It's Tough Being A Woman... Recap Of Our Esther Study

Just this last week, Tiffany and I (Julie) along with Sybil from Peace It All Together, finished up our study by Beth Moore on the book of Esther.  It took us over 5 months to finish but it was such a rich time of learning and fellowship.  I feel truly blessed to have spent this time with these two Godly women and to have been taught by the amazing Beth Moore.  If you've never experienced a Beth Moore study may I suggest that you do so ASAP!  Her studies have been life changing for this life-long Christian girl!

Sybil has dedicated a blog post to a recap of our study and asked Tiffany and I to contribute!  Check it out at Sybil's blog here.

Love you all!

Women of the Bible - Anna

Anna is the third women in our series of Women in the Bible.  If you missed the woman who washed Jesus' feet or Mary, check out their stories as well!

Anna

Anna was a prophetess whose short story can be found in Luke chapter 2.  She was a widow and was very old.  It says in verse 36 that she "Never left the temple, worshipped day and night, fasting and praying."

Anna appears at the time that Jesus was presented to the Lord in the temple as an infant.  This is the ceremony that we model our child dedication after today!  In fact I learned about this practice when we dedicated our second son in the church earlier this year.  Mary and Joseph had just received a word about the destiny of Jesus from the Lord through a righteous man named Simon.  They were then approached by Anna.  Verse 38 says, "Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem."

Girls, I know her story is short but do you know what it says to me?  The Lord gave wisdom and favor to women in the Bible!  Anna knew who this baby was the moment she laid eyes on him.  The Lord had revealed to her that he was the one they were looking forward to!  Thank you Lord for the example of Godly women in the Bible like Anna (and Mary of Nazareth) who heard your voice and were blessed by you!

Women of the Bible - Mary Mother of Jesus

I started last week with a series of posts on women in the Bible.  If you missed the post about the woman who washed Jesus' feet, go check out her powerful story here!  If you have ever been curious about the significance of women in the Bible, join with me every Friday for a look at who these women are!

Mary

I couldn't wait much longer to share with you the story of Mary, Jesus' mother.  I would imagine everyone knows who Mary is - even those who aren't super familiar with the Bible.  She was visited by an angel when she was just a teenager.  He told her that the Lord was with her and that she was highly favored by him.  It says next that she was greatly troubled.  She had no idea what was going on!  Why in the world was she being visited by this being?  He told her not to be afraid, that she would conceive and give birth to a child who would be the son of God, who would be great and would go on to reign as King forever.  Holy moly!  This was a young woman who was engaged to be married to Joseph.  I can't imagine the questions and the fears that she experienced at that time.  It says that she questioned the angel about how this could be.  She told him that she was a virgin.  He told her that the child would be from the Holy Spirit, that the power of God would rest on her.  He also promised that her elderly relative Elizabeth, who had been unable to conceive, would be pregnant as well.  In Luke 1:37, the angel says, "For no word from God will ever fail."  Her next response in Luke 1:38, "I am the Lord's servant, may your word to me be fulfilled."

What incredible faith and courage she had.  She was about to experience something miraculous.  No doubt she had so many fears about what she had just learned, but she trusted enough in the Lord to accept his words and her destiny.

Throughout the story of Jesus in the New Testament, we continue to see the character of Mary.  When you have a moment, look up Luke 1:46-55, where she worships God for what he is doing in her... this passage is called Mary's Song.

John 2 tells the story of the wedding where Jesus turns water into wine.  Here in verse 5 she says to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."  Mary believes in her son's power.

Mary was also a woman of faith who supported her son in prayer.  One example of this is found in Acts 1:14, where Mary joined together constantly in prayer with the apostles, Jesus' brothers and other women.

I love the example of Mary!  We get to see her as a girl who matures into a woman and follows God faithfully through her journey.

She Washed His Feet With Her Tears - Women of the Bible

Today my quiet time in the Bible led me to start studying about who some of the women of the Bible were.  There were some that I have heard about quite a bit and some whom I'm sure I've never read about.  Some are amazing women of God, some have stories that would make most blush.  I'm excited to share with you a little glimpse of who some of these women were for the next few weeks.  I think that we, as girls of God's heart, can relate to most of their stories as well as learn from them.  At first I wanted to write about Mary, mother of Jesus, since she was one of the best known and certainly an important woman in the Bible - and I most definitely will write about her.  But, I have to share with you one of my absolute favorites first!  Her story, though it's fairly short, evokes so much emotion in me...

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The Sinful Woman Who Washes Jesus' Feet

Luke7:36-50

Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisees's house and reclined at the table.  When a woman who had lived a sinful life in the town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears.  The she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is - that she is a sinner.  Jesus answered him, Simon, I have something to tell you."

"Tell me, teacher," he said.

"Two men owed money to a certain money lender.  One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both.  Now which of them will love him more?"

Simon replied, "I supposed the one who had the bigger debt canceled."

"You have judged correctly," Jesus said.  Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman?  I came into your house.  You did not give me any water for my feet but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.  You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet.  You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet.  Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven - for she loved much.  But he who has been forgiven little loves little."

Then Jesus said to her, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace.

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Is anyone else at least a little teary eyed right now?

This is such a beautiful story with so many lessons to be learned.  It says that the woman lived a sinful life in her town.  It doesn't say what she did or why she was "sinful" and I suppose it really doesn't matter.  In my imagination she was probably an adulteress or a prostitute... it seems that was a common way for a woman to get into trouble in those times.  I think the fact that it doesn't state her sin makes her even more relatable.  We all know what it is like to be a sinner...

She heard that Jesus would be at Simon's house and she obviously knew who he was and that she needed to see him.  It strikes me that she approached him from behind and began to weep.  She was coming before him broken and longing for forgiveness.  Was she not facing him because of her shame?  Did she not feel worthy to approach him face to face?  I know I have been there before.  As she wept she wiped his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair.  This is such an incredibly raw and personal moment.  I think of times in my life where I have literally been on my knees in tears...  She came prepared with a jar of perfume, likely something that was of great value to her, and as she kissed his feet she also poured perfume on them.  

It basically says that Simon couldn't believe that this was happening, that if Jesus really was who he said he was he would know who was touching him.  She was "that" girl, the sinner, the dirty one... we as girls know a variety of nasty words that could be interjected here to describe her.  We've heard them or we've said them ourselves about someone else.  Surely she wasn't even worthy of washing his feet.

Jesus replied with a story, which he commonly did to help people understand a point he wanted to make.  He helped Simon answer his own question by showing him just how worthy this woman really was of being in his presence and opening Simon's eyes to the reality of the situation.  He pointed out to Simon that she showed him more hospitality in Simon's own home than Simon did.  He knew exactly who she was and he knew her heart.  And most importantly, he forgave her.  

Father, please show us as your daughters how incredibly precious we are to you.  When we feel broken and unclean, remind us that all we need to do is fall at your feet in worship and you will forgive  us.  Thank you for your never-ending grace and mercy!  Amen