Treasured Ministries

Offering women a biblical solution for inner healing

Strength

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 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 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).

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” than 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 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 

Emotional Strongholds

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Like a strong unforgiving riptide, emotions can carry us in a direction we don’t want to go. Yesterday I faced challenge after challenge. I felt frustrated. I felt overwhelmed. The wheels came off the bus…I cried! My whirling emotions distracted me and resulted in a most unproductive day. Can you relate?

Sometimes feelings are not kind friends. They can steal away our godly girl power if we are driven by our desires instead of directed by the Holy Spirit. 

Nothing makes me feel more powerless than when I face an emotional stronghold. A strong force of emotions welling up in us stirs up a commotion. Fear. Anxiety. Anger. Frustration. Think about those moments when you lose your temper or respond unkindly to someone. 

I want to be a wise woman that walks not under the power of my emotions but by the power of the Holy Spirit. If my emotions are in the driver’s seat, how can I be led by the Holy Spirit?

Paul gives a strong warning to the Ephesians about letting our emotions have control. This is a warning I need remind myself of each day. Emotions can make me feel powerless, but praise be to God because of Jesus I have another choice. I no longer have to live imprisoned by my emotions but empowered by the Holy Spirit!

“All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)” Ephesians 2:3-5

But let’s get honest. Strong emotions are impossible to avoid, aren’t they? Emotions aren’t bad. You’ll always have them. They make us human. God gave us emotions. They are a part of our soul. God had emotions also. But when our emotions become strongholds in our life, when they are in the driver’s seat of our decisions – that’s when they can create problems. 

Emotions alert us to needs within our soul, but they are never a reliable source of truth.

You see, we serve a God who loves us and wants us to be led by the Holy Spirit so we can fulfill the God-given purpose he planned for us long ago. But we also have an enemy that would love nothing more than to distract us and derail us from doing what God wants us to do. And he loves to create emotional strongholds in our life by using just the right lies to create that current to pull you away from your purpose. I know this. I’ve been there.

The world thinks of power and freedom as the strength to do whatever we want. But in God’s economy, power and freedom come from walking in obedience to God for his glory. Freedom is not following our desires and doing whatever we want to do. It is being a wise woman and being led by the Holy Spirit.

I want to be wise – don’t you? 

The truth is, brave heart, we are not going to stop feeling those emotions—and that is not our goal. Our goal is to find ways we can face those emotions and remain steadfast to do what God has called us to do. The big choice is this: Who will be in the driver’s seat, my feelings or the Holy Spirit?  

  • Bring your emotions before Jesus and get help. You don’t have to hide your emotions and try to handle them on your own. Bring them to God, brave heart, and gain his perspective to walk in the truth. Let’s get wise by learning and choosing God’s way to walk in your God-given destiny and make a difference.
  • Read Psalms. One look into the book of Psalms and we see how David was not afraid to pour out his emotions. He got angry, depressed, overwhelmed, frustrated; all of that and more. The book of Psalms reminds me that God can handle my emotions. He can help me sort through that strong force and get God’s perspective. I am not alone when that storm hits my soul. The Psalms also remind me that God does not condemn me when I have negative emotions or desires. He wants me to bring them to him so I can get his help instead of hiding them or trying to handle them on my own.

Treasured one, don’t let the enemy steal one bit of that godly girl power. 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. ONWARD!

Nourish Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10

How to Plug into God’s Power

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Are you frustrated with a sin habit you feel powerless over? It’s not your lack of effort, Treasured One, you must first shift your effort in a new direction. 

Paul began his letter to the Ephesians by reminding those believers of key beliefs about God and their inheritance in Christ Ten years prior to this letter when Paul had founded the church at Ephesus and discipled this church, I am certain he taught these same fundamental truths. I believe Paul knew this truth: renewing our minds is never a one and done deal, and so he went back to those core beliefs. Another beautiful insight is this: Paul addressed belief first, not behavior. This is where we must begin our efforts, Paul started with belief…What do you start with, Treasured One?

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 to renew our minds.

Having access to God’s power and using this all-surpassing power are two different issues altogether. Our journey to change our source of power, begins with our mind.  While we have godly girl power within us through the Holy Spirit, the old ways we used to find strength when we were far away from God are familiar ruts in our thinking. 

To live differently, place your efforts first in renewing your mind. Renewing our minds is a lifetime process that brings transformation because our faith and action always walk hand in hand. 

Retreat daily to renew your mind through the Word and find the power you need to walk out your purpose.

An expert archer keeps his arrows in his quiver, close to him, so he can sharpen and polish them, releasing them again and again with power, purpose, and precision. Like the expert archer, God is calling his daughters to retreat into his presence to prepare and position their heart to be released for his glory.  

Wherever you are in your walk with God, you are never too far along to retreat inside God’s quiver and share sacred times close to him. It is in his quiver, concealed and sharpened, that we plug into godly girl power and our hearts are released to live for his glory.

Come away in his quiver, brave heart. Live on purpose by pausing from life’s pressures to plug into the limitless power that flows from the presence of Jesus.

Weekly Nourish Scripture: Ephesians 1:15-23

Godly Girl Power

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For the battle you face today, brave heart, God’s strength is sufficient. His perfect love is a powerful force. His all-surpassing mighty power is much greater than worldly power. Allow God to guard you by letting him guide you. His unfailing love will see you through.

Women make the greatest difference in this world when they experience God’s unconditional love and live confidently, fulfilling God’s purpose for their life. This is not easy. In a world that teaches us to depend on sources other than God, it’s easy to become co-dependent and lose our identity.

I know this—I’ve been there. This is what I’ve learned in my journey of breaking free from co-dependency: to walk in our purpose, we need to plug into Godly girl power.

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 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.

Paul taught the Ephesians about God’s all surpassing power.

“I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit” (Ephesians 3:16)

“I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 1:19-20).

When faced with a battle, we can be tempted to put on the armor of the world, to fight with the world’s battle plans. We try to take the reins of life, fighting our way to take power the world provides to fix things. During past battles, we learned those old coping mechanisms for survival like manipulation, control, self-reliance, seeking power from people, people pleasing, performance, anger, and unforgiveness. These are just some of the worldly ways we sought to find power from external sources when we felt powerless. 

But now we belong to Jesus, the Shepherd and overseer of our souls. He invites us to receive his power by standing in his mighty strength (1 Peter 2:18–25). 

Sharing the gospel is our precious privilege but one that the enemy of our souls would love to shut down. If he can get us so wound up and worn out fighting our battles the world’s way, we may become so discouraged, distracted, and directionless that we stop sharing the gospel altogether. 

Christianity that requires courage instead of Christianity that demands comfort calls us to stand in the strength that only God can provide. God is your defender, brave heart. You are not powerless. 

Which will you choose? Will you stand in God’s mighty power . . . or survive by trying to take worldly power? It’s such an important choice. You see, whatever source you see as your strength will control your life. God’s power is agape love—and his unconditional love is the most powerful force in the world.

Today we begin our journey together by starting with the book of Acts when Paul says good-bye to the church at Ephesus.

Nourish Scripture: Ephesians 1:1-14

How to Set Boundaries with Love – Like Jesus

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We’ve all been in relationships in which we look back at situations and see where a boundary could’ve been set. We can walk away feeling hurt. The problem is that the enemy tells us lies about how to set boundaries. He pulls us into a place of exhaustion, shame, guilt, and even avoidance. 

This is not where God wants us to be. He has a purpose and plan for each of us. And to discover that plan, we need to know how to set boundaries with love. 

Why Setting Boundaries Is Hard

Setting boundaries isn’t easy. Ephesians 6:12 tells us why setting boundaries is hard…

“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

Satan’s lies keep us in the dark. He places condemning words on us to keep us from connecting to God’s Word. He knows that God’s Word is our guide that gives us wisdom and confidence about how to set boundaries—healthy ones that lead us into our purposes. 

Satan magnifies rejection from our pasts so that all we remember is the pain instead of the future of our God-given purposes. However, when we take our pain to God, he will use it for good!

The voice of our Almighty God bids us near so that we can step out of the darkness and into his all-encompassing light. He wants to reveal his ways of setting boundaries with love. 

When we set boundaries using God’s Word, it intercepts the condemning words of our pasts and frees us to love and live the way in which we were created. 

2 Lies About Setting Boundaries

1. You must be nice.

As little girls, we are often told to “be nice.” These words can plant seeds within our hearts that Satan begins to manipulate. Those seeds don’t produce a harvest of joy but of fear and shame—two of the enemy’s greatest tactics against our souls.  In a previous blog, What Does the Bible Say about Setting Personal Boundaries, we discovered that God’s will is not that that we are nice, but instead that we make a difference and stand in his strength and share the truth. 

2. If you say no, you are being selfish.

Have you ever thought that if something is asked of you, then you must do it? I know I have. Many women are people pleasers. We are nurturers by nature, and the enemy loves to exploit that God-given trait. So, he tells us we must say yes whenever we are asked to do something. As a result, we can run ragged and feel guilty. Jesus said, “For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matthew 11:30). He doesn’t want us to be burdened and burned out. Instead, his voice gives us renewed minds and nourished souls.

How Jesus Set Boundaries

So, how did Jesus do it? Thinking about the life of Jesus, I realized he set boundaries… with love. He had limitations. He needed nourishment—both spiritual and physical. He rested, and he was aware that some people could not be trusted. 

  • “Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him. But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew all about people. No one needed to tell him about human nature, for he knew what was in each person’s heart.”—John 2:23-25

But he still loved. 

3 Ways Jesus Set Boundaries

1. Jesus established prayer as a priority. He understood the importance of having quiet time with the Father. He withdrew from crowds to pray, even when he was in the active ministry of teaching and healing. 

“But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.”—Luke 5:16

 2. Jesus taught to be confident in your “yeses” and “nos.” In Matthew 5, Jesus explained that when we sway in our yeses and nos, our characters can be questioned. Because our identity is in him, when we seek him for guidance, we can be confident in our yeses and nos. 

“’Just say a simple, “Yes, I will,” or “No, I won’t.” Anything beyond this is from the evil one.’”—Matthew 5:37

3. Jesus expected others to state their needs. In Matthew 20, Jesus’s question to the blind men was relational. He wanted to be invited into their journey. Because of his perfect love, he doesn’t force us to choose him. 

We can take this principle and apply it to our relationships. Others can ask for help and we don’t need to feel guilty for “not reading their minds.” Likewise, we can feel free to invite others into our lives and ask for support when we need it. 

“Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!’… When Jesus heard them, he stopped and called, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’”—Matthew 20:30, 32

There are a number of other ways Jesus set boundaries, from confronting wrong behavior (Matthew 16:23, Matthew 21:23-27) to knowing the need for rest (Hebrews 4:9-11).

What Boundaries Do You Need to Set?

There are times in our lives when boundaries need to be set. If we have been hurt, we can often say things such as, “I will never open myself up again.” Although this is a boundary, we need to ask ourselves if this is a boundary that has been set due to fear or one that comes from the Holy Spirit. 

The Bible says that the Holy Spirit “will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future” (John 16:13). 

When we seek the Spirit’s guidance, he will reveal how to set boundaries and which ones should be set. 

3 Ways to Get Started Setting Boundaries

1. Prayerfully ask God to guide you in this boundary-setting journey. God’s Word reminds us that we are to examine our ways (Lamentations 3:40). Come to the feet of Jesus and honestly share what is on your heart. If you are struggling with exhaustion, or feel as though you are walking on eggshells in a relationship, you can “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7). 

2. State your core identity in Christ. As you begin to set boundaries, the enemy’s words will press in, causing you to question your core identity in Christ. As the Spirit begins revealing areas for which to set boundaries, it’s equally important to record and recite your core identity in Christ. Write down scriptures that remind you that he gives you strength when you are weak. 

3. Keep connecting to the Word and record your boundaries. God is faithful. As we seek him through this journey, he will start revealing needed boundaries. But distractions often pop up, causing us to retract from our time in his Word. This is a time we must retreat into God’s presence. Write down how God is leading you to set boundaries. As you read more scripture, you’ll notice something—God will continue to connect his Word to your personal situations. 

If you want to hear more of my teaching about how to set boundaries, click HERE for my podcast Setting Boundaries: Letting Go of Being Nice to Learn How to Say No.

Discover how nourishing your heart with God’s Word will transform the way you live HERE.

Quiet Strength

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Rosa Parks grew up on a humble farm in rural Alabama just outside Montgomery with her mother and grandparents. Rosa was raised in a world that treated African-Americans like second-class citizens. But she learned from the Bible to be courageous in the face of injustice and hatred.

Rosa may have grown up in humble means, but she had the luxury of learning about her Savior, Jesus. Her grandparents gave her the greatest legacy we can give to the next generation—a firm foundation of faith and trust in God.

In Quiet Strength, Rosa Parks talks about the foundation of her faith.

“Every day before supper and before we went to services on Sundays,” Parks says, “my grandmother would read the Bible to me, and my grandfather would pray. We even had devotions before going to pick cotton in the fields. Prayer and the Bible,” she recalls, “became a part of my everyday thoughts and beliefs. I learned to put my trust in God and to seek Him as my strength.” 1

Her Faith in the Lord

Everything Rosa did flowed out of her faith.

“I’d like for [readers] to know that I had a very spiritual background and that I believe in church and my faith and that has helped to give me the strength and courage to live as I did.”2

Christianity that requires courage instead of Christianity that demands comfort calls us to stand in the strength that only God can provide.

Strength always comes from a source. Quiet strength comes only from God himself. To plug into God’s power, we must pause and pull into his presence daily.

The Difference between Quiet Strength and Worldly Power

Quiet strength, God’s all-surpassing power, is different from worldly power.

  • Worldly power is outward control, dependent on other people and things, and it focuses on self.
  • Quiet strength is the inner 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 God’s power is all about.

It was that quiet strength that would carry Rosa bravely through the events that took place on December 1, 1955.

How Rosa Demonstrated Quiet Strength

After a long day at work, Rosa boarded the bus that would carry her home. Buses were segregated at that time, so Rosa made her way to the front row of the “colored” section in the back of the bus. At the next stop, Rosa and three African-American men were asked to give up their seats to a white man because no seats were available in their section in the front of the bus. The men got up, but Rosa refused to vacate her seat.

Rosa had grown weary from the injustices shown toward people because of the color of their skin. Although she had not planned to resist the law that day, her decision to remain in her seat led to her arrest—and would change the destiny of our nation.

Sometimes quiet strength means saying no to others so you can say yes to God.

Rosa’s refusal to give up her seat set in motion a series of events that would transform the laws regulating racial justice. A 381-day bus boycott in Montgomery led to a ruling in 1956 by the Supreme Court declaring that racial segregation on buses was unconstitutional. Rosa had submitted to arrest, giving up her freedom so others could be free, but she had not been afraid.

“Since I have always been a strong believer in God,” she says, “I knew that He was with me, and only He could get me through the next step.”3

I just love that, don’t you?

On this day when we remember Martin Luther King, may we also remember the many women who also walked with quiet strength to stand with Jesus against injustice ….and may we resolve to do the same.

Nourish Scripture: Luke 18:1-8

Download Nourishing Your Heart to discover how to connect with God’s Word in a way that transforms the way you live. 

Sources:

1. Charles Colson, “The Woman on the Bus: The Faith of Rosa Parks,” BreakPoint Commentary #90625, June 25, 1999. Leadership U: www.leaderu.com/critical/colson-parks.html (February 2011). Quotes from Rosa Parks, Quiet Strength: The Faith, The Hope, and the Heart of a Woman Who Changed a Nation (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000), 54 and 16–17.

2. Kira Albin, “Rosa Parks, The Woman Who Changed a Nation,” 1996. Grandtimes.com: www.grandtimes.com/rosa.html (February 2011).

3. Rosa Parks, Quiet Strength, 23.

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.