings 19:4)

This mighty prophet became weary, fearful, isolated, and emotionally overwhelmed. God doesn’t shame him for it. Instead, He met him tenderly and practically.

And that matters because sometimes depression is not caused by just one thing alone. Sometimes it follows prolonged stress, spiritual warfare, exhaustion, disappointment, fear, loneliness, burnout, physical depletion, or emotional overload.

So, if you or someone you love is dealing with depression, let’s see what we can learn from Elijah’s life.

1. Consider the spiritual battle you’ve been in.

Before Elijah collapsed emotionally, he had been in intense spiritual conflict.

That is important to recognize.

Sometimes believers feel guilty for struggling emotionally after seasons of ministry, caregiving, leadership, conflict, suffering, or spiritual warfare. But even Elijah reached his limit.

The enemy often attacks hardest after moments of victory. Fear replaced Elijah’s faith. Isolation distorted his perspective, and Elijah suddenly believed he was completely alone:

“I alone am left.” (1 Kings 19:10)

But he was not alone. God was with him. Depression and discouragement often narrow our vision until all we can see is the threat in front of us.

So, if you are struggling, do not ignore the spiritual dimension of your battle. Pray honestly. Bring your fears to God. Stay connected to believers who can strengthen you. Resist the temptation to isolate yourself. And make sure your spiritual armor is in place.

2. Start with the organic: food, rest, and physical care

One of the most instructive parts of this passage is that God’s first response to Elijah was not repudiation, but care.

It was sleep.

And food.

Elijah lay down exhausted beneath the tree, and God allowed him to rest. Then an angel woke him and told him:

“Arise and eat.” (1 Kings 19:5)

Twice God gave him food and water before addressing anything else.

That is profoundly practical.

Sometimes the first step toward healing is addressing physical depletion.

If you are depressed, anxious, or emotionally overwhelmed, consider the organic and physical side of things:

• Are you severely exhausted?

• Are you sleeping?

• Are you eating nourishing food?

• Have you had recent bloodwork or medical evaluation?

• Are hormones, thyroid issues, vitamin deficiencies, chronic pain, inflammation, medications, or illness contributing?

• Have you been carrying prolonged stress without recovery?

God created the body and cares for it. Physical depletion can intensify emotional despair. Rest is not weakness, it is necessary and wise.

3. Do not isolate yourself

Elijah left everyone and went alone into the wilderness.

Isolation almost always magnifies despair.

Depression tells us:

• “No one understands.”

• “I’m alone.”

• “Nobody cares.”

• “Nothing will change.”

But those thoughts are not always true. Later, God reminded Elijah that there were still seven thousand faithful people in Israel. Elijah’s perspective had become distorted by fear and exhaustion.

When you are struggling, stay connected to safe, godly people even when you do not feel like it.

You do not have to carry everything alone.

4. Listen for God’s voice again

Eventually Elijah came to Horeb, where God spoke to him.

There was wind.
There was an earthquake.
There was fire.

But then came:

“a still small voice.” (1 Kings 19:12, NKJV)

Sometimes in depression we desperately want dramatic answers. But often God ministers through His Word, through prayer, through faithful believers, through rest, through truth repeated day after day.

The depressed mind often becomes dominated by fear, emotion, and catastrophic thinking. That is why we must continually return to God’s truth, and taking our thoughts captive, rather than trusting every thought we feel.

God’s Word stabilizes us when our emotions cannot.

5. Return to purpose one step at a time

After strengthening Elijah, God gave him assignments again.

Get up.
Go back.
Anoint kings.
Disciple Elisha.
Keep walking.

God gently brought Elijah back into purposeful living.

Depression often convinces people their life no longer matters. But God was not finished with Elijah.

And He may not be finished with you either.

Sometimes healing begins with small acts of obedience:

• Get out of bed.

• Eat something nourishing.

• Go outside.

• Pray honestly.

• Open Scripture.

• Talk to someone trustworthy.

• See a doctor if needed.

• Take the next faithful step.

Not every battle is solved instantly. But God faithfully cared for Elijah through the process.

Final Encouragement

1 Kings 19 reminds us that even faithful believers can become exhausted, discouraged, fearful, and emotionally overwhelmed. Elijah was not weak because he struggled.

He was worn out and human just like you and me. And God met him with compassion, truth, provision, rest, and renewed purpose. If you are struggling today, do not ignore the spiritual battle. Is your armor in place? But also do not neglect the practical things:

• rest,

• nourishment,

• medical care,

• godly support,

• and the steady truth of God’s Word.

No matter how exhausted you feel, God has not abandoned you in the wilderness. May you find grace and help in your time of need, dear friend.

Sounds interesting, but is it true?

Well, at first glance these arguments can certainly seem compelling. In many cases, the observations leading up to the conclusion are thoughtful, plausible and maybe even partially true. But somewhere along the way, the interpretation departs from what Scripture actually says to what we assume it must mean in light of present-day events. That departure, though subtle, is significant. It moves us away from careful biblical interpretation toward speculation.

If we are going to understand prophecy correctly, we have to begin with a simple commitment: Scripture must interpret Scripture.

When we read the book of Revelation on its own terms, something becomes immediately clear. John never identifies Islam, nor does he point to any modern religion or post–first-century system. There is no reference to Mecca or to any contemporary religious movement. Instead, John consistently draws from the language, imagery, and theological patterns of the Old Testament.

The concept of Babylon, in particular, does not originate in Revelation. It begins in Genesis.

In Genesis 11, mankind gathers at Babel with a unified purpose: not to worship God, but to elevate themselves. “Let us make a name for ourselves” (Genesis 11:4) captures the heart of that terrible moment. What emerges there is more than a single event; it is the beginning of a pattern marked by human pride, false worship, and collective rebellion against God.

From that point forward, Babylon becomes both a historical reality and a theological symbol. In the Old Testament, it is a literal kingdom characterized by power, wealth, idolatry, and opposition to God’s people. The prophets speak of it with striking consistency. Isaiah describes the upheaval of nations and the execution of God’s judgment. Jeremiah foretells a destruction so complete that nothing remains. Zechariah presents a vision in which wickedness is personified and carried back to the land of Shinar: the very region associated with Babel, where it is established and given a place.

By the time we arrive at Revelation, Babylon is no longer merely a city. It represents the culmination of a world system that has been unfolding throughout Scripture. -A satanic system rooted in rebellion against God and sustained through human structures of power and influence.

This is exactly how Revelation presents it.

In chapters 17 and 18, Babylon is described as having global reach and influence. It is connected with kings and nations, enriched by commerce and luxury, and responsible for the persecution of believers. It is said to sit on “many waters,” which are explicitly defined as “peoples and multitudes and nations and tongues” (Revelation 17:15). The scope is unmistakably worldwide.

Nothing in the text suggests a single religion. Rather, the picture is that of a comprehensive system: political, economic, cultural, and spiritual, united in opposition to God. In modern terms, think less one religion and more global power structure: economic, political, ideological, and deeply influential -like the World Economic Forum aims to create.

This is why identifying Babylon with Islam alone does not adequately account for the complete biblical description. While Islam, like many false belief systems, has its own eschatological framework and figures that some find comparable, the Scriptures themselves do not make that connection.

Instead, the Bible provides a different framework for understanding the final world system. Daniel 7 speaks of ten kings who will arise, and Revelation 17 mirrors that description, identifying the ten horns as ten kings who receive authority alongside the beast. This points not to a single religious structure but to a coalition of power: a broader alignment of authority that operates globally.

Parallels can be interesting, but they are not the same as interpretation. When conclusions are built on similarities or resemblance rather than on the text itself, they tend to overreach.

More importantly, narrowing Babylon to a specific external system can cause us to miss the central warning of Revelation.

The call in Revelation 18:4, “Come out of her, my people” is not directed at the world, but at believers. That alone should give us pause, friends. Babylon is not presented as something to be identified, but as something to be resisted.

What makes Babylon dangerous is not only its opposition to God, but its appeal. It offers comfort, wealth, influence, and a sense of identity apart from Him. It does not always present itself as overt rebellion. Often, it is far more subtle, blending truth with error and compromise, and success with idolatry.

Because of this, Babylon cannot be confined to one religion or one region. It is a satanic system that exerts influence across cultures and institutions, shaping the way people think, live, and assign value.

This brings the focus much closer to home.

Revelation is not given simply to help us identify future events; it is given to call God’s people to be aware of what must soon take place and to live faithfully in this present age. If Babylon were only “out there,” it would be easy to dismiss. But if it is a system that can influence and even ensnare believers, then the call to “come out” becomes deeply personal.

So, ask yourself:

Where am I drawn to comfort at the expense of obedience? Where do I measure success in ways that are shaped more by the world than by Scripture? Where have I allowed cultural values to subtly displace biblical ones?

These are the kinds of questions Revelation presses us to ask ourselves.

A careful study of Scripture guards us from being carried away by speculation, fine sounding arguments, or by the urgency of current events. It allows the text to speak for itself, within the framework God has already established.

There may well be elements in today’s world that echo what Scripture describes. Obviously, that should not surprise us. But the weight of biblical evidence points to something broader than to any one religion like Islam, or to any single modern entity or system like the World Economic Forum. Mystery Babylon is best understood as the culmination of a pattern that began at Babel: a system built on human pride, sustained through worldly power, and ultimately set against the purposes of God. We see its influence everywhere.

And according to Revelation, it will not endure. Praise the Lord!

Until that day, however, our calling remains clear. God’s people are to live with discernment, to resist what draws us away from Him, and to remain faithful in the midst of a world shaped by competing allegiances.

Remember: “He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23). God has told us what must soon take place; and it will.

Remain faithful, dear friends.

It sounds reasonable and feels neat and orderly, right? But when you slow down and simply read Romans 11, without adding to it or explaining it away, it tells a very different story. And it’s not complicated. It’s actually very clear.

Let’s talk about it.

“I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be!... God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew.” (Romans 11:1–2)

Paul begins by asking the very question many are still asking today: Has God rejected Israel? His answer is immediate and emphatic: No. Not maybe. Not partially. Not eventually. No, God has not rejected His people. If we take that statement at face value, the idea that God is “done” with Israel simply doesn’t hold up.

“A partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” (Romans 11:25)

Paul then explains what we are seeing in the present. Israel’s condition is not total rejection. It is partial. A hardening against God. And it isn’t permanent. It’s only temporary. That word until matters. It tells us this moment has an endpoint. What we see now is not the end of Israel’s story. It is part of a larger plan that is still unfolding.

“And so all Israel will be saved…” (Romans 11:26–27)

From there, Paul points forward. A future turning to God is coming. It’s not symbolic. Not redefined. Not transferred to another group. Israel as a people will be saved. And Paul anchors this promise in the covenant God made long before. This is not a new direction…It is the continuation of what God has already clearly spoken.

“The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” (Romans 11:28–29)

This is where everything settles. God’s promises do not expire. They are not based on human consistency, but on His own unchanging character. What He begins, He does not abandon. If God could revoke His promises to Israel, it would raise a much deeper question, what would that mean for every other promise He has made?

“You, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them…” (Romans 11:17–24)

To make this even clearer, Paul gives us a picture. One tree. One root. One source of life. Some of the natural branches—Israel—have been broken off for a time because of unbelief. And Gentiles, who were never part of that cultivated tree, are grafted in.

But notice what Paul does not say. He does not say a new tree replaces the old one. He does not say the root has changed. And he does not say the natural branches are gone forever.

Instead, he says they can be grafted back in, and even more naturally, because they belong to that tree.

That changes how we see everything.

Gentiles are brought in, not as replacements, but as participants. We do not become the root. We share in it. We are not a substitute for Israel; we are graciously included in what God has been doing all along. The tree is still the same. The promises are still intact. And the natural branches are not permanently removed.

The Church does not replace Israel. It is brought in alongside her.

“So that He may show mercy to all.” (Romans 11:32)

When you step back and read the chapter as a whole, the message is very consistent. God has not rejected Israel. Her present condition is partial and temporary. A future restoration is coming. God’s promises are irrevocable. And the Church is included, not substituted.

Replacement Theology may sound convincing at first. It’s certainly wooing many in the Church these days. But when you hold it up against a plain, straightforward reading of Romans 11, it unravels.

Because this chapter keeps bringing us back to one simple, unshakable truth:

God keeps His promises.

And because He does, Israel is not cast off, her story is not over, and her restoration is not uncertain. It is secured by the faithfulness of God Himself.

Not because we are trying to prove ourselves right, but because we have been entrusted with a treasure: God’s Word. It is something to guard, invest in, and steward well. And one day, we will stand before God and give an account for how we handled it. That day will not be casual. It will be a time of either rejoicing or shame.

And if we teach others, there is even more weight to that responsibility.

“Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.” (James 3:1, NASB)

When we come to difficult doctrines, it can be tempting to soften, reshape, or reinterpret the text to match what we wish were true instead of what Scripture actually says. But Scripture is not ours to edit. It is ours to study carefully, humbly, and accurately.

This is exactly where 2 Timothy 2:15 speaks into our lives.

So let’s slow down and really look at what Paul is saying.

Be diligent (spoudazō):
In other words, make every effort. Be earnest. Apply yourself zealously.

Handling God’s Word is not casual. It requires focus, discipline, and intentional care, because there is only one true interpretation of Scripture: God’s. There may be many applications, but there is one meaning.

And that diligence gains God’s approval.

A workman…not ashamed (anepaischyntos):
This describes someone who has no cause for shame when examined. Not because they are perfect, but because they have handled the Word with integrity rather than carelessness.

Warren Wiersbe puts it well: “The emphasis in this passage is that the workman needs to be diligent in his labors so that he will not be ashamed when his work is inspected.”

Accurately handling (orthotomeō):
Literally, it means “to cut straight.”

Like a craftsman making a precise cut, this means we do not twist, soften, or reshape the text to fit our preferences. We handle it as it is.

Taken together, the message is clear: we are to approach Scripture with serious effort, handle it accurately, and present it with integrity, so that when we stand before God, we are not ashamed of how we represented His Word.

This is not about questioning someone’s salvation or their love for the Lord. Faithful believers can reach different conclusions or be imprecise. We all can. This is a call for all of us to be careful stewards, though.

And here is the encouragement:

You are not left on your own in this.

If you have truly trusted in Christ, the Holy Spirit dwells within you. He illuminates the truth of God’s Word and guides you into understanding.

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth…” (John 16:13, NASB)

He is your resident Teacher.

That does not remove the need for diligence. It deepens it. You still study. You still examine. You still handle the text carefully. But you do not do it alone.

The same Spirit who inspired the Scriptures is the One who helps you understand them, shaping your thinking, anchoring you in truth, and guarding you from error as you humbly seek Him.

So slow down.

Study carefully.

Let Scripture speak for itself.

Because the goal is not to make the Bible easier to accept, but to be workmen who are not ashamed when we stand before the Author of it.

And if you are looking for a place to grow in this, to truly learn how to study and handle Scripture accurately, consider Precept Ministries International. Their inductive Bible study approach teaches you how to observe, interpret, and apply God’s Word for yourself with clarity and confidence. It is one of the most practical and faithful ways to learn how to “cut straight.”

If you’re ready to grow in handling Scripture accurately, Precept Ministries is a wonderful place to begin. You can explore their studies and methods here:

Precept Bible Study Guides | Precept Bible Study Method

Let’s talk about it.

The truth is, we are more exhausted than ever. And yet, for many, rest still feels just out of reach. That’s why this conversation is gaining traction. In books, podcasts, and everyday conversations, the idea of Sabbath-keeping is being reintroduced into Christian life, and it’s striking something real. Because beneath it all, we are tired.

Not just physically tired, but weary in a deeper way: the kind of exhaustion sleep alone cannot fix. The constant noise, the endless information, relentless spiritual warfare, and the pressure to keep up. It all takes a toll. So when someone we respect begins talking about a day set apart to rest, that blessed him, it doesn’t just sound biblical. It sounds like relief.

And it naturally raises questions.

Have we been missing something?
Did we overlook something important?
Is this something faithful Christians are supposed to be doing?

Those are honest questions. And they deserve careful, biblical answers.

Because while a regular day of rest is deeply good, especially in a world driven to perform, we need to be careful not to confuse what is wise with what is required. A day of rest can restore clarity, calm our minds, and refocus our hearts on what matters most. But as Christians, we must be careful not to place ourselves under something Scripture does not require of us.

It is possible to take something good and subtly turn it into something binding.

Throughout biblical history, the gospel has often been distorted by two specific groups among many. On one side were the Antinomians: those who rejected the law altogether, teaching that because we are saved by grace, how we live no longer matters. The more we sin, the more grace we receive. On the other side were the Judaizers: those who added law back in, insisting that while we are saved by grace, we are ultimately kept or made right by the law, which included Sabbath keeping.

Both miss the heart of the gospel.

For the true believer, grace does not lead us into lawlessness, nor does it place us back under the burden of the law. Instead, it leads us into a new way of living; one that flows from being already accepted, already loved, and already secure in Christ.

And this is where we must be clear: our rest is not ultimately found in a day, but in Jesus Himself.

That said, make no mistake, rest is good. God designed it for us. But placing ourselves back under the requirements of the law, even with the best intentions, can quietly lead us away from the freedom Christ purchased for us. That’s not to say that’s what popular influencers are doing. God is the judge of hearts, not us.

But it is to say that this is the tension we must hold carefully:

Rest is a gift. But the law is not our master. Jesus is. And true rest is found in Him alone. So before we build our understanding of rest on what we feel or on what’s trending culturally, we need to return to where it all began: God’s Word.

And Scripture gently invites us to ask a better question: Is the rest we’re longing for found in a day…or in a Person?

The Sabbath Begins with God Himself

“By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested…” (Genesis 2:2–3)

God rested. -Not because He was tired. Obviously, He does not grow weary or need physical recovery. He rested because His work of creation was finished. The Hebrew word used here, shābat, means to cease, to stop, to bring something to completion. God wasn’t recovering physically; He was ceasing because there was nothing left to do. Creation was complete: perfect, whole, and finished.

But then something surprising happens.

From Eden to Sinai, from Adam through Abraham, Scripture gives no explicit command, detailed instruction, or clear example of anyone formally keeping the Sabbath. Then, in Exodus, everything begins to come into view. Even before Sinai, God introduces the language and rhythm of Sabbath rest (Exodus 16), and very shortly after, He gives the Law (Exodus 20) . Within it, the Sabbath is established, not merely as a day, but as a sign. (Exodux 31:13, 16-17, Exekiel 20:12 & 20).

A sign of what?

Scripture tells us:

“It is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations… that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.” (Exodus 31:13)

The Sabbath was a covenant sign between God and Israel. It marked them as His people: set apart, redeemed, and belonging to Him. It was a weekly reminder: You are Mine. I have delivered you. I am the One who makes you holy. It was good. It was purposeful. But it was also specific to God and Israel.

By the time Jesus arrived, something had changed. What had once been a gift had become a burden. Layers of human rules had turned rest into pressure, and what was meant to refresh had become something to measure.

Into that tension, Jesus spoke words that were both simple and freeing:

“The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27)

He wasn’t dismissing the Sabbath. He was restoring its purpose, and pointing beyond it. The New Testament helps us see what the Sabbath was always meant to be:

“Let no one act as your judge… in regard to a Sabbath day - things which are a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.” (Colossians 2:16–17)

The Sabbath was a shadow: something real, but incomplete. Meaningful, but pointing forward. The Sabbath was never the final destination, friends. It always pointed to Christ. And at the cross, everything changed. The entire system of law…of striving, earning, maintaining…was fulfilled in Jesus.

“You are not under law, but under grace.” (Romans 6:14)
“Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” (Romans 10:4)

The veil was torn. The work was finished. The burden was lifted.

And this is where we must be discerning. Even with good intentions, it is easy to place ourselves back under something Christ has already fulfilled-and the enemy would love nothing more than that. Instead, the New Testament gives believers something remarkable: freedom.

“One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.” (Romans 14:5)

There is no command here. No requirement. No hierarchy. -Only freedom of conscience.

In fact, we also see the early church begin to gather; not on the seventh day, but on the first day of the week, Sunday. Because of Christ’s resurrection, this day would come to be known as the Lord’s Day:

“On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread…” (Acts 20:7)

This was not a new law, but a natural response - a joyful gathering shaped by the resurrection, not by obligation.

So where does this leave us?

If someone sets apart a day to the Lord…awesome! If someone lives every day unto Him…amazing! Under grace, the focus is no longer on the day, but on the heart.

And yet, even still- we should not miss the goodness of rest. God designed us with limits. We need regular pauses, and space to breathe. A day of rest can be a gift: a way to step away from striving and be restored in God’s presence. That is not legalism. That is wisdom.

But wisdom is very different from obligation. Because ultimately, the rest we are longing for is not found in a day on the calendar. It is found in Christ.

“There remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God… for the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works.” (Hebrews 4:9–10)

This is the invitation: to stop striving, to stop trying to earn what has already been given to you, and to rest in the finished work of Jesus. To receive by faith what He accomplished on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins.

He is our Sabbath rest.

Why is This Important Now?

This moment matters because when something sounds spiritual, but subtly places us back under obligation, it can quietly pull us away from the freedom Christ secured for us. That’s what the Enemy wants.

And we must be careful here. For some, even with good intentions, there can be a subtle temptation to place themselves or others back under the law. But Scripture is clear: when we return to the law as a means of righteousness, we place ourselves under a curse.

“For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse…” (Galatians 3:10)

What began as a good principle can slowly become a binding rule, for ourselves and even for others. And history shows us that this is not a small danger. There are groups-even today-that build entire systems around this very shift, moving from grace back into law.

So we must walk carefully.

Be wise, dear brothers and sisters.

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free…” (Galatians 5:1)

You are free. Free to rest. Free to worship. Free to set aside time for the Lord. Not because you must, but because you already belong to Him. If your soul feels tired, don’t start with a rule that was never given to the Church.

Start with Jesus.

Sit with Him. Walk with Him. Trust what He has already finished for you. Take a day to rest if it blesses you, but don’t look to the day to give you what only He can. Because keeping the Sabbath can never provide the rest Jesus promises.

Only He can give you that.

And in Him, you already have it, why not rest in it?

One day one of my kids stood in front of an open refrigerator, that I had just fully stocked…stared at it for a full 30 seconds…and then turned to me and said,

“Uh, Mom, there’s nothing to eat.”

Nothing?
Not the eggs…not the yogurt…not the cheese?
Not the fruit…not the veggies…not the nuts and berries…Please….
Not the cookies, not the candy?
Not even the.left.over.Chicken.Francaise?!?

Nothing?

And in that moment, I realized something:
Intelligence and common sense don’t necessarily go hand in hand.
And I still had a bit of work to do with that child.

Of course, I’m joking. But if we’re honest, we’ve all been there as moms.

And it raises bigger questions:

What is Resourcefulness?

And how do we raise resourceful children?

So, what is Resourcefulness?

I’ll define it by first telling you what it’s not. It’s not independence. It’s the ability to:

• Create
• Solve problems
• Take initiative
• Adapt by using what you have…
• And try again when something doesn’t work

Essentially, it’s learning to live wisely in the world that God created, using the resources that He has provided, and recognize how to locate additional resources if you need them.

And, God’s Word speaks directly to this:

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God Who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5)

So, resourcefulness begins with wisdom.
And wisdom begins with the Lord.

And, our goal is not just to raise capable kids, but to raise kids who learn to depend on God as their ultimate source of everything.

Why This Matters More Than Ever

This conversation matters now more than ever, because we live in a world that is incredibly convenient.

Everything is:
• automated
• delivered, and
• pre-packaged

And while that’s a blessing for a busy mom…it can also quietly train our kids to expect life to be easy and immediate…and, not to mention, expensive.

But real life, doesn’t always work that way…at least not for long.

Our kids will face:

• Problems they can’t Google.
• Situations that require hard work and perseverance, and
• Decisions that require wisdom.

That said, I’d like to share three ways you can raise resourceful kids.

Three Ways to Raise Resourceful Kids

1. First, let them struggle (a little)

I know this is the hardest one for us moms. Because everything in us wants to step in and fix their problems. But growth happens in the struggle.

If we solve every problem for them:

• They don’t learn to think
• They don’t build confidence, or dependence on the Lord.

Instead, try asking:

• “Well, what do you think the Lord would have you do in this situation? Ok, let’s look in God’s Word.”

• “Now, what do YOU think you should do?”

• “What else have you tried?”

Then, give them a little space to think.

Even Jesus asked questions: not because He didn’t know the answer, but to draw people out, reveal their hearts, and to lead them to truth.

2. Second, give them responsibility early

When I was raising my kids, I lived by the principle to never to do for them what they could do for themselves…and when I say that I want to caution you to not be legalistic in that, ‘cause everybody needs a little help sometimes.

In most cases, kids will rise to the level of what we expect of them. Even young children can:

• Help cook
• Clean little things
• Solve small problems
• Make simple decisions

And yes…it will be slower...and messier...and occasionally catastrophic.

But if you learn to roll with it…it can also be so much fun.

And that’s part of the training, too.

The Bible says:

“Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

So, Scripture instructs parents to train their kids…training takes time…repetition…and patience.

3. Third, Model Resourcefulness Yourself

By this point in your parenting journey it should surprise no one to hear that our kids are watching us. They learn more from what we do than from what we say.

When something goes wrong, they notice:

• If we panic.
• If we quit.
• Or if we trust the Lord.

Let them hear you say:

• “Let’s stop and pray and ask God for wisdom.”
• “We can figure this out with His help.”
• “I don’t know yet, but we’ll try.”

Resourcefulness is caught, not just taught. -And it’s part of something deeper.

Raising Resilient Children

Well, if resourcefulness helps our children solve problems, resilience helps them stand firm when problems don’t go away.

So, then we have to ask, well, what is Resilience?

Resilience is the ability to:

• Endure difficulty
• Persevere through setbacks
• Remain steady under pressure, and
• Continue trusting God when life feels uncertain

It’s not just “toughing it out.”
It’s steadfastness rooted in faith.

A Biblical Foundation for Resilience

Well, Scripture doesn’t just prepare us to solve problems; it prepares us to endure trials with hope and confidence in God. Let’s talk for a few mins about the Biblical Foundation for Resilience.

“Consider it all joy my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” (James 1:2–3)

The writer of Hebrews adds, “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…” (Hebrews 12:1)

Then, in Romans we read:
“We also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance…” (Romans 5:3–4)

And yes-this is where 2 Timothy 3:16-17 fits beautifully:

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. So that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

God’s Word equips our children not just for success, but for everything He calls them to walk through.

The Deeper Goal

I mentioned earlier that there’s a deeper goal, and here’s the heart of it:

We don’t just want capable kids.
We want kids who know where their help comes from.

“My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:2)

True resourcefulness is not self-sufficiency.
It’s finding our help and sufficiency in Him.

It’s raising children who:

• think
• try, and
• persevere

…but who ultimately trust the Lord in all things.

Closing Encouragement

So ladies, the next time your child says,

“There’s nothing to eat…”

You can smile…step back……and say, “I believe in you.”

There’s bread.
There’s peanut butter.
The Lord is with you. Now, go and make a sandwich.”

All kidding aside…we can all laugh.

But remember—you are doing holy work, moms.

Every moment you step back,
every time you let them try,
every time you point them to the Lord-

You are building wisdom, resilience, resourcefulness, and faith.

And by God’s grace, your children will grow into adults who can navigate life in a complicated world with both ability and full confidence in Jesus.

Why? Because you’ve thought them again and again.

Thought by thought.
Day after day.
Through repetition.

That’s how deception works.
You begin to believe what isn’t true, because it’s familiar.

Scripture describes this as a stronghold. (2 Corinthians 10:4)

A fortress.
A place of occupation by the enemy.
A fortified structure -something built up, reinforced, and resistant to truth.

A stronghold is anything
that has a strong hold on you-
lying, immorality, pride, disordered desires,
a pattern of thinking that feels true…
even when it’s not.

It raises itself up against the knowledge of God.
What God says is true is discarded.

Worry becomes a pattern.
Fear feels logical.
Speculation starts to sound like truth.

And before you realize it,
you’re living inside something
that feels bigger than you.

But strongholds fall
the same way they’re built.

By “taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ…” (2 Corinthians 10:5)
In the original Greek, the word captive is a military term meaning to seize, subdue, and bring under control like a prisoner of war.

Not occasionally.
Constantly.

Because renewing your mind
isn’t passive.

It’s active.
It’s training.

It’s choosing truth
when your emotions are loud.

It’s returning -again and again-
to what God says is real.

Literally, it’s being transformed
by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:2)

Not instantly.
But faithfully.

And over time, transformation happens.

What once controlled you
loses its grip.

Truth replaces lies.
Clarity replaces chaos.
Peace replaces noise.

You’re not stuck.
You’re being retrained.

And freedom isn’t found all at once-
it’s built, thought by thought.

Freedom begins the moment you stop believing every thought you think.

On the one hand, God says He gave Israel all the land He promised them…But on the other hand, we’re told there was still land left unconquered.

So which is it?

The answer is both.

God gave it.
But Israel did not fully take hold of it.

Well…why not?

Because of their disobedience and compromise.

Given…But Not Fully Possessed

In both Joshua Chapter 21 and later in 23:14, we read something remarkable: not one of God’s promises has failed.

“So the Lord gave Israel all the land which He had sworn to give to their fathers…Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.” (Joshua 21:43–45)

But just a few chapters earlier, God had said,

“There is still very much land to be possessed.” (Joshua 13:1)

So how do we explain this?

God had already done His part. The land was theirs by promise and by divine decree-but they had not fully taken hold of it.

They allowed enemies to remain.
They compromised.
They stopped short of full obedience.

And in doing so, they lived in less than what God intended for them.

Their experience of blessing in the land was tied to their obedience.

The Danger of Partial Obedience

Some might say Israel didn’t reject the Lord outright. No, they just…failed to obey Him fully-and there were consequences.

And that’s where this hits so very close to home for all of us.

Because most of us don’t wake up one morning and say, “I think I’m going to walk away from the Lord today.” Instead, we excuse and tolerate sin. We delay obedience-and in doing so, we walk in disobedience. We hold onto what God has told us to release.

And just like Israel, we can end up living in a place where God has both promised and provided more…yet we are experiencing less.

Not because God has failed-
but because we have stopped short of full obedience.

Not legalistically…
but faithfully.

God’s Faithfulness Is Not at Risk

Here’s the hope in all of this: Israel’s failure did not cancel God’s promises. Not then. Not now.

And Scripture is clear that a future day is coming when Israel will fully receive everything God has promised her. But that day will not come easily. She will pass through a time of unimaginable tribulation, through which God will preserve a remnant, not because they finally get it right, but because He is faithful to His Word, and no one can thwart His hand. No one. His promises rest on His character alone, and He watches over His Word to accomplish it. (Jeremiah 1:12)

Where Are We Settling for Less?

This raises a question worth asking ourselves: Where in our own lives are we walking in partial obedience to the Lord…and, therefore, experiencing only partial blessing or no blessing at all?

Where has God said:

Trust Me.

Let go.

Step forward.

Obey fully...but you’ve hesitated?

Because the tragedy isn’t that God withholds His best from us. It’s that we sometimes fail to take hold of the peace…comfort…provision…and rest…that He longs to give us.

The Invitation Still Stands

The story of Israel isn’t just history. It’s a mirror that shows us both the cost of compromise, and the certainty of God’s faithfulness. And it reminds us of this truth: Even when we fall short, God’s promises remain intact. And He is still leading His people-then and now-into the fullness of everything He has promised us…even if it takes longer than necessary, or is more painful than it has to be because of our sin.

Final Thought

God gave them the land…but they didn’t take hold of it fully. And even now, we can see the consequences of that. God has given us so much in Christ. But, will we walk in it? Not perfectly, but faithfully. Not striving, but trusting.

Because, beloved, when we lean on our own understanding, the road does get harder. (Proverbs 3:5–6)

When we carry what God has told us to release, the weight gets heavier.

When we hold back instead of stepping forward, we often feel stuck, anxious, and weary. (Isaiah 30:15, Philippians 4:6–7)

But when we trust God, I mean really trust Him, there is peace. There is freedom. There is a different way to walk, and life itself is different.

So maybe the better question isn’t just, “Are we missing it?”

Maybe it’s this: Where is God inviting you to trust Him today…and to take one step further into what He’s promised you? Because He is faithful to finish what He started:
both in Israel…and in you.

You’ve messed up…and it feels like it’s over.

Ezekiel stood in a moment like that.

Israel had been judged. The people were scattered. The land lay desolate. And among the nations, something unthinkable had happened-God’s name was being dishonored…even mocked because of His people.

And yet…into that moment, God spoke.

Not with finality, but with promise. With hope.

A Holy Name, A Faithful God

The Lord makes something very clear:

“It is not for your sake…but for My holy name…which you have profaned among the nations.” (Ezekiel 36:22)

That’s both humbling and sobering.

God’s restoration of Israel isn’t based on their worthiness, but on His faithfulness alone. He acts because of who He is.

And that means His promises don’t change when we fail either. -They rest on His faithfulness, not on ours.

Scattered, Then Not

God promises what seems impossible:

“I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land.” (Ezekiel 36:24)

What was scattered will be gathered.
What was broken will be restored.

We’ve already seen part of this unfold. A people once dispersed across the world are back in their land…and have been since 1948.

But the promise doesn’t stop there.

It goes deeper.

A New Heart, A New Spirit

God doesn’t just restore a place. He changes people.

Their hearts.
Their minds.
Their lives.

“I will sprinkle clean water on you… I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.” (Ezekiel 36:25–26)

And then:

“I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes.” (Ezekiel 36:27)

This isn’t symbolic language.

This is cleansing. Renewal. Transformation.

This is God doing what we cannot do for ourselves.

And if we’re honest…this is where the promise stretches beyond anything Israel has fully experienced…yet.

Can Dry Bones Live?

Then comes one of the most vivid scenes in all of Scripture:

A valley of dry bones.

No flesh. No breath.
Not wounded. Not weak. Not struggling.

Dead.

God asks:

“Son of man, can these bones live?” (Ezekiel 37:3)

It’s a question that reaches beyond Ezekiel.

Because we all have places in our lives that feel beyond repair.

And then, as Ezekiel speaks the Word of the Lord:

• Bones come together

• Flesh forms

• Breath enters

And suddenly…

There’s life.

Life.

God explains it plainly:

“These bones are the whole house of Israel.” (Ezekiel 37:11)

What looked finished…wasn’t...

One Nation. One King. Forever.

The promise rises even higher:

“I will make them one nation in the land…and one king shall be king over them all.” (Ezekiel 37:22)

And then:

“They shall dwell in the land that I gave to Jacob…and they shall dwell there forever.” (Ezekiel 37:25)

Not temporarily.
Not conditionally.
Not symbolically.

Forever.

And finally:

“My dwelling place shall be with them… and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” (Ezekiel 37:27)

Hurry Up, But Take Your Time

Some of this has clearly happened already.

Israel returned from Babylon. Check.
Israel became a nation again in 1948. Check.
The land has been restored in remarkable ways…but not all of it.

Not yet.

Israel has not yet fully received her new heart.
They are not yet unified under their King.

The fullness of this promise still points forward.

Why It Matters

This isn’t just about Israel.

It’s about the character of God.

Because if God can say “forever” and mean something less…then what happens to every other promise?

But if He means exactly what He says…Then every promise stands. Every covenant holds. Every word endures.

A Question Worth Asking

Paul puts it this way:

“If their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?” (Romans 11:15)

Life from the dead.

Not just poetic, prophetic.

Closing Thoughts

We are living in a time when Israel is once again at the center of global attention, and increasingly, at the center of theological debate.

But Scripture does not leave us guessing. The God who judges also restores. The God who scatters also gathers. The God who promises also fulfills.

And when He speaks of what is everlasting…

He means it.

And because of that, there’s hope for Israel…and there’s hope for you because God’s faithfulness rests on His character, friend, not on yours. -And He will faithfully keep His promises to both Israel and and to you.

Every few years, and lately with renewed force, the same argument resurfaces: modern Israel is not really Israel, the Jewish people no longer matter in God’s plan, and the Church has simply replaced them. In moments of political tension, war footage, outrage cycles, and celebrity interviews, those claims can sound bold, intelligent, and morally urgent. But bold is not the same as biblical.

This matters because once you sever God’s present faithfulness from His past promises, you do not just change your view of Israel. You change your view of God.

The question is not whether the modern state of Israel is righteous in all its actions. No nation is. The Bible never presents Israel as morally flawless. In fact, Scripture is often far harsher on Israel’s sins than Israel’s enemies are. The real question is this: has God canceled His covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Has He transferred Israel’s national promises to the Church? Or does He still mean what He said?

Scripture answers clearly.

When God called Abram, He did not make a vague spiritual promise floating above history. He made a covenant rooted in people, land, descendants, and future blessing. “For all the land which you see I will give to you and to your descendants forever” (Genesis 13:15). Later He said, “I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant… and I will give to you and to your descendants after you… all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession” (Genesis 17:7–8).

That promise was then repeated to Isaac. It was repeated to Jacob. Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel, passed that covenant memory on to Joseph near the end of his life: “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me… and will give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession” (Genesis 48:3–4).

Notice what God did not say. He did not say, “This promise will last until the people fail.” He did not say, “This is everlasting unless later I reinterpret it.” He said everlasting.

Now, someone will object: But Israel was judged, scattered, expelled from the land. Yes. Absolutely. And that is exactly what the Bible said would happen. The same God who promised blessing also warned of discipline. In Deuteronomy 28, Moses told Israel that if they persisted in covenant rebellion, God would tear them from the land and scatter them among the nations. “The Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other” (Deuteronomy 28:64).

That happened. Assyria came. Babylon came. Rome came. Israel was scattered. Jerusalem fell. The temple was destroyed. The Jewish people were dispersed across the nations. None of that disproved God’s promises. It confirmed His warnings.

But Deuteronomy does not end with scattering. It ends with regathering. “Then the Lord your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you” (Deuteronomy 30:3). And again: “If your outcasts are at the ends of the earth, from there the Lord your God will gather you” (Deuteronomy 30:4). God even promises inward renewal: “The Lord your God will circumcise your heart” (Deuteronomy 30:6).

So the biblical pattern is not replacement. It is discipline, preservation, regathering, and future restoration.

That is why the claim that “Christians are now God’s chosen people, so Israel no longer matters” is too careless and too small for the whole counsel of God. Yes, the Church is God’s people in Christ. Yes, believing Jews and Gentiles are one new man in Christ. Yes, salvation is found only through Jesus. But none of that requires erasing Israel as a nation from the purposes of God.

The New Testament does not teach that. Paul asks in Romans 11, “God has not rejected His people, has He? Far from it!” (Romans 11:1). A few verses later he says, “God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew” (Romans 11:2). And then, speaking of Israel’s future, he writes, “for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29).

Irrevocable does not mean “revoked later in a more spiritual way.” It means irrevocable.

Paul also warns Gentile believers not to become arrogant toward the natural branches. That warning is painfully relevant right now. There is a kind of sophisticated contempt that dresses itself up as justice, discernment, or theological maturity, but it is still contempt. Scripture says, do not boast. Do not become wise in your own sight. Do not imagine that God’s covenant fidelity can be edited by current emotions, headlines, or ideological fashion.

Now let’s be plain. Defending God’s covenant with Israel is not the same thing as saying every decision of the Israeli government is righteous. The Bible does not require blind nationalism, and Christians should never baptize every military action, policy failure, or political leader. Nations can sin. Governments can act unjustly. Civilians can suffer terribly. We should care deeply about truth, justice, mercy, and innocent life. We should pray for peace. We should reject cruelty wherever we find it.

But moral criticism of a nation is one thing. Theological erasure is another.

To say modern Israel has no connection whatsoever to biblical Israel is not a conclusion drawn from Scripture. It is usually a conclusion imposed on Scripture. The Jewish people did not vanish from history. They remained a distinct people through exile, persecution, attempted annihilation, and dispersion. And in 1948, after centuries of homelessness and horrors culminating in the Holocaust, Israel was reestablished as a nation. That does not mean every prophetic detail is complete, or that every modern event should be mapped simplistically. It does mean that anyone claiming God is finished with Israel must reckon honestly with the stubborn, visible survival of the Jewish people and the plain language of Scripture. Even Reuters notes that the modern state of Israel was proclaimed on May 14, 1948.

What is happening right now in public debate is not merely a dispute about Middle East policy. It is also a test of whether Christians will let the Bible define reality, or whether they will let resentment, ideology, and selective outrage do it instead. Recent political and media disputes around Israel, including criticism within American conservative circles, are part of a broader fracture over Zionism, antisemitism, and Israel’s legitimacy. Reuters recently reported on those tensions, including backlash involving Tucker Carlson and comments from Senator Ted Cruz.

And that brings us to the deepest issue of all.

If God can abandon His covenant promises to Israel, then why should any Christian rest in His promises at all? If everlasting can be redefined after the fact, what happens to the promises of eternal life? If national promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob can evaporate into symbolism, what keeps the promises you cherish from doing the same?

The answer is that God is not like us. He does not revise His Word when history gets messy. He does not forget what He promised. He disciplines, yes. He judges, yes. But He remembers. In Exodus 32, when Israel deserved destruction, God’s covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Israel stood in the middle of the moment. In Deuteronomy 30, after scattering, God still promised regathering. In Romans 11, after Israel’s stumbling, Paul still spoke of future mercy.

So no, Christians have not replaced Israel. Believing Gentiles have been graciously grafted in. That should produce humility, gratitude, and awe, not smugness.

And no, modern Israel is not beyond moral scrutiny. But neither is it beyond God’s covenant purposes.

The God of Abraham is still the God who keeps His word.

And that is good news for Jews, for Gentiles, and for every believer clinging to the promises of Christ.

In Romans 1:18-32, Paul describes a sin pattern that shows up in every generation, and has preceeded the downfall of every major civilization. The Bible does not treat same-sex sin as an isolated issue. Instead, it places it within a much larger story; one that begins not with desire, but with pride.

“Professing to be wise, they became fools.” (Romans 1:22, NASB)

Pride doesn’t always announce itself. Most often, it slips in quietly. Though these days it does storm in unmistakably at times, waving a colorful flag. More often, it enters the room dressed in intelligence, sophistication, or compassion. It whispers, I know better now. It reassures us, “Surely, God didn’t mean that!”

This isn’t about intelligence, or sophistication. It’s about authority. God’s authority.

In this context, pride shows up when human beings decide they are wiser than God. When they believe they have the right to redefine what He has already made clear. Once that line is crossed, wisdom doesn’t increase. It collapses.

Before long, pride doesn’t just sit beside truth. It replaces it. That’s when Scripture describes an exchange.

They “exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.” (v. 23, NASB).

In other words, God is no longer worshiped as Creator and ruler. He is reduced, reshaped, or replaced. Today, that image is rarely carved in stone. More often, it is self-identity, desire, or personal truth elevated above God’s design.

And God responds.

Three times in Romans 1 we are told, “God gave them over.” This is not God being cruel. It is God honoring human choice. When people insist on autonomy. -On living without Him. God removes restraint and allows them to walk the path they have chosen.

Then comes another exchange.

“They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator.” (v. 25, NASB)

When truth is traded for preference, worship follows desire instead of design. At that point, confusion is no longer accidental. It is inevitable.

Worship shifts from the Creator to the created. This is where same-sex sin enters the passage.

“For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. (v. 26-27, NASB)

Desire is no longer guided by truth; it is driven by unbridled, appetite. Restraint dissolves. What was once clear becomes confused. And the consequences are no longer theoretical. They are lived, embodied, and felt.

Scripture calls these “degrading passions.” (v. 26, NASB) -Unnatural desires that lead to indecent acts and the painful consequences of error. This is not God inventing evil. It is God responding by removing restraint.

Isn’t this exactly what we see in our world today? When restraint is gone, anything goes.

And again, God responds by stepping back.

Romans 1 tells us that because they, “did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, “God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper” (v. 28, NASB).

This is not God creating darkness. Or approving of it. It is God not sparing man from the natural consequences of rejecting Him. A mind cut loose from God does not remain neutral. It’s described as depraved (v. 28, NASB), meaning tested and found to be unfit and, therefore, rejected. It becomes darkened and confused about right and wrong.

This passage shows the progressive nature of this sin:

Pride.
Exchange.
God’s restraint removed.
Further exchange.
Depravity of mind and rejection by God.

And at the very root of it all is pride. -Refusing to acknowledge and submit to God as God, the Creator who has the authority to define truth and make the rules. It’s a sin “that is common to man.” (1 Corinthians 10:13, NASB) So, every generation is tempted by it. Every heart is susceptible to it. This is not an “us versus them” passage. It is a mirror. And it is a very common temptation.

And here is the mercy woven through it all: God tells us this because He desires repentance, not destruction. He wants avoidance of evil and restoration, not ruin. The same God who “gave them over” is the God who welcomes repentance. The warning itself is grace.

He offers righteousness not through human wisdom, but through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. He names the disease and prepares the ground for the cure. A righteousness not earned, but received by faith.

Pride says, I decide what is true.
Faith says, God already has.

And only one of those leads to life. So, choose wisely.

“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food… But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.” -Hebrews 5:12, 14

These are sobering words.

The writer of Hebrews isn’t speaking to brand-new believers who are just starting their walk with the Lord. He’s addressing people who’ve had time -plenty of it- and opportunity to grow. People who should be feeding themselves by now, but instead are still waiting for someone else to spoon-feed them spiritually.

Milk isn’t the problem. God designed it. Milk is essential at the beginning. It’s good. It’s necessary. But it was never meant to sustain us forever.

Milk is for infants.
Solid food is for the mature.

God’s desire for His people is growth. Real growth. Maturity in Christ means moving beyond living on christian books alone-even good ones. It means more than depending on your favorite pastor, teacher, podcast, or influencer to do the chewing for you.

It means opening the Word yourself.
Sitting with it.
Wrestling with it.
Letting it shape how you think, discern, and live.

And, filtering everything else through it.

The writer of Hebrews says maturity comes “because of practice.” That means discernment isn’t automatic. It’s developed. Over time. With use. With obedience.

And here’s where we need to be honest.

There’s a big difference between reading the Bible and reading books about the Bible.

One feeds you. Nourishes you. Matures you.
The other can easily become a substitute.

You will not grow strong on spiritual junk food or scraps. You won’t mature by grazing on leftovers, hot takes, or whatever happens to be trending. A dear friend once likened this experience to eating out of a dumpster and thinking it’s a four-course meal.

God offers something better. He invites us to a table where real nourishment is served-but we have to show up and eat.

Will you come?

If you’ve ever wondered whether the Old Testament really matters anymore, you’re not alone. Many believers, women, teens, even longtime Christians, quietly ask the same question: If we’re saved by grace, why spend time in the Old Testament at all?

Paul gives us a gentle, reassuring answer:

“Whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4)

In other words, God didn’t give us the Old Testament as background noise. He gave it to instruct us, to encourage us, and to give us hope.

It’s true that much of the Old Testament was written to Israel or about them and centers on the Law of Moses. Gentiles once stood outside those promises. Paul reminds us that before Christ, we were “separate…without hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12). But Jesus changed everything. Through His blood, those who were far off were brought near. Jew and Gentile were made one in Christ (Ephesians 2:13–16), and Gentiles were grafted into the root of Abraham (Hebrews 11:17), and inherit the blessings of salvation.

That doesn’t mean the Old Testament became unnecessary. It means things became clearer.

The Bible tells us that all Scripture-not just the New Testament-is inspired by God and useful for teaching, correcting, and training us to live rightly (2 Timothy 3:16–17). Learning from the Law is not the same as living under the Law. We are saved by grace, not by rule-keeping (Romans 6:14). But grace doesn’t erase God’s earlier words. It helps us understand them.

When we read the Old Testament, we learn who God is. We see His holiness, His patience, His faithfulness, and His mercy toward imperfect people. We learn how seriously He takes sin and how lovingly He planned redemption long before Jesus was born. We also begin to recognize Christ everywhere: in promises made, prophecies fulfilled, and pictures pointing forward.

Sometimes this raises a practical question: If we’re not under the Law, why does the New Testament quote it so often? Even Paul does this. When he teaches about caring for pastors, he points back to Old Testament law to explain God’s heart behind the principle (1 Timothy 5:17–18). The command may change, but God’s character does not.

The same is true when we talk about sin, even sins committed in ignorance. The Old Testament law shows us our sin (Romas 7:7) and helps us understand that sin is still real and serious, even when unintentional. But the New Testament gives us the beautiful assurance that Jesus’ sacrifice fully covers all sin. “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Grace doesn’t minimize sin; it magnifies mercy.

So the Old Testament isn’t a discarded first draft. It’s the beginning of the same true story. A story that finds its fulfillment in Jesus. When we read the whole Bible, we grow in wisdom and faith, and learn to trust the God who has been faithful from the very beginning.

Under grace, yes. But never without the whole counsel of the Word God lovingly gave us.

It doesn’t always start with a knock-down, drag-out fight.

Sometimes, it begins quietly. With a misunderstanding, an unreturned message, a comment that lingers in the hearer’s mind longer than it should. With hurt that goes unspoken. With distance that slowly replaces warmth. Then come the tears. The heartbreak. The broken fellowship and the loneliness.

Many Christian women know this terrain well.

That’s why the comment tucked into the closing chapter of Philippians feels so jarring. In Philippians 4:2, Paul writes:

“I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord.”

It’s a short verse, yes, but it packs a wallop. Perhaps because we’ve all been there.

Joy, Unity, and Real Relationships

Philippians was written from prison, yet joy fills every chapter. Paul has already lifted our eyes to Christ: His humility, His obedience, His selfless love. Again and again, Paul reminds the church that joy is not rooted in comfort or circumstance, but in Christ Himself.

And unity, is not a side note or a casual suggestion. It is essential to living out the gospel together.

By the time we reach chapter 4, Paul pulls everything together. After exhorting believers to stand firm in the Lord, he turns immediately to a strained relationship within the church.

Joy does not exist in isolation, beloved.
It thrives in kitchens and conversations.
In friendships and fellowship.
In the way we treat one another when feelings are tender and misunderstandings arise.

What is striking is Paul’s tenderness. He names names. Calls out to both women, not to shame them, but to encourage and shepherd them. And to exhort them in right behavior. Behavior that honors God. These are not divisive women or immature believers. Paul later affirms that they labored side by side with him in the cause of the gospel (Philippians 4:3).

These are faithful women who love the Lord. Yet, as is apt to happen, the sinful nature has stepped in, and something between them has gone awry.

That, too, feels familiar, doesn’t it, dear one?

Been there myself.

Why This Hits Home for Women

Women invest deeply in relationships.

We share life.
We raise children together.
We pray together.
We serve together.

And when something fractures. When words wound, expectations go unmet, or hurt goes unresolved, the pain can be excrutiating. Over time, silence replaces warmth. Distance replaces ease. Heartbreak ensues.

And unless addressed, the body of Christ suffers.

A church can have solid teaching, faithful attendance, and vibrant programs and still quietly lose its vibrancy if sin in relationships is not addressed.

Paul does not ask Euodia and Syntyche to “just move on.”
He urges them to “live in harmony in the Lord.”

Big Difference.

And here, the original language helps us understand just how deep this call really goes.

What Paul Means by “Harmony”

The phrase Paul uses is τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν (to auto phronein)-literally, “to think the same thing,” or “to be of the same mind.”

The key verb is φρονεῖν (phronein).

This is not a shallow word.
It does not mean:

• “Be polite.”

• “Avoid each other.”

• “Agree to disagree and pretend it doesn’t hurt.”

Phronein speaks of a person’s mindset: the inner framework of how you think, what you set your mind on, and the attitude that shapes your responses. It includes the will, the perspective, and the inner posture that directs the heart.

Paul doesn’t use this word randomly. He weaves it throughout the letter, almost like a thread:

• “Make my joy complete by being of the same mind” (Philippians 2:2)

• “Have this mind among yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5)

• “Let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained” (Philippians 3:15–16)

So when Paul urges Euodia and Syntyche to to auto phronein, he is not asking them to become identical women with identical opinions.

He is calling them to shared submission and harmony in Christ.

To let Christ govern:

• how they think about each other

• how they interpret one another’s actions

• how they respond to one another when it hurts

Harmony is not sameness.
It is shared submission to Christ.

It’s not thinking more highly of yourself than you ought, and considering others as more important than yourself.

Tough. Stuff.

What Harmony Is and What It Isn’t

Biblical “harmony” is not:

• pretending nothing happened

• stuffing grief or offense down deep

• winning the argument while losing the relationship

• demanding the other person finally “understand” you

• rehearsing the wrong until it becomes part of your identity

Biblical harmony is:

• choosing to put Christ over self

• letting Scripture shape your perspective more than emotion does

• refusing to assign motives you cannot prove

• seeking peace because the gospel is bigger than being right

• aligning your mind with the mind of Jesus: humble, truthful, self-giving

Paul anchors all of this in one phrase:

“in the Lord.”

That phrase is everything.

He does not appeal to personality compatibility or shared history. He does not say, “You’re both good women-so please act like it.”

He points them to the only place unity can truly hold:

under the lordship of Jesus Christ.

Where Freedom Begins

This passage is especially relevant for women.

When conflict arises, what we often want most is not merely resolution. We want to be understood. We want our hearts seen. We want the story told accurately. We want vindication.

Those desires are deeply human.

But Paul offers something freeing:
reconciliation begins not when the other person finally meets our expectations, but when we bring our thinking under Christ’s Lordship.

We do not have to wait for perfect emotional closure before walking in obedience.

Phronein is a call to the mind.

By grace, we can choose to say:

“Lord, I will think Your thoughts about this.
I will bring my assumptions, interpretations, and desire for vindication under Your authority.
I will not be ruled by pride or fear.
I will love, forgive, humble myself. I will be ruled by Christ.”

This is where Philippians 2 becomes more than a beautiful passage we admire. It becomes the path forward.

Paul has already held up Jesus: the One who did not grasp His rights, who humbled Himself, who took the form of a servant, who did not defend Himself, who obeyed even to the point of death. (Philippians 2:5–8).

That is the mind Paul calls believers to share.
And that is the mind he urges Euodia and Syntyche, and us, to embrace.

A Question Worth Sitting With

Paul’s gentle but firm exhortation reminds us that spiritual maturity does not make us immune to conflict, but it does make reconciliation possible.

The church shines brightest not when believers never disagree, but when they disagree in the Lord. -And reconcile. With humility, grace, and a shared allegiance to Christ.

So here is the question this text presses upon every believer:

Is there a relationship in your life where the Lord may be inviting you to lay something down: pride, self-protection, the need to be right, in order to pursue peace for the sake of Christ and the joy He desires for you?

Paul even invites the help of an unidentified but trusted companion (Philippians 4:3), reminding us that reconciliation is sometimes a shared work and mediation is necessary.

Asking for help is not weakness.
It is wise.

Unity is instructed.
Joy is achievable through obedience.
And the gospel we love is one of reconciliation. First with God, and then with one another.

A Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus,
You know where our hearts are tender and where wounds still ache.
Teach us to think Your thoughts, to lay down pride, and to walk in humility.
Where there is distance, bring peace and grace.
Where there is fear, bring courage and truth.
Shape our minds with Yours,
so that joy and unity might flourish again-for Your glory and the good of Your people.
Amen.

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves… Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:3–5)

Happiness can evaporate when life is hard. When prayers go unanswered, relationships strain, financial pressures mount, or circumstances refuse to change, happiness is often the first thing to go.

Joy, though. True joy, does not dissipate with the changing tides of life, because it is not rooted in circumstances. The book of Philippians shows us why: joy is rooted in Christ.

Let’s talk about it.

As you know, Paul wrote Philippians while imprisoned, uncertain of his future, and separated from the people he loved. And yet this short letter overflows with joy despite Paul’s miserable circumstances. That alone should cause us to pause and ask why.

If you read Philippians carefully, one thing becomes unmistakably clear. Paul keeps bringing us back to Jesus-repeatedly. In just four short chapters, he refers to Christ Jesus thirty-six times. He speaks of joy and rejoicing sixteen times. And woven throughout the letter is a repeated emphasis on the mind or attitude, which appears eleven times.

That repetition is not accidental, beloved.

Paul is teaching us something essential: joy is deeply connected to how we think. Not to positive thinking. Not to denial of pain. But to Christ-centered thinking.

He begins by calling us to humility in our relationships:

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3–4)

Then he gives us the key instruction that unlocks the entire letter:

“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5)

Joy becomes possible when our mindset is shaped by Christ, even when our circumstances remain hard -not because hardship disappears, but because our hearts are anchored somewhere deeper than our circumstances.

So what does the mind of Christ actually look like?

Paul explains:

“Although He existed in the form of God, He did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:6–8)

The mind of Christ is marked by humility, trust, obedience, and full surrender to the Father’s will. It is not driven by self-protection or control, but by faith. This mindset does not remove suffering, but it radically changes how we walk through it.

Jesus chose humility. Though He was fully God, He did not cling to His rights or position. He willingly laid them down. That truth gently confronts us. Pride, self-protection, and the need to be right can quietly reign in our hearts. Scripture is clear: when these rule us, Christ does not. And when Christ is not ruling, true joy cannot grow.

Jesus also emptied Himself and took the role of a servant. Do you understand that, beloved? The Creator of all things came not to be served, but to serve. His life was marked by love expressed through sacrifice. That invites honest reflection. What motivates my life? Am I willing to serve when it costs me something?

And Jesus was obedient, even when obedience led to suffering and death. He trusted the Father all the way to the cross. That kind of obedience invites us to consider what the Lord may be asking us to surrender so that we might follow Him more faithfully.

This is the mind of Christ.
And this is the place where joy grows.

Paul closes his letter with words that are familiar, but no less powerful:

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4)

And what does always mean?

It means always, dear one. In all circumstances.

This is not a call to ignore pain or pretend life is easy. It is an invitation to anchor joy somewhere deeper than circumstances -in humble obedience and trust in Christ.

Philippians leaves us with this gentle, steady truth: when Christ is your life (chapter 1), your mind (chapter 2), your goal (chapter 3), and your strength (chapter 4), joy does not disappear when life is hard. It remains steady and rooted, because it is anchored in Him.

That kind of joy does not come from ease or certainty. It grows as we continue to trust Christ, fix our minds on Him, and walk in humble obedience even when circumstances are tough. And because joy is something worth guarding and holding fast, Paul closes the letter with this loving exhortation:

“So then, my beloved… stand firm in the Lord.”
(Philippians 4:1)

Christmas is a beautiful season, but for young mamas, it can also be exhausting. You’re juggling little bodies, little emotions, little routines, and very big responsibilities. Some days are filled with laughter and wonder. Other days feel loud, messy, and unseen. And yet, this season gently reminds us that God often does His most extraordinary work in ordinary, overlooked places.

That was true at the first Christmas.
And it is still true today.

Christmas has a way of bringing out the child in us, doesn’t it? Scripture extols the virtue of childlike faith, and there’s never a better time to meditate on that than at Christmas, when we remember Jesus Himself as a child.

Children are a gift.

They don’t tend to overcomplicate things the way we adults do. They simply believe. And one Christmas, a certain little boy with a very big wish decided to put that childlike faith into action.

Well, sort of anyway…

You see he desperately wanted a new bike for Christmas, but his mother told him they didn’t have enough money that year. So the boy decided he’d ask Jesus for a bike. Cause, He always has enough money for everything. But this little guy wrongly assumed that Jesus would only answer his prayer if he was “good enough.”

So one day he sat down and began writing Jesus a letter:

“Dear Jesus, I really, really, REALLY want a new bike this Christmas, so I promise I’ll be good for one year…”

And then He stopped. A whole year? He knew it was Impossible.

So, he scratched that out and rewrote: “Dear Jesus, I’ll be good for an entire month…”

Well, he realized that wasn’t going to work either.

So, then: “Dear Jesus how about a week…”

But it was only Monday, and he’d already been in trouble three times.

Discouraged, he tore up the letter and went outside for a walk.

Eventually, he approached a church with a Nativity on the lawn. And suddenly a lightbulb went off. He quickly scooped up the figure of Mary into his arms and ran home.

When he reached his house, he ran straight up to his room and began to write a new letter.

“Dear Jesus, if You ever want to see Your mother again…how about that bike?

Well, this clever, precocious, little guy, bless his heart, understood something important:

The story mattered. Mary Mattered. And even the little town of Bethlehem, where Jesus was born, mattered. Because you see the story didn’t start with Mary. Long before she ever whispered her surrendered, yes: “Behold, the Lord’s bondservant,” (Luke 1:38) God had already declared exactly where the Messiah would be born.

Micah had prophesied:

“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.” (Micah 5:2)

Bethlehem.

A tiny, overlooked town.

Too small to matter.

Too ordinary to choose.

Sound familiar?

God delights in “using the weak and foolish things of the world to confound the wise.” (1 Corinthians 1:27)

Well, naturally, from Micah’s passage and other Scriptures most Jews assumed that the Messiah’s family would be Bethlehemites and the Messiah would grow up in that area.

But Jesus’ family wasn’t from Bethlehem. They lived over ninety miles away in Nazareth. And Mary was “with child.” The last thing she and Joseph would have chosen was an exhausting, dangerous journey on the back of a donkey, while pregnant.

So, why’d they go?

Listen to what Luke says:

“Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary who was engaged to him, and was with child.” (Luke 2:1-5)

Caesar Agustus…not exactly a baby name favorite.

Who was he?

He was a Roman emperor, who made what seemed like just another political decision. But we know that nothing is random with the Lord. He moves through human actors -even ungodly ones- to accomplish His will. God used Augustus’ decree to compel the young couple to move to a place to fulfill His promise.

Isn’t that just like God?

I’m always awed at what God does to ensure His plans are carried through to completion. It’s amazing how He bends what feels immovable…uses what feels overwhelming…and turns what seems inconvenient to accomplish His purposes.

The Field Where the Lamb Was Born

I want to point out something to you that you may not have noticed earlier, beloved, Micah did not simply say Bethlehem. He said Bethlehem Ephrathah, which is a specific area about one mile east of Bethlehem that is famous for one special field:

David’s Field.

King David donated this field, that had been part of his ancestral home, as a place to raise sacrificial lambs. Passover lambs. So, they had to be spotless, unblemished, and completely without defect Priests kept a watchful eye over the sheep from stone towers built throughout the field to protect them.

This was no ordinary field, and these were no ordinary lambs. And God said it would there that Messiah would be born.

Luke tells us:

“While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:6-7)

No room.

No warm welcome.

No comfort bag filled with new-baby-mommy goodies.

Just a manger, in the fields where lambs were born and inspected.

And it was to these same shepherds -not to the rich and powerful or to politicians- that God sent the first birth announcement.

Luke 2:8–12
“In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flocks by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you; you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Imagine the shock of those shepherds.

These were simple men.

They had seen lambs wrapped in cloth to keep them unblemished for sacrifice.

But a baby wrapped the same way? And lying in a manger -the place where Passover lambs were inspected?

They understood the message immediately:

This child was born to be their Lamb.

Our lamb.

The Lamb of God.

The One who would take away the sins of the world.

The One who takes away your sins and mine...

Later, Simeon would declare:

“This Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many, and a sword will pierce your own soul.”
(Luke 2:34-35)

· Some would rise.

· Others would fall.

· No one would stay neutral.

It’s clear from these verses that Jesus would divide humanity, not because He wished to divide, but because every heart must choose how to respond to Him.

And the same is true today…what we see happening in our land is a spiritual war between two kingdoms: a kingdom of light. And a kingdom of darkness.

It has always been this way and will continue until God’s plan for this world is fulfilled.

But Bethlehem tells us something else that we don’t want to miss. I touched on it earlier:

God chooses to use what the world calls insignificant and foolish: a small town, a young girl, a borrowed manger, a forgotten field…to display His glory.

If you’re like most young mamas, you spend your days at home raising little ones, or in the car shuttling them around. You may not be running board meetings, building a public platform, or receiving applause. You’re doing something much more important:

You’re shaping souls.

You may feel unnoticed at times, or wonder if anyone sees the work you do. Or understands how tired you are. You may feel ignored or undervalued because the world so often celebrates the loud and overlooks the quiet.

Yet, know this - Jesus, El Roi – the God who sees, sees you clearly. And He delights in using you.

The most valuable work in the world is the work that cannot be measured by paychecks or promotions.

• It is the discipling of a child’s heart.

• It is the day-in and day-out shaping of a little life that will one day stand before God.

As Christian parents, you are designated by God as the primary agent of discipleship in the life of your child.

God has given you everything you need to raise your children well, and He has given you His Word as your foundation.

• Every story you read to them,

• Every prayer whispered over a sleepy head,

• Every moment of correction wrapped in grace,

• Every gentle teaching along the way is forming something eternal.

You are not wasting your life. You are sowing into eternity. Still, there are traps that can quietly hinder our effectiveness and influence.

1. First, your relationship with your spouse is very important. Scripture calls wives to respect their husbands, not because he is perfect, but because it helps cultivate an atmosphere where children learn to honor God and those He has placed over them.

2. Second, it is easy to become so preoccupied with our own struggles that we miss the spiritual battle unfolding right in front of us for our children’s hearts. Their hearts are tender, and the enemy is real.

So stay alert.
Stay prayerful.
Stay engaged.
And bathe those precious little ones in love and prayer.

3. Third, the world whispers that your children will miss out if you do not embrace everything it offers. But the world is not your standard. Christ is. And the richest inheritance you can give your children is a heart anchored in truth.

If you feel in the thick of it today, know this: You are doing sacred work. You are standing in the very place God has called you.

Just as He placed Mary exactly where she needed to be, He has placed you exactly where you are for a reason. And He will equip you.

Bethlehem was small, overlooked, and easily dismissed, yet God chose it to usher the Savior into the world. And He can use you to usher the light of Christ into the heart of your child if you’re willing.

May the Lord strengthen your hands, steady your heart, and remind you that your faithfulness-quiet and unseen by man is precious to Him, and a blessing to your family.

Merry Christmas, precious Mamas!

“And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
‘Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.’”
(Luke 2:13–14, NASB)

It’s a question that comes up every year, often asked sincerely: Is Christmas pagan because the word isn’t found in the Bible?

Some point to the absence of a biblical command to celebrate Jesus’ birth. Others question the choice of December 25, noting its proximity to ancient pagan festivals. Still others raise concerns about traditions such as evergreen trees, lights, or gift-giving, arguing that these customs have pre-Christian origins and therefore should be avoided.

These concerns are often raised out of a genuine desire to honor God faithfully. But they deserve to be examined in light of what Scripture actually teaches about the birth of Christ.

While the word Christmas does not appear in Scripture, the event it points to most certainly does. And as Christians, we honor that event -the birth of our Savior- as an act of rememberance, worship, and celebration.

When the angel announced Jesus’ birth to the shepherds, he proclaimed “good news of great joy which will be for all the people,” declaring that a Savior, Christ the Lord, had been born (Luke 2:10–11). Almost immediately, heaven responded. A multitude of the heavenly host appeared, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased” (Luke 2:13–14).

It was quite a celebration.

The shepherds did not concern themselves with debating dates, calendars, or customs. They hurried to Bethlehem to see what the Lord had made known to them. After finding the child lying in the manger, they returned “glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen” (Luke 2:15–20).

They were not alone in their response.

Wise men later traveled from afar, guided by God, to seek the newborn King. When they found Him, they rejoiced greatly, fell down in worship, and presented gifts to honor Him (Matthew 2:1–11).

What Scripture gives us is not a command to mark or avoid a specific date, but a clear description of how heaven and earth responded to one of the two most important events in all of history:

When Jesus entered the world, the response was worship.

His birth prompted praise, joy, reverence, and generosity.
Angels announced.
Heaven rejoiced.
Shepherds worshiped.
Wise men honored Him.

These were not prescribed rituals; they were the natural overflow of hearts encountering the Savior.

When Christmas is observed as a remembrance of Christ’s birth, an act of gratitude, thanksgiving, praise, and love toward Him, it is neither pagan nor idolatrous. It is simply our hearts joining with the historical, biblical response to His arrival.

And it is cause for great celebration!

The legitimacy of Christmas is not about a word, a calendar date, receiving gifts, or cultural traditions, nor is it about a pagan ritual. It is about worship: honoring the birth of our Savior and joining the song that began the night heaven announced,

“Glory to God in the highest” (Luke 2:14).

And as followers of Jesus, we are free to remember and celebrate the birth of our Savior in ways that honor Him, according to our individual conscience and conviction (Romans 14:1–12). In fact, we should.

That should be our focus at Christmas.

As you celebrate this season, beloved, will your heart join that sacred song of worship that began that holy night?

Merry Christmas, beloved saints.

Scripture References (NASB)

• Luke 2:10–11

• Luke 2:13–14

• Luke 2:15–20

• Matthew 2:1–11

• Romans 14:1–12

After nearly 30 years of ministry, I have learned that Christmas means something different to every woman.

For many, it is a wonderful and joy-filled season. Homes feel warm, lights glitter and glow, and memories are made. But for others, the season can feel heavy. The holidays tend to amplify whatever is already happening in a woman’s heart. Joy can feel sweeter, but loneliness can feel sharper. Busyness can feel heavier. Longing can feel deeper.

This is why the season can catch us off guard.

Still, every December Christmas has a gentle way of calling us back to something simple and pure if we allow it. Something childlike, full of the trust and wonder we once carried without effort. Sometimes the smallest moments remind us of that.

Like one Christmas when a certain little boy, full of hope, decided he was going to put that childlike faith into action.

Well, sort of...

A Little Boy With a Big Wish

He wanted a new bike more than anything. But his mother explained they simply did not have the money that year. So he decided he would ask Jesus. After all, Jesus always has enough money for everything. But he also believed, wrongly, that Jesus would only answer if his behavior was “good enough.”

So he sat down one day and decided to write Jesus a letter:

“Dear Jesus, I really, really, really want a new bike this Christmas, so I promise I will be good for one year.”

He paused. He immediately knew that a year was impossible.

So, he tore up his note and tried again.

“Dear Jesus, I will be good for a month.”
He knew that wouldn’t work either.

“Dear Jesus, how about a week.”
But it was only Sunday, and he had already been in trouble four times.

Discouraged, he tossed the letters into the trash and wandered outside for a walk. He eventually ended up at a church, standing in front of the Nativity scene. A light bulb went off. So he quickly picked up the figure of Mary, scooped her in his arms and ran home.

When he arrived, he raced up the stairs to his room, sat down at his desk and wrote:

“Dear Jesus, if You ever want to see Your mother again…”

Well, he was certainly a precocious little guy, bless his heart. While his theology was misguided, he did understand something important:

Mary mattered.
The story mattered.
Bethlehem mattered.

God Works in Places the World Overlooks

The Christmas story did not begin with Mary. Long before she whispered her surrendered yes, “Behold, the Lord’s bondservant” (Luke 1:38), God had already spoken through the prophet Micah:

“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From you One will go forth for Me.” (Micah 5:2)

Bethlehem was small. Ordinary. And almost invisible.

Too small to matter. Too simple to choose.

But that is exactly the kind of place God often chooses to use.

Scripture tells us:

“God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the wise.” (1 Corinthians 1:27)

Mary and Joseph lived nearly ninety miles away in Nazareth, and Mary was expecting a child. An exhausting journey was the last thing they needed.

So why did they go?

Luke explains:

“A decree went out from Caesar Augustus…
Everyone was on his way to register…
Joseph also went to Bethlehem.” (Luke 2:1-5)

Caesar thought he was moving people, but God was moving prophecy. Nothing is random with Him. He works through rulers, decisions, disruptions, and discomfort to fulfill His plans.

I’m always awed at what God does to ensure His will is carried through to completion. It’s amazing how God bends what feels immovable…uses what feels overwhelming…and turns what seems inconvenient to accomplish His purposes.

The Field Where the Lamb Was Born

I want to point something out to you that you may not have noticed earlier, beloved, Micah did not simply say Bethlehem. He said Bethlehem Ephrathah, which is a specific area about one mile east of Bethlehem that is famous for one sacred field:

David’s Field.

King David donated this field, which was part of his ancesteral home, as a place to raise sacrificial lambs. These were not ordinary sheep, they were Passover lambs. As such, they had to be:

• Spotless
• Unblemished
• And completely without defect

Priests kept a watchful eye over the sheep from stone towers built throughout the field to protect them. This was no ordinary field, and these were no ordinary lambs. And God declared that it would be in this very place that His Son would be born.

Luke tells us:

“While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:6-7)

No room.

No warm welcome.
No comfort bag filled with maternity goodies.

Just a manger, in the fields where lambs were born and inspected.

And it was to these same shepherds -not to the rich and powerful or to politicians- that God sent the first birth announcement.

To shepherds.

They understood the message:

This Child -wrapped in the traditional cloths of sacrificial lambs- was born to be their Lamb. Our Lamb. The Lamb of God…The one who would take away the sins of the world…their sins and ours, Beloved.

Later, Simeon would declare:

“This Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many, and a sword will pierce your own soul.”
(Luke 2:34 to 35)

Every heart must respond to Him. One way or another.
It was true then. It’s true now. No one remains neutral.

For the Woman Who Feels Small or Overlooked

So dear one, Bethlehem whispers something the world often forgets: God looks at things differently than does man. He often chooses overlooked places and people -not the loud or the influential -to do amazing things.

And dear woman, that includes you. You may feel unnoticed in your home. You may feel tired in your work. You may feel unseen in your faithfulness. You may wonder if what you are doing matters at all.

But hear this:

Jesus sees you. And He delights in using you. He sees every act of love, hears every whispered prayer, sees every tear shed, and knows every burden carried in silence. The world measures success by visibility. God measures it by obedience. The work that reaches into eternity is often the work no one else sees.

So whether you are raising little ones, navigating teens, caring for aging parents, entering an empty nest, or grieving something you have lost your season is not small to Him. Your prayers are not wasted. Your sacrifices are not unseen. Your faithfulness is not forgotten.

God meets us in kitchens and carpool lines, in hospital rooms and quiet bedrooms, in tearful transitions and uncertain seasons. He meets us right where we feel ordinary
and reminds us that nothing surrendered to Him is ordinary.

Take heart. You are not forgotten. You are not invisible. You are His. The same God who fulfilled every prophecy in Bethlehem will fulfill His promises to you.

May this Christmas gently remind your heart that you are part of His story, and He will bring your story through to completion. (Phil. 1:6)

He promises.

As we’ve seen, when Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians, he wasn’t living in comfort or stability. He wasn’t surrounded by supporters or resting in the fruit of years of ministry. Instead, he was chained to Roman guards under house arrest, unsure whether he would live or die (Philippians 1:20).

Before this imprisonment, his life had been a tapestry of both extraordinary privilege and profound suffering. Once, he had enjoyed prosperity, influence, and the highest religious pedigree: a Hebrew of Hebrews, a Pharisee trained under Gamaliel, zealous beyond many of his contemporaries.

But everything changed when Christ laid hold of him on the Damascus road.

From that moment forward, Paul’s path was marked not by comfort, but by costly obedience. He became a man beaten with rods, whipped by his own people, stoned and left for dead, shipwrecked three times, adrift at sea, hunted by enemies, betrayed by false brothers, hungry, thirsty, cold, exhausted, sleepless, and often painfully alone (see 2 Corinthians 11:23–28). If anyone understood the full sweep of human experience, from abundance to absolute want, from honor to humiliation, it was the apostle Paul.

He had it tough.

And this is precisely why his words in Philippians 4 carry such weight. He isn’t writing from theory. He is writing from a deeply tested life.

“I have learned the secret…” (Philippians 4:12)

Paul says:

“I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity;
in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry,
both of having abundance and suffering need.” (Philippians 4:12)

Paul learned contentment. Not in a classroom, but in the school of life with Christ as his teacher.

Notice his wording:

“I have learned…”
Contentment is not a natural personality trait; it is a learned and developed grace.

“In any and every circumstance…”
Paul wasn’t just content when things went well. He learned contentment when he was misunderstood, mistreated, forgotten, imprisoned, hungry, or exhausted.

“The secret…”
The Greek word mueo suggests being initiated into something hidden or profound. Paul discovered something the world could not offer: a source of stability that did not rise or fall with his circumstances.

But what is this secret?

He tells us in the next verse.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

This is one of the most quoted verses in Scripture -often misunderstood and often applied to personal ambition. But Paul isn’t talking about accomplishing his dreams.

He is saying:

“I can endure anything.
I can face anything.
I can walk through anything
because Christ Himself gives me strength.”

The strength Paul speaks of is ongoing, present-tense, supplied by Christ moment by moment. It is not a one-time infusion but a continual empowerment. The Greek word ischyō means to have strength, power, or ability. -Strength that does not originate from oneself.

Paul was not self-sufficient.
He was Christ-sufficient.

Christ was his fuel in weakness, his anchor in uncertainty, his comfort in loneliness, and his courage in suffering. Paul wasn’t strong because he was extraordinary. He was strong because Christ was.

Contentment Is Not What You Have. It’s Who Holds You

Paul had learned a truth that many Christians never discover:

Contentment is not the absence of hardship. It is the presence of Christ in every hardship.

His circumstances changed constantly. His Christ never did.

If Paul can be content in a Roman prison that smelled like pee and excrement mixed with vomit, sweat and blood; do you think we can learn contentment in the places God has placed us: in the stress, the unknowns, the financial tightness, the relational aches, the waiting seasons, the disappointments, and even the blessings?

Christ strengthens us the same way He strengthened Paul:
Not by removing the trial, but by sustaining us through it.

A Question for You, beloved

Where do you need Christ’s strength today?
Not the strength to escape your circumstances, but the strength to endure them with a steady, trusting heart?

And perhaps the deeper question is this:

Are you willing to let Christ be enough for you in both abundance and need? -Just as He was for Paul?

We learn contentment the same way Paul did:
One circumstance at a time.
One surrender at a time.
One moment of receiving Christ’s strength instead of relying on our own.

May you discover the same secret Paul learned, and may Christ Himself be your strength today.