by Tiffany S. from Virtuous Daughters, February 2015~Volume 14, Number 11 “And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law; but Ruth clave unto her. And she [Naomi] said, Behold, thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister-in-law. And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me. When she saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.”~from Ruth 1
Most of us have heard that Boaz, Ruth’s kinsman redeemer, is a picture of Christ, our Redeemer. Yet have you ever studied the life of Orpah, Ruth’s sister-in-law? Although Orpah’s heart appears to have been touched, it was not truly transformed. She seemed challenged, but she was not changed. She would rather go back to Moab, the place of death, than follow Naomi to the place of God’s presence. (See Matthew 13:5-6.) Ruth knew that by going to Israel, she was forfeiting any opportunity for marriage, but she was willing to follow the Lord regardless of the cost, which is the mark of a true believer. by Tiffany S. from Virtuous Daughters, August 2010~Volume 10, Number 5 She is thirteen years old and thoughtfully stands at a fork in the road of life. To the left is an attractive, wide path. “Popular” would be an appropriate one-word description, since much of the world and all her peers are happily traveling on it. They seem to enjoy this new adventure. To the right is a more narrow trail. She sees no one on it at the particular moment, but the worn pathway gives evidence that it has been used throughout the centuries and that occasionally, another pilgrim journeys through it.
She glances both ways. Which way should she go? Which way is best? Everyone seems to be enjoying the beginning of the path on the left, but what consequences will it reap in the end? Is it always that exciting, that easy? Just because everyone is taking the broad trail, does that mean she should? Which way should she go? by Heather from Virtuous Daughters, January 2012~Volume 11, Number 10 Sigh! Do you have the habit of allowing sighs to escape your lips throughout the day? Have you ever thought to consider that little gesture? Most of the time they transpire without our realizing. I was convicted about sighs recently and would like to share with you what the Lord revealed to me. Are they only harmless little puffs of air?
What type of sigh do you utter? by Tiffany S. from Virtuous Daughters, October 2007~Volume 7, Number 7 Follow your heart and your dreams will come true . . . We’ve all heard it. And it does sound reasonable, right? It leads us to believe that we can truly rely on feelings to guide our daily lives… As a result, we’ll be happy and successful. I’m not sure who thought up this quote, but we can be sure he maintained a fervent belief in himself and in his own will.
When a new idea (or even an old idea) is presented to you, what is the proper action to take? Pull out the Word of God and see what He has to say about it. Our Lord’s infinite wisdom and authority is the only instruction that should dominate the way we live our lives. Thus said, when we hear the “follow your heart” notion, we should retreat to the Bible and see if this is a Biblical truth. by Naomi from Virtuous Daughters, October/November 2018~Volume 18, Number 4 Vessels are used in the Bible many times in connection with this topic of consecration. The only time this word actually appears in Scripture is in the context of the tabernacle or temple, as God gives His people instructions on how to serve Him best. The word "consecrate" means to "set apart" and to "dedicate," specifically, "to the service and worship of God."
In this sense, we as Christians are compared in 2 Timothy 2:20 to vessels, set apart and consecrated for the Master's use. "But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work." (2 Timothy 2:20-21) by Lydia from Virtuous Daughters, November 2009~Volume 9, Number 9 I cannot think of anything more damaging to the inward and outward beauty of a girl, than bitterness. It is a seed, that once planted, begins to choke out the grace and sweetness of a young maiden and is terribly hard to get rid of. The plant grows rapidly, and sends out new shoots that produce more seeds and can easily spread to others. Let me tell you about some ways this seed is planted, how it spreads, and what you must do to get rid of it.
by Maggie from Virtuous Daughters, April/May 2020~Volume 20, Number 1 What a privilege it is to serve the living God! All through the Scriptures, there are stories in abundance of God's faithfulness, His protection, His provision, His conviction, His salvation, and His awesome love.
Over and over in my life, I have witnesses His goodness with my own eyes...my dad's job, my older brother's miraculous healing, His saving us from many wrecks, so many answered prayers, His patient, loving teaching--and the salvation of Jesus for a soul such as me! So, why is it that I would ever find myself in the middle of overwhelm? Mind whirling, heart anxious, weighed down with worries... This past fall, I experienced this in a very real way when my family's safe, steady, comfortable little world seemed threatened by so much change all at once! I do not like change, yet it surrounded us on many levels. I felt frustrated--I couldn't do anything to STOP IT--and so I worried. I literally felt panicked. Even though I prayed and prayed to trust God with those circumstances, I had a difficult time letting the worry go. by Jennifer from Virtuous Daughters, March 2013~Volume 12, Number 12 We finished last time with the reminder that believers are “a royal priesthood” (1 Pet. 2:9), separated unto God for holy purposes. A wonderful promise comes with this separation. God spoke it to the tribe of Levi in Leviticus 18:2: “Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren; the LORD is their inheritance, as he hath said unto them.” God Himself wants to be our inheritance, our portion! No thing(s) He could ever give us would be equal to the gift of Himself. He said this to Abraham in Genesis 15:1b: “. . . Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” In Him alone is all we really need and more than we could ever want. No one else in all the universe has the ability to satisfy us fully; but our all-sufficient God can and will. Here is His promise to us: “And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness [abundance], and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, saith the LORD” (Jer. 31:14). Let's explore a little bit of what this promise means.
by Jennifer from Virtuous Daughters, February 2013~Volume 12, Number 11 God's family is diverse yet unified. He draws people with different gifts and experiences and melds them into one body, the head of which is Christ (Eph. 5:23). Members of the body may have unique functions (1 Cor. 12), but all of us share the same calling—the same identity and purpose in Christ. “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light” (1 Pet. 2:9).
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