Women of Faith

Matthew 1:38(NIV)

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered.  "May it be to me as you have said."  Then the angel left her.

These words are the response by Mary after hearing the news that she, currently unmarried, would be giving birth to the "Son of the Most High".  This news was not delivered to her in a letter, or from a friend, but from the angel Gabriel, sent by God Himself to Nazareth!  This reaction was unexplainable to the casual observer and can only be attributed to a lifetime of reliance and ongoing relationship with her God!  Mary was truly a "woman of faith".

As you might know, if you have been reading this blog from day one, or if you know me personally, this writing was started in response to a health scare almost a year ago.  It all turned out ok, but it left me with one big question about my life.  The question was:  "If I only had a little while to live, what would I be doing differently?"  Through the course of penning this blog, I can now say that I have an answer to that burning question.  The solution is in the recognition that each individual is actually given "Only~A~Little~While" here on planet earth, even with the longest of life spans.  With that realization under my belt, the next thing to clarify in my mind was, "What would I be doing differently?"  My answer is summed up in the title of this post.  I want to be considered by God as a woman of faith!

I want the relationship with Christ that produces as it's fruit, the admirable character traits that I see lived out in so many of the women in the Bible.  Here are just a few:

• The obedience of Mrs. Noah.  Her "official name" is never actually mentioned in the Bible, but to faithfully farm for several hundred years; help build a boat for one hundred and twenty years in preparation for a flood when they had never even heard of rain; working a complete year on a boat living as a zookeeper; followed by more farming, would have required much obedience!
• The loyalty of Ruth as she followed her mother-in-law to a foreign country in the middle of a famine.
• The resolute courage of Esther as she approached a king, who could quite easily take her life, in a desperate attempt to save her people.
• The grace of Anna as she lived in the temple of God, after becoming widowed, to fulfill her gift of prophecy.
• The prudence of Abigal as she "lost no time" making a decision that would be credited in saving David's life.
• The compassion of Abishag as she cared for David in his old age.
• The leadership of Deborah as she led the Israelites to victory over the Canaanites.
• The righteousness of Elizabeth as she was chosen to be the mother of John the Baptist.
• The parenting of Eunice as she trained her son, Timothy in the knowledge of scripture.
• The laborer found in Euodias as she worked tirelessly with Paul.
• The favor of Hannah as the Lord blessed her persistence when he gave her a child by the name of Samuel.
• The constancy of Lois as she supported her grandson Timothy.
• The embracing quality of Lydia as she was credited as being the first to proclaim Christianity in Europe.

These are just some of the "Women of Faith" that I find in the Bible!  Even more amazing is the fact that there are many others found behind the cover of His word, who have led extremely faithful lives as well. 

It is quite a gift to have such incredible examples of  "Women of Faith" in the Bible, throughout history, and in our current day!  It is out of a desire to be a part of a group of women who are believing God for the same direction in their lives, that moved me to make plans to attend the "Women of Faith" conference on September 23rd and 24th in Phoenix, Arizona.  This is a two day conference from morning until night filled with worship and testimonies of God's faithfulness in the lives of people just like you and me!  The conference is being held on other dates and in other cities throughout the year.  You can check out the video on the right hand sidebar of my blog, or go to to http://www.womenoffaith.com/ for more details. 

I plan on blogging about the event and sharing with you any new revelations, insight, and encouragements that I receive during this conference.  I am delighted to be able to take part in such a great celebration!  As an added blessing....I will be attending with my "northern and western" sisters.  We are pumped up and ready for a fun girls weekend basking in the presence of God!


Lord,
Thank you, once again, for your Word that reveals real struggling women just like me, who relied on You and found grace, mercy, and love as they fulfilled the purposes that You set out in advance for them to complete!
Amen