Walk With Me

I recently went on a mission trip to Spain and decided to pursue missions full time. God has been leading me on a new, different, amazing path and I am on a fun journey or learning and growing. My purpose with this blog is to encourage and share Biblical truth. I invite you all to walk with me as we navigate through this world.

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  • Refuge Found in God

    Refuge Found in God

    We have made it to mid-week, and it seems we skipped right over fall and went straight to winter. This time calls for afternoons in coffee shops drinking coffee and doing schoolwork. That time is my favorite time of day because not only am I sitting in stillness but I’m also studying and learning so much about Him through school. I look forward to this time every day.

    Every Sunday my pastor gives us time to pray and sit in stillness to prepare to read God’s word. I never knew how important that time was until I started school. I’ve intentionally been trying to posture my heart before going into studying and quiet time because if I don’t, I will just be focused on work and not be 100% committed to God. I pray God gives me a clear mind so I can take in all His Word has to offer.

    I visit with kids on Tuesdays and teach them about the Gospel and this past Tuesday I was super touched by some of the conversations I was having with them. They were so excited to share how they had spent time with God in the past week because we had just learned about how to “live” out the Gospel. Those were some of my favorite moments from the week. One part about this I especially love is they are beginning to see how spending time in the Bible and in prayer changes you and why it is so important. There is something so sweet about hearing kids get excited to talk about Jesus because you know it’s the start of their testimony and how amazing is it that we get to be a part of it!

    Are we so busy every day and barely make time for God? Do we let dust particles build up on our bibles every day we don’t open it? Are we intentionally making time each day for God and posturing our hearts to devote ourselves to Him? Our God is a jealous God in the best way possible. He WANTS to spend time with us. He doesn’t want us to put anything before Him or idolize anything else. His love for us is so great and He just wants us to love Him back. When we love Him and devote ourselves fully to Him, the ways He is going to use us is endless and more than we could ever imagine. But it all starts with that quality time with Him. Don’t be too busy for God. Don’t put Him off. He is always ready for us but time not doing what we are called to is wasted.

    I have been thinking about my testimony lately and how much it has changed in the last couple of years, really in the last few months. It reminds me that our testimony keeps going as God works in our hearts. As we grow, as life goes on, as we go through different situations, God remains steadfast in His love and grows with us. He knows just how much to push us to help us grow but not too much to make us fail. He is our Father holding our hands as we learn to crawl, waddle, walk, and eventually RUN! And as we are running the good race, He is pouring His Spirit on us to keep us going.

    It reminds me of a scene in a movie by the Kendrick Brothers called Overcomer. The movie follows the story of a young girl who runs cross country and has found and met her birth father for the first time. In her last race in the movie, her father is not able to watch her because he is in the hospital. He ends up recording a detailed speech for her to listen to while she runs. As she is running with her earbuds in, he is keeping track of her pace and is telling her the trail that lies ahead and encourages her to get past each marker. He was her biggest encourager through his voice even when he couldn’t be present. That is God to us. He is speaking to us through every trial and encouraging us to keep going. He is preparing our way without us even knowing which direction we are going next. He knows how our testimony is going to grow over the years and who needs to hear it and when. God is constantly with us, working in us, helping us, encouraging us, preparing the way for us.

    I encourage us all to intentionally take time to spend with God today. Pray for stillness and a clear mind and then dive into quality time with the Father. Don’t make it part of your daily checklist. God doesn’t belong on a checklist. God doesn’t belong in our life when it is convenient. We are worth more to Him than “precious jewels” and He should be worth more to us than convenience. He is not a “when you have time” God.

    Pray intentionally, read the Word of God and feel the comfort it brings by having Him close.

    Courtney

  • Made New

    Made New

    Happy Monday! I hope this finds everyone doing well. It has been a rainy and cold day and definitely finally feels like fall. This time of year makes me want to be in coffee shops nonstop and watch the leaves cover the streets. Seeing the leaves change colors, fall off trees, and grow again is a great reminder of the new life we have in Christ Jesus. We have a beautiful life to live and so many blessings to be thankful for. Give thanks to God today.

    Yesterday my church came together and celebrated 191 years of fellowship, and it was such a wonderful day of gathering with one another. The very foundation of which our church was built was on full display yesterday as we shared lots of smiles, laughs, conversations, and worship. I will always treasure that time. I do not want to ever take my time at church for granted because it holds such a special place in my heart. I have only been a part of this church for a year, but I feel like I have family there.

    We are made new in Christ when we accept the Holy Spirit into our hearts and have a newfound love for our life. Just as the leaves shed and fall from the trees, we shed off our old minds, hearts, and will and start a new life with a new mind, heart, and will. We no longer think the same and are able to give and accept love like we never had before and living that way can, and should, look different. I have been reading a book for school called “Designed to be Like Him” and there is a quote I want to share regarding Paul writing his letter to the Corinthains about what they should or should not do as believers. J Dwight Pentecost writes these words, “The question is not, ‘Can a believer do this?’ The question is, ‘Can I give this up for the gospel’s sake to maintain my testimony before other believers, and before the world?’ Will you dare to be different by refusing to conform to the world for the gospel’s sake?” We do not want to lose our testimony and have nothing to offer the world.

    As we go about this week, let us not forget that we are called to be different. Go to church, pray before meals, refrain from cursing, and hold true to your values unashamedly. Show that you are devoted to God without having to say it; It should be visible in how we act every day. Your unique act of kindness is just what someone needs to see God’s glory.

    Take a moment this week to watch the leaves fall. The area is colored in orange and yellow right now, which are also the colors we see in a sunrise. It’s a great reminder of a new day and a new season. All my prayers and love are with you,

    Courtney

  • Finding the Blessings

    Finding the Blessings

    There is a song called “Blessings” by Laura Story that I’ve always loved. This is the chorus:

    “What if Your blessings come through raindrops? What if Your blessings come through tears? What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near? What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?”

    I think I have seen firsthand more mercies and blessings in disguise recently than I ever have. Having spent many moments in tears the past couple of months, I have seen God’s love through the pain in the form of unexpected blessings. In days when I didn’t see what was next, days when I didn’t know why I was in this spot, God turned my uncertainty into vision. He turned my questions into peace, my hurt into spiritual devotion. He showed me He had a plan all along that was exactly what I needed before I knew I needed a new plan. In a season of growing and learning, God has revealed Himself in ways I’ve never seen and has given me a desire to know Him more.

    We are going to spend the rest of our lives going through periods of hurt, anger, confusion, and much more. Life will continue to be life, so it’s important to remember we have a God greater than life. Life will try to kick us down, but that reminds us of the One that picks us up. As inconsistent as life is, we have a perfectly consistent God. Lean on Him to hold you up, trust in the days of uncertainty, and remember our ultimate destination.

    The end of this song changes lyrics to, “What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy?”

    This earth is not our final destination, it is temporary. God is going to give us what we need on this Earth to make it, but that doesn’t mean He’s going to stop reminding us that we need Him. The disappointments and aching reveals God’s promises to us. It grows our faith and redirects our attention to something greater because earthly things cannot satisfy us. Through Christ we have a reserved seat in Heaven where heartache will be no more, so remain steadfast in faith.

    Blessings are in every day when we keep our eyes open to them. It may take some squinting to see them, but I encourage us all to not fully close our eyes no matter how hard life gets. Remember we are the protagonist of our story and we wouldn’t have the strength we have without heartache. Heartache brings us to our knees which is the humblest position to be before God, but He always puts us back on our feet.

    Our God is a great God. Find the divine blessings in the worldly trials. Lean on your brothers and sisters in Christ.

    Courtney

  • Leaders are Thermostats

    Leaders are Thermostats

    Happy Sunday everyone! Sunday is my absolute favorite day of the week because I love coming to church and seeing everyone gather together to worship and fellowship. The past couple of Sundays we have been in the book of Haggai and have been challenged to look at the things in life we need to say no to in order to say yes to God. We all have such a divine purpose in Jesus Christ that it’s so important that we act upon it every day.

    The past couple of weeks have been full of new challenges and God’s blessings in the unknown. I recently started a new job at Chick fil A to have while I get through school. For those that do not know, I am studying at Luther Rice College and Seminary right now to become a missionary. It was a decision I made within the span of two weeks when I came home from my mission trip to Spain. That is my focus and priority right now and I needed a job that would work with my school schedule and provide a good environment and Chick fil A has ended up being that place.

    I have worked at Chick fil A before, so I have just had to re-learn everything but with my restaurant management experience I seem to have picked up on everything rather quickly. God is so good, His blessings are many when we follow Him, and He is showing me every day why I am in exactly the place He wants me to be in right now. My operator’s daughter is actually a missionary and is oversees right now with her husband, so I have already had some opportunities to talk about missions with them and look forward to connecting more with them. They are so supportive in my hopes of becoming a missionary.

    One thing I want to share that someone actually shared with me this week at work is about leadership. I am learning to become a leader at Chick fil A and one of my trainers told me something that has stuck with me ever since. I share this because not only am I a leader in my store but I’m also a leader as a Christian. He said, “Leaders are thermostats, not thermometers.” What he was explaining was leaders don’t measure the temperature of the room and follow it, they set the temperature. The environment and tone of a workplace is a direct reflection of the leadership. This is also true for Christians in the world.

    As Christians I believe we are born and called to be leaders. We are shepherds for the lost and trying to guide nonbelievers to believe they have a greater purpose. We are called to not only plant seeds but also water them. Too many times, I’m afraid we forget to water the seeds after we plant them. Let us not forget where we once were when we first came to Christ. It was hard, we were still learning what it looked like to follow God and be obedient to Him and maybe we felt like we had to do it all on our own. Grown-up Christians (and I don’t necessarily mean in age but in how long we have been walking Christians) should be shepherding and helping baby Christians (those who are just believing). Satan would love nothing more than to make them feel like this is a mistake and they are all alone, and we cannot let that happen. Be there to answer any questions, encourage them, pray for them, and go to church with them.

    Looking at us as the Christians of this world, we set the tone. We are called to be the light and love this world so desperately needs. Our jobs are not to follow and succumb to what everyone else is doing but to lead and be the difference. We will not answer evil with evil, when someone persecutes us, we will pray for them and forgive them. It takes all of us working together to be bold and hold each other accountable. Say you are standing in a pitch-dark room and one person lights a candle, there suddenly is a little bit of light but still everyone cannot see. That person shares their flame to light another candle of someone and there’s more light. Then they light a third. At this point there are three people in this dark room holding candles. Those three can see very well, the people close to them can see a little, and the people far from them can’t see at all. This is what the world looks like.

    As Christians we have the light within us and can see everything around us clearly. The people that we are close to that don’t have the candle can see a little bit because of the light shining from us, but once our flame from our candle gets close enough to their candle to ignite it then the world gets brighter. But we can’t stop there. We have to bring our light to others who are in the dark. We must raise the temperature so that they can feel the heat from our candle and eventually have their candle lit. Imagine what the world would look like if we all walked around like this every day trying to light more candles to give light to those who are in the dark? The world would be so bright!

    I want to encourage all of us to go into this week with this mental image of candles and light and see how many people we can share a little bit of light with. Let’s make the world bright together. There is a Christmas movie called “Deck the Halls.” One of the men, played by Danny DeVito, has a goal of putting up so many Christmas lights around his house that his house would be able to be seen from space. How beautiful would it be for God to look at our world from Heaven and see so much light from all of us?

    Psalm 119:105- “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”

    Matthew 5:16- “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

    John 8:12- “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”

    Be the thermostat, set the temperature, share your light, plant seeds, and water them. Together let’s light this world so everyone can see.

    Love you all and praying for blessings upon you this week,

    Courtney

  • Made For More

    Made For More

    Good evening, everyone. I hope your weekend was blessed and you got some rest (I didn’t write that with the intention of rhyming, but there we go!). A recent little update on my life, I started a new job last week. I am still a full-time student at Luther Rice College and Seminary but I’m also working at a brand-new Chick-fil-A that just opened up in Jasper, Ga. I have the 5:30am-2pm shift 5 days a week and I do schoolwork after that, so my days are long but enjoyable. I am thankful I work for a Christian centered company and have Sundays off!

    Let’s dive into scripture:

    “Blessed be the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love, he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” Ephesians 1:1-6

    “In him we have been obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.” Ephesians 1:11

    I was driving to my favorite coffee shop this afternoon to study and Josh Balwin’s “Made for More” song came up on my playlist. I could listen to that song every day and never get tired of hearing the words, “I wasn’t made to be tending a grave, I was called by name, born and raised back to life again, I was made for more!” When God decided to put each of us on this earth, he went into intricate detail to place every hair on our head, choose what color our eyes were going to be, place freckles and birthmarks on our skin, and place us in a family that would lead us to our purpose. You are not here by mistake. God did not make a mistake when creating you. He never looks at you and thinks you are not good enough. There is no other love like His.

    God has called each one of us by name knowing full and well what our past looks like. He can and will still use you no matter what you have done. I know a woman who has such a beautiful testimony. She spent ten years highly addicted to drugs and lost custody of her kids. One day after those ten years she decided to give her life to Christ, sobered up, and now has brought the father of her kids to Christ, gotten her kids back, and they are now a happy, God-loving family. She now proudly shares that story with everyone to show that God can still use you for good. He still has a purpose for you, that never changes. He never gives up on you or loses hope. He is always ready to embrace you and love on you like a proud Father.

    “Why would I make a bed in my shame when a fountain of grace is running my way? I know I am Yours, and I was made for more.”

    If you are in a place where you feel like you are beyond repair, that God doesn’t want you anymore because of what you have done, look at yourself in the mirror and say, “I am made whole again through Christ, and I was made for more.” God wants you just as you are. The wonderful thing about God is that we never have to prove ourselves to Him. He created us and knows our hearts so well that nothing we do surprises Him. He knows our past, our current, and our future and still loves us. He wants to use our testimonies to show someone else that they are not alone and that they are loved. Let Him use you. You were made for more.

    I want to encourage us all to look at ourselves and see what God sees when He looks at us. See the love Jesus had for us when He was hanging on the cross. He didn’t die for us to live our lives feeling worthless. He died so we could have a new life and never be weighed down by shackles again. We have a glorious, long future in Heaven so let’s make this little amount of time we have on earth worth it. Love yourselves because you are loved.

    God loves you and is still using you.

    Praying for your hearts,

    Courtney

  • Intentional Rest

    Intentional Rest

    Happy Wednesday, we have made it halfway through the week! Today I want to dive into the importance of rest and honoring the Sabbath.

    “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.” Genesis 2:1-3

    This passage comes in the first book of the Bible after God had created the heavens and the earth. To translate it to our world today, God put in 100% of His effort for six days and then rested on the seventh day. That’s how I picture it and how I’m approaching this topic.

    In today’s world we can get so caught up in planning and working trying to obtain the American dream that we forget that even God rested. God bless the businesses that are closed on Sundays, so their team has a day off to rest. Our souls and our bodies need it and that’s why we have Sundays which is supposed to be the day we go to church and worship together. “So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy.” God gave us the seventh day so we could have rest.

    When you think about it, days did not exist before God created the heavens and the earth. He could’ve just stopped at day six and started over and worked but instead He made a seventh day. This seventh day was added into our week to rest, reset, and get ready for the next week so we could bring 100% again. God created the seventh day with us in mind.

    “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Exodus 20:8-11

    The Sabbath is part of the Ten Commandments and is, in my opinion, the easiest one to uphold. It is literally instructing us to not work but rest which we should be all for, amen? So why is it so hard to stop ourselves for just one day of the week? Speaking from personal experience, I just came out of a very time consuming and demanding job which required me to work on Sundays. I fell victim to viewing work as an idol and prioritizing it over my own health and, more importantly, the Lord. Why was I not honoring the extra time given to me by the Creator of time? There might as well only be six days in the week if we are not stopping and resting in between.

    Now, honoring the Sabbath can look a little different for everyone. Even though it is typically Sundays, it doesn’t have to be. Maybe you work in a church, so you of course have to work on Sundays. It can be another day of the week. Some people honor the Sabbath by turning off their phones and unplugging from social media in addition to not working. Am i saying you have to do all that? No, but I am encouraging you to take advantage of the seventh day given to us. It is a gift. Honor it, cherish it, treasure it. Spend time with your family undistracted from everything else. You have six perfectly good days to think about work, let it go on the seventh, and then give your 100% again on day one.

    One more thing I want to leave you with is something I actually heard Charlie Kirk say in an interview about the Sabbath. He said, “it doesn’t matter what day of the week your family chooses to honor the Sabbath, but someone else should be able to see into your house and know what day you do. “In other words, your Sabbath day should look different from the other six days.

    This doesn’t mean you can’t work hard, but it does mean we need to be intentional about participating in a day of rest. Take care of yourselves, remember why we have a seventh day, and honor the Lord.

    I love you guys and am praying God shows you something this week,

    Courtney McKean

  • A Godly Man ft David McKean

    A Godly Man ft David McKean

    Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a very nice day of worship and praise for our good Father. I was particularly enjoying our worship service as we sang “I am blessed, I am called, I am healed, I am whole, I am saved in Jesus’ name. Highly favored, anointed, filled with Your power for the glory of Jesus’ name!” I love that we can all come together on Sunday mornings and sing lyrics like these praising our good, good Father.

    Continuing our series on men, today we will look at a man’s role in the Bible. I have again recruited my uncle’s help so these are his words on a Godly man:

    Much is said today regarding the definition of a man. Yet the definition of manhood itself is obscured by a culture in moral free fall. Much could be said about what it means to be a man and much has been said. But there has to be a foundation from which you can rightly define what a man is or what manhood is. And that foundation is God’s word.

    So, we go back to the beginning. God created man. Man was the pinnacle of his creation, (that is male and female). Adam was the first man. Almost immediately man was given the roles of leadership and responsibility. Genesis 2:15. “The lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (NIV). Adam was to be a good steward of what God had created and had given to him. There was to be order in God’s creation. This idea of leadership and order is further addressed in 1 Corinthians 11:3: “the head of every man is Christ, the head of every woman is man, and God is the head of Christ.” Men are to lead their homes as the follow Christ.

    This leads men into their role as provider. In 1 Timothy 5:8, Paul writes, “But if anyone does not provide for his own family, especially for his own household, has denied the faith.” He is to work for the good of his home, and all those in it. This goes beyond merely a financial responsibility, it also means that a man in his home is to give of himself for the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of those in his life. The wife partners with her husband for the needs of the home, but the husband bares the responsibility.

    So, what the man has a husband and father is to be protected. We can refer to Nehemiah 4:14 for guidance, “Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord, and fight for your countrymen, your sons and daughters, your wives and homes (NIV).” Protection means placing himself between attackers and those he loves, holistically, including emotional and spiritual attacks.

    And a good way for men to protect their family: teach them Godliness in the home. The bible says it so clearly, “These words that I am giving you today are to be on your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” God was clear to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 6:6-7. And lastly (those these characteristics of a Godly man are not exhaustive), drive this bit of scripture deep into your hearts. Ephesians 5:25: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her.” Have a servant’s heart towards your wife. Being responsible, providing for the family, leading spiritually, are each ways in which you can be a servant to your family.

  • Men in Scripture

    Men in Scripture

    Happy Saturday everybody. Today we are starting a little series on men of the Bible. We did our series on women, now it’s man’s turn. For this, I have recruited my uncle’s help since he has a lot more experience with men than I do and since I am not a man. I asked him to first choose 5 men of the Bible who influence him most and had faith that could be of encouragement to the men today. Here we go:

    In a time of uncertainty and cultural pressure, God used Joseph to demonstrate obedience to God in choosing faith over fear. Joseph was chosen to be Jesus’ earthly father. Have you ever been put in a position where something unexpected happened to you, you can’t do anything about it, and people are gossiping and passing negative judgements on you? The angel of the Lord came to Mary to tell her she would carry Jesus, the Son of God, before coming to Joseph. Matthew 1:18-19 says, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.” After this, an angel of the Lord comes to him and puts his heart as ease, and he continues to marry Mary without worrying about the whispers that would go on behind their backs. His faith in God, the Heavenly Father, gave him to strength to become the earthly father of Jesus.

    Waiting on God’s promises can be difficult. We see God using Simeon to show us He will use us in ways we can’t even begin to imagine. Simeon’s story is found in Luke 2:25-35, “Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” Each one of us has a purpose, a divine destiny, and God promises to carry those out in us in His perfect timing. “The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made” Psalm 145:13. Do not feel forgotten and do not see waiting as an oversight from the Lord. Trust in His divine plan.

    Fathers, look to Job for encouragement when raising young ones. As a man of integrity, Job exemplified what it looks like when a father loves his children so much that he will do everything in his power to ensure God’s favor on them. In the biginning of his book in Job 1:5 it says, “And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, ‘It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.’ Thus Job did continually.” Job interceded for his children to ensure they were consecrated to God.

    In Numbers we learn about a man named Phinehas, son of Aaron. “And the Lord said to Moses, Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. Therefore say, ‘Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood. because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.’” Phinehas was a key figure in exemplifying zeal, faith, and divine favor. Mostly, he exhibited a profound zeal for God’s holiness.

    In the book of Genesis, Abraham had a servant who was not given a name but most certainly given a story. He is given a command by his master, Abraham, and he follows that command out of faith. He loved and respected his master so strongly, he acted on faith and faith alone. His faith in his master drove his faith in fulfilling the Lord’s plan for him. “I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’ But he said to me, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked, will send his angel with you and prosper your way. You shall take a wife for my son from my clan and from my father’s house. Then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my clan. And if they will not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.” Genesis 24:39-41

    These are just a few of the steadfast men God handpicked to be in the Bible. Each one has his own story and purpose as do each of you. When feeling stuck in waiting, look to Simeon, Elijah, David, Moses, and so many more who’s faith in patience exceeded their doubt. In seasons of uncertainty, look at Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, who’s world got flipped upside down when a woman he was marrying became pregnant and not from him, but from the Holy Spirit. This sacrificial act of faith lead to him becoming the earthly father of Jesus, the Savior of man. For fathers struggling with raising children, Job is an example of how to raise children in a Christ-centered home. On days when you don’t have any motivation to live the Holy life, find encouragement from Phinehas.

    Tomorrow we will dive into men’s roles in the Bible. There are many, many great men from the Bible we can talk about. These men in the Bible were the first to go through what you are going through, and they are talked about in the Bible for our gain. We have an incredible resource in the Bible for testimonies and encouragement so do not overlook it. Read someone’s story in the Bible today and let it inspire you to live your life with bold faith and courage.

    Praying we all find comfort in reading our Bible,

    Courtney McKean

  • More Precious than Jewels

    More Precious than Jewels

    We have made it to Friday everyone! This is the last day I will be addressing women in this series. So far, we have looked at how a woman should act and present themselves according to the Bible, and we looked at the stories of women in the Bible and how they encourage us now. Today we will look at the roles God has for women according to the Word of God.

    The Bible is truth, I think we can all agree on that. It paints a perfect picture of what God desires for His people. He has spoken about men and women and how they have roles in a household. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to this purpose.” Romans 8:28 This verse is so true for a Christian home when everyone is living in accordance with their roles God has intended for them.

    in Genesis 2, the Word of God says, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.”

    Women, we were designed to be man’s helper. God made man first and then made women to help him, not the other way around and not at the same time. That is not to say men are better than women, but it is to say women have a beautifully important role as helpers. I do not want us to look at that as a putdown or to lessen our value in the eyes of God, and please do not let it lessen your value in the eyes of man. First of all, we do not live to satisfy man, we live to satisfy God. Men have been given a very tough role as leaders and heads which we will discuss more in the days ahead, and we are here to support them as they do their works for the Lord. That is our first role as women, and I want us all to look at it as an opportunity every day to serve the Lord in helping our men because ladies, they need it.

    There is a whole chapter on wives and husbands in Ephesians that we tend to ignore because of some words we do not like so we are going to discuss it because, well, it is Biblical. God says through the words of Paul, “Wives, submit to your husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself it’s Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.” Now, men have submissions of their own so do not worry, we will get to that in the coming days. Women do not like the word “submit” and we certainly do not get excited to “submit” anything to anyone. This is where the secular world has misconstrued the Word of God.

    It is a very honorable and biblical act to submit to our husbands as long as we have a husband worth submitting to. This first starts with marrying someone “equally yoked” as Paul says in 2 Corinthains 6:14, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” When you get married, two become one. “The two shall become one flesh” Ephesians 5:31. Are you marrying a man who is going to go to church with you every Sunday? Are you marrying a man who will pray with you? Are you marrying a man who will lead you closer to Christ or farther away? Are you marrying a man who works to serve the Lord? If that is not your man, walk away. They are not doing their role as a biblical man. If you are marrying a man who is these things, he will be a man you will want to submit to.

    God made men first, therefore He made them able to do things on their own before He made them a helper in women. That being said, men were born to lead and be the head of households. God made them stronger emotionally and physically to provide for their families. Women have a role in the household that is just as important and beautiful. This is a long scripture, but it really paints a beautiful picture of woman’s character:

    “An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong. she perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night. Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.” Proverbs 31

    Reading this scripture makes me so happy to be a woman because God created us to be so awesome. Working tirelessly and endlessly manning our home and providing food for our families is a blessing to cherish. We get to be a pivotal part of our husband’s pursuit for God and our children’s testimony, and God will bless that. Do not feel less than, do not feel ignored but feel honored you have been given this role of servanthood for even “the Son of Man came not be served but to serve.” Matthew 20:28

    Husbands and wives working together for the good of their household by performing their biblical duties as head and helper make for a beautiful story. Women in Christ, we have been given our marching orders from God. Act honorably in the eyes of the Lord, remember the faith of the women who came before us, and help your husbands. Live Biblically.

    I love you all and love being your sister in Christ,

    Courtney McKean

  • Biblical Sisters

    Biblical Sisters

    Happy Thursday. I hope everyone is making it through this week and finding time each day to dive into the Word. Today we are continuing to talk about women and how to get through the trials life throws at us. Life can be unbearably hard at times but thankfully we have incredible women in the Bible to turn to for advice and encouraging.

    One thing that is so beautiful about the Word of God is that it is a blueprint for our lives. God has placed many different personalities and situations in the Bible so that we may one day have someone to look to for encouragement. We go through losses, tough times and think no one knows how we feel or what we’re going through, but I have good news. There is a woman in the Bible you can read about, she lived through what you are feeling, and she made it. The Word of God will show you just how beautiful her story was in God’s ultimate purpose for her.

    Let’s begin with loss and heartache which is something Naomi and Ruth knew all too well. Their story is so special because not only does it show faith through loss but also incredible loyalty. In case you don’t know the story here’s a little snippet of it: Naomi was a widow with 2 daughters in law who also lost their husbands. The daughter in law, Ruth, chose to stay with Naomi even though it was going to be a life of struggling. She followed Naomi to her to the land of the Israelites not knowing how she’d be accepted as a Moabite. This is a story of 2 strong widows sticking together to get through life. God blessed Ruth’s faith and loyalty and made sure they were both provided richly for. Ruth lost her husband and packed all her stuff up and went to Israel and started over knowing that she was considered an enemy to the Israelites. Look for her strength through loss when you don’t think you can get through the next day. You’ll find her story in the Old Testament in the short book of Ruth.

    For those of you who might be in the waiting season of your life, God gives us many different women to look at. Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah, and Elizabeth all suffered with infertility in the Bible. They all have different stories, but I want to highlight maybe the most popular one in the story of Jesus and that was Elizabeth. The Bible never reveals her actual age, but it says she was well beyond the years of childbearing which in Biblical days could mean very old in our time. This to say, Elizabeth waited and prayed for a long time for a child, but her faith never once wavered. In Luke 1:6 she is described with her husband, Zechariah, as “upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly.” This doesn’t mean it was hard at times to trust in God’s timing, but this story reminds us just how perfect His timing is. God was waiting for Jesus because Elizabeth was to give birth to his cousin, John the Baptist, who would be the one to baptize Jesus in the Jordan River. Her years of waiting ended up being part of the story of Jesus.

    When we find ourselves in need of courage and strength, God gives us Deborah, Esther, and Abigail. When you look at Esther’s story, she ended up in a position of power knowing that she could be killed for who she was. She wanted to save her people, and God used her in her position to influence the king to save her people. She didn’t let her fear stop her boldness or waver her faith that God had a divine plan. You can read her whole story in the Book of Esther in the Old Testament.

    When we find ourselves in a situation that we don’t know how to deal with, God uses the stories of Hagar and Bathsheba. I love the story of Hagar. Though it is short, this is a beautiful story of an enslaved woman who ended up having to bear the child of her masters as they could not. This created tension and she was misused and tried to run away. The angel of the Lord found her and comforted her. He listened to her pain and blessed her through her loyalty and freed her after many years. There is more to her story than I have time for, but I would highly recommend reading it in Genesis 16-21.

    I could go on and on about women in the Bible, but the last one I want to speak about is the woman who bled for 12 years. This woman is unnamed, but we know her story as one of extreme suffering and incredible faith that Jesus would heal her but just one touch. She had only heard about Jesus and that He had the power to heal. Seeing no light in front of her, she had the faith that Jesus, a man she had never met, could stop her bleeding but just a touch of His cloak. Jesus said to her in that moment, “Take heart daughter, your faith has healed you.” Matthew 9:22

    Ladies, we have a blueprint of how to live and how to pray through tough times. The trials will not end but our wonderful, merciful God has given us women to look up to for encouragement. He gave us the answers to our questions before we were conceived through the Word of God. This powerful sword, shield, resource we have is something that should not be ignored. Devote yourself to reading it every day for it is our daily encouragement to keep the faith through hard times. I thank God for these women for walking our trials before us, for all they had was faith in God. They did not have examples to look at from the Word of God as we do now.

    Remember the women who paved the way for us in our sisterhood in Christ,

    Courtney McKean