TREASURE
Helping Women Fulfill the Great Commission
SATISFIED IN THE SPIRIT | THE BREAD OF LIFE | THE LORD’S TABLE
TREASURE
Volume VI, Issue 2 | April-June 2025 | WNAC.ORG
TREASURE
ISSN 8960038
Volume VI, Number 2
How would you define home? What words come to mind? How would you describe your
Bread of Life .............................15 How can you pass down your personal stories of faith to the next generation? The Lord’s Table ............................ 25
Do you ever act as if you can handle things on your own or even handle them better than God can—or at least how you want them handled?
FEATURES
TREASURE (ISSN 8960038) is produced quarterly by Women Nationally Active for Christ of the National Association of Free Will Baptists, Inc., 5233 Mount View Road, Antioch, TN 37013-2306. Copyright privileges reserved. A 2025 Member of Evangelical Press Association. Mail questions or comments to: Treasure, PO Box 5002, Antioch, TN 37011-5002 treasure@wnac.org | wnac.org | @WNACFWB
Editorial Staff
Ruth McDonald, Director
Phyllis York, Editor-in-Chief
Tori Matlock, Design
WNAC Board
Jonda Patton, Kentucky
Sharon Dickey, Texas
Tracy Payne, Arkansas
LeeAnn Wilfong, Missouri
Jessica Edwards, Tennessee
Katie Postlewaite, South Carolina
Melanie Franks, Alabama
Angie Fraser, Florida
Ashley Alphin, Ohio
Contributors
Alicia Crowe, Ohio
Sarah Lawson, MIchigan
Diana Bryant, Florida
Brenda Evans, Kentucky
Kate Speer, Tennessee
Deborah Driscoll, Tennessee
Melinda Pinson, Tennessee
Jonda Patton, Kentucky
Sarah Sargent, Ohio
Ruth McDonald, Tennessee
About the Colunnist:
Jonda Patton attends Pikeville (Kentucky) Free Will Baptist Church, where her husband, Jim, pastors. (Jonda has attended Pikeville Church since she was saved at the age of 12.) One of her passions is Free Will Baptist Women’s Ministries—she began serving on the WNAC Board in 2011. She also enjoys meeting women from across the world, working with youth, and seeing the beauty of God’s creation.
Celebrating the Sabbath
BY: Jonda Patton LEVITICUS
23:1-3
I love Sunday! It is a new beginning—a day to refuel your soul and be thankful for all the blessings in your life. With two church services, a meal, and some rest in between, it makes for a great day. Not only can we look at it as a new beginning, but we can also view it as the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a day dedicated to religious observance and rest from work, traditionally observed by Jews from Friday evening to Saturday evening. Leviticus 23:3 says, “Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is the Sabbath to the Lord in all your dwelling places.”
God rested on the seventh day of creation, setting an example for us to follow. Although the Ten Commandments were specifically given to Israel in a certain time and circumstance, they reveal a timeless principle God wants His people to observe. This principle is that we should set aside a portion—one-seventh—of our time to honor Him. In the New Testament, Sunday—the first day of the week—marks the celebration of Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection and is a day dedicated to God and His service. The Sabbath was God’s special day for the Jews under the Old Covenant; the Lord’s Day is God’s special day for the church under the New.
While rest is important, worship is even more essential. God has blessed us abundantly, and He deserves our worship every day. We can worship through singing, raising our hands in praise, praying, or even sitting quietly, thanking Him for all our blessings. Gathering with other believers is a powerful way to worship our one true God.
Some people, like first responders, are called upon to work on Sundays and may need to choose another day as their Sabbath. We are grateful for them and the vital service they provide to our communities.
Ultimately, any day of the week can be observed as the Sabbath as long as we use it to celebrate God’s redemptive work. May we always worship Him and express our gratitude for all He has done.
Satisfied in the Spirit
By Alicia Crowe
At Home
How would you define home? What words come to mind? How would you describe your home? When interviewed, young children defined home as a place where loved ones are, where they can have fun, and where they want to be. My oldest daughter, who has called over ten houses her home, answered, “home is where you belong and where you share with the people you love.” A safe place where you can be the real you. Home, not the actual building, is defined by the residents—the life and love inside!
Every human has been given a yearning deep inside their soul for a forever home (Ecclesiastes 3:11). We are hardwired for eternity. We cannot find satisfaction in the temporal things of this world. As we navigate through life in search of meaning and purpose, we long for a true home—a place of security and safety where we can belong, surrounded by those we love and who love us in return. We need a dwelling where we are known and yet loved unconditionally. Do you sometimes get the feeling you are not home yet? Do you feel a groan in your heart and even the best gifts on earth cannot satisfy? Every person knows something is missing, broken, and not complete. We are eternal beings made in our Father’s image, intended to live forever. However, we can live with deep contentment through Jesus now because He is the One who made us, loves us, and calls us to come home to Him. Our Heavenly Father has also provided a space for us to share right now! He has poured His very presence, His Holy Spirit, into us and made His home in our hearts.
What a gift! This truth is our peace-bringing guarantee of God with us and an actual future home in Paradise with our Creator. Here we find the heart of God, to bring His children home as adopted sons and daughters with Him forever. In Him, we can have fullness of joy while waiting to be reunited. It is how we began with Him and can continue to live daily with “this mystery, which is Christ in us, the hope of
glory” (Colossians 1:27). Home is where God is! We belong to Him and can abide in Him even as we live in these fleshly tents as pilgrims.
Lay of the Land
In this Bible study, we will examine the thread through God’s Word that speaks of God’s residence: His home and our place with Him. We can only receive true life and pleasure with Him. God’s heart longs to be with us. What does this say about God? What does this tell us about God’s character? Next, we will explore the significance of Scripture in revealing God’s blueprint for home, particularly through Israel’s Feast of Tabernacles, and gain a deeper understanding of His plan throughout human history. All of this points to Christ, in which all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell and reconcile us to our Father (Colossians 1:19-20).
Think About It
What does this say about people? Our need to be bought and brought back? What does it tell us about living to please God? And lastly, we will see our part and response to God’s dwelling in and with us. The coming of His Spirit changes everything. How does this change the way we live right here, right now?
God Dwells With Us
Let’s begin at the beginning. Genesis 2:8 opens with God making a home, planting a garden, and filling it with His creation. He was with humanity from the beginning, and we made our home with Him in perfect love and harmony. In this garden, complete peace and satisfaction were found. And because of our family’s disobedience, that home and, consequently, our intimacy with the Heavenly Father was lost. Adam and Eve decided not to trust our Maker, and now we face separation and eviction from our holy residence. Yet, God’s heart is seeking us to return.
His-Story lesson: He chose a people group, a family,
Israel, to show all humanity His picture of love for us. The Promised Land was their new homestead and final earthly resting place. He rescued them from slavery in Egypt where they didn’t belong. Even while they were in the desert between Egypt and their new land, God established His home with them. He led them by His presence and protected them while they were homeless refugees. God designed a place to house Himself and shared the blueprints with Moses. Once it was meticulously built, the Tabernacle, or temporary tent, housed the presence of God, while Moses and specifically appointed priests acted as go-betweens.
Years later after God brought the Israelites to the land over the Jordan, His chosen king built Him a permanent home, the Temple. Read 1 Kings 8 and 2 Chronicles 7:8-16. Interestingly, Solomon dedicated the Temple during one of the prominent feasts Moses and the people were commanded to observe yearly. This is the Feast of Tabernacles, also known as the Feast of Booths, which we will discuss. “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!” (1 Kings 8:27).
Again, His children lost their place to meet with God because of their disobedience, and their discipline followed. Assyria and Babylon destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem, and the nation of Israel was scattered. Read Ezra 3 and Nehemiah 8. Here, the captive Israelites finally return to their home to rebuild the house for God. God is trying to show us something. His heart and desire are to be with us! “And they kept the Feast of Booths, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number according to the rule, as each day required” (Ezra 3:4).
It is tough reading how the Israelites mourned as they rebuilt God’s house. They realized this project was a puny second attempt at the glory of the first temple. Nehemiah reminds them as they read the law and reinstated the Feast of the Tabernacles, “…
this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). These memorials had not been observed since the days of Joshua. So, the returnees made booths and lived in them, and there was great rejoicing. This feast was to be a joyful celebration after a solemn Sabbath, followed by a somber assembly on the eighth day (Numbers 29:35). God’s presence was accessible again, and He filled them with joy.
Think About It
What does this say about God: Our Father, Creator, and home builder? His character traits? His heart toward us? Think of more Old Testament passages about God and His pursuit of His children. There are many stories in the Old Testament where God showed His heart and plans to and through His children. David writes of it throughout his psalms. What patterns do you see in people’s relationship with God? How does this apply to us? What truths do we need to take away from this?
Let’s examine the Feast of the Tabernacles and see why it was important for Israel and for us today.
Feast, Feast, Feast
Read Leviticus 23. This is where God sets up “appointed times” while Israel is on the way to freedom and their promised home. These “times” correspond to the seasons of the agricultural calendar as weeks set apart for God. These feasts were times to thank and honor Him and are still celebrated today. The seven feasts, Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, and Day of Atonement, conclude with the seventh and final feast of Israel (Feast of Tabernacles or Feast of Booths). For Israel these celebrations were instituted to remember God’s goodness and provision yearly, as they also pointed to Christ and His life, death, and resurrection. We are still looking forward to the final fulfillment of His plan.
The Feast of Tabernacles, or Feast of Ingathering, is
The way an infant feels safe and satiated is by staying in close connection with his mother. If we are not experiencing satisfaction in our walk with God, perhaps we are not living in a consistently intimate relationship with Him.
one of the three annual feasts the Lord commanded Israel to observe. Leviticus 23:33-44, Exodus 23:16, and Deuteronomy 16:13-16 all describe this joyous feast, “Sukkot.” For eight days, the people of Israel were to thank God for His blessings through sacrifices and feasting between bookended Sabbaths. It was an opportunity to remember how God had delivered them from Egypt and to signify the 40 years they wandered in the desert, living in make-shift tents. They trusted God’s presence to lead them home to a promised land during this time. So, each year in the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, mid-September to October, they built and resided in shelters or temporary structures/booths/tents and decorated them for harvest time. Think of it as their very own Thanksgiving celebrated in tents. With this one feast God commanded them to joyously celebrate His provision and protection. This feast symbolizes that
we are all sojourners wandering in the wilderness until we reach our final rest—our home sweet home with God. Even while away from city, country, and homeland, God made His home with the children of Israel and continued to meet them in tents, the Tabernacle, and, eventually, the Temple, and constantly through the word of the prophets. These weeks of remembrance are important because they encourage people to discover God and His heart and allow us to approach Him with the longing of our hearts: to live with Him and belong to Him.
Think About It
What stands out to you about this Feast? What does it tell us about God and people? What was the importance of remembering, and how can we apply it today? How can you and your family commemorate how God has sheltered, protected, and provided for
you throughout your journey as pilgrims?
This takes us through the Old Testament trail of remembering God’s goodness. Let’s look ahead in the New Testament at God coming and dwelling with us in a person.
The Word Became Flesh and Dwelt with Us
As the prophets had foretold, Jesus came and “tabernacled” or settled among us. Read John 1:14. The word dwell is the same word used for tabernacle in the Old Testament (Exodus 25:8-9). This suggests Jesus is the new Tabernacle, where God’s presence is fully realized. This is like pitching a temporary tent with a significant presence. Some scholars believe Jesus’ was born during the Feast of Tabernacles—the last harvest celebration. Mary’s song of praise resonates with all creation as we join with her in giving thanks to God for satisfying our wandering, longing, hungry souls and filling us with good things (Luke 1:53; Psalm 107:9).
Another beautiful picture of His home with us is this first coming of God’s son, His very nature in human form. He came to set up His earthly kingdom and point us to His second coming, when He will make His home with us for eternity. Read Hebrews 2:10-18 and Philippians 2:6-9 for a better understanding of Jesus’ reason for coming and pitching His tent here. His coming and giving freely of His life for ours and setting us free from slavery to sin proves God loves us and wants us to live with Him forever (John 3:16).
Jesus fulfilled all but the last three feasts on earth through his life, death, and resurrection. The Feast of Booths will be fulfilled at His second coming when we will finally be HOME together. Jesus speaks during the Feast of Booths, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:3739). This living water He spoke about is His Spirit,
Who will come to those who believe in Him. The Holy Spirit came after Jesus’ resurrection. What else does He say about this Helper? (John 14:16-17; John 16). The very person of God who came to live inside each of us!
Think About It
What does God’s sending Jesus say about our Father? What does this say about people and our need for saving? How is the very person of Jesus pointing to God’s journey to get us home? Think about Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Write a song of praise about Jesus coming as a wanderer, living in our tents, dying for our sins, and showing us He is the way home. “He satisfies the longing soul and the hungry soul He fills with good things” (Psalm 107:9).
Filled With the Holy Spirit
Read Acts 2:1-4 and chapters 36-41. After Jesus’ ascension, the Spirit of God came and took up residence in His people, just as Jesus had promised. At Pentecost, 50 days after Jesus’ ascension into Heaven, Peter quotes David in Psalm 16:11. God shows us the “path of life” and fills us with gladness in His presence. He sent His Helper to form a temple, a holy place to live, inside each person. God’s very own portable tabernacle is filling up the vacancy in our fleshly tent. Wow! The mighty God Himself fills these jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4:7). We don’t have to look very far for contentment, peace, love, joy, and true satisfaction. We possess Him!
Think About It
How does this fact move you to worship and praise God? He gave us His presence and access to Him with no more veil separating us from the Holy of Holies. Christ’s sacrifice opened the way. Spend time praising God for this indescribable gift of His Spirit in us!
If you read the whole account of Pentecost in Acts
2, you will see the result of the Helper coming to us. Each individual and then the entire community was affected. These separate human buildings became united in the person of God through the Spirit, forming the body of Christ, the Church. Our place of belonging in and with Him carries into the bigger plan of God for us to live with one another in perfect harmony and love.
Think About It
Note the result of the group’s meeting that day (Acts 2:42-47). List the fruits. How do we show the fruits of the Spirit in our lives (Galatians 5:22)? We are God’s temple and house His presence (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). How does this change the way you live this week? Those who believed His message and followed Christ’s testimony wrote practical instructions to follow today. Written by the Apostle Paul, Ephesians 4 is a good example. Write down some samples of life in the Spirit and in the unity of the body of Christ. Pray this for your life, home, family, and church.
The Dwelling Place of God is With Man
The Feast of Tabernacles points to what God has done to be with us, saving us from slavery to sin. Christ proved it by His work to show God’s heart. His Spirit is with us now to help us. It points to the future when we finally go HOME and live with God! Zechariah 14:16 speaks of the coming day of the Lord when all nations will go to Jerusalem and celebrate the three annual feasts, including the Feast of the Tabernacles. as the new Jerusalem comes to the new earth. When the new Jerusalem comes to the new earth, this beautiful gift of God ‘filling’ us will eventually fill the world.
God is fulfilling His desire to make His home with us. He has already done so and will complete His plan. God carried us, His precious children, through the wilderness to a place we can call home. When humanity lost its garden, city, and temple, He sent His Son to live among us, die for us, and make a way for us to be reunited with Him. The Father has never left
us and will never forsake us. He keeps His promises. He fills our empty, vacant hearts with His Spirit, and in them, He places true treasure—overflowing rivers of life and the fruits of the Spirit. He wants us all to know Him and make our home with Him.
Now, we await the second coming of Christ, when His tabernacle will descend from Heaven, and He will establish His home here—a new heaven and a new earth. As Revelation 21:3-6 says, “He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God” (see also Leviticus 26:11-12; Ezekiel 37:27; 2 Peter 3:13). All our brokenness will be healed, our relationships restored, our homes perfected, and our deepest longings fulfilled in Him. Our greatest satisfaction will be living with the One who made us, knows us, and loves us. In our Father’s home, we will find safety, perfect love, and a place where we truly belong.
Obedience and Application
What about our current house? Read Romans 8. What does this passage say about our life in the Spirit? How can we fix our minds on the Spirit? How does this change how we treat others? How does this change how we live? What would you like to do differently this week to be a better person or make the world better? Can you share these truths with someone? Who can you invite to eat at the table so they can “taste and see that the Lord is good”? (Psalm 34:8).
We not only live with the deep joy of Jesus now, but we have the hope of future glory when we are finally home, completely satisfied, and living where we were made to be with our God and our family!
Our bodies, this house, have become a home for God. He takes residence in our hearts, minds, and souls, filling us with His presence and satisfying us. Living by the Spirit requires our attention. We focus our minds on the things of the Spirit, not on the flesh. We invite Him to fill every corner of our lives, leaving no space for pride, selfishness, or worldly desires. Our hearts long to abide in His love, and His living waters flow out of us to touch everyone we encounter (1 John 4:13; John 15:1-11). Our home is being transformed, with the Creator and Master of the house living inside us. He knows us intimately and has placed eternity in our hearts, drawing us closer to Him. He has spoken these words to us so His joy may dwell in us, and our joy may be complete (John 15:11).
Think About It
In what ways do my life and my physical body honor the Master of the House? How does my daily life show acts of worship? How can I be satisfied with Him and those He has given me?
This incredibly valuable gift of God Himself filling us is a miracle we should praise Him for daily! We are God’s temple, His home, and only with the very Creator inside of us can we have true satisfaction as we wait in hope for Christ’s return to take us home, where we belong.
About the Writer:
Alicia Crowe and her husband, Josh, are missionaries who formerly served in Japan and now reside in “Little Japan” in Dublin, Ohio. She loves sharing God’s story as she wanders through life in wonder of her Maker and Storywriter! Her greatest adventure is homeschooling and growing alongside her four kids, Ruby (16), Ellie (14), Josie (11), and Jude (6). She enjoys meeting other travelers from the “Land of the Rising Sun” and telling them about the love of God through His Risen Son.
The Journey of Seeking God’s Presence
BY S A r A h l A w S on
“I’ve done so many things to try to be happy, and nothing is working. I need God!” Faced down on the altar, the young woman was broken and pleading for forgiveness, asking for the strength to overcome her inner struggles.
Every week, our altars are filled with non-believers and believers in quiet desperation, all searching for a lasting sense of fulfillment. Non-believers who have tried living life on their own realize that the world’s pleasures offer only a fleeting escape from the emptiness they feel—and now, they are turning their hearts to Christ. Believers, overwhelmed by the pressures of life, are crying out for God’s strength to navigate their struggles and laying down their burdens. Despite their different paths, they all come to the same realization: God is faithful. He is the only hope we have in this life.
God provided the Law to meet the needs of the children of Israel, and that provision is celebrated during the Feast of Weeks. At Pentecost, He poured out the Holy Spirit—His indwelling presence, empowering believers to accomplish His purpose. So, how do we experience the fullness of this fulfillment found in the Spirit? The key lies in continually seeking God— through prayer, Bible study, and aligning our lives with His purpose. In John 6:35, Jesus tells us, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” Bread and water, essential for survival and woven into Jewish traditions, were used by Jesus to show that true and lasting fulfillment and satisfaction are found in Him alone. The world cannot offer the peace, joy, and purpose the Holy Spirit brings.
The journey of seeking God’s presence and following His guidance isn’t always easy, but it’s the only path to being truly satisfied
The journey of seeking God’s presence and following His guidance isn’t always easy, but it’s the only path to being truly satisfied. In Him, we find everything our longing hearts need. Whether coming to Christ for the first time or seeking His strength through life’s challenges, we find only in Him can we experience the fullness for which our souls were created.
About the Writer:
Sarah Lawtom has been married to her husband, Jimmy, for 26 years, and together they serve at the Community FWB Church in Westland, Michigan, where Jimmy has pastored for the same amount of time and has also served as the Michigan State Promotional Leader for the last seven years. With 20 years of experience at the University of Michigan, Sarah has gleaned skills that she actively applies to her ministry. A proud mother of two daughters, Olivia and Emily, Sarah’s greatest joy is serving alongside her family. She is passionate about mentoring women, fostering their spiritual growth, and empowering them to confidently step into their roles as disciples.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Seeing The Savior’s Strength
In 2017, I went through a dizzying series of ordeals that changed me forever. In April I birthed our second daughter, catapulting me into severe postpartum depression. In May I lost the vision in one eye. And in June I rushed my oldest daughter to the hospital for bacterial meningitis, where doctors also discovered a tumor behind her eyes in July. I wasn’t prepared for any of these crises, and I was understandably shocked and exhausted. Our lives were whirling, and I felt nothing stable to grasp. Nothing, that is, except Christ and the truth He never leaves me to suffer alone. This promise was all I had left, and it turns out it was enough.
After several horrible months, my depression and vision problems were managed with medication, and my daughter made a truly miraculous recovery. All seemed to be resolved, and yet I was not the same. I had fought an epic battle and came out rejoicing, physically beaten down, but somehow spiritually transformed.
I was reminded of Jacob in the Old Testament. In Genesis 32, he also went through a rough battle (wrestled an angel all night), received a blessing from the Lord, and came out forever changed. Before encountering this “heavenly man,” Jacob was known for lying and cheating, living up to his name which meant “Deceiver.” After his wrestling match, however, he emerged with a permanent limp, a new name, Israel, and a whole new identity. He had seen God’s character up close, and he was forever changed.
During my daughter’s hospitalization, in my most desperate moments, God came close to me. He spoke to me through the words of other believers, Scripture, songs, and even through visions. I had never felt God’s presence so intensely. His nearness proved to be my greatest blessing during my life’s greatest trial. Like Jacob, when God showed me a small glimpse of Himself, I knew I had been changed.
My nickname was “Katie.” I decided I could be Katie no longer. Katie had only read about miracles in the Bible; Kate sat on the front row watching one take place in her daughter’s sick body. Katie considered herself a generally capable person; in the span of a few months, Kate got everything taken from her and discovered Jesus was enough to sustain her. Although the battle left me weak, the blessing and the new identity were worth it. The old me relied on myself, but the new me feels blessed to walk in my Savior’s strength, even if it means walking with a permanent limp.
About the Writer:
Kate (McDonald) Speer grew up as a missionary kid in Japan and now serves on the northern island of Hokkaido with her husband Daniel. Besides being a busy mother of 4, Kate enjoys crocheting, baking sourdough bread, camping, and thrifting. She loves spending time with Japanese moms in her community.
The Bread of Life
By Sarah Sargent
I currently teach the preschool Sunday school class at my church. My students do not know this, but I teach them two lessons every week: 1) the Sunday lesson from the D6 Family Ministry curriculum and 2) the same life lesson each Sunday. Their little minds might not remember what I teach them, specifically about Paul and Barnabas or Elisha, but I hope the life lesson we review each week will stick. Here is my Sunday life lesson routine: I hold up my Bible, and they usually do the same with theirs. Then, I ask them the same series of questions. After a few weeks, they know the answers without needing assistance.
“What is this?” “The Bible!”
“What is the Bible?” “God’s special book!”
“Everything in it is?” “True!”
“It tells us what?” “How much Jesus loves us!”
“We can ask it what?” “All of our questions!”
“What does it teach us?” “How to live like Christ.”
When those little children leave my class, I pray they will always know the Bible is special and its words are true! The Bible will tell them how to live and how much God loves them. And if they open its pages and dig into its truths, it will be their guide in life. As a small kid, I learned that lesson, and it is one I try to put into practice daily.
When we read our Bibles, we are blessed with the opportunity to read the entire stories. The warnings, the choices, the results, and sometimes even the consequences are open to us. This often leads to our judging the characters quite harshly. I can think of a few that, in our minds, we would like to throw stones at them: Adam and Eve, the disciples, and most often, the wandering Israelites. I mean, they provided us with over 40 years of material, right? In judging them, let us also remember we have required the daily mercy God provides because we, too, have made mistakes more frequently than we should.
We will spend some time in the desert with the Isra-
elites. In Exodus 16, we catch up with them not too long after crossing the Red Sea onto dry land. They have just left the palm trees and twelve springs of water and find themselves in a barren region. They are feeling ‘hangry.’ In this desperate state, they fall back on their repetitive grumble. “And the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger” (verse 16:3). This verse causes us to question their sanity. They had only been gone from Egypt for a couple of months. Didn’t they remember the taskmasters? The harsh living conditions? The killing of almost an entire generation of baby boys? Living as slaves? Surely, this is not the life for which they are longing. Unfortunately, it is. Looking past all the negatives of bondage, they only see the meat pots and endless bread. They ignore the Creator of the universe, the One currently leading them through the desert by pillars of clouds and fire, has
everything they could ever need; all they need to do is ask. “Hindsight is 20/20.” Indeed, it is. We look back at this story and identify their mistakes right away. But take a moment and think about your life.
Think About It
Do you ever look back at your past with a desire to revisit moments? Have you ever gone back to the things that hurt you?
What about when you are vulnerable? Do you go back to the things that held you captive?
If we are honest, we find ourselves right beside the Israelites, looking back to what we know versus trusting God with what we don’t know. But just like God did for the Israelites, He is creating something better for you and me than our past. Let’s not settle for the “meat pots.” Let’s reach with open arms toward Christ and all the goodness He is preparing for us.
“Then the Lord said to Moses, Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall
go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily” (verses 4-5). I am so grateful we serve a Savior who loves us despite ourselves. Here we see how He lovingly provided a heavenly meal for His children. I wonder what manna tasted like. The description says a flake-like seed that tastes like a wafer made with honey. So … it’s not straight off the Krispy Kreme hotglazed doughnut line I imagined as a kid! But initially, it tasted amazing to the Israelites! Verse 18 says they gathered as much as they could eat. As a picky eater, I can affirm you don’t “gather as much as you can eat” of food that does not taste good. In fact, the manna was so good they ignored the “no leftovers” rule and saved some for the next day. As a result, God permitted the manna to breed worms causing it to stink. He tested their faith and their trust that He would honor His Word and provide this meal every morning except the Sabbath. He also tested their obedience. If they could follow Him in small things, like how to gather food properly, then He could begin to trust them with bigger, more important tasks.
Think About It
Can you see in your life where Jesus has or is testing you with something small to prepare you for something bigger?
God will supply our every need, not necessarily our every want. Are you trusting God to know how much you really need or what you want?
In Exodus 16:32-34, the Lord commanded them to keep an omer (an Israelite unit of dry measure) of manna as a reminder of this heavenly meal. This preserved manna would stand as a testimony to future generations of God’s provision for their ancestors. How great would it be if we were passing down our testimonies to future generations of all the times God provided for us? We should be teaching and speaking about the stories in God’s Word, as instructed in Deuteronomy 6, but we should also be passing down
our personal stories of faith. Like the manna provision for the Israelite descendants, our stories will remind our descendants of God’s provision in current world scenarios.
Think About It
How can you pass down your personal stories of faith to the next generation?
Is there a physical reminder, like the jar of manna, that could remind you of God’s goodness in your life?
In Numbers 11, we read how the Israelites began to detest the manna God was providing. Again, they longed for the meat and fruit they had in Egypt. Despite their grumbling, God continued to provide the daily nourishment of manna until they reached the border of Canaan, the Promised Land. God does that in our lives as well. Despite our occasional grouchy disposition, He still provides us with our needs ‘according to His riches in glory” (Philippians 4:19). Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary says, “The purpose of manna was to test Israel’s faith, to humble them, and to teach them that one “does not live on bread alone but every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:3,16). So, just as God provided nourishment through manna for the children of Israel in the wilderness, He has provided us with spiritual nourishment in the pages of our Bible. Our Women Active For Christ theme for 2025 is “Satisfied,” and if we dig into God’s Word, we will definitely be nourished and satisfied!
Think About It
If manna was a daily provision, doesn’t that show how often we should be in our Bibles?
What other comparisons can you see between manna and the Bible?
“Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the
bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:32-35). This text affirms we no longer need manna from Heaven to maintain life. Jesus is the Bread of Life and the only source we will ever need. Our daily relationship with Jesus will sustain us, much like manna sustained the Israelites in the wilderness. Like so many things in Scripture, the arrival of Jesus provided something so much better than before.
Think About It
What other things did the arrival of Jesus replace?
Can you notice a difference in your day when you fail to spend time with Him in His Word?
2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” Just like we need food and water to maintain our physical bodies, we need daily time in God’s Word to strengthen our spiritual bodies. Fasting is proof that the latter is more important than the first. Jesus verifies this in Matthew 4. He has been fasting for forty days and nights in the wilderness, and verse 2 says He was hungry. Satan begins his fight by going after Jesus’ flesh. “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread” (verse 3). He knows Jesus hasn’t eaten, and He is hungry. Jesus was 100% human, so His flesh felt the effects of no food. He was vulnerable. Satan is pushing the self-worth button, too, “IF you are the Son of God…” Oh, but I love Jesus’ response. “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from God” (verse 4). Jesus is quoting Scripture to Satan. Satan takes the first punch then rallies with Scripture himself. All three times the devil tempts Jesus, Jesus counters with the Word of God. We should do exactly like Jesus when we find ourselves in a fight with the tempter. Use God’s Word against him!
I struggle with a particular topic in my life and Satan drags me into the ring regularly. It’s a topic where I am incredibly vulnerable. After fighting with him over and over and over again, I decided to fight back like Jesus. In my Bible I found a verse that spoke truth to my
struggle. I wrote it on a card and taped it to my computer monitor at work. Now, when the tempter brings this subject up, I read that verse. I remind him he is a liar and repeat God’s Word to him. If he continues to tempt me, I flip my Bible open to Revelation 20:7 and simply remind him of his future.
Think About It
Is there a lie the tempter likes to throw in your face repeatedly?
If so, take time today to research Scripture to speak truth to his lies. If you need to, make copies of the verse(s) and hang them where you are most vulnerable.
We are blessed to have so much access to God’s Word. I can name multiple ways to access God’s Word. You likely have a Bible app on your phone. You have the Bible you carry to church. The internet contains various versions of the Bible. Your bookshelves at home probably have at least two or three copies of the Bible on them. Do you have bad eyesight? Audio Bibles are available. Again, we are so blessed to have access to His Word. Many people worldwide do not have access to the Bible in their heart language. (We must pray about that and provide financial support if possible. Check
out— https://illuminations.bible/ )
Think About It
Take a moment and try to count how many Bibles you have access to in your home.
What simple sacrifice could you make to help financially support translating the whole Bible into the 6,640 languages without it?
Owning a Bible does not make you a student of God’s Word. Just like having a membership to a fitness gym doesn’t make you skinny. Effort and commitment are required. The same is true with studying the Bible. We have access to translations, commentaries, concordances, and dictionaries, but without effort and commitment, these resources are meaningless. God has provided us with the bread, but we must put effort into gathering it for our good. Just like manna gave the Israelites daily nourishment, time in God’s Word will provide for our spiritual needs. When we read the Word, God will open our minds to His plan for our lives. He will guide us in the way we should love and forgive. When we spend time with Him in His Word, He will show us how to be good friends, stewards, and family members. He will open our minds to His promises and the many blessings He bestows on us. As we
grow closer to Him through His Word, He will surround us with His peace, joy, comfort, grace, and the freedom of living by faith.
Think About It
What needs are you longing for that can be met through Scripture? Does spending time studying your Bible feed your spiritual needs?
I have wrestled with wanting to be a better student of the Bible for many years. One time, I heard an illustration that really helped me; unfortunately, I can’t remember the speaker to give proper credit. We often get frustrated with ourselves when we don’t quite understand the Bible’s meanings right away. When we don’t become scholars after a few studies, we get flustered and might even think it’ll never happen. Why do we think the Bible is different from learning any other thing? I would never sit through a couple of Spanish classes and get mad that I’m not fluent in the language. I would never pick up a tennis racket and expect to be a skilled player after a few lessons. The Bible is no different. Time and continued effort is necessary to study His Word. What is so great about the Bible is that we can study it until Jesus returns, and it will always breathe new life and value into our days. Isaiah 55:11 promises His Word will not return void but will prosper in where it was sent. So, spend time with Jesus and His Word. Open your heart and mind to what He wants to share with you daily. Remember, it is within the pages and stories of our Bibles that our own story will find meaning.
I want to end this study with an illustration that wraps us our lesson. Author and speaker Jackie Hill-Perry shared a video on her Instagram account I found very challenging and relatable to this topic.
Let me share some of the video in her words. “Have you ever been to Olive Garden? If you’ve never been there, let me tell you what happens. Once you have been seated at the table they bring you a basket of breadsticks. The most delicious breadsticks you’ll ever have in your entire life. (Second to maybe Cheesecake Factory brown bread with the oatmeal on top.) They bring the basket out and you have yourself one breadstick. Then you lose your absolute mind, and you eat two breadsticks. You may even eat three breadsticks. They may even bring you a little salad with the cheese. Then they bring you a menu. You scroll through and decide you’ll eat chicken marsala or lasagna. Then when the waitress comes out with your meal something strange happens when you realize you don’t even want what you thought you wanted. The reason you don’t want it anymore is because you consumed so much bread that you don’t have capacity for anything else. That’s what happens when you get the bread of life. Knowing Jesus means we can be so full of His love, so full of His power, so full of His truth, so full of His grace, that we don’t have the capacity for foolishness anymore. Because the thing is, we sometimes forget Jesus said I am the Bread of Life. You know what happens when you eat bread? It can hold weight in your body. And so, Jesus is saying, “I’m not just here to save you. I am here to satisfy you!”
About the Writer:
Sarah Sargent is a third-generation member and leader in FWB Women’s Ministries. She has been active at all levels of the ministry from an early age. In 2013, she began serving on the WNAC board and has been a member of the Shine team since its inception, as both a speaker and writer. She serves as President of the women’s ministry at Reynoldsburg FWB Church and President for Ohio FWB Women’s Ministries. She is a proud alumni of The Ohio State University, loves all things Disney and her labradoodles Regal and Lexi.
About the Writer:
Sarah Sargent loves to laugh and make others laugh even more. She is a third-generation member and leader in Free Will Baptist Women’s Ministries. She currently serves as president of the women’s ministry at Reynoldsburg Free Will Baptist Church and president of Ohio Free Will Baptist Women’s Ministries.
Giggles
BY SARAH SARGENT
Have you ever gotten the giggles during a baptism?
At our church, I take photos and videos during baptisms for both the church and the families. I usually stand behind the stage wall on the platform to capture everything from above. This time, at least I was behind a wall when I started giggling, so no one saw me.
In August, we had a baptism for a married couple in their 70s. They wanted to be baptized together. My dad had two men help him, and they filled the baptistry with more water than usual. Everything went smoothly— well, almost. The guy in the middle was supposed to support both the husband and wife as they came up, but he only focused on the husband. Dad lost his balance when bringing her up but managed to recover without any major issues. When the wife stood up, Dad thought the top of her hair wasn’t wet, so he quickly patted her on the head. That’s when I couldn’t hold it in—I started giggling. I’ve seen Dad baptize so many people over the years, but I’ve never seen him pat someone’s head afterward. Later, I asked him why he did that, and he said he wasn’t sure if he’d fully submerged her, so he wanted to make sure. When I rewatched the video, I couldn’t stop laughing. This woman’s hair was a mix of black and grey but mostly looked black—except for a big spot on the top of her head when wet. That’s the “dry spot” Dad thought he missed.
Dad also told me a funny baptistry story from before I was born. When he was a youth pastor at his home church, a young man in his youth group got saved and asked Dad to baptize him. Dad asked my grandpa to help with the baptistry. This was back in the ‘80s when guys had “poofy” hair. When the time came for the baptism, Dad prayed, and they lowered the young man into the water. As Dad tried to bring him back up, my grandpa pushed him further into the water. When the young man stood up, he turned to hug Dad and said, “Your dad just tried to drown me!” They both started laughing. Dad asked Grandpa why he kept trying to submerge the young man, and Grandpa said, “That crazy hair wouldn’t go under.”
As Dad gets older, I’ve noticed he occasionally does and says things more like my grandpa. Apparently, that has crossed over to baptisms and “checking for wet hair.”
Baggin’ Bread
BY Ruth McDonald
My grandma chose a rather obscure Bible verse as her favorite, and I remember her quoting it many times:
“I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread (Psalm 37:25).”
In Grandma’s Missouri hillbilly accent, the last two words became, “baggin’ bread,” and my brother and I found that hilarious. We joked that her version implied Christians don’t work in bakeries, but at least our childish irreverence caused us to memorize her favorite Bible verse.
I’ve never known anyone else who claimed that verse as their favorite, but it makes perfect sense considering the times in which Grandma lived. She married at age 15 and raised 15 children during the Great Depression. Can you imagine? Food, clothing, and jobs were all scarce; she looked to God as her Provider.
Her eighth son, my dad, grew up thinking his mom preferred chicken bones to meat. He’d only ever seen
her sucking the bones after the rest of the family had each eaten a piece. As an adult he finally realized there wasn’t enough to go around—Grandma just ate whatever was left behind. Of course, chicken didn’t make the menu often, and their daily fare was usually beans and cornbread. Times were hard.
Thankfully, I haven’t faced the kind of scarcity her generation endured. But I still look to God as Provider and have often experienced His timely—and even miraculous—provision.
When Donnie and I first started our journey into missions, we were ‘broke’ newlyweds. Our first two years of marriage were spent in Flagstaff, Arizona, working minimum-wage jobs and helping in a church plant. We were barely getting by, but neither of us had come from wealthy homes, so we knew how to pinch pennies. After graduating from Free Will Baptist Bible College (now Welch College), completing coursework in cross-cultural studies followed as the next step towards our becoming missionaries. Moving from Arizona to South Carolina, we enrolled in grad-
uate school at Columbia International University.
At that point we had information that wives of full-time grad students could attend classes free. We had saved for over a year to pay Donnie’s tuition, and when we had accumulated enough, we packed up and drove our little Toyota hatchback across the country. The security deposit for our cockroach-infested one-bedroom apartment removed a chunk from our savings, but, according to our calculations, we still had enough to pay Donnie’s tuition.
Imagine our dismay when we found the policy had changed, and wives no longer attended free of charge. We paid the money we had and trusted God for the rest. God gave us part-time jobs, and we survived that year on potatoes. Living paycheck to paycheck, we wondered what to do when the next tuition payment came due. Each term was $910, and we had only paid the first of three.
As the second term approached, we prayed and looked to our Provider. During this same period of time, we were also praying for a close relative who had fallen on financial hard times due to a house that had not sold. Just before our tuition was due, we received a letter from him with a check enclosed for $1,000. God had sent a buyer for his house, and the check was a tithe for us to continue in school.
No more houses needed to be sold as the third term edged closer. We were sick of potatoes. (But we did have orange juice since the school gave its married students a weekly allotment of Tropicana.) For the next term’s tuition, we were asking our Provider God for another miracle. We needed our final $910 to finish the year thus fulfilling the requirements for appointment as missionaries.
One Wednesday night, a sudden storm came up with thunder, lightning, power outages, and tornado warnings. As we watched out the window, we saw golf-ball-sized hail fall on the cars in the parking lot. The storm soon passed, and our little Toyota now resembled a Skee-ball game—it was pocked with hundreds of round divets.
The next day at grad school, somebody asked if we’d reported the hail damage to our auto insurance. We honestly hadn’t even thought about that, so scheduled an appointment with an adjuster.
It was a simple process. They examined our car and wrote us a check for the damages— $914. On the insurance report, they called it “an act of God.”
We never had the car fixed, and the pockmarks remained as an “Ebenezer” to how our God had helped us. The final tuition was paid; grad school was finished; and later that year, we were appointed missionaries to Japan. With that series of affirming acts of God, we began our 38 years of ministry. He always knows what we need and has no shortage of ways to provide.
About thte Writer:
Ruth McDonald has served as the Director of FWB Women’s Ministries since November 2022. She comes to this position after 38 years of ministry with her husband Donnie as a missionary with IM, Inc. (Free Will Baptist International Mission) in Japan. Born to church planters in the Pacific Northwest, Ruth has also lived in Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Arizona, South Carolina… and, of course, Japan. During her years in Japan, Ruth actively participated in church planting, music, children’s ministry, evangelism, and discipleship. Ruth’s passion is for encouraging women in their faith through writing, speaking, and counseling. Donnie and Ruth have four young adult children and four grandchildren. Her family describes her as “crazy, fun-loving, talkative, and passionate.”
BEHIND THE SCENES
While Jesus walked on earth, He spoke in many parables, using metaphors and analogies that most of His contemporaries would understand. He spoke truth on a deep level, one that would connect with His audience and leave a lasting impression. Many of His parables had to do with simple everyday things familiar to the Jews, such as salt, sheep, and bread. And yet, though dealing with simple things, all these parables conveyed the Gospel in an effective and divine way.
I love this model Jesus set forward for believers and how it allows us to use the “simple everyday things” in our own cultures to communicate the Good News. In Bulgaria, one of those “simple everyday things” is bread.
There is a Bulgarian proverb that says, “Nobody is greater than bread.” This proverb carries deep meaning: it communicates bread’s integral role in bringing nutrition and strength to the body and the fact that life without it (according to Bulgarians) is meaningless. In addition, it brings together young and old, rich and poor. In Bulgaria, bread plays an essential role in many customs and traditions: a special round loaf is prepared during many big life events, such as when a child takes their first steps, when a couple gets married, or when a person dies. In other words, bread is a part of Bulgarians’ lives from birth until death. It is part of every meal, and it teaches Bulgarians to honor the simple things in life and foster a spirit of hospitality and reverence toward those around them.
At New Life Church in Varna, we love using the enormous cultural significance of bread for Bulgarians
in our Bread House ministry. The Bread House is an event we host, during which we invite non-Christian women from our community to come to church or into our homes and learn how to make bread from scratch. And while we teach them how to make and shape the dough, we connect all the ingredients used in the bread-making process (such as flour, yeast, salt, oil, and water) to the Gospel and ultimately to Jesus as the Bread of Life.
It is always beautiful to witness these women hearing the Good News for the first time and understanding it, thanks to the object lesson that bread-making provides. The Bread House gives us an excellent opportunity to contextualize the Gospel in a unique way that Bulgarians can recognize and relate to. It helps us convey the Bread of Life to a hungry, starving world. Therefore, we pray that every Bulgarian woman who attends the Bread House will one day decide to taste from the real Bread of Life so she will no longer hunger for truth, hope, and love. So, she can find all of this and more in Christ Jesus!
About the Writer: Debbie Driscoll was born and raised in Bulgaria, where she actively participated in her parents’ ministry, Trif and Vanya Trifonov. At a young age, she knew the Lord was calling her to the mission field, so she pursued her studies at Welch College, where she majored in English and took many missions classes. At Welch, she met Brenton Driscoll—an MK from Japan who shared her passion for the nations. Brenton and Debbie were married and approved by IM, Inc. to be missionary interns in Bulgaria in 2019. They serve at New Life Church in Varna. The Driscolls have three children: James (4), Ruby (2), and Hallie (almost 2 months).
BY: Brenda Evans
In 1934 on an ordinary Saturday afternoon in Neptune, Tennessee, my 50-year-old grandfather climbed a hog-wire fence in his feedlot. He used a five-foot tobacco stick to steady himself, an action he had done many times. But somehow, that day he lost his balance, fell, and impaled himself in the groin with the tobacco stick. Two days later, Granddaddy D died in a Nashville hospital. My grandmother, Mama Eliza, wrote about that event in her diary:
Saturday, May 26, 1934—D got hurt today. We had Dr. Bell and also Dr. Cunningham and lots of others were here.
Sunday—All D’s people came today and we took him to the hospital in Nashville.
Monday—Oh this awful day…D died about 8 o’clock. It sure is the awfullest thing I ever experienced. We Brought him home.
Tuesday—We buried D today at Rock Springs Church.
Mama Eliza was 42. Many things were broken that day and for years following, as she recorded in her diary for forty additional years. Often, she was literally trying to fix broken things—fences, the contrary flat-bed truck, farm equipment, drought, failed crops, dead calves, chicks, piglets, or lambs. But mostly, Mama Eliza wrote about simply running the farm, going on as best she could, providing for her eight children and two half-brothers, putting in crops, birthing livestock, and laying out heaping bowls of food on their kitchen table.
That year of 1934 in Middle Tennessee, Mama Eliza needed so much. There was drought. She needed rain for corn and tobacco crops and for garden vegetables. With hope, she recorded every cloud, every dew and drizzle, every sprinkle, waiting and praying for dark clouds and downpours. Precious rain would provide for her eight children and two half-brothers.
Our Need
We, too, need so much. Rain for our spiritual drought, nourishment for our hunger, and protection for our
fears. So, we count on the downpour of promises of Psalm 23 and similar passages. David says our Shepherd-Host takes care of us. As shepherd, He protects, guides, and restores. As host, He lays out a satisfying spread at His table.
Look first at the Lord our Shepherd. He promises, “we shall not want” or lack His care. He promises to lead us into green pastures and along still waters. One translator calls these peaceful places, places of rest and reviving. I count on that leading, that guidance to peaceful places. You do, too. My life verse is Psalm 32:8—“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will guide you with my eye upon you.” I want green pastures and still waters. I need protection, satisfaction, and peace.
Our
Restoration
He also promises to restore my soul. Our Shepherd’s restoration is about healing. That may mean physical healing, new flesh growing over an open wound. But also, His healing can mend wounds of the heart, wounds of the soul, wounds of the mind. Restoration also refers to a repair or return. Sometimes I need new flesh growing over old wounds, but other times I need to be repaired or to turn back to better, holier ways. A writer in my prayer guide reminded me today that “when God restores you, He doesn’t just bring you back, He brings you forward.” That’s the restoration I want, a way to go forward on the way everlasting.
Jeannie, a writer I often follow, recently wrote about her family losing their home and all their belongings in a fast-moving Colorado wildfire. Recovery was slow and daunting. She spent days making a detailed inventory of their losses for the insurance company. Most things on the list were replaceable. Still, the process was tedious and left her despondent because irreplaceable, precious things were not on the list: photos of their wedding and their children over all the years and other special memorabilia. Some things money can’t replace.
One day her sister-in-law knocked on their door. She
held out a silver-framed photo album with Jeannie’s wedding pictures and photos of family gatherings that included Jeannie’s children and other relatives. Jeannie had never known about her sister-in-law’s album—this unexpected and precious restoration of lost things. A miracle of sorts to Jeannie, and a reminder to her of the restoration Jesus makes when we come to His table. A restoration that heals and moves us forward.
C. S. Lewis says it this way in A Grief Observed: “God, who foresaw your tribulation, has specially armed you to go through it, not without pain, but without stain.” Pain, loss, and tribulation come. Jesus, our Shepherd, promises to restore us and bring us forward. That’s His promise to us, the sheep of His pasture.
I love the last part of Isaiah 43:1, where the Lord says, “I have called you by name; you are mine.” Hundreds of years later, Jesus affirms that in John 10:3-4. “He calls his own sheep by name and he leads them out … they know his voice.” That’s us—His sheep, called by name, healed, guided, protected, led out, restored, brought forward.
Think About It
1. Be honest with yourself and with the Lord. Do you
ever act as if you can handle things on your own or even handle them better than God can—or at least how you want them handled? Check your actions before you answer. Actions tell the truth about us. Think about it.
2. Rummage through your past with the Lord. List times your Shepherd provided so you had no lack. List other times when He called you by name, guided and restored you physically, emotionally, or spiritually, and moved you forward.
3. Now spend time in a prayer of gratitude, confession, and petition.
4. Prayer: Thank you, O Lord. You are my great Shepherd, Guide, and Savior. I confess my failure to see and trust you for all I need. Keep me from blindness to your provisions, from pride that thinks I can do it alone, and from a self-will that only wants my own way not yours. Restore me. Lead me forward. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Our Protection
Even in the “valley of the shadow of death,” our Lord is there. In peril and in threat, His rod and staff direct and comfort us. How can we forget that? Remember the Red Sea? Revisit Exodus 14. Read how the Lord’s
“When God restores you, He doesn’t just bring you back, He brings you forward.”
presence as a pillar of cloud “moved before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel” (verse 19). Wow! The Lord stood before, behind, and between the enemy and His people. He still does. And if that isn’t enough, Moses adds in his final words to the Israelites before they cross the Jordan forty years later, the Lord was underneath with His everlasting arms (Deuteronomy 33:27). We are His sheep. We are His people. We are His saved ones. We are covered: before, behind, between, beneath. How can I ever worry or be afraid, even in the valley of the shadow of death?
Trouble is, I’ve always been afraid of the dark. I was as a child. I am now in my 80s. I clinch, especially when alone among shadows, dark corners, moonless paths, and unlit streets. An unreasonable creepiness and unease and even terror grab hold of me. My mouth goes dry. My legs feel weak. I loathe that fear, for as I said, it is usually unreasonable. In the light, I scoff at monsters. In the dark, I feel them everywhere.
So, David chides me. Don’t be afraid even in the “valley of the shadow of death.” David means real death, not metaphoric death. So, there it is: fear. In the shadows of night, closed-in, shaded valleys of trouble and worry feel more threatening than open, well-lit plains and grassy hillsides.
The odd thing is as far as I can tell, I am not afraid of death itself or of dying. It’s the shadowy precursor, the moving up to or into death that brings on my dread. I fear incapacitation and impairment that is so often part of that long process of moving from earth to glory. Moving to glory will be—well, glorious! The process of getting there may be wretchedly inglorious.
It’s the WHAT-IFs, the big WHAT-IFs, that disturb me. What if I don’t lie down in peace? What if suffering becomes intolerable for me or for my family? What if days stretch into months and months stretch into years? What if I don’t meet the Lord with grace and patience? What if my final fear brings on guilt and shame?
And so, I am chided. Perhaps you are, too. And we’re
reminded by the writer of Hebrews to look to Jesus, our Shepherd. We’re urged to “lay aside every weight [of worry], and the sin [of worry] which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (12:1-2). Jesus didn’t just start us on our faith journey. He finishes it with us—before, behind, between, beneath. With our Shepherd we can endure and prevail.
Think About It
1. We are often flops or failures. The Word is full of God’s people who were flops and failures: David, Elijah, Moses, Gideon, Peter—all of these had their moments of failure. Read Psalm 40:1-11. Look especially for what this Psalm says the Lord does for those who flop and fail.
2. Prayer: Thank you, O Lord, for this precious reminder that you can pull me out of the mire and set me on a rock. Thank you that your thoughts are turned toward me and my open ear. Thank you for writing your law in my heart. Help me to speak and not conceal your steadfast love and faithfulness to me. Please do not restrain your mercy from me. I need you, Lord, my Shepherd and Friend. Amen.
Our Help
David mentions two instruments of comfort: the Shepherd’s rod and his staff. There are multiple meanings for both words, but I prefer the simplest. The rod for protection, the staff for direction. As a fearful woman, I’m very aware that protection—or safety and security, to put it another way—are important to me. I list them among my needs. I think they are important to many women.
I learned that most graphically in 1992. Because of a bad pathology report, two oncologists told us my husband Bill had zero chances of surviving stomach cancer. Cancer had broken through the wall of the stomach. Nine lymph nodes were cancerous. Fear and grief ravaged me. Terror of the future haunted my sleep and my dreams. Dread sat on my shoulder
like a ruthless monster. So did guilt. Guilt that I could not simply rest in the Lord in peace and grace. It was a horrendous year.
For much of that year, my Shepherd’s rod and staff were invisible to me. But they were still there. Looking back later, I saw His protection and guidance through our valley of the shadow of death. And as it turned out, it was only a shadow of death, not the real thing. Bill— miracle of miracles—lived and still lives more than thirty years later. Even his main oncologist, who was not a Christian, called him a miracle. He was. He is.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that the Lord’s rod and staff always keep us from death. A pastor we knew, also with stomach cancer, died from its ravages a year after Bill’s diagnosis. A dear friend died later that very year of a different cancer. I am saying, however, our Shepherd’s rod and staff are our comfort in our valleys, as David says. May we accept that comfort—always— and never doubt. No matter how dark and deep and fearsome those valleys are.
Think About It
1. Following radical surgery to remove three-fourths of his stomach, Bill was further ravaged by deadly experimental chemotherapy which threatened his life. On one dark night of the soul, when Bill could think only in the very simplest of terms because of the damaging effects of the chemotherapy, he came to Psalm 56:3: “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” Though his brain and soul were seared by chemicals, he held onto those simple words. And in his deepest and darkest valley, they were enough. They are still enough and still his cherished testimony. As I mentioned before, my verse is Psalm 32:8. Bill and I hold onto many promises from the Lord, but these above all.
2. Select a verse to cling to in all your life’s circumstances. Memorize it. Emblazon it on the tablet of your heart and speak it to others as your testimony.
3. Prayer: O Lord, thank you for your precious Word. I want to keep your commandments and hold onto your promises. Bind them on my heart. When I walk, may
they lead me. When I lie down, may they watch over me. When I wake, may they counsel me. For your commandments are a lamp, and your teaching is a light and the way of life. Amen. (This prayer adapted from Proverbs 6:20-23.)
Our Table
Now, what specifically should we know about the Lord as our Host—our Host at His table? Several things come to mind. His table is prepared and I am His guest (verse 5). There it is, prepared before me, right in front of me. No need to Google the address or go searching down the street or call to make reservations. His table is already there, reserved, in front of me, and ready. I need only to come, sit, and feast.
As Host, the Lord also anoints my head with oil. In our century, we try to avoid oily heads. But here the oil of anointing suggests the Lord’s approval. He wants us at His table. He has chosen us, invited us to be there. The anointing shows His hospitality, His welcome, His gladness that we came. He applies the oil onto our heads, graciously stroking us with honor, respect, and favor. What a Host!
In addition, David notes that He brings us to His table “in the presence of my enemies” (verse 5). Imagine the scene: the enemies of our soul watching helplessly as we are feted at the Lord’s table. Those enemies, whoever they are, have no power to snatch us away, to threaten or intimidate or send us away from the Lord’s table.
Think About It
1. What are some ways you know today that you have the Lord’s approval and are welcome at His table? How has He “anointed your head with oil,” shown you favor, extended hospitality, made you welcome at His table?
2. Think about times you have felt your enemy (Satan and his cohorts) or other enemies of the faith “watching” or even lying in wait for you? Were you afraid? What did you do or not do? After reading Psalm 23:5, what might you do in the future?
3. Prayer: Oh, Lord, my Host and my Friend, thank you
for bringing me to your table. Help me as I accept your grace and favor and anointing. Help me to truly feast there with you, feed on your precious favor, and rest safely and satisfied in your presence. Amen.
Our Cup
And finally, we can say, “my cup runneth over.” On Sunday morning, I usually get up a few minutes before Bill and head to our bathroom for a shower. Pretty soon I hear him stirring in the kitchen, rattling coffee cups, putting K-cups in the coffeemaker. Shortly, there’s a cup of hot brew on my vanity counter, brimming full, almost running over. I relish that once-a-week ritual he has established. He knows I like coffee right away. He doesn’t want me to wait. He fixes it for me. A gracious act.
How can we ever fail to see the Lord gives us just such a cup—full, even running over with “goodness and mercy” and all the spiritual benefits of His close attention to our needs and wants? And it’s not only for a rushed Sunday morning getting ready for church. It’s for “all the days of my life” (verse 6).
I remember cupping my hands at a little spring beside the highway in Dickson County, Tennessee, back in the 1950s. A pipe gushed a small stream of good water. The way to drink it was to cup your hands and catch a little, then sip, or slurp, or lap like a dog to quench your thirst. I was never very good at it. There’s no sipping or slurping or lapping like a dog at the Lord’s cup. It’s brimming full and He brings it right to us every day and every hour and every minute that we pay attention and drink from it. Oh, how good our Host is. How generous and gracious is His steadfast love and provision for us—every day of our life.
Think About It
1. List on paper many of the good things the Lord, your Host, has poured into your cup. Share your list with a friend or family member. We should testify of His provision.
2. Ask yourself, “Who am I?” Here is what the Lord calls us: His child (John 1:12), Christ’s friend (John 15:15), a saint and faithful one (Ephesians 1:1), His coworker (2 Corinthians 1:24), His workmanship (Ephesians 2:10), a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20), His adoptee (Ephesians 1:5)—and many more.
3. Prayer: Turn to Psalm 103 and read it aloud as a prayer of gratitude for all His “benefits,” for all He says we are in His Word, and for the overflowing cup of blessing and help and provision He gives us.
And Finally
Peter’s benediction: “May the God of all grace, who called us to eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect [restore], establish, strengthen, and settle you. To him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen” (I Peter 5:10-11).
About the Writer:
Brenda Evans reads, studies, occasionally lazes around, and regularly writes for magazines and anthologies. She and Bill live on the banks of Rockhouse Fork Creek in Ashland, Kentucky. You may reach her at beejayevans@windstream.net.
Always There
BY Diana Bryant
This past Christmas was wonderful! We spent time with family and extended time with our children and grandchildren. How thankful we are for the good times! We enjoyed the shared experiences, the special memories made, and the laughter. While we love the good times and are thankful for each one God gives us, most of our learning and spiritual growth is realized due to our trials. While we never yearn for difficult situations, we can be grateful for the lessons God teaches us and the maturity we can gain from them.
Trials come in all forms, as does the wisdom gained if we pay attention. Our difficulties might involve finances, health issues, or relationships. We might pray for wisdom to make medical decisions, provision for our material needs, or grace to show compassion to loved ones. Sometimes, as we struggle, we pray, “Lord, be with me today.” But what we need to realize is that He is already there!
Many memorized Matthew 28:20 long ago. “Lo, I am with you always.” Hebrews 13:5 is just as familiar, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” Those verses are easy to memorize and comforting to repeat. But perhaps we’ve grown too familiar with them and don’t realize the depth of the promise made by Jesus.
He has promised to be with us always! One commentator pointed out this particular word translated as “always” was literally “the whole of the day.”
When Christ is with us “the whole of the day,” He protects us when we don’t even recognize danger. As we acknowledge His presence, He provides direction when we’re unsure which path to take. His peace and comfort far surpass what we can provide for ourselves or each other. When we recognize He is there and surrender our will to Him in whatever troublesome situation we face, we can have a strength that is not our own, but is His strength given to us. He can provide clarity of thought and wisdom far above what we can produce on our own. We can go beyond the academic knowledge of these promises and experience their reality.
Remembering and trusting that Christ is always there, ready to provide, keeps our trials from being simply trials and turns them into lessons that strengthen us for the next difficult moment.
About the Writer: Married to Randy Bryant, Diana has been a pastor’s wife for 42 years. She has been active in WNAC at all levels, and currently chairs the Florida Women’s Ministries Board. Diana has a heart for women’s ministry, especially ministry wives and young moms.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Hosting “Table Talk” at Welch College has been my privilege for many years. This Thursday night gathering for female students meets at the president’s home, focusing on extending hospitality and forming meaningful relationships. Our goal is to show Christ’s love to younger women, letting them know they matter and are cared for.
We continue to ask the question, “How can we show the love of Christ to these younger women, letting them know we care about them while forming meaningful relationships with them?” Our approach is to invite young ladies into an atmosphere of hospitality. When we invite these young women into a physical space that is warm, welcoming, and loving, they immediately receive the message, “I am cared for, and I matter.”
Our motivation is the Titus 2 model and mandate of older women mentoring and pouring themselves into younger women. If there is one thing that we are to be intentional about as Christian women, it is the formation of relationships with young women—sharing our lives with them.
Often, I hear “older women” express thoughts like: “What do I have to offer anyone?” or “I don’t have much theological knowledge,” or “There are plenty of other women who have special gifts.” The needs are simple: to be loved as Christ loves, to be cared about, to be pointed to Christ, and to a Christian way of viewing the world and themselves.
Practically speaking, what do we need to practice hospitality and reach out to younger women? Not much. You don’t need a fancy or large home. You can practice hospitality and mentoring in a small home, even in a dorm room, a one-bedroom apartment, or a back porch.
Here are some practical tips that guide me:
1. Invite guests into your kitchen or your cozy space. People don’t care how well it’s decorated or how “up to date” your space is. People are immediately put at ease in a kitchen.
2. Always have something for your guests to do and to hold. Having a beverage station provides both. This drink station helps eliminate those first awkward
moments when visiting a new place. Anticipate needs: have cups, napkins, a trash can, coffee, condiments, and so on, very visible. Give guests instructions about the restroom location and where to place their coats.
3. Consider having a DIY (do-it-yourself) activity to break the ice and to practice some mentoring, like painting pumpkins, creating a simple flower bouquet in a jar, and dipping different foods in chocolate together (and eating them!)
4. Don’t do everything yourself—ask other mentors to bring snacks or help lead the demonstrations.
5. If you have a study or discussion, take turns with others.
6. Let your guests know what to expect ahead of time. If you advertise for one hour, stick to it. If people feel held captive, they won’t return. And don’t rush them off, but pause at the set time to end and give your guests the opportunity to leave.
7. Don’t worry if guests arrive late or leaving early.
8. One of the challenges of hosting people is never knowing who will come! If just a few attend, don’t take this personally or declare failure. Use these times as opportunities to get better acquainted with those who attended. Every woman who comes is individually important!
All women are longing for human connection. It’s a basic human need. Younger women are eager to learn from older mentors. When Christians gather intergenerationally, mentoring happens almost accidentally.
As image bearers of God, we crave embodied relationships with real human beings. The act of hospitality creates an environment where these relationships develop, and Christian wisdom is shared with the next generation.
About the Writer: Melinda has served for 23 years at Welch College alongside her husband Matt, who is Welch’s president. She is the mother of two adult children, Anna and Matthew. She works at Welch in logistics and strategy and leads Table Talk, a mentoring group for female students.
Just Being Ruthful*
BY Ruth McDonald
What is your favorite love language? I’m a bit embarrassed to admit I enjoy all five: gifts, acts of service, words of affirmation, quality time, and touch. I guess I really love being loved!
For many years, I thought my favorite was gifts. I remember the giddy feeling when my mom came home from work on Fridays with a small treat for me and my brother. Those “treats” meant she had been thinking about me, and what a happy feeling I had from the inside out. All week I looked forward to those gifts. Even though they were small and inexpensive items like bouncy balls or candy, I knew they were her way of showing me she loved me.
But then there was that one acquaintance who changed my mind. She never forgot my birthday or Christmas, remembering each of them with a perfectly wrapped present. And typically, she left the gift somewhere at our workplace without giving it to me in person. Always refusing my invitations to go out for coffee or lunch, she never spent time with me. Being remembered made me happy, but I didn’t feel we had a real relationship—it felt a bit … hollow. The gifts, though nice, seemed to be given out of obligation.
If we’re not careful, our walk with Christ can become a dutiful check mark on our ‘to-do’ list—impersonal, hollow, and something we know we should do. Perhaps even our church attendance, Bible reading, our giving, and acts of service feel like just “covering our bases.” We all know the most precious gestures come from a true and spontaneous heart of love. That’s why we treasure those dandelions given by grubby little hands and the little things our husband brings home “just because.” Both prove it really is “the thought that counts.”
In this issue, we are diving deeper into the coming of the Holy Spirit in our study of Pentecost. We are focusing our desires on being satisfied in the Spirit and the great provision of the Lover of our Soul. We love because He first loved us, and He did it (and continues to do it) so lavishly. As you read and meditate on this issue, may you bask in His extravagant and heartfelt love for you. May you be so filled with gratitude and thanksgiving your heart overflows with genuine love for Him. May your passion for Him fill you and motivate everything you do.
Nothing could be more satisfying than that.
*Ruthful is an archaic English word (the opposite of ruthless) meaning “full of compassion.”
