Read an Excerpt
Encouraging Words for Women
By Darlene Sala Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Copyright © 2002 Darlene Sala
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-62836-534-4
CHAPTER 1
When Your Situation Seems Impossible
God Is Able
What can God do? Maybe we should turn that around and ask, "What can't God do?" Can you think of anything?
How about that problem you're grappling with? Because you're so close to it, does it seem bigger than God? Does it cast a shadow that seems to hide God's presence? When life's troubles loom over us, we all tend to lose our sense of perspective. As we focus on our problems, God seems to fade into the background of our lives; from our faulty point of view, His presence seems tiny and insignificant. In times like these, we need to remind ourselves of the simple but incredible description the apostle Paul gives of what God can do. Paul tells us that God "is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine" (Ephesians 3:20).
In order to really grasp that verse in a practical way, I need to break it down into bite-sized truths. Paul is saying that God is able to do ...
What I ask.
All I ask.
More than all I ask.
Immeasurably more than all I ask.
What I can imagine.
All I imagine.
More than all I imagine.
Immeasurably more than all I ask or imagine.
Wow! That should be enough for my problems today!
But there's more. Paul tells us how God can do all this. He does it "according to his power that is at work within us." That power is resurrection power — the power that raised Jesus from the dead, the power of Jesus' "indestructible life" (Hebrews 7:16)!
Maybe you're thinking, That sounds great, but I don't know exactly how it applies to a practical approach for the problem I'm facing. Well, think of it this way: If God could raise Jesus from the dead, is that power enough for you at the point of your neediness? I'd say so, wouldn't you? The Creator of the universe is ready to use His power in your life.
This power of God's is not merely an abstract capability He reserves for creating planets and stars and universes. He is also at work within us who are His children. Yes, His power lives inside us, working from the inside out. Our part is:
• to cooperate with what He is doing;
• not to get in His way;
• to let Him achieve in our lives what He wants to; and
• not to insist on doing things "our" way.
Then His power can bring about what we could never accomplish in our own strength.
So when you put yourself and your dilemma in the middle of this verse of Paul's, what part of your problem is too big for God?
The God of Impossible Situations
The Red Sea in front, mountains on two sides, the armies of Egypt bearing down from behind! No visible means of escape!
That's the situation where the children of Israel found themselves. Their predicament was a total surprise, for after all, Pharaoh had just let the people leave Egypt, saying, "Good riddance!" Unfortunately, after the people left, the Egyptian king had a change of heart. Suddenly Pharaoh realized he had just fired his labor force, and he wanted them back.
You probably know the story — God miraculously blew back the waters of the Red Sea so that His people could cross on dry land. Can you imagine the on-cloud-nine joy of God's people as they stood on the other shore of the Red Sea, safe from their enemies? A song of praise surged from their hearts:
"I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him."
Exodus 15:1–2
Notice that phrase "He is my God." The God they were singing about was the God who had brought ten miraculous-though-miserable plagues on the Egyptians in order to move Pharaoh's heart to let them leave Egypt. But now He was also the God of the Red Sea crossing! They now knew this miracle-working God was their God! Israel had the God of the Impossible Situation on their side!
What kind of God do you have today? Is He the God of the impossible? An old gospel chorus, based on a song written during the building of the Panama Canal, says,
Got any rivers
you think are uncrossable?
Got any mountains
you can't tunnel through?
God specializes
in things thought impossible.
And He can do
what no other one can do.
You, too, can say, "He is my God!" If you offer Him the throne of your life, He will give you His guidance when you face the Red Sea of the Impossible Situation. He will be your God, too!
Doing the Impossible
With my God I can scale a wall," says Psalm 18:29.
Maybe that's not a big deal for you. It does not bother my son Steve, either — he climbs the highest stone precipices in Yosemite for fun! But for me this verse pretty much represents an impossibility. I just can't climb walls, let alone granite-faced mountains. (Steve says when it comes to mountaineering, he can hardly believe he and I share the same genes!) So, too, in the circumstances of life; by myself the obstructions are too high to surmount, too difficult.
But does God ever ask me to do the impossible? I have to answer, "No." That means with God, I can get over any barrier to doing His will, right? Well, that's what the verse says.
So I'll just repeat to myself over and over, "I can scale that wall. I can scale that wall. I can scale ..."
No, that won't work. It's not enough just to psych myself up. My only hope of getting over the wall is "with my God." I need His strong arm helping me.
God has given us some great promises, and He will help us when we are climbing walls. "I cling to you; your right hand upholds me," says Psalm 63:8. "Your arm is endowed with power; your hand is strong" (Psalm 89:13). This one is my favorite: "'For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you'" (Isaiah 41:13).
It's amazing the difference it makes when someone helps you up and over an obstacle. Grasping an outreached hand is sometimes just the assistance you need. How much more help we find when we grasp God's outstretched hand!
This is no puny hand that God offers to us. Isaiah asks a question that describes how big and strong God's hand is: "Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?" (Isaiah 40:12), and the obvious answer is "God." "'My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens,'" says God in Isaiah 48:13.
So the next time God gives you an "impossible" job to do, reach for His powerful hand, ask for His strength, and count on Him to help you up and over the obstacles. Remember, God never asks us to do the impossible. He knows our strength is seldom great enough — but His always is!
When God Says "No"
Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask," said James and John, two of Jesus' disciples. Now, I can relate to that! I always want Jesus to do whatever I ask Him to do.
Their request, it turns out, was rather presumptuous: They wanted to sit on the right and left of Jesus in heaven. But the Lord didn't speak harshly to them. I can imagine Jesus slowly shaking His head as He responds gently, "You don't know what you are asking" (see Mark 10:35–38). I'm sure there are times when I don't comprehend what I'm asking, either.
Most of us understand that God answers our prayers one of three ways:
• Yes
• No
• Wait awhile
We sometimes say, "I received an answer to prayer today!" Of course, we almost always mean that God said "Yes" to one of our requests. But "No" is an answer to prayer, too. And thank God that as the good parent He is, God loves me enough to sometimes say "No."
Of course I always ask God for what I want, but with my limited knowledge and foresight, I don't always know what is best for me. Like a child who repeatedly begs for Skittles and Slushies, I often ask for things that aren't best for my spiritual nutrition. But if I ask for something that is not for my own good, I can be assured that God will say "No." He will not say "Yes" when He should say "No."
Did you ever notice that God the Father answered Jesus' prayer with a "No" answer? On the night when Jesus was betrayed and arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, three times He prayed, "'My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me'" (Matthew 26:39). God the Father answered His Son's prayer, but His answer was "No." Because the Father said "No," you and I have salvation from our sins and will spend eternity with Him.
"We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God." (Romans 8:26–27). God helps us in our ignorance and lack of wisdom.
When you're praying for something specific, be encouraged. Today God may say "Yes." Then again, He may say "Wait awhile." But if He says "No," remember that truly our heavenly Father knows best!
Facing the Facts
Once upon a time God promised two senior citizens, Abraham and Sarah, that they would have a baby — something that at their stage in life was obviously an impossibility. Now, Abraham, famous as he was as a man of great faith, was not stupid. He totally understood that hundred-year-old men and ninety-year-old women don't become parents. Yet Abraham faced the facts of the situation — and still trusted God. He chose to believe the promise.
Notice what the Bible says about Abraham: "Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead — since he was about a hundred years old — and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised" (Romans 4:19–21). That's what I call "radical reliance" on God!
My aunt Lois recently faced a decision on whether or not to risk having a stent placed in her nearly blocked artery. Prior to performing the procedure, the doctor looked the family straight in the eyes and said, "Before I even go to scrub, I want you to know that her chances of pulling through are one in a thousand!"
Lois and Jim had to face the fact that she was "as good as dead," to use the biblical expression. Yet, without weakening in their faith, they elected to trust God and go ahead with the process, and God saw fit to bring her through it. Obviously, God was not finished with her yet!
The facts of any situation include the hopelessness of the difficulty you face, but they also include the reality of God's power to work in your impossible situation.
Someone said,
• Look around — and be distressed,
• Look within — and be depressed,
• Look to Jesus — and be at rest.
In fact, that's the only way you can be at rest when you face an impossible situation: Look to Jesus. Focus on Him instead of on the circumstances. Fill your mind with God's Word. Concentrate your attention on His promises.
Yes, faith means that you face reality — and then make a conscious choice to believe and trust God. When we do, we practice Abraham's "radical reliance" on God.
CHAPTER 2
When You're in the Dark ... and Afraid
Don't Be Afraid
When an angel appears to someone in the Bible, often the first thing the angel says is, "Do not be afraid." That's not surprising, is it? I've never had an angel appear to me, but I'm sure if one did, I would want to hear those words. It happened that way to Hagar, Gideon, Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds in the fields, and the two Marys at the empty tomb.
Actually the phrase "Do not be afraid" is found over and over in scripture. Philip Yancey says, "The Bible contains 365 commands to 'fear not' — the most reiterated command in the Bible." I think that's because God knows how prone we are to be afraid any time we meet up with something we don't understand or can't control — whether it's an angel or an ominous event in our lives.
When I looked up the phrase "Do not be afraid" in a Bible search program, I was surprised and excited to find that it is almost invariably linked with something about God — His presence, His power, His past performance, or His promise. "Do not be afraid, for I am ..." Or "Do not be afraid, for I have ..." Or "Do not be afraid, for I will ..."
Apparently, the antidote to fear is the knowledge that God is with us, God is powerful, and God promises to help us.
One of my favorites of these verses is Isaiah 41:10. Over and over in my life I have been encouraged by these words:
"So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
When I was a very little girl, my dad used to take me for walks. My hands were still very tiny and his were very large; I would hold on to one of his fingers so that I wouldn't fall. But he knew that wasn't enough, for if I started to tumble, I could easily lose my grip on his finger. He used to let me hold his finger, but then he would wrap his other big fingers around my little hand so that even if I let go, he would still be holding on to me. He said that was a picture of the way God holds us with His big hand.
Yes, Lord, hold my hand tightly. I'm holding on to You, but even more important, I'm glad You're holding on to me — more than ever when I am afraid!
Love and Fear
I always want to understand what is happening in my life. I can put up with a lot of discomfort and even misery if I know why.
Gideon felt that way. One day the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and said, "'The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.'"
"'Pardon me, my lord,' Gideon replied, 'if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us?'" (Judges 6:12–13).
I can relate to that! Yes, I know in my head that God has promised never to leave me or forsake me. But if all that is true — and it is — why am I going through such a hard time? As Gideon put it, "Why has all this happened to me?" When things aren't going my way and I don't understand, I begin to be anxious. Fear grips my heart.
John writes something that sounds very profound, but you have to mull it over for a while to appreciate the full meaning. He says, "Perfect love drives out fear" (1 John 4:18). My first impulse is to respond, "No, John, I think you have it wrong. That should read, 'Perfect understanding drives out fear.' If God would just tell me why I have to deal with this nasty situation, I wouldn't be afraid." But that's not what John says. He says that perfect love drives out fear — that love is the supreme weapon against fear.
When I truly understand how much God loves me, fear leaves my heart as darkness does when the sun rises. That's because love always says ...
• I want the best for you — always.
• I have in mind your ultimate good, not just your present comfort.
• My love includes discipline, for I care too much for you to allow you to become a spoiled brat.
The best thing I can know during a difficult time is that the One who allows that difficulty is the One who loves me more than anyone else does in the whole universe. No, I may not understand the state of affairs, but I know He loves me — deeply.
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. 1 John 4:16
Shepherd, Father, King
Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom'" (Luke 12:32). In one statement Jesus conveyed three different ways that our heavenly Father shows His concern for us:
• "Little flock"
• "Your Father"
• "The kingdom"
Talk about mixed metaphors! Jesus used three here. Can't you just see the red circles on the paper if Jesus had submitted this passage as part of an assigned English essay?
But Jesus wanted to be as reassuring as possible. He truly wanted to spare us from fear, so He used not just one but three images to communicate to us why we should not be afraid. He wanted us to know that God is our Shepherd, our Father, our King!
Each of these metaphors conveys the message that God's understanding of the situation is far superior to ours. After all, sheep are pretty dumb creatures, children lack experience, and subjects of a kingdom don't know all there is to know about the state of affairs in the realm. But God does!
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Encouraging Words for Women by Darlene Sala. Copyright © 2002 Darlene Sala. Excerpted by permission of Barbour Publishing, Inc..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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