Treasured Ministries

Offering women a biblical solution for inner healing

Love

Perfect Imperfection

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What do you look for in a friend?

What kind of friend do you want to be?

What does authentic friendship mean to you?

To me, authentic friendship means sharing agape love.

Authentic Friendship Is Based on God’s Agape Love

I used to try to develop characteristics that sparkled in the world’s eyes.

Popularity, perfection, position—worldly strength.

These qualities and the friendships that evolved from them gave me false security. I felt important, and I wrongly believed I could gain the worldly strength I saw inside these friends. I also accepted the lie that if I were perfect and popular, if I pleased others and had the “right” friends and a position inside my church, I could gain authentic friendship. And I cycled in and out of co-dependent friendships. I was rescuing each friend. I felt safe from rejection because I was needed. UGH!

Can you relate?

But God in his grace sent the winds of adversity my way. A storm of hurricane proportion swept into my life and washed away those lies to write on my heart what matters in friendship. God unearthed special friends who loved me despite my imperfections and pointed me to his perfection. That storm also washed away friends who were not so genuine—something for which I will always be thankful.

True friendship has the strength to endure storms because it loves even when life is not so lovely.

Authentic friendship is based on God’s agape love toward us. God looks at the heart and so should we. Agape love speaks truth, encourages, endures, and most of all sees us through the lens of the gospel.

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:34–35 NLT, emphasis mine)

True Friends See Your Perfect Imperfection

One summer after a storm at the beach my son found a piece of red sea glass. Any piece of sea glass is a treasure, but red sea glass is the rarest gem of all. Storms often unearth such treasures and cast them to the shore.

Similarly, friends who love you despite your imperfections are treasures and often surface during the storms of life.

They are the ones who see you as beautiful sea glass instead of discarded shards of broken glass because they look at you through the lens of the gospel. They have received his grace, so they can share it with others—including you.

Like Jesus, they don’t see problems—they see this potential: Jesus takes the broken things in our lives and makes them beautiful.

When looking for friendship, seek not what sparkles in the world’s eyes but what matters in the eyes of your Savior. Like the rarity of red sea glass, deep authentic friendship will be rare in your life but very possible to find!

We find authentic friendship as we first become that friend ourselves by following the example of Christ’s friendship toward us. Healthy biblical friendship doesn’t just happen. It is something we must pursue and practice by taking proactive steps according to God’s principles. More on this in our Facebook Live this week.

How have you experienced grace from others during storms in your life?

Consider ways you can reach out to others and be an authentic friend. Today choose to be that friend by looking at others through the lens of Christ’s love.

Whom will you reach out to today?

Nourish Scripture: Matthew 7:7-12

Blog written by Aliene Thompson. Aliene Thompson is the founder of Treasured Ministries and the Author of the Nourish Bible Study Series. © 2019 Treasured Ministries.

Week One: Called to Companionship

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The Christian life is not one made to be done in solitude. From the beginning of time itself God did not see fit for man to be alone even in the perfection that was the garden!

He has created us with the desire for companionship engrained in the makeup of our hearts. And try as we might, none of us are immune to that yearning.

The Glory in Christ-Centered Friendship

This summer I was put in a place to understand the glory to be found in a Christ-centered friendship with someone, even when I wasn’t looking for it.

When I found out that I would spending the summer in New York City interning it struck me that I was knowingly walking into a season of isolation. And the prideful parts of myself were even thrilled for the opportunity to “push myself” and have a “Summer with just God.” And looking back on that mindset now, how fortunate we are to serve a God so good that He does not give us the things we believe we want. And as I near the end of my time here it is my responsibility to look back at the graciousness of God, the promises He has so faithfully kept to me, and praise Him for it.

As I prayed over this summer and began to ask for His will to be residing over it, one unexpected promise became very clear to me:

There was someone waiting for me in that city, and not only that, but I needed to begin praying for her before I got there.

And honestly often the promises I hear from God seem too good to be true, and simply put, that’s because by all understanding of this world, they are too good to be true. But grace is what makes the goodness of God the utmost truth, and that’s the beauty of a life for Christ.

So here I found myself in the city of millions waiting on a promise from God that He would bring that companion.

The Faith to Pray into Promise

When God promises us things, it takes faith to pray into them, it takes faith to pray fearlessly with big prayers, but that faith is what He rejoices in.

And so one week later, there she was.

It was a random Bible study I had found on Google, the only college one that came up, and when I arrived there were 3 people sitting at the table, the leader, myself, and my answer to prayer. An hour later and we were separated by two bowls of over-priced ramen with faces lit by what was evidently the work of God.

And this is where it all comes together, halfway through our first time meeting she paused and simply said “this is going to sound weird…” and by this point I already knew, but I waited anyways, “I have actually been praying for you for a while now, and I think you are the answer to those prayers.”

This is the love of God made tangible in the gift of a friend, and how grateful I am to know a God that knows the deepest needs of this heart of mine.

Our Battle Isn’t Meant to Be Fought Alone

Independence is one thing, pride is another, the Christian life is a battle against everything this world tells us we must be, and it is not one meant to be fought alone. Do not allow the enemy to tell you the lie that you are better off alone. God does not want you to be alone.

  • Pray for God to bring you friends that are fighting the same battles you are.
  • Pray for a few trusted warriors that will hold your feet to the fire even while you kick, because those are the friendships that even if your lives call you apart from one another, you part from stronger.

Those are the bonds that Hell is afraid of.  You are worthy of a friendship like this.

Today, as we begin our series on friendship begin to earnestly pursue friendship as you pray with great expectation and a heart open wide. Let the God who created you with the capacity for companionship fill that need in a way only he can.

Nourish Scripture: Matthew 17:7-12

Written by Millicent Phillips. Millicent attends Liberty University and is on the writing team with Treasured Ministries. Follow her on Instagram. © 2019 Treasured Ministries.

Authentic Friendship

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She found herself out of practice. Like trying to sit at the piano again and struggling to find notes after years of not playing, she seemed out of tune when she tried to practice friendship. Her heart held her back from giving her all to the keys before her and making beautiful music. Oh, she had many acquaintances. Company was not lacking, but her God-given desire for deep connections felt starved. She closed her eyes and prayed, “Teach me, Lord, how to start again.”

Real friendship. . . . Authentic. Vulnerable. Deep. Trustworthy. Christ-centered.

  • We are created for relationships.

…but often life becomes busy. We devote time to our children for a season. Our homes and careers demand our minutes and leave us with little margin to make time for friendship.

  • We are created for deep connections.

…but relationships get messy, and we’d rather not get messy again. We get hurt, so we protect our hearts. We trade being authentic for achievement. We limit ourselves to surface relationships so we don’t suffer heartache. And while acquaintances continue to accumulate, we miss the gift of a deeper walk with a few close friends . . . the gift of being true to ourselves and inviting others to do the same.

This is my story.

Can you relate?

Pulling Away after Experiencing Hurt

On the other side of two hurtful relationships, I found myself pulling away.

Keeping to myself.

Pouring my time and energy into my family.

And honestly–I am grateful for that season of special closeness to my family and the Lord. I needed some time and space—just to be with God for a while and heal from my hurt as I learned and grew. And I am grateful for that time concentrated on my boys as I know they will fly my nest soon.

But like God opening the door to Noah’s ark and telling him it was time to come out—that his set-apart season was over—so too my beautiful season of being pulled away was not meant to be forever. I learned a lot in my ark about authentic friendship. About boundaries, trust, and vulnerability. Also during that time, God put very special friends in my life who pulled me right out of my shell and showed me about Real Authentic Healthy Friendship.

Understanding Authentic Friendship

Here is what I learned and would love to share with you over the next seven weeks:

Healthy biblical friendship doesn’t just happen. It is something we must pursue and practice by taking proactive steps according to God’s principles.

This is the truth: You can have deep connections ordained by God himself! You are worthy to be loved. To belong. But you must practice . . . you must put yourself out there . . . and you must do it God’s way.

Welcome to “Authentic Friendship,” the next series from Treasured Ministries. Over the next seven weeks and on Facebook Live you will . . .

  • Discover God’s principles for practicing healthy friendship as you consider various passages on friendship in the Bible.
  • Be inspired to pray for God’s divine connections in your life and how to recognize them.
  • Gain wisdom on how to discern unhealthy friendships and set boundaries.
  • Find courage to be vulnerable with others in order to create deeper connections.
  • Abandon the insecurities that tell you to chase endless shallow friendships and find strength from the deep connections and accountability that can be found in a small group.

Looking forward to getting started? Why not invite someone to join you by forwarding this to a friend? That’s a great way to begin!

Blessings,

Aliene and the Treasured Ministries Team

Blog written by Aliene Thompson. Aliene Thompson is the founder of Treasured Ministries and the Author of the Nourish Bible Study Series. © 2019 Treasured Ministries.

God’s Love Letter

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Before you were born . . . I loved you (Ephesians 1:4). Loving you brought me great joy (Ephesians 1:5). In fact, I loved you so much that I gave my son so you could be completely free to love me (Ephesians 1:6-8).

Sin cannot and will never separate us. Nothing you have done or will ever do could ever take away my love from you . . . and so you and I can have a relationship with no barriers (Ephesians 1:7; 3:12). No pretending.

You cannot lose me. Not even death can separate us (Ephesians 8:38).

I am a good Father—the perfect father (Ephesians 1:5 & 8). Do not look for an earthly father as an example of me—there is only one God. I am he (Isaiah 45:5).  You can trust my love for you because not only am I loving . . . I AM LOVE (1 John 4:16). Not just any love—but AGAPE love. Perfect (1 John 4:18). Unconditional.

You Are Part of a Family…

You belong (Ephesians 1:3). You are a part of a family (Ephesians 1:5). You are never alone (Hebrews 13:5). Not today. Not ever (Ephesians 1:14). You have complete security in me. I am always here if you need to talk to me. I hope you will get to know me better and understand more every day about the depths of my love for you (Ephesians 1:16-17).

 I am also the master planner (Isaiah 25:1; Ephesians 1:11). You don’t have to worry about your future. And sometimes I am a mysterious planner (Ephesians 1:9) My ways are so much higher than yours (Isaiah 55:8-9).  It is in the mystery of not knowing the full blueprint that you have to use your faith and continue seeking me—which is the best place for you to be (Ephesians 1:16).

 Just trust and follow me. I am full of wisdom (Ephesians 1:8). You can be completely confident in that still small voice that is leading you (1 Kings 19:11-13; John 10:4). Don’t worry about tomorrow I always work out everything according to my plan (Ephesians 1:11). And the plans I have for you are to prosper you and not to harm you.

They are to give you a hope for the future (Jeremiah 29:11).

When this broken world gets hard and bruises your soul, remember I have prepared a place for you in eternity–you have an inheritance beyond your comprehension (Ephesians 1:11). So when life gets hard—look up, find hope and live differently (Ephesians 1:18) 

The Holy Spirit Will Bring You Peace…

The peace the Holy Spirit will bring you amid any storm is like a holy thread connecting you to heaven (Ephesians 1:13).  Let it remind you that I am with you and will never leave you.

I am here as your Father to help you through whatever you face. In the midst of life’s pressures, pause and enjoy the presence of my Holy Spirit and taste of what is yet to come.

 Most of all, I want you to understand that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, the same power that caused the Red Sea to split, is the power that lives inside you (Ephesians 1:19). So plug into this power simply by pulling away from the chaos and into my presence.

You are my masterpiece and I have a good work I planned for you to do before you were born (Ephesians 2:10). Becoming the woman you were created to be is one of the greatest gifts you can give this world.

 Don’t use your faith just to survive. Use it to surrender and you will find my power is all you need.

 So remember the greatness that is within you.

You are loved and accepted.

You are part of a family. 

So stand tall and rise up. See your very weakness as a doorway to depending on me so you can do great things for my glory.

You are a treasure.

Blog written by Aliene Thompson. Aliene Thompson is the founder of Treasured Ministries and the Author of the Nourish Bible Study Series. © 2019 Treasured Ministries.

Core Strength

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As you wait and spread the wings of your heart through complete surrender, the very breath of God fills you with quiet strength and lifts your life to soar. And from that eternal perspective, you are carried with strength beyond your understanding for a purpose for beyond yourself.

“But those who wait on the Lord

Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

You were not made to strive in your limited strength. You were created to soar with godly girl power as you surrender to Christ and live for his glory.

Godly Girl Power Is Your Core Strength

Godly girl power is God’s all-surpassing power. This is different from worldly power. Worldly power is outward control dependent on other people and things and focuses on self. Godly girl power is the inner core strength of a woman led confidently by God to walk in love and live for his glory no matter what circumstances she faces.

Love is the most powerful force, and that is what godly girl power is all about.

Be wise brave heart by letting this core truth anchor you during seasons of waiting.

Disappointments can cause our hearts slowly to drift away as we pull up our self-protective measures. We take over the reins of our life again. Vow to pull ourselves up by our boot straps. Giving our whole heart to God seems risky, so while we might play the part by attending church, our hearts are far away from God. I’ve been there – how about you.

In our Nourish Scripture this week we see that this drift eventually happened to the church of Ephesus. They are reminded to reflect back to rekindle that love into action (Revelation 2:1-7)

Take Time to Pause and Reflect

Today is designed as a pause just for you to reflect and review the lessons we learned together on godly girl power through the book of Ephesians. Each truth is connected back to the respective devotion so you can linger longer on lessons that invite your attention.

What truth was your favorite?

Which one will you share with another that has been hit by a wave in life and needs to be anchored to truth so she won’t drift?

Above all remember you were created and redeemed to love God with all your heart and love others as yourself (Mark 12:30-31).  Love is the most powerful force in the world, and that is what Godly girl power is all about.

  • Power always comes from a source. Godly girl power comes only from God himself. To plug into God’s power, we must pause and pull into his presence daily.
  • God’s perfect love casts out fear. She who is brave is free to live for Him.
  • When a strong current of emotions hits your heart, reach out to Jesus for clear direction to stay steady on the path of your purpose.
  • Godly girl power flows from great expectations laid at the feet of our mighty God, who can do “immeasurably more” that we could ever ask in prayer. EXPAND your prayer life to reflect the greatness of our Almighty God.
  • One of the greatest gifts you can bring to the world is becoming the woman God created you to be. Part of that journey part is to embrace your spiritual gifts and use them to love others and fulfill your God-given purpose.
  • Forgiveness carves a path for the mighty river of his love and power to flow.
  • Light overcomes darkness. Shine brightly. Love Bravely
  • Allowing Christ to redefine our identity and the purpose for which we were created not only impacts our life but the lives of those around us.
  • Wise women train hard for the race of a life that glorifies God by gearing up with God’s Word. Align your life with Godly girl power by putting on the armor of God.

 Nourish Scripture: Revelation 2:1-7

Want more? Discover the key to connecting with God’s Word in a way that will transform the way you live! Download Nourishing Your Heart today!

Blog written by Aliene Thompson. Aliene Thompson is the founder of Treasured Ministries and the Author of the Nourish Bible Study Series. © 2019 Treasured Ministries.

Legacy

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Hey brave heart, leave blessings in your wake for future generations and make a difference. You can spend a lifetime replaying your past or trying to change your family members. You can play the blame game. I know this – I’ve been there. This doesn’t solve things, and it gives power to people who cannot God’s build the dream in your life.

OR Brave heart, you can trust God your Heavenly Father and move forward. I like that better – don’t you?

The Role Women Play in God’s Design for Families

Inside God’s design for family wives are to be loved as Christ loved the church. This love was sacrificial.

It was costly.

It brought beauty.

Daughters are to be valued and raised without anger through unconditional love. Wives are to respect and submit to their husbands. Indeed, inside God’s family framework we find a model of how God intends to relate to us.

The family should be a place of rest, solace, love – a place where we are free to make the mistakes necessary to uncover our true potential – a refuge from the storms of life.

Sadly, under the weight of a broken world, the reality of a perfect family is fractured. Every woman has imperfections in her family. While God’s framework for family is perfect …we are not. The perfect family does not exist because there are no perfect people. But sometimes those fractures are so great, that our hearts can carry deep wounds. I believe this grieves the heart of God.

Be wise brave heart. As much as there is a God that loves us and wants us to have his design for family, there is an enemy of our souls who would love to destroy family. Don’t believe his lies that God’s framework for family doesn’t work – it was fallen humanity that was not there to love you.

The Strength of Family

Never forget that following Paul’s description of God’s family framework in the book of Ephesians, he writes about our war with the enemy. This order in scripture is no accident. The enemy knows that there is strength in family and would love nothing more to destroy God’s design (Ephesians 5:21-6:20).

God in his great redemption has a plan for restoration for our hearts through Jesus. You have a heavenly Father that wants to nourish your heart with truth so you can live the life you were created and redeemed to live. As God’s adopted children through Christ, we can reach out to our true Father and hold on to him.

The key is to turn to God, live by the Spirit, and allow Jesus to have the greatest impact in your life. Researching and analyzing our family can help us understand why we are the way we are, but only the Holy Spirit can change us from the inside out.  This is godly girl power. ONWARD!

This is not easy. No one would question that our background shapes our character. The people in our lives influence the way we are.

All of us have those negative cycles that may feel like inescapable realities. But the reality is we can break the cycles by making new choices.

We can choose new life and new legacies for our children.

Leave a Legacy for Future Generations

God brings a solution that surpasses self-help, self-determination, self-effort: God’s solution is found in sonship. God not only adopts you but longs for you to live “led” as his daughter.

Through Christ, we are adopted into a new family and given the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to walk in a new way of life. It’s not an instant change. If you want to live in the freedom of this new family, God will lead you on a slow and deep journey of beautiful internal transformation. This journey is called discipleship. It’s a lifetime process directed by the Holy Spirit. Listen, follow, and watch God unravel cycle after cycle as you surrender to him.

Cutting new paths is not easy and takes time. Cycles, even if they are destructive, feel comfortable, so moving beyond them is a process.

Leave blessings in your wake for future generations and see new legacies continue to emerge. Reestablish God’s framework in YOUR family and leave a legacy. (Be the first if you have to, brave heart. What an honor!)

Could there be any greater blessing in life than that?

While your family background may influence your character, it doesn’t define your God-given destiny. May the gospel of Christ, which brings you into God’s family give you hope to live beyond your broken family by living by the Spirit.

You are a treasure.

Nourish Scripture: Ephesians 5:21-6:9

Want more? Download Nourishing Your Heart to learn how to connect with God’s Word in a way that transforms your life. 

Blog written by Aliene Thompson. Aliene Thompson is the founder of Treasured Ministries and the Author of the Nourish Bible Study Series. © 2019 Treasured Ministries.

The Power of Prayer

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“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!” (Ephesians 3:20–21 NIV, my emphasis)

Immeasurably more. Her eyes ran over those words and then lingered for a while. Immeasurably more. God can do immeasurably more than she could ever ask or imagine, according to HIS POWER.

She pondered on her faded prayers that had once been filled with so much passion.

A season of storms sabotaged her prayer life, making it small. Like the force of hurricane winds loosening the roots of a tall tree, the storms of life shook her faith to the core. The enemy lied to her heart about the storms and told her that God was not powerful . . . and her prayers faded. 

She felt afraid. She thought about her past year and the loss she had experienced. The loss in her life combined with her fragile faith made her feel powerless. Her insecurity swallowed her confidence. In response, her soul grasped for security by clinging too tightly to the people in her life, and she began to walk under the false illusion of control.

This led to more insecurity and fear because when she tried to control her circumstances, her circumstances began to control her. Worry, fear, and anger surfaced as she tried to control what ultimately she could not.

And she was weary.

The Lord looked at his brave heart with love. No storm could ever separate them. He nourished her heart with truth and reminded her of the power of prayer. With tears in her eyes, she sank to the floor and let her prayers flow. People were there for her to love, but they could never give the security and life she was looking for.

This world is a battlefield. It took time but she won the war on her knees. So will you. That is godly girl power.

Godly girl power flows from great expectations laid at the feet of our mighty God, who can do “immeasurably more” than we could ever ask in prayer.

EXPAND your prayer life this week to reflect the greatness of our Almighty God.

Self-Sabotaging Your Prayer Life

Sometimes we can “self-sabotage” our prayer life because we pray based on what we think we deserve instead of WHO GOD IS. The enemy can use a storm, our past, or even our religious traditions to keep our prayers small.

Don’t let the enemy fool you, wise woman.

Pray prayers based on WHO GOD IS and remain faithful regardless of the outcome. Don’t filter your prayers through what you think you deserve—let your prayers flow like a mighty river and let God filter the results through his pure and perfect will to bring glory to his name.

Hey, brave heart, take this challenge with me: Revitalize your prayer life this week by recapturing the awe of your God.

God Is the Source of Your Strength

The God you serve is an “immeasurably more” God. Yahweh is the source of your strength. The Lord is his name. King of kings. Lord of lords. He is a strong tower. A fortress. He is mighty to save. The winds and waves obey his commands. “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come” (Revelation 4:8). He is Lord over all. “For from him and through him and for him are all things.” (Romans 11:36)

Humility is not hiding safely behind small prayers and safe expectations.

True humility is depending on God and not your own strength. It’s releasing the results of your prayer by resting in his love. It’s praying “that from his glorious unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through HIS Spirit.” (Ephesians 3:16, emphasis mine). Humility opens a highway to release heaven’s resources to you.

So, wise woman, this week pray powerfully and push past the perimeters of your thinking. You are here to bring God glory. Open your eyes wide and look out through the lens of faith. Stretch your thinking beyond the barriers of labels and limitations that have stopped you before.

Great expectations in our mighty God through prayer give us the freedom to let go of trying to extract from people what only God can give us.

When our expectations rest in the Lord, we can let go of others to truly love them.

Much as a watering can must be filled before it can pour water out and bring nourishment to plants, we must first be filled with his love to give love out. And as the watering can pours out to others, a greater capacity is created to receive even more. When we are trying to extract from people what only God can give us—it is as if we are watering cans going to other watering cans trying to find water.

You can see this same flow in the letter of Ephesians and our Nourish Scripture this week (Ephesians 3:16–4:6). Paul begins by encouraging the Ephesians to love God and receive his love for themselves. Then he encourages them to live a life worthy of their calling by giving others the same love their heavenly father gives them.

“And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” (Mark 12:30–31)

Agape love is not something we manufacture—
it is something we receive from our Maker and release to others.
Strength, power, security, and fullness of life result from a heart rooted in real love.

Nourish Your Heart with Bold Prayer

Think of bold prayer as positioning yourself to fill your watering can to nourish your heart so you can nurture others. To have some understanding of God’s love, we must experience it. To experience it, we must receive it.

Each time we experience his power in answered prayer pushes the roots of our soul deeper into his love and makes us strong as we trust in Him. Only when Christ becomes seated at the center of our heart through the humility of prayer and our roots are deep in his love can we truly love others with his love. And that is godly girl power (Ephesians 3:14–21).

Prayer will grow your roots deep in God’s love because you are placing your trust in him. When your roots are deep in God’s love, you will bear the fruit of his love to others.

Do you hear it, brave heart? Your Heavenly Father is calling. A suitable and settled life won’t do inside this world that needs to be saturated with love—his love. Remember, we are in a battle. The most powerful force on this earth is love. This is godly girl power. This is the life you were called to live.

You have only one life. Pray with great expectation. Live a life worthy of your calling by receiving his love and giving it to others. Fall on your knees in prayer and trust the one who can bless you beyond measure so you can be a blessing to others.

That war you are fighting will be won with you on your knees.

Nourish Scripture: Ephesians 3:14–4:6

Blog written by Aliene Thompson. Aliene Thompson is the founder of Treasured Ministries and the Author of the Nourish Bible Study Series. © 2019 Treasured Ministries.

Completing the Circle

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The sky held onto the heavy golden sun for as long as it could. Slipping through the fingertips of the horizon, the globe of golden light retreated for the day but not without leaving a proper parting gift. Writing with of streams of orange and purple against the backdrop of wispy clouds the sun said a glorious goodbye and welcomed the bright moon to take its turn to captivate the sky.

Reveling in the Circle of Life

Sunrise. Sunset. Seasons in life. The circle of life. 

She sat still and quiet on the mountain top and watched the sunset with great intention as tears fell on her face. Seasons in life. Sunset. Sunrise. The circle of life.

The cool mountain air settled in and she pulled her sweater close around her shoulders and wiped her tears. She felt the Lord’s presence so close and leaned into His heart with an honest prayer to her soulmate as her tears flowed. Her relationship with Jesus was authentic and vulnerable. Her deep love for him was simply an echo of his love and forgiveness towards her. Her journey through hurt, hope and then finally healing was beautiful but in this moment the Holy Spirit revealed it not yet a complete circle. She knew Jesus was asking her to comfort others with the same comfort He had given her.

Sunrise. Sunset. Seasons of life. The circle of life.

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (emphasis mine)

The Women Who Followed Jesus

While Jesus was on the earth, a group of women followed him and ministered to his needs out of their own means (Matthew 27:55, Luke 8:1-3).  These women transformed by the healing touch of Jesus, in turn, served Jesus out of their own means.

“After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.” (Luke 8:1-3 NIV)

Because you belong to Jesus, you have a great capacity to love. How has Jesus comforted you with his words? Complete the circle by sharing those words with others.

God’s Word is a seed that creates a harvest to nurture others. And in doing so, the cycle of God’s love continues to fall on the earth for his glory.

Nurture: to care for and encourage the growth or development of someone.

We were created to nurture, to serve and to lead others by leading them to Jesus.  When we equip women to connect with Christ through His Word and ultimately allow him to nourish their hearts with truth, redefine their identity and the purpose for which they were created, they will experience the freedom, healing, and growth that only He can bring.

Nourish Scripture: 1 Peter 4:7-11

Take the next step by downloading Nourishing Your Heart to learn how to connect with God’s Word in a way that transforms the way you live. 

Blog written by Aliene Thompson. Aliene Thompson is the founder of Treasured Ministries and the Author of the Nourish Bible Study Series. © 2019 Treasured Ministries.