Day 12

# 12  Ladies-In-Waiting:

You

Look up the meaning of your name.

 Your story is still being written...

  Those of you who are in Christ your story is found in Romans 8:9-10

 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.  And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,  he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you,  your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.  

 Your Character: 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, 
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 
Do others see these characteristics in you? 





What you are waiting for: 
Are you waiting for the Lord to answer a current request? 
Are you eagerly awaiting the return of our Lord Jesus Christ?

                

This is the last day of the blog. 
12-12-12. 
Love that number. It was fun to end my blog on this day. I hope you are looking forward to our party on this Saturday. I can't wait to see all of you!
Here are my last thoughts on "Ladies in Waiting". 


 We have been reading about the women in the Bible that God wanted us to know by name. Their story is shared with details of their lives. Names are important. We are remembered by our names and character.  What does your name mean? Your name is the start to your story.
 How do you tell others about your story? Do you start with your birth place or do you start with your accomplishments? Do you tell others about your failures? The stories God had written about these women were at different times in their lives and the good and the bad is recorded. We get to see how God used them in His plan. He is using you in His plan too. You are in Christ and belong to God.
The women in the Bible have some common characteristics. They had faith. They had hope. They are not solely remembered by their physical beauty, natural abilities, personal accomplishments, or some position they held. God saw their value, their heart. They had faith in God and waited on Him. God was their creator, provider, comforter, healer and sustainer.

These ladies waited for the birth of Jesus, 
we await his return.

I would like to share a devotion from Charles Stanley on waiting for God's timing.

Waiting for God's timing is neither passive nor idle--it takes discipline and commitment. I can think of four basic requirements for successful waiting.

Faith. The Lord's ways and timing are nothing like ours (Isa. 55:8-9). From a human standpoint, He usually does things in a totally different way than we expect. But as we trust Him more, we'll discover that His approach isn't so strange after all. And when we live in harmony with God's will, His timing starts to make sense.

Humility. To wait for the Lord, you must be convinced of your need for Him. Submission to His divine will requires humility--you cannot charge ahead with your own plans and at the same time be fully surrendered to God.

Patience. Are you willing to remain in your current position until you receive clear divine direction? Pausing for clarity from God does not mean that you disengage and allow circumstances to fall apart around you. Waiting upon the Lord is a deliberate decision that requires patience.

Courage. Waiting for God often takes courage, especially when there is pressure to act. If you're not careful, you might stop listening to the Lord and follow other advice. So keep your ear attuned to the voice of Almighty God, and you won't go wrong.

Waiting upon the Lord is one of the wisest, most important decisions we make in life. And contrary to popular assumptions, it is an active endeavor that requires faith, humility, patience, and courage. When you rely upon God and wait for His timing, the various facets of life fall into place.

But our citizenship is in heaven and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body. Philippians 3:20 

But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. 
Jude 1:20-21

TO PONDER IN YOUR HEART: Are you eagerly awaiting the Savior? Do you have a kingdom focused life knowing your citizenship is in heaven not on earth? Do you have faith and hope in God? 

The books I read for this devotional were:

The Bible

Twelve Extraordinary Women by John McCarthur 

Women of the Bible by Ann Spangler 

You might enjoy reading them too. 

Diane