Knowing God as Our Refuge

Well, friends, today we are in Proverbs 30 with the Good Morning Girls. Before I talk about knowing God as our refuge, I want to let you know that all next week we will be soaking in Proverbs 31 which is all about the Proverbs 31 woman. You'll find all the details in Courtney's post, How to Avoid Strife, over at Women Living Well, home of Good Morning Girls. I'm so excited about this in-depth look at the Proverbs 31 woman!

Every word of God proves true; 

 He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. 

~Proverbs 30:5

A shield is used to protect something from danger. Remember that part of our armor is a shield of faith that extinguishes the flaming arrows of the enemy {Ephesians 6:16}. When those fiery arrows threaten to pierce our hearts we can raise up our shield of faith in God and run into the safety of His arms. 

God and His Word are a shield of protection for me. I can run to God by opening up my Bible and reading the truth of His Word that calms all my fears, doubts, and insecurities with this world. I can trust every Word from God. I know the end of the story and do not have to fear concerning the evil of this world. 

When you think of the word "refuge", what comes to your mind? 

A thick, walled fortress?

A huge, fortified building?

Whatever picture comes to your mind, we all will agree that a refuge is a place of safety. So when we read in the Bible that God is our refuge, God is telling us that He is our safe place.

We can trust this word from God because as the beginning of the verse states, "every word of God proves true". I can testify that God has proven Himself to be my refuge, and I'm sure you can too! He has proven His Word in my life many, many times!

God is our shelter of refuge where we can run to be safe as He shields us for whatever we may face in this life. David was the perfect example in the Bible of someone who knew God as his refuge. There were times in David's life where he was literally running from people who were trying to kill him. He always found safety in God. The Psalms are full of David crying out to God to intervene on his behalf in situations that were going on in his life. David recognized God as his safe place.

The same holds true for us when we pour out our hearts to God seeking help or protection. This is how we experience knowing God as our refuge

When we come to know God as our refuge it helps us to trust Him more freely. With each time we find safety in His arms, our trust and faith is built up just a little bit higher. We learn that we need not fear people or situations that threaten to harm us, whether it be in a physical or spiritual sense, because God is our shield and our refuge. 

Before I close, here is the reading plan for Proverbs 31 that starts on Monday. I look forward to studying the Proverbs 31 woman with you!

Walking in His Grace, 

Laurie

I'm Blogging Through the Bible with Courtney Joseph and other Good Morning Girls! Click on the image below every Friday to read other posts from more sweet friends who are BTTB too!

Each week, I am blessed to be able to link-up with the following awesome blogs. While you're here at Grace-Filled-Moments, please take some time to visit my blogging friends listed below.

Sunday: Raising Samuels Homeschool
Monday: My Joy-Filled Life, Just Another Mom, The Modest Mom, A Life in Balance

Tuesday: F. Dean Hackett ~ Tell It To Me Tuesday, Time-Warp Wife Titus 2sDay, Hip Homeschool Moms
Wednesday: A Little R&R, Messy Marriage, Mom's Morning Coffee, Soul Survivor, Wholehearted Home
Thursday:  Hearts for Home, I Choose Joy, The Evolution of Mom
Friday:  A Divine Encounter, Missional Women, Women Living Well, home of Good Morning Girls


 

Learning to Keep My Mouth Shut

Ahh, the ever popular problem of learning to keep my mouth shut! Maybe you're on the same journey in learning it's not necessary to speak every thought that pops into your head. Today we are in Proverbs 29 with the Good Morning Girls, and we find a verse that gives us motivation to make the necessary changes in this area of our lives.

A fool vents all his feelings, 

 but a wise man holds them back. 

~Proverbs 29:11

In the heat of the moment, when our adrenaline is in high gear and our restraint has flown out the window, words can fly out of our mouths that are better left unsaid. Words that began as thoughts that were not taken captive unto the obedience of Christ {2 Corinthians 10:5}. It's in moments like these that our feelings are dictating our words, which is a dangerous place to be. 

We see here in today's verse that a wise woman will hold back her words.

Words that are harsh.

Words that are arrogant.

Words that are angry.

Words that are gossip.

How much damage and pain can be avoided if we learn to keep our mouths shut in the heat of a moment?

5 Steps to Keeping Your Mouth Shut

1. A wise woman will give herself a time-out.

2. She will hold back her words {Proverbs 17:27-28}. 

3. She will restrain herself with the help of the Holy Spirit living inside her {1 Corinthians 3:16}.

4. She will pray that the words of her mouth and the meditations of her heart will be pleasing and acceptable to the Lord {Psalm 19:14}.

5. Then, and only then, the wise woman will speak - if needed - after she has submitted herself and the situation under the mighty hand of God. The difference in the outcome will be amazing!

Learning to keep my mouth shut has been a journey of growth for me. Sure, there are times I fail miserably at these safeguards listed above. But I'm not where I used to be in this area of my life. Why, I've even been in situations where as I was keeping my mouth shut that God worked the situation out before I had the chance to go back and share my thoughts. God is so faithful when we submit to Him and His leading to keep our mouths shut. I've learned to listen for His voice. That still small voice that whispers to me in the heat of the moment, "Laurie, keep your mouth shut." 

Are you listening for that Voice too? Take these steps I've shared today and apply them the next time you're in a heated situation. 

Walking in His Grace, 

Laurie

I'm Blogging Through the Bible with Courtney Joseph and other Good Morning Girls! Click on the image below every Friday to read other posts from more sweet friends who are BTTB too!

Each week, I am blessed to be able to link-up with the following awesome blogs. While you're here at Grace-Filled-Moments, please take some time to visit my blogging friends listed below.

Sunday: Raising Samuels Homeschool
Monday: My Joy-Filled Life, Just Another Mom, The Modest Mom, A Life in Balance

Tuesday: F. Dean Hackett ~ Tell It To Me Tuesday, Time-Warp Wife Titus 2sDay, Hip Homeschool Moms
Wednesday: A Little R&R, Messy Marriage, Mom's Morning Coffee, Soul Survivor, Wholehearted Home
Thursday:  Hearts for Home, I Choose Joy, The Evolution of Mom
Friday:  A Divine Encounter, Count My Blessings, Missional Women, Women Living Well, home of Good Morning Girls

Empowering Our Prayers

It's hard to believe that we are almost finished reading in the book of Proverbs with the Good Morning Girls! Today we are in Proverbs 28, and we find a verse that contains a warning from which we can learn about empowering our prayers.

If one turns away his ear from hearing the law,  

even his prayer is an abomination. 

~Proverbs 28:9

We learn here in this verse that the prayer of those who turn away from hearing the instruction of God for their lives is an abomination to God. Those are strong words, right?! An abomination is defined as "a thing that causes disgust or hatred".

The Hebrew word for law is "torah". In English, it is better understood as "instruction". The Bible, God's Word to us, is God's instruction to us for how to live our lives.

Do you want to know how to parent your children? Do you want to know how to be a good wife? Do you want to know how to handle your finances? Do you want to know how to be successful in your relationships? All of these answers are found in the Bible - our instruction book for the abundant life God desires for us to have.

It's unfortunate that some Christians never open their Bibles except for Sunday mornings. There is so much God longs to share with us as His children. Jesus is our Savior, and He wants to be Lord of our lives too.

Empowering our prayers comes when we submit to God's instruction found in the Bible. We come to know the heart of God as we spend time in His Word every. single. day. Our prayers are empowered when we submit our desires to the will of God which is found in His Word. When we begin to pray according to God's Word, we will see God move in amazing ways in our lives. I know this to be true because I have experienced it in my own prayer life.

May our prayers never be an abomination to God. Ask God for a hunger and a thirst for His Word. Let's love His Word and live by His Word so that our prayers will be a sweet aroma before His Holy throne.

Walking in His Grace, 

Laurie

I'm Blogging Through the Bible with Courtney Joseph and other Good Morning Girls! Click on the image below every Friday to read other posts from more sweet friends who are BTTB too!

Each week, I am blessed to be able to link-up with the following awesome blogs. While you're here at Grace-Filled-Moments, please take some time to visit my blogging friends listed below.

Sunday: Raising Samuels Homeschool
Monday: My Joy-Filled Life, Just Another Mom, The Modest Mom, A Life in Balance

Tuesday: F. Dean Hackett ~ Tell It To Me Tuesday, Time-Warp Wife Titus 2sDay, Hip Homeschool Moms
Wednesday: A Little R&R, Messy Marriage, Mom's Morning Coffee, Soul Survivor, Wholehearted Home
Thursday:  Hearts for Home, I Choose Joy, The Evolution of Mom
Friday:  A Divine Encounter, Count My Blessings, Missional Women, Women Living Well, home of Good Morning Girls

How I Discovered Good Morning Girls

Today we are in Proverbs 27 with the Good Morning Girls. The verse I chose today gives me the opportunity to share my story of how I discovered Good Morning Girls.

Iron sharpens iron,  

and one man sharpens another. 

~Proverbs 27:17

I discovered GMG back in 2012 when I was at a point in my walk with God where I realized I needed to be more responsible with my spiritual growth. It was during a time of change within our church where most of the major teaching influences in my life where being moved by God to other churches. 

I wanted to learn and grow spiritually from my time in the Bible, but I didn't know how to study my Bible so that I could get those results. One day I Googled something along the lines of "how to study my Bible" and that's how I found Women Living Well, which led me to Good Morning Girls Bible studies. 

My first GMG Bible study was in Colossians in August 2012 and I was able to join an email group for Pastor's Wives. I have participated in every study since then, and now I'm leading a Facebook group for Pastor's Wives, one for my blog followers, and volunteer in Courtney's Helping Hands ministry for the GMG Leadership Team.

It has been such a blessing to be part of a community of women who hunger and thirst for God's Word just as much as I do. I've learned so much from these women who have walked through the Bible with me for these past 3 years come next month. Not only have we studied God's Word together, but we have also prayed for each other's needs. I've developed online friendships with women from all over the world thanks to Good Morning Girls. These women truly sharpen me in my walk with God as Proverbs 27:17 speaks of. I'm so thankful for them! God answered my prayer that I prayed 3 years ago to help me learn how to study my Bible so that I could grow spiritually in more ways than I could have ever imagined!

Using the SOAK method of Bible study has helped me grow so much in my time in God's Word. It's a simple way to study your Bible that leads to great insight while encouraging application of what I learned to my life.

Courtney and the GMG were the answer to my prayer and have been a wonderful blessing in my life! I look forward to many more Bible studies with this godly group of women.

Do you have girlfriends who encourage your walk with the Lord? It's so important that we have godly influences in our lives. We need women in our lives who will point us to the path of wisdom. We need girlfriends who will pray with us, read God's Word with us, and seek to apply it to their lives. I want to be that kind of friend! We need to be sharpening each other for the glory of God.

Want to hear the history of GMG and meet the GMG Leadership Team? Check out Courtney's latest blog post.

Now it's your turn...how long have you been doing Bible studies with Good Morning Girls? How has GMG impacted your life and walk with God? Please share in the comments!

Walking in His Grace, 

Laurie

I'm Blogging Through the Bible with Courtney Joseph and other Good Morning Girls! Click on the image below every Friday to read other posts from more sweet friends who are BTTB too!

Each week, I am blessed to be able to link-up with the following awesome blogs. While you're here at Grace-Filled-Moments, please take some time to visit my blogging friends listed below.

Sunday: Raising Samuels Homeschool
Monday: My Joy-Filled Life, Just Another Mom, The Modest Mom, A Life in Balance

Tuesday: F. Dean Hackett ~ Tell It To Me Tuesday, Time-Warp Wife Titus 2sDay, Hip Homeschool Moms
Wednesday: A Little R&R, Messy Marriage, Mom's Morning Coffee, Soul Survivor, Wholehearted Home
Thursday:  Hearts for Home, I Choose Joy, The Evolution of Mom
Friday:  A Divine Encounter, Count My Blessings, Missional Women, Women Living Well, home of Good Morning Girls

Letting Go of Sin

Welcome to Week 6 of Proverbs with the Good Morning Girls! What an amazing journey this has been. Today we are in Proverbs 26, and here we have a vivid illustration of the importance of letting go of sin in our lives.

As a dog returns to its vomit,  

so fools repeat their folly. 

~Proverbs 26:11

It is so disgusting when a dog goes to its vomit and well, you know, consumes it again. This is compared to someone who keeps repeating a sin.

Sin not only hurts us and our relationship with God, but it can hurt those we love. Someone who keeps repeating a sin hasn't experienced a godly sorrow over the sin which leads to repentance in their life.

Repenting means to turn away from a sin and not doing it anymore. We should not be like a dog who returns to his vomit. As much as this is disgusting to us, willful sin should be even more unappealing in our lives.

We have the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of us as children of God. This same power that raised Jesus from the dead can help us to overcome sin in our life. 

If there is willful sin in our lives, we have to come to a place where our relationship with God is more important than whatever that sin may be. We have to cry out to Jesus to help us in our weaknesses. We have to come to the place where our sin breaks our heart because we know we are breaking the heart of God by sinning. This is godly sorrow that leads to repentance - a turning away from our sin.

If that isn't enough to help you stop repeating the same sin over and over in your life, then just think of this Proverb and how disgusting it is for a dog to return to its vomit. This is how God feels about us repeating sin in our lives. 

Friends, we are almost finished with the book of Proverbs. This week, we are reading through to Proverbs 30 on Friday, and then next week we will be discussing Proverbs 31 - the Proverbs 31 woman - all week long. I can't wait!

Walking in His Grace, 

Laurie

I'm Blogging Through the Bible with Courtney Joseph and other Good Morning Girls! Click on the image below every Friday to read other posts from more sweet friends who are BTTB too!

Each week, I am blessed to be able to link-up with the following awesome blogs. While you're here at Grace-Filled-Moments, please take some time to visit my blogging friends listed below.

Sunday: Raising Samuels Homeschool
Monday: My Joy-Filled Life, Just Another Mom, The Modest Mom, A Life in Balance

Tuesday: F. Dean Hackett ~ Tell It To Me Tuesday, Time-Warp Wife Titus 2sDay, Hip Homeschool Moms
Wednesday: A Little R&R, Messy Marriage, Mom's Morning Coffee, Soul Survivor, Wholehearted Home
Thursday:  Hearts for Home, I Choose Joy, The Evolution of Mom
Friday:  A Divine Encounter, Count My Blessings, Missional Women, Women Living Well, home of Good Morning Girls

Knowing When to Stop

Knowing when to stop is an important concept to grasp in our lives as we see in Proverbs today with the Good Morning Girls. It's an area of my life that I'm working on even as I write this blog post.

If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, 

lest you have your fill of it and vomit it.

~Proverbs 25:16

I have a confession to make...I don't have much self-control with my eating habits. Knowing when to stop with food is a struggle for me, and it's a part of my life that I'm desperate to change.


This past Tuesday evening, I went to a local Weight Watchers meeting and signed up. I need the structure provided with this eating plan as well as the accountability each week in stepping on the scale.

Today's verse really caught my attention since I'm on this new eating plan with Weight Watchers. I'm learning the importance of eating only enough that my body needs like this verse says. I want these changes to be lifelong and a part of who I am.

Too much food has caused me to gain weight that has led to high blood pressure. Getting the extra weight off will help me to get my blood pressure back to a normal state. I'm on medicine that my doctor prescribed, and I hope to come off of it once I lose these extra pounds.


It's hard developing new habits of knowing when to stop. But, as with everything else in my life, I know with God's help, all things are possible.

You'll probably be hearing more about my weight loss journey. I'd love to hear if you're on the same journey of weight loss that I'm on. Please share in the comments!

Walking in His Grace, 

Laurie

I'm Blogging Through the Bible with Courtney Joseph and other Good Morning Girls! Click on the image below every Friday to read other posts from more sweet friends who are BTTB too!

Each week, I am blessed to be able to link-up with the following awesome blogs. While you're here at Grace-Filled-Moments, please take some time to visit my blogging friends listed below.

Sunday: Raising Samuels Homeschool
Monday: My Joy-Filled Life, Just Another Mom, The Modest Mom, A Life in Balance

Tuesday: F. Dean Hackett ~ Tell It To Me Tuesday, Time-Warp Wife Titus 2sDay, Hip Homeschool Moms
Wednesday: A Little R&R, Messy Marriage, Mom's Morning Coffee, Soul Survivor, Wholehearted Home
Thursday:  Hearts for Home, I Choose Joy, The Evolution of Mom
Friday:  A Divine Encounter, Count My Blessings, Missional Women, Women Living Well, home of Good Morning Girls

Where is Your Strength Found?

Where is your strength found when trials come in this life? Today we are in Proverbs 24 with the Good Morning Girls, and we see in verse 10 that if we are not getting our strength from God, we will faint during the trials of this life.

If you faint in the day of adversity, 

 your strength is small. 

~Proverbs 24:10

When the trials of this life come, I have learned the most important thing I can do is to keep my eyes focused on God and on His ability, rather than on me. It is only through His strength rising up within me that I can walk through the trials of this life. I've also learned the importance of staying in the Word of God every single day. God tells me how to handle the things of this life in His Word. It's my lifeline to God, as well as prayer.

I'm actually having to depend on the strength of God right now as I walk through a trial. It's not easy. The battle I'm fighting is tiring, but I press on - only because of the strength of God that lives in me. 

I'm submitting to His strength at work in my flesh. There is no other way I could possibly make it through this spiritual battle. So I walk in the power of His Spirit that lives within me.

Seeking to live life's moments in the power of God's grace. 

That's the heart of this blog - that's my heart.

Galatians 6:9 tells us: "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." That's one of my life verses. It's what I keep telling myself as I trust God and in the power of His strength.

Where is your strength found, sweet friend? I hope it is found in God, your Creator; in Jesus, Your Savior; and in the power of the Holy Spirit that lives inside of every believer.

Walking in His Grace, 

Laurie

I'm Blogging Through the Bible with Courtney Joseph and other Good Morning Girls! Click on the image below every Friday to read other posts from more sweet friends who are BTTB too!

Each week, I am blessed to be able to link-up with the following awesome blogs. While you're here at Grace-Filled-Moments, please take some time to visit my blogging friends listed below.

Sunday: Raising Samuels Homeschool
Monday: My Joy-Filled Life, Just Another Mom, The Modest Mom, A Life in Balance

Tuesday: F. Dean Hackett ~ Tell It To Me Tuesday, Time-Warp Wife Titus 2sDay, Hip Homeschool Moms
Wednesday: A Little R&R, Messy Marriage, Mom's Morning Coffee, Soul Survivor, Wholehearted Home
Thursday:  Hearts for Home, I Choose Joy, The Evolution of Mom
Friday:  A Divine Encounter, Count My Blessings, Missional Women, Women Living Well, home of Good Morning Girls