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 Hannah from Virtuous Daughters, September 2004~Volume 4, Number 6 Dear Sisters,
Over the past few weeks God has just overwhelmed me with His awesome goodness, love and faithfulness! Do you ever wonder if God hears your prayers? Well, I just wanted to remind you that He does! About a month ago, I was a little discouraged and I just asked God to remind me of His goodness. I knew God was good; I just needed a reminder. Nothing is too little, small, or simple for God. God wants us to trust Him for everything! Do you ever ask God for everyday things? Have you asked God for material things? What about little things you would like to have, but you just don’t have the money for?... We want to be careful not to put God in a box or be demanding of Him. We need to realize that God’s will is truly best and desire it more than our own. We need to learn to be content no matter what. :) by Cheryl S. from Virtuous Daughters, November 2004~Volume 4, Number 8 Darling Virtuous Daughters,
Let’s first try to discern wants from needs. Here is a partial definition in our dictionary of them both: 1. Want-to desire greatly; wish. 2. Need- a lack of something necessary. Looking at these definitions we see that a want is a desire, while a need is a necessity. It is apparent that we may not even want what we need. It is also apparent that we may not even need what we want. Does that confuse you? Let’s consider both of these situations: by Heather from Virtuous Daughters, September 2010~Volume 10, Number 6 As my home school family learns about this vast earth, we notice that everything has a beginning and an end. We read that even our ever faithful sun is using up its energy at an astonishing rate of millions of tons each second; it can’t last forever, and hasn’t always been. Such can truthfully be said about the entire universe; everything has a beginning and end. So, when as Christians we claim the God of the Bible as the divine Designer of the world, someone could very well pose the questions, “Who created God? When was His beginning?”
by Tiffany from Virtuous Daughters, June 2014~Volume 14, Number 3 The following notes are from my pastor's sermon at church; they encouraged me so much, and I pray they are a blessing to you as well!
by Carolina from Virtuous Daughters, June 2016~Volume 16, Number 3 The past two years for my family have stretched us to lengths I didn’t think possible. Or normal. But because of this stretching, I have seen seasons of distant relationships and thick bonding moments. All good things, as I’m always reminded in Romans 8:28, but we are still a remarkably busy family. And our individual selves are even busier.
Well, my sisters are busy; I’m just along for the ride, right? ‘Cause, as usual, I just have school. 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, April 2013~Volume 13, Number 1 Last time, we unpacked the glorious promise of Jeremiah 31:14, realizing that God wants to satiate our souls with living water and soak our lives in His all-sufficient presence. This is a wonderful truth to apply to our lives; but most of us fall short of living it as we should. We know that our Lord is all we truly need—that He alone can bring lasting satisfaction—but we focus our energies on earthly things as if they will fulfill and complete us. We convince ourselves that “if only” we could have this thing or reach that place or become this different person, we would finally be happy; and instead, we wind up empty and miserable. Our gracious Heavenly Father wants much more for us than this! He wants us to know true satisfaction, to walk through each day with joy, and to showcase His glory before an empty, miserable world. His vision for His children is not merely to survive the daily grind, but to thrive in the midst of its challenges. Here is a description of the life He wants for us. The last verse is one you will recognize. “. . . [A]nd they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord . . . [T]heir life shall be like a watered garden, and they shall languish no more. . . . I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow. I will [satiate] the soul of the priests with abundance, and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness, declares the Lord” (Jer. 31:12-14 ESV – emphasis added; same for the following verses).
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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