The Lord’s expectations from a woman - 22nd day in Lent

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” The Lord loves us so much and He wants us to live for Him. Proverbs 14:1 ‘The wisest of women builds her house, but folly with her own hands tears it down. In our family The Lord expects us to lead a life that pleases Him, to build our home for His glory. Mark 13:13 “But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Faith is very important in our lives. Luke 18:8 “when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” This was a question asked by the Lord Jesus Christ. Mark 9:23 Jesus said,” All things are possible for one who believes.” In James chapter 2 it says ‘What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? The Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. We mustl have faith and action to show God’s love to all around us.
We will see two women in the Bible: 1. Jezebel  2. Ruth

JEZEBEL:
    Jezebel is the daughter of Ethbaal King of the Sidonians. Ahab, King of Israel married her. He began to serve Baal and worship him. He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal. Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel. When Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water. In those days the Lord proved Himself to be the only true God when Elijah set an altar at Mount Carmel and prayed. Elijah killed all the prophets of Baal after that. When Jezebel heard about it through her husband Ahab, she wanted to kill the Prophet Elijah.
Naboth did not want to give his vineyard to the king. Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbids that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers.” Jezebel made all arrangements to stone Naboth.As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money, for Naboth is not alive, but dead.” The Bible says about Jezebel like this: There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord like Ahab, whom Jezebel his wife incited. And of Jezebel the Lord also said, ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel within the walls of Jezreel.’ Her end was so pathetic.
The Lord is warning one of the Churches in Revelation 2:20, ‘But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.’
‘Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,  envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21 Let us search our hearts and turn to God.

RUTH:
    The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, 5 and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her But husband. Ruth wanted to return to her place, Bethlehem. Ruth, one of her daughter-in-law followed her.
 Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God my God. Ruth found the God of her mother-in-law. Ruth had love, patience, self-control, gentleness, patience, goodness and kindness in her life. She waited patiently to choose the right relative as a partner for her. She loved and obeyed her mother-in-law. She was blessed with Boaz.  “The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!” Ruth 2:12 Boaz said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich.’ Ruth 3:10
‘ But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22, 23
Do others see the fruit of the Spirit in our lives? Live a closer walk with Jesus and He will make us like Him. How is our life in the family? Are we building our family for God’s glory?

MEMORY VERSE:
எபிரெயர் 3:14.
‘நாம் ஆரம்பத்திலே கொண்ட நம்பிக்கையை முடிவுபரியந்தம் உறுதியாய்ப்பற்றிக்கொண்டிருப்போமாகில், கிறிஸ்துவினிடத்தில் பங்குள்ளவர்களாயிருப்போம்.
For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;

Shared by Sis.Jeyalatha, Halifax, Canada

3-14-2015