Dear Sisters,

Greetings in our Lord Jesus! I am so thankful for the gift we have had to walk together through the years that Tiffany has published Virtuous Daughters magazine! It's sweet to follow the Lord and to reflect on the lessons that He is bringing home deeper and deeper in our hearts as the years go by. I am excited to share with you a few things the Lord has been teaching me lately on the topic of identity.

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”—Hebrews 12:1–3
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Life can be called a journey, a path, or a race. We Christians are embarking on an adventure and sometimes we start to feel weary. Discouragement takes a toll on us and we begin fainting.

This excellent passage in Hebrews offers some practical encouragement on how to stay focused in the race. Let’s dig in and see what we find

Darling Virtuous Daughters,
I write this to you with a concern in my heart that there might possibly be some of you thinking something like this, “I don’t need to read the articles on pride, because I don’t have a problem with that.” But, dear girls, don’t think for a second that you are immune to pride. We can all be tempted to think prideful thoughts, and if left unchecked, they will turn into prideful attitudes. I believe pride can bring much pain and sorrow to those around us, particularly those in our family. With the help of the Lord, however, it can be overcome in our lives.

…Lately the Lord has been teaching me many lessons. He has especially been reminding me to claim His promises and that feelings don’t change the facts

Dearest Sisters,

“...Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on Him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe He is precious...” 1 Peter 2:6-7 Greetings in Christ, my sweet friends! I pray this letter finds you rejoicing in the greatness of our God and praising Him for the truly precious Savior we serve.

…I was eagerly anticipating this issue’s topic, “A Joyful Servant’s Heart,” as the call to serve the Lord is one which He has deeply impressed upon my life. Isaiah 49-50 are beautiful passages to me, outlining a servant’s call and obedience. Although I believe these are prophecies of our Lord Jesus, are we not admonished to walk in His steps?! What a beautiful example He has set before us. “And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to mnister, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:27-28

by Tiffany S.
from Virtuous Daughters, April/May 2017~Volume 17, Number 1

Dear Sisters,
…One of my prayers for this year was that I would enjoy sweet fellowship with the Lord in His Word. One way I hoped to do that was by reading through the Bible chronologically....my sweet brother surprised me with a chronological Bible as a New Year’s gift! It has been such an exciting journey as I have learned many beautiful lessons and truly enjoyed spending time with the Lord. A few things He has shown me thus far....

Dear Sisters,
One thing the Lord has reminded me lately is, in the words of Proverbs 14:26, “In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and His children shall have a place of refuge.” One of my goals in life is to have peace rooted in my Savior, Jesus Christ. There are certain spiritual weaknesses that will hinder this peace in my life. For example, fear and anxiety will cause me to worry and will not allow me to keep my thoughts stayed on Christ; self-pity will cause me to be dissatisfied; pride will cause me to concern myself with what others think of me (fear of man); and disobedience will cause me to have a guilty conscience.

Dear Sisters,
Even though it is easy right now to feel discouraged with the current events in our country, I want to remember that Christ is Victor! His will must prevail! I love the wonderful hymn, “Faith is the Victory.” Even when negative things are happening in our nation, we can rejoice in the unspeakable gift of salvation and live victoriously in Christ. We must trust Him; He will never leave or forsake His own.

The Lord is reminding me to seek His face. A friend and I are memorizing Psalm 27, and as I have pondered this beautiful chapter, God has revealed so many truths! One thing do I desire of the Lord! When He asks me to seek His face, my heart cries out that His face—and His face only—will I seek. “When Thou saidst, Seek ye My face; my heart said unto Thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.”—Psalm 27:8 

    You see, when we are seeking the Lord, we cannot be seeking anything else. Looking into His face causes us to be awed by His power, His grace and mercy, His love, and His justice. 
    What sort of things snatch our attention and shift our focus away from the Lord? The list is endless as it is anything that is not God Himself. Here are a few examples:
    Fear. Fear is a very real feeling that grips and penetrates our hearts and lives. When we are fearful, we are focusing on things, people, doubts, situations, or the unknown rather than seeking the Lord. Psalm 9:10 brings me peace during frightening circumstances. “And they that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee: for Thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek Thee.” This ties in beautifully with Psalm 27:8.
    Wants. We all have something we want in life. It could be money, friends, material things, fashionable clothes, easier school or work, etc. But Psalm 27:4 reminds us that we should only seek our Lord’s face. “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple.”
    The World. What a distraction! Fads, attitudes, pleasures—they pull us away from our responsibility to seek the ways of Christ. Nothing, however, is comparable with the rewards and blessings of being devoted to our Lord. “Teach me Thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.”—Psalm 27:11
    What does it mean to seek, anyway? I think it is a yearning, burning desire to have something. All of our energy is put into seeking it. We search, we persist. We “hunger and thirst” after it. Is this how we seek after Christ? Are we passionate about abiding in Him, loving Him, and being devoted to His work? He will always accept those who long to know Him better, so start seeking Him today!
    “But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find Him, if thou seek Him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.”—Deuteronomy 4:29

Seek His Face,
​Tiffany