Reflections on God's Word

by Victoria Robinson

Now enjoying a mansion in heaven, the apostle Paul could very well ask, “Who’s the fool now?” All of his earthly suffering has surely led to great eternal rewards. In his lifetime, many thought he was foolish for enduring such hardships as: beatings, imprisonments, riots, hard work, sleepless nights, and hunger.

How about you girlfriends, are you living a “foolish” life? Is your heart more in tune with heaven or earth? A dear friend lost her mother last year to cancer. In her last days as we were visiting with her, she made a beautiful statement to my husband. She said, “Keep sending them to us.” She had her heart set on things above and was more concerned about the salvation of those here on earth than her own suffering. What a beautiful lady!

Paul himself said, “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”

Dearest girlfriends, let us live our lives “foolishly” considering our true life and rewards are in heaven.

… Let no one take me for a fool. … I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. ~ 2 Corinthians 11:16,23-28 NIV

And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace. ~ Acts 20:22-24 NIV

They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. ~ Acts 14:21-22 NIV

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. ~ 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 NIV

Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything. ~ 2 Corinthians 6:4-10 NIV

That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. … ~ 2 Corinthians 12:10 NIV

Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a “fool” so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness” ~ 1 Corinthian 3:18-19 NIV

by Victoria Robinson

Girlfriends, an angelic treasure hunt sounds fun doesn’t it? I am not talking about searching for angels. I am referring to a beautiful story found in the book of Genesis. Abraham was old and wanted to find a proper wife for his son. He sent his chief servant on a treasure hunt and told him, “The LORD, the God of heaven, … will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there.” Girlfriends, that is a breathtaking romantic story! We should all believe in God’s divine guidance when we seek to choose a spouse. My eldest son actually fasted and prayed for the beautiful lady he believed God had chosen for him. After a persistent romantic pursuit, (He inherited his father’s romantic gene!), she said yes, and  they are now blissfully married!

But this story has far more to do about a principle of our heavenly Father rather than about romance. It shows the wonderful guidance He wants to send us as we seek the treasures He wants to give us. In this story, His provision came through seeking, prayer, and angelic intervention.

Dearest girlfriends, are there treasures you are seeking from your heavenly Father today? If so, pray and believe Him to provide divine guidance.

Abraham was now old and well advanced in years, and the LORD had blessed him in every way. He said to the chief servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, “… I want you to swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will … go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac.” The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?” “Make sure that you do not take my son back there,” Abraham said. “The LORD, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father’s household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring I will give this land’—he will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there. ~ Genesis 24:1-7 NIV

Then he prayed, “O LORD, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. May it be that when I say to a girl, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.” Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. The girl was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever lain with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again. The servant hurried to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water from your jar.” “Drink, my lord,” she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink. After she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have finished drinking.” So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels. Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the LORD had made his journey successful. ~ Genesis 24:12-21 NIV

Then the man bowed down and worshiped the LORD, saying, “Praise be to the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the LORD has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives.” ~ Genesis 24:26-27 NIV