Sheltered in the Cleft

The Best Of Times... Hopelessness

2011-05-05T10:11:00.000-07:00

The best times in my life are when I feel the worst and hope is gone.

It is in my darkness that the Lord shines His brightest and gives me a hope. Hope in Him, and trust that all he has for me is for good and not evil. (Jeremiah 29:11)

The unprotected and vulnerable part of me is my heart. It's where Satan attacks. He knows it is the bullseye for gaining a stronghold in me.

It starts with sorrow. Sorrow for not having what I want most. Sorrow turns to fear.
Fear tells me things may be worse than I think they are, Fear tells me things will never change and I will have to live with these things for the rest of my life.
Fear turns into anger, and anger turns into unforgivness and self-centeredness. When all these emotions have been allowed to run their course and it produces no change in my life or situation, I arrive at hopelessness.

It is at the point of hopelessness the Lord picks me up and washes me in His love and reminds me that I don't need to look out for myself and make sure I get whats best for me... thats His job and I'm not trusting Him with me.

Shame overcomes me for not finding my all in Him, and wanting more than giving. Giving what He daily gives me;
Love,
companionship,
faithfulness
and forgivness.

Repentence removes the shame. With repentence I am filled once again with His love. His strength. His power. His purpose.
And His eternal, un-ending hope.

Hope removes sorrow. And sorrow is where it all started.

"And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my stength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong".

2 Corinthians 12: 9, 10

Remember...

2011-02-17T15:58:00.000-08:00

Satans power is limited... God's is unlimited!

Light In The Darkness

2011-01-03T10:27:00.000-08:00

"Like waifs clustered around a blazing fire, we gathered around it (the Bible), holding out our hearts to its warmth and light. The blacker the night around us grew, the brighter and truer burned the word of God."

- Corrie Ten Boom

Wives and Daughters...

2010-11-13T14:41:00.000-08:00

In all our actions we are to be imitators of God.

Let all bitterness and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:31 & 32, 5:1

Dont let someone elses behaviour or your circumstances determine whether you will be imitators of God or not. Examine your hearts. Do you want to obey God for HIS SAKE, or your own?

2010-10-24T20:03:00.000-07:00

"This hard place in which you perhaps find yourself is the very place in which God is giving you opportunity to look only to Him, to spend time in prayer, and to learn long suffering, gentleness, meekness-- in short, to learn the depths of the love that Christ Himself has poured out on us all ".

Elisabeth Elliott

Peace

2010-05-21T05:59:00.000-07:00

Restlessness and impatience change nothing except our peace of mind and joy.
Peace does not dwell in outward things, but in the heart prepared to wait trustfully
and quietly on Him who has all things safely in His hands.

Elisabeth Elliott

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace,
whose mind is stayed on thee:
because he trusteth in thee".
Isaiah 26:3

The Storm

2010-04-17T09:06:00.000-07:00

The storm isn't to be looked at. It's to be used to focus on Him. You are not in charge of the weather nor are you to be a hapless bystander. It is all for the glory of God. He wants you to grow and be wise and able to hear when He speaks. He wants your ear so disciplined to His voice that when the wind blows you can hear him. Only Him. He wants you to keep your eyes on Him when the sky is black.
He wants you to be so stayed on Him, that what He tells you to do, you will do, no matter what is going on around you. He is testing you to see that you will obey and follow Him. It is not heartless, but heartfelt. Do you love Him? Do you trust Him? Then reach out to Him while you walk out into the storm obeying His voice. He will keep you. There is a prize for you and glory for Him. The prize is the soul that watched you and saw Christ. A soul saved and brought into the kingdom because of your obedience.

Be of good courage! In the darkest and fiercest of storm you are not alone or in charge. Trust and step out. Step to the one who is there.

2010-04-05T11:01:00.000-07:00

George Muellar advised:

Dearly beloved, don't be discouraged if you have to suffer from unconverted relatives. Perhaps very shortly the Lord may give you the desire of your heart, and answer your prayer for them. But in the meantime, seek to commend the truth, not by reproaching them on account of their behaviour toward you, but by manifesting toward them the meekness, gentleness and kindness of the Lord Jesus Christ.

What is a godly woman?

2010-03-31T09:34:00.000-07:00

A woman who knows her reason for being. (Genesis 2:18)
Walks in such a way that attributes of God's character are revealed through her uniquely created position as woman.

A godly woman knows her handbook for godliness, and the Lord's will for her, is given to her in the Bible and she embraces the truths therein. She reads the Word and is a doer of the Word to become what He wants her to be. Not to use it to measure the godliness or godlessness of another. She serves the Lord, not herself. She acts and makes decisions based upon her sevice to Him, as a helper to her husband (Genesis 2:18) and keeper of her home (Titus 2:5). Her "felt" needs do not rule or dictate what she does or does not do, neither do circumstances. She does not pursue the worlds current or cultural views for what a woman should do or think, but takes every thought captive (II Corinthians 10:5) and submits her will and thoughts to God's purpose for her. She obeys the Word and leaves the outcome in His hands. She does not do in order to get, including God's blessings. She models godliness more than teaches it. Godliness is the garment she wears not declares.

There is so much more that could be said. The Bible is full of what is and how to, be a woman. All the "what if's" positions of ... "I'm not married", "I don't have children", "I don't have my own home" do not change the fact that you were born woman. And if you were born a woman the Lord has a work for you to do in the vane of being woman. On this blog I will often point you to others who are more thorough in explaining the specific roles of women in all stages of life. My blog's primary focus is to encourage women who know what a godly woman is and are keepers at home (or want to be), but are stuggling due to difficult and challenging circumstances and are needing encouragement to stand and persevere.

This blog is for the married woman, the unmarried, the maiden and the older woman who needs to be reminded why she is so important to the well being of families for many generations! Every womans call is to be a Titus 2 woman. We are all either the older woman or the younger. The older instruct and teach and model, and the younger woman executes the wisdom and skill taught her in being a keeper at home and a godly woman. Start wherever you're at. Whatever situation you find yourself in. Learn what God's will for you as a woman is by starting in the Word of God. Then study and learn from those who are living and applying those biblical truths in being godly, in being a keeper, in being a helper, in being a woman.

About This Blog

2010-03-19T08:02:00.000-07:00

Initially I intended for this blog to be only a place of encouragement for those who are trying to love and live as godly women in difficult circumstances; but sometimes we need to be reminded why we need to hang on, not just that we should.

Biblical, godly, intentional, womanhood has been nearly obliterated from women's minds and hearts. We have been willing victims for many generations but a spiritual revolution is underway. We are tired of all the "me"-psychology that tears families apart rather than heals them, and where the only thing left at the end of our day is to to embrace and nurture ourselves and our "rights".
Women, young and old, are beginning to realize that their identity and purpose has been stolen from them. Divorce and broken families cause men and women not to fulfill their purpose as was designed by their Creator. For His glory, our protection, and yes... our happiness and fulfillment.
Happiness and fulfillment are results of counting it all joy to obey His will for ourselves. His purpose is our purpose. We run after things that we believe will elevate us and liberate us; we listen to the spirit of lies and succumb to the the worlds current, yet always evolving, view about ourselves and lives. We have allowed the culture to determine what we should do about our future, our children, our families, our problems and ourselves, rather than going to the One who created us and created marriage. What has been the fruit of that? Is it eternal? Has it adorned your position as woman, or undermined it? Eternity exists for everyone. Eternal glory in heaven, or eternal damnation and suffering in hell.

Your life and choices influence what will happen to not only you, but to your husband, your children and those around you. Embracing and living out God's purpose for you as a woman is God's plan for you and key, to preparing the way for others to come to Christ. The first clue in knowing what you're here for is knowing that you're woman! The moment you were conceived your purpose and calling was already determined according to your GENDER. How you are to influence the world for Christ starts with you fulfilling your role as woman. So that is where you need to begin. Study and search the Word deeply to know what God's plan for woman is. Our gifts are different. But our roles as women are the same. Don't go to the world and its traditions and philosophy to learn how to be a woman. Go to the Word, God's Word. Pray and study. We are called to be set apart from this world. That starts with our thought life! Even our thoughts are to be obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5)

If you're not happy, my guess is that you're allowing your emotions to lead. You're letting pain, fear, anxiety, anger, resentment, self- entitlement and pride, be the centerpiece of your existence. It leads, it directs, it controls. I understand. It is my daily struggle. When your love for the Lord super cedes that of anything else including your hearts desires, you will find joy, even in suffering. You will chase after a purpose greater than yourself.

On this blog I hope and pray that you will find encouragement, but also reminders of why and how to be a godly woman according to scripture. It took but a few individuals to begin the movement of robbing women of their purpose and eroding family life but it will take an army, armed with a Sword to reclaim it.

An Introduction

2010-03-04T12:55:00.000-08:00

My name is Beth. I'm a fourty-three year old wife and mother of six.

I've lived a good life, but a life that has also been full of pain, heartbreak, dissapointment and sin. A great deal of the pain and heartbreak was due to sin... mine.
For the past twenty-four years the Lord has been teaching me the importance of being a godly woman and how to persevere in godliness regardless of the circumstances and behaviour of others.
When I first got married I had no concept of what a godly marriage was, only a good marriage.
I belived if I was a "good" wife, I would be loved, and if I was loved, I would be happy. I believed if I loved my husband well he would be good, kind and faithful till death due us part.

Even though I was converted when I was eight and raised in a christian home with a pastor for a father, I was never taught God's design for men, women and marriage.
Christianity was a way to live life but I was never taught it was the source of life. The source for knowing, being and doing. I never knew that I had a purpose just because I was a woman.
I was never taught the consequences of sin, only that I shouldn't sin. I wasn't taught that life could be hard and people cruel and that there was biblical answers to both. I was never taught how to respond to someone who was sinning against me,
so I made decisions contrary to my purpose; being a godly woman, which would in turn make me a faithful servant to my Lord.
I didn't commit gross sins. I didn't drink, do drugs and run around. I wasn't a rebellious teen. But because I had no idea of what it meant to be a godly woman or how important it was not only for my sake but for God's glory, I made decisions that brought many trials for both me and my children and dishonour to the Lord and God's people. I was very naive. Sometimes foolish, and sometimes just rebellious to what I knew to be right. So for the past twenty-four years my heavenly Father has chastised me, convicted me and put me thru His refiners fire. Most importantly He has given me more grace and mercy than I will ever deserve.

Though I have fallen so short as a woman and as a believer, the Lord has forgiven and continues to forgive. He has restored, is restoring, and redeemed and still redeeming my life to be used for His purpose and His glory. He is making the crooked paths straight in my heart and life.
I am forever grateful for a God who knows me, sees me, yet still accepts and loves me.

I know what it is like to be married to an unbeliever. I know the pain of divorce and I have known the pain of waiting years and years for the Lord to restore a marriage and it never be restored. I know what it is like to have a blended family and all it's challenges. I know what it is like to be a single mother for many, many years raising children and homeschooling them alone and on one income and at times no income at all. I know the heartbreak of infidelity, the fear of tomorrow, of being lied to and unloved and unwanted. I know the difficulty of never being good enough, smart enough or charming enough to evoke tender and loving feelings from someone else. I know what it is like to be abandoned and left alone, to wait and wonder, and yes fear, what the morrow holds. I have experienced much. My dad dying when I was twelve, I think had a large part in my choices later on. Not an excuse, just an observation. I tell you all these things so you know I understand hurt, pain and terror that can happen in a marriage. This isn't a place to discuss hard things, but to be encouraged through hard things. Your heart can thrive and stay alive to love the unlovable, to love thru pain and heartbreak and not give in to bad and hateful attitudes. To not be punitive. To give rather than seek.
The storms are not over in my life, but I can see the rays of heaven begin to brighten on the horizon, not because my circumstances have changed, but because my heart has.

Fret Not

2010-01-14T18:27:00.001-08:00

Psalm 37:1-7
Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.