READY: May 10, 2010

Today's Passage: Genesis 23, NIV

What ladies can learn: Abraham took care to find a place of respect and value to bury Sarah. Women in the Bible weren't discounted! I don't know if Sarah ever felt underappreciated, but I'm going to guess that she did at some point in her life. What can we learn? Often, people care more about us than we realize.

Highlighted characteristic of God: You might not see God in this passage at first glance. Look again. James 1:17 (NIV) says "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights." I would call Sarah's tomb a good and perfect gift, wouldn't you? Not only that, God worked it out that Abraham received the tomb for free. How awesome is that? Just because we can't see God or hear an audible voice doesn't mean He isn't there.
In two words: God provides.

Highlighted characteristic for us: The Bible tells us that Abraham's witnesses were the Hittites. Now, if you believe that the Bible is the whole truth, then you'd believe that Hittites existed whether or not archeology proved their existence (since the Bible is true, accurate science can be trusted to support the Bible).
There was a time that no one believed Hittites existed. People thought that there was no evidence for the existence of the Hittites. Well, of course, I'm sure you know now that the Hittites have been proven to exist--we even study them in our history books! The Bible is always right, even if people haven't found "proof" for everything in it.
In three words: Trust God's word.

READY: April 22, 2010

Today's Passage: Genesis 12, NIV, courtesy of BibleGateway.com
What ladies can learn:

• Submission. When God told Abram "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you," Abram left--and Sari went with Abram. She could have complained. She could have argued. She could have resisted. Maybe she did; it isn't recorded. But if the Bible did record Sari complaining, arguing, and resisting, wouldn't it make Sari look bad? The same goes for our lives. When God leads through a husband or an authority figure--and when we're sure it's God leading--we need to follow.
• Honesty. A half-truth isn't truly a half-truth. A half-truth is a whole-lie, and a lie that could cause a whole lot of trouble.
  This passage shows us more than the importance of honesty, however. It shows us an important fact about following: the ultimate "following goal" of each lady's life should be to follow God. Sometimes--many times--husbands, parents, or other authority figures "represent" God's authority. God tells Adam not to eat from the tree, and Adam tells Eve not to eat from the tree. God tells Abram to travel, and Abram tells Sari to travel. That's why it's important to submit to the leaders God has placed in our lives. Nevertheless, sometimes these leaders don't represent God's authority. In this passage, Abram tells Sari to lie. God never told Abram to tell Sari to lie; God never told Abram it would be okay to lie to protect himself; in fact, God commands us to stay away from dishonesty! Therefore, in this case, Abram was not representing God, and Sari would have done better to not follow. Perhaps Sari was not aware that God was anti-dishonesty, or perhaps she assumed God would rather have her follow Abram's guidance. We will never know. But here's the interesting part: even though Sari suffered the consequences of dishonesty along with Abram, Abram was ultimately held responsible for her dishonesty because he was her spiritual leader. This is yet another situation showing the hierarchy of the family.

Highlighted characteristic of God: God doesn't always tell us what He's planning, but we have to be okay with that. Sometimes, God will ask us to go somewhere without telling us why He wants us there. Sometimes, God will ask us to talk to someone without telling us much more. Nevertheless, it's important to follow God no matter where He leads (just make sure you're following God, not some other voice in your head).
In two words: God leads.

Highlighted characteristic for us: I'm going to re-state my point about honesty: a half-truth is really a whole lie. If we're lying for protection, we're basically telling God, "God, I don't believe You can protect me, so I'm going to lie. I know You said not to, and I know You know everything, but I need to have some extra help right now." God would have protected Abram even if Abram and Sari had told the truth about their marriage, and God can protect us, too. On the other hand, if we're lying because "we want to be nice"...well, I know that when I ask peoples' opinions, I want them to be honest, even if that means the truth is hard to take. If one of your friends is wearing an ugly pair of plaid pants that clash with their shirt, and they smile and ask, "What do you think of my outfit?" you don't have to say "It's so cute! I love it!" or "Man, that's UGLY. Can't you match colors?" You can tell them it's unique, it's their style, it's creative, or other similar things, but don't lie and tell them you love their outfit if you don't. Trust me, they'll thank you in a few years. If you're getting ready with your friend, and they're trying to decide what to wear, that's a better time to say "That shirt doesn't really match" or "Plaid isn't really my thing...you can wear it if you want, but I kinda liked the jeans better."
In three words: Just be honest.