““Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:13-14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The Dung Gate of Jerusalem was one of twelve gates of which Nehemiah oversaw the rebuilding. The dung herder would transport waste via caravan of donkeys through the narrow, 1.5 meter wide gate toward the southern border of the city then dump it in the landfill. What was his life like? How was he treated in society?

The life of following Christ is not an easy one that will win one any popularity contests. Over and over again, Jesus tells those who seek to be like Him they will suffer, as He suffered. In fact, the root word for “narrow” is akin to the base word from which “trauma” is derived. Do not expect to be treated any better than the person carrying human feces outside the city gates.

What hope have we who are night and day tormented ruthlessly at the hands of the evil accuser Satan?

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:7-11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Yes, in the end, Jesus wins! And we win! The person Nehemiah tasked with repairing the Dung gate was not entrusted to just anyone but to one in the priestly line. Likewise, Jesus cleans away all our filth and grime as we pass through the narrow gate.

True freedom is found only in surrender to the One who has already died and conquered death. Celebrate this freedom today!🚦

“But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53:5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Ephesians 4:22-24 NIV

Have you ever cleaned out your closet only to find you’d been holding on to more things you do NOT wear than what you DO actually wear?

God’s Word tells us Jesus came to clean house on the junk in our hearts. Not just the messy stuff we’ve done to hurt others, but also the painful wickedness done against us by others.

You’ve been washed clean!

He removed the the shackles of shame that we’re binding you.

You’ve been set free!

Throw away that heavy, old robe that was weighing you down. A bright coat of royal splendor awaits!

Step into the Light!🚦

#devotionals #stoplightdevotionals #setfree #christianwomen #devotionalsforwomen

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [heavenly] prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 3:13-14 AMP

As we gladly put 2020 in the rear view mirror and forge ahead eagerly into 2021, we typically resolve to eat better, lose weight, work out more, etc. May we not lose sight of seeking God in the year ahead and setting out on a spiritual journey. Look for ways to measure your spiritual growth—reading through the Bible in a year, consistent quiet times you document, scripture memorization with an accountability partner. At the end of 2021 you will find yourself looking back on an adventure with rewards to last a lifetime. Trek on!🚦

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭61:1-3‬ ‭NASB‬‬

Let’s face it: 2020 will go down in the books of our lives as one of the most memorable, though maybe we are thinking, “Uh, I won’t be remembering it as the best year ever.“😉 Isn’t it exciting to know that what feels like a total beat down is God getting rid of everything holding us back from really growing?! If it feels like you are banging your head against a wall, maybe you are really on the cusp of shattering a glass ceiling of sorts. Keep praying. Keep seeking Him in His Word. Let God be God, and you do you. Wait expectantly for what is to come. Friend, you and I are not having a breakdown; we are having a breakthrough! 🚦

#OaksOfRighteousS #Breakthrough #GlassCeiling #2020 #Devotionals #DevotionalsForWomen #ChristianWomen#Isaiah61

“For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16 HCSB

“When the lightning writes the name of the Lord with flaming finger across the black brow of the tempest, we are compelled to see it; so also when love inscribes the cross on the tablet of our sin, even blind eyes must see that love consists in this.”

~~Charles Spurgeon 🚦~~Charles Spurgeon🚦

“He left Judea and went again to Galilee. He had to travel through Samaria, so He came to a town of Samaria called Sychar near the property that Jacob had given his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, worn out from His journey, sat down at the well. It was about six in the evening. A woman of Samaria came to draw water.”
‭‭John‬ ‭4:3-7‬a HCSB‬‬

One year my family took a vacation to Tennessee to visit friends. On the way home my husband and I decided to take a big detour to Hot Springs, Arkansas to take our kids to our family favorite restaurant called Taco Mama. As we look back, this side trip was part of what made the vacation so memorable.

Jesus had been in Aenon of Judea, along the Jordan River midway between the northern tip of the Dead Sea and the southern edge of the Sea of Galilee. To go to Samaria, Jesus’s trip doubled in distance and would have added at least two days to the journey. This means Jesus was compelled to INTENTIONALLY go to Samaria to meet this woman of ill repute at Jacob’s Well. The well would have been a central congregating spot where locals and travelers alike went for refreshment and fellowship. There would have been community gatherings and meetings there, as well.

This Samaritan woman went to the well at a time of day when no one would typically be there because she was looked down upon for her multiple marriages and affairs. But Jesus saw her; he knew her story and still went to her. Because He was intentional and sacrificed His time, she came to faith in Him and then led her whole family to Christ!

Where is God telling you to be intentional to go out of your way, out of your comfort zone to tell others your story to draw them to Him? Are you willing to leave your safe space to do kingdom work?🚦

“When the head waiter tasted the water (after it had become wine), he did not know where it came from – does the servants who had drawn the water new. He called the groom and told him, ‘Everyone sets out the fine wine first, then, after people are drunk, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now.’ Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.”
John 2:9–11

Instead of turning the 20-30 gallon cisterns of water into the usual late celebration lesser quality wine, Jesus manifested His glory to a select group of people by turning the ordinary into something extraordinary.

This is what He does with us, His followers. He takes our brokenness, our hurts and the everyday triumphs and weaves them all together with His saving grace to make our flawed threads into an amazing tapestry.

God is using and will continue to use your current difficulties for good. How is His presence in the midst of the struggle drawing you to Him? How is God using your trials to draw others to Him, to bring them hope and light?🚦

“On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.””
‭‭John‬ ‭2:1-5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

It was a big deal, in a negative way, if wine ran out at a wedding. Seeing this had happened, Mary took a step of faith. Having never seen Jesus do a miracle but knowing that while he was fully man He was also fully God, she asked Him to intervene with the miraculous. Even when Jesus tried to politely tell her, “no,” she turned to the servants and told them to follow Jesus’s instructions, knowing full well Jesus would do as she asked.

That’s faith, people! You and I have a record of many of Jesus’s miracles but still lack the faith He will work them for us. Mary had not yet seen Him do these things but knew and believed in her heart already.

Are you asking in faith for your need? 🚦

“How do you know me? “Nathanael asked. ‘Before Phillip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you,’ Jesus answer.”
John 1:48

Each of us knows the feeling. We sense we are insignificant, as if our presence on this earth doesn’t really matter at all. We wonder, “Do I even make a difference?”

Jesus sees you, just as he saw Nathanael under the fig tree seeking shade. He sees not only the big accolades the world applauds, but He is there in the midst of the seemingly inconsequential details of our lives. Yes, in the thick of your trials, your grief, your daily grind, HE SEES YOU! Stand tall today knowing you matter to the God of this universe. 🚦

Ephesians 4:32
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

Numbers 14:18
“The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty.”

When I was younger I had a bad habit of holding grudges against those who had wounded me or a friend. I would sometimes hold onto the bitterness for many years. One day a dear friend explained how she was able to let offenses go; she trusted God to avenge the offender in His time where it was appropriate. After that I started working hard on forgiving a litany of violations. In one particular case it was not appropriate to talk to the “criminal” [Criminal only in my mind], but I could demonstrate my changed heart by shopping at the store owned by one of these people who’d hurt my friend some 20 years prior. What freedom and peace I began to experience! I was also better able to accept the grace God extends your me through Christ Jesus.

“It is important to extend grace and forgiveness to those who have wounded us. I know this can be easier said than done, but through Christ it is possible. Often the one who brought us pain has no idea the heartache they have caused. I often wonder whom I could have hurt without meaning to, and I hope and pray they forgive me for my thoughtless actions.”
Shari Braendl

Who do you need to forgive today?🚦