Anna - A Woman of Favor and Grace

       ***Attention***  We are excited to begin a new chapter on this blog! Beginning June 5th it will only be once a week- on Friday's. There will be new material each week in a myriad of formats. Some examples are: Questions and Answers, Member stories, Testimonies, Behind the Scenes, and the list goes on. Oh, there will be devotionals as well. Please stay tuned and enjoy. ***

Bible Reading: Luke 2:21-38

Key Verse: Verse 36 – “And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;”

Key Words: And there was one Anna 

The name Anna means favor and grace.  We know that Anna was married for seven years and remained a widow for eighty-four years.

Here are a few things we know about Anna.

Ø  She was a widow of great age (verse 36).

Ø  She was a devout worshipper of God (verse 37).

Ø  She was a person of fasting and prayer (verse 37).

Ø  She was full of prayer and thanksgiving (verse 38).

No wonder she was given the name Anna: because of the favor and grace she received from God.

Most of us will never fully know this side of heaven all that God has done for us, of which we are so unworthy.  The following story illustrates the point.

Years ago, my father coached a team of eight-year-olds.  He had a few excellent players, and some who just couldn’t get the hang of the game.  Dad’s team didn’t win once all season.  But in the last inning of the last game, his team was only down by a run.

There was one boy who had never been able to hit the ball – or catch it.  With two outs, it was his turn to bat.  He surprised the world and got a single!  The next batter was the team slugger.  Finally, Dad’s players might win a game.  The slugger connected, and as the boy who hit the single ran to second, he saw the ball coming toward him.  Not so certain of baseball’s rules, he caught it.  Final out!  Dad’s team lost!  Quickly, my father told his team to cheer.  The boy beamed.  It never occurred to him that he lost the game.  All he knew was he had hit the ball and caught it – both for the first time.  His parents later thanked my dad.  Their child had never even gotten in a game before that season.  We never told the boy exactly what happened.  We didn’t want to ruin it for him.  And till this day, I’m proud of what my father did that afternoon.

~ Quoted by Jeffrey Zaslow in “Tell Me About It,” 1990 

So the next time you think of Anna, think of God’s amazing grace and all He’s done for you – things you know He’s done and the things you don’t know as well. 

                                                                                 Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

            ✞ Be like Anna, full of grace and favor.

Mary - The Woman Who Birthed the Messiah

    ***Attention***  We are excited to begin a new chapter on this blog! Beginning June 5th it will only be once a week- on Friday's. There will be new material each week in a myriad of formats. Some examples are: Questions and Answers, Member stories, Testimonies, Behind the Scenes, and the list goes on. Oh, there will be devotionals as well. Please stay tuned and enjoy. ***

Bible Reading: Matthew 1:18-25

Key Verse: Verse 16 – “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save     his people from their sins.”

Key Words: And she shall bring forth a son 

No doubt more people know of Mary than any other woman in the Bible.

While we do not know a tremendous amount about Mary other than she came from a poor home, she was eventually married to Joseph, the carpenter, and she was chosen by God to birth the Christ Child.  While she is not to be worshipped, she certainly holds a place of honor as the “Mother of Jesus” (Matthew 1:18).

Not only did Mary birth the Messiah, there is little doubt of her love and dedication to Him as well, as she was one of only three people who stayed with Him during His crucifixion, the others being Mary Magdalene and the Apostle John.

Mary’s love for Jesus is a demonstration of God’s love for us, as illustrated in the following story by J. Wilbur Chapman.

I remember seeing a mother once weeping over the dead body of her boy; and, as I stood there in dumb silence and heard her tell how she loved him, had borne him, sacrificed for him, served him; how she had given for him all the joy of her life, how she had trusted in him to be the stay of her closing years, and how only yesterday, after a life of sin, he had broken her heart by taking his own life, after refusing for months even to speak one word to her; and, as she wrung her hands and told me how he had disappointed her heart and blighted her past, I thought I had never seen such heart-breaking grief.

O, beloved, how must God feel about us after he has given his heart’s blood, put so many advantages in our way, expended upon us so much grace and care, if we should disappoint him.  It makes my spirit cry: “Who is sufficient for these things.”  The Lord help us to be faithful; help us never to put him to shame, but at last be able to say: “Blessed Lord, I have finished the work thou didst give me to do.”  Evermore I see before me the time when you and I shall stand on yonder shore and look back upon the years that have been, these few short years of time.  O, may we cast ourselves at Jesus’ feet and say: “Many a time have we faltered, many a hard fight has come, but thou hast kept me and held me.  Thanks be unto God who hath given me the victory through the Lord Jesus Christ.”

                                                                                Dr. Mike Rouse 

What to do:

            ✞ Be a personal demonstration of God’s love so that others can see Jesus in and through you.

Job's Wife - The Wife Who Hindered

    ***Attention***  We are excited to begin a new chapter on this blog! Beginning June 5th it will only be once a week- on Friday's. There will be new material each week in a myriad of formats. Some examples are: Questions and Answers, Member stories, Testimonies, Behind the Scenes, and the list goes on. Oh, there will be devotionals as well. Please stay tuned and enjoy. ***

Bible Reading: Job 2

Key Verse: Verse 9 – “Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.”

Key Words: Curse God, and die 

Not much is known about Job’s wife.  She is mentioned only three times in the book of Job.  The first time she pleads with him to curse God and die.  She certainly was not a bundle of encouragement in this situation.  The second time we see Job’s wife is in Job 19:17 when we read, “My breath is strange to my wife,...”  In other words, we do not have a close relationship.  The third time we read about Job’s wife is in Job 31:10 when Job tells his friends, “If I have lusted after another woman, then let my wife grind another.”  Let her become a harlot.  Needless to say, Job’s wife was not a role model when it came to being a helpmeet.

With a wife like Job’s it really gives meaning to the following.

A young primary-age boy was forced to attend a wedding with his mother, bored to tears and squirming continually, the mother vehemently scolded her son to pay attention, which he did.  As he was gazing at the young couple a question came to mind so he leaned over and said, “Mother, why is the bride wearing a white dress?”  The mother, not wanting to go into all the details, pondered the question for a moment and then said, “She is wearing white because she is happy.”  The son looked puzzled and then asked, “Then why is the groom wearing black?”

I trust today that each wife desires to be a helpmeet to her husband, and I hope today you are teaching your daughter to do the same. 

                                                                                 Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:    

            ✞ Be a helpmeet to your husband, not a hindrance.

Esther -The Hero

   ***Attention***  This month's devotional will be the last of the Refreshing Daily in God's Word. Starting in June this blog will have a new exciting format. Stay tuned for the official announcement.  

Bible Reading:  Esther 2:1-12

Key Verse: Verse 7 – “And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.”

Key Words: And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther 

Everyone knows the story of Esther.  When my girls were growing up, she was one of their favorite Bible characters, if not their very favorite.

As you read the book of Esther, there are some noticeable things missing from the book.  First of all, God is never mentioned, neither is Jerusalem, the temple, nor is the law.

However, the Jews have always given the book of Esther a special place of honor.  When they gather together for the feasts and the name of Esther is read, all Jews will stand out of respect; but when they hear the name Haman, they show utter contempt.  Without a doubt, Esther was and is a hero to the Jewish people.

“A couple years ago the administrators of the Barron Prize for Young Heroes polled American teenagers and found only half could name a personal hero…Superman and Spiderman were named twice as often as Gandhi, Martin Luther King, or Lincoln. It is clear that our media make it all too easy for us to confuse celebrity with excellence; of the students who gave an answer, more than half named an athlete, a movie star, or a musician. One in ten named winners on American Idol as heroes.” ~ Scott LaBarge,

Nowadays teens are even more likely to name a famous TikToker, Instagram model, YouTuber or even a video game character more than statesmen, authors, painters, musicians, architects, doctors, and astronauts.  Heroes and heroines created by our society are people who have made it big, but not necessarily people who have done big things.

Esther didn’t just make it big, she did something big.  So you may want to add Esther to your list of heroes for she is certainly worthy.  

                                                                                                Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do:

            ✞ If you want to be a hero, don’t just aim to make it to the big time, plan on doing big things.

Hannah - A Woman of Prayer

   ***Attention***  This month's devotional will be the last of the Refreshing Daily in God's Word. Starting in June this blog will have a new exciting format. Stay tuned for the official announcement. 

Bible Reading: I Samuel 1:1-11 and 27

Key Verse: Verse 27 – “For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him:”

Key Words: For this child I prayed 

In his book, All the Women of the Bible, Herbert Lockyer says in regard to Hannah’s prayer that it was a prayer of a peculiar kind.  It was a supplication without external speech.  Her lips moved but there was no sound.  Her prayer was internal, and as she spoke thus to herself she created the impression that she was drunk with wine.  She had learned that prayer is the Christian’s native breath, “unuttered or expressed.”  While she never said a prayer, “she breathed a wish in her soul and sent it up unspoken right to the throne of God.  It is a unique experience for the age of the Judges; the piety of Hannah is a ripe flower in an almost sterile field.”

The power and awe of God to answer our prayers is beyond the explanation of words, and then for God to give us the peace and assurance of answered prayer (I Samuel 1:17) – God is indeed gracious!

While Josh McDowell was attending seminary in California, his father went home to be with the Lord.  His mother had died years earlier, but Josh was not sure of her salvation.  He became depressed, thinking that she might be lost.  Was she a Christian or not?  The thought obsessed him.  “Lord,” he prayed, “somehow give me the answer so I can get back to normal.  I’ve just got to know.”  It seemed like an impossible request.

Two days later, Josh drove out to the ocean.  He walked to the end of a pier to be alone.  There sat an old woman in a lawn chair, fishing.  “Where’s your home originally?” she asked.

“Michigan – Union City,” Josh replied.  “Nobody’s heard of it.  I tell people it’s a suburb of ....”  “Battle Creek,” interrupted the woman.  “I had a cousin from there.  Did you know the McDowell family?”

Stunned, Josh responded, “Yes, I’m Josh McDowell!”  “I can’t believe it,” said the woman.  “I’m a cousin to your mother.”  “Do you remember anything at all about my mother’s spiritual life?” asked Josh.  “Why sure – your mom and I were just girls – teenagers – when a tent revival came to town.  It was the fourth night.  We both went forward to accept Christ.”  “Praise God!” shouted Josh, startling the other fishermen. 

                                                                                         Dr. Mike Rouse                                            

What to do: 

            ✞ Fret about nothing, pray about everything.

Ruth - Something Worth Seeing

  ***Attention***  This month's devotional will be the last of the Refreshing Daily in God's Word. Starting in June this blog will have a new exciting format. Stay tuned for the official announcement.

Bible Reading: Ruth 2:1-17   

Key Verse: Verse  2 – “And Ruth the Moabitess said  unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.”

Key Words: And Ruth said...let me now go to the field 

The name Ruth means something worth seeing.  As you study the life of Ruth, you begin to understand why.  She was dedicated (she stayed with Naomi), she was obedient (she obeyed Naomi), she was humble (she gleaned in the field).  Indeed, Ruth was something worth seeing.

I have no doubt that Ruth was a beautiful woman to look upon.

Sam Janet wrote in Reader’s Digest, “My wife was grading a science test at home that she had given to her elementary school class and was reading some of the results to me.  The subject was ‘The Human Body,’ and the first question was: ‘Name one of the major functions of the skin.’  One child wrote: ‘To keep people who look at you from throwing up.’”  I doubt that Ruth would cause anyone to throw up.

She undoubtedly was an attractive woman, but even more than her outward beauty, Ruth would have been inwardly beautiful.  The renowned Quaker scholar, Rufus Jones, was speaking of the importance of having a radiant countenance.  After his address, a woman “with an almost unbelievably plain face” came up and asked him what he would do if he had a face like hers.  He replied, “While I have troubles of my own of that kind, I’ve discovered that if you light up from within, any old face you have is good enough.”  This I know, Ruth was lit up inwardly which caused her to glow outwardly.

My prayer today is that God not only would shine in me, but out of me as well.

                                                                                     Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do: 

            ✞ Be dedicated to God.

            ✞ Be obedient to God.

            ✞ Be humble before God.

            ✞ Be a believer worth seeing.

Naomi - A Place of Service

  ***Attention***  This month's devotional will be the last of the Refreshing Daily in God's Word. Starting in June this blog will have a new exciting format. Stay tuned for the official announcement.

Bible Reading: Ruth 1

Key Verse: Verse 20  - “And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.”

Key Words: Call me not Naomi, call me Mara 

There are several things we know about Naomi.  First of all, we know her husband’s name was Elimelech.  We know she had two sons, Mahlon and Chilion.   We also know that they moved to Moab because of a famine in Bethlehem.  It was in Moab when her sons met and married wives.  Mahlon married Ruth and Chilion married Orpah.  After the death of her husband and sons, Naomi decided to return to her homeland of Bethlehem.  Ruth made the journey back with Naomi, Orpah decided to stay in her homeland of Moab.

The name Naomi means pleasantness, a delight; and as you read the story of Naomi, she was a delight to at least Ruth, and I am sure to others as well.  But it was not always that way.  We read in Ruth 1:20 where she said, “Call me not Naomi, call me Mara (bitterness).”

As you read Naomi’s story it seems that joy returned as she found a place of service for God through her ministry to Ruth.

Albert Schweitzer was a man willing to abandon a great career in order to serve his fellow man.  In 1913, he sailed for Africa, having turned his back on fame, money and prestige.  His first hospital was an old abandoned hen house and his first operating table an old camp board.  On a trip to the United States, a reporter asked, “Dr. Schweitzer, have you found happiness in Africa?”  “I have found a place of service,” he replied, “and that is enough for anyone.”

                                                                                    Dr. Mike Rouse

What to do: 

            ✞ Be a delight to others; find a place of service for   God.