impact

Do you ever pause to consider your impact?

Not the impact of your parents or your husband...

Not the impact of your children or your friends.

Do you ever think about YOUR impact?

Do you ever think about the influence and impression you are capable of generating through the words, actions, attitudes you choose?

I do.

I regularly think about my effectiveness in life and honestly feel overwhelmed at times.

For I am one person in an infinite number of human beings who have walked this planet throughout earth's history.

How can I make a difference?

How can I impact anything?

On the other hand...

From a biblical perspective, I am one person whom God intended to use for His good purpose today... at this moment... in this time.
I am a woman who He chose to place in a certain country with a particular family for a deliberate reason.
He has blessed me with unique skills and gifts.
He has created me with individual tastes and interests.
He has bestowed upon me my own unique style.
And whether or not I personally feel like my life is valuable - God assures me that I am precious in His eyes.
Whether or not I consider my voice a voice to be heard - God commands me to share His very particular message according to my unique and distinct experience.
Whether or not I believe I am able to overcome or accomplish any circumstance - God tells me that I can do all things through His perfect Son who has promised to give me strength.
Whether or not I question the importance of my time or the richness of my life in comparison to others who appear more prominent or wealthy - God says that He is able to make all grace abound to me... so that in all things and at all times, I will have everything I need to generously share Him to others on every occasion.

This brings me back to the point.... impact.

How do we as normal, average, everyday Christian women impact?
Are our lives directing others to Jesus?
Is He evident in our thought life?
Is He present in our words?
Do we speak of God's glory openly...
Or are we embarrassed to bring Him into our conversations?
Do we think of God's will regularly...
Or do we coast along following our own reasoning and logic while reserving His presence only for emergencies?

How about our hearts?
Do we showcase God's love in how we treat others?
Do we intentionally live our lives looking for ways to extend His love to everyone... yes, everyone! Do we think about Christ's example?
Do we seek after His ways when we respond to the happenings of today?

I believe that each DW can impact the world greatly.
We are distinct beauties that carry the Holy Name of the Almighty Father.
We are blessed creatures made new in Christ.
This is our God-given position.

If we decide to live exclusively devoted to seek and display Jesus in the small, everyday moments and conversations of our days, God will use our lives to impact the lives of others with whom we engage.

You see, we are the hearts of our homes.
We are the fresh flowers of our families.
As such, we each have influence to change the larger more daunting issues of society by simply showcasing what eternal love really looks like in the small, seemingly insignificant seconds that occur in our personal lives and communities.

For no moment is too small in God's kingdom.
No person is unimportant to Him.
He is a King who has decreed every detail of every life.
He has scheduled and planned every situation.
And we, ladies, are His ambassadors.
We are called to represent and extend His Name to others.
Yes, we are here today, this day... to impact the world, our world... by giving Him all glory, all honor, all praise, all attention, all devotion.

Our lives are not to be a compilation of hollow, distracting, selfish moments.
No, we are not to live in fear, defeat, or reluctance.
We are called to live fully in Jesus Name and love love love love love love LOVE!
There is no room for anything else.
We are to be cheerful and rejoice in everything - even the difficult moments.
Why?
Because He is our eternal, good God who treasures us beyond understanding.
He has changed our lives by extending His love.
He has saved us!!!

Yes, He has impact... so we have impact.
He has given to us, so that we may share His love to others.
So let's be a true, living witness to God's love, dear DW.
Let's share all His glory, all His honor, all His praise, all His attention, all His devotion... all His love to everyone we encounter in our life.
There is no other Name than His.
There is no other way than His.
Let's prove it with our very lives and share His love forever.

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him. (Acts 4:12; Acts 5:32)

Ladies, you are indeed here to make a difference.
You are alive to impact.
The question is, will you choose to do so in Jesus Name?

I hope so.

I pray that every DW will choose to live deliberately devoted to His exclusivity.
Showcase His glory to whomever He places in your path... His path.

Remember, this is the day that the Lord has made. These are His moments. Let's rejoice and love love love love LOVE!

Blessings!
Blog Posting Written By Victoria Anderson

I Am

I am an afterthought.

The One taken for granted.

The ignored.

The assumed to be known.

I am your last minute scramble, 

A foolish man's gamble.

Your dismissed intended,

Or rather, an abused attendant,

But I am mankind's enabled defendant. 

I am walked over, talked over, given no thought over.

The Risen Begotten - a sacrifice long forgotten by hearts gone rotten.

And you, who double talk and double cross at will and with pleasure, 

Take all my gifted treasure.

Waste my wounded love...

For I will still love.

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  (1 John 4:10)

By Victoria Anderson

for Chuck

Twenty years of marriage.
It is a milestone.
Something to be joyfully celebrated.
A place of honor that showcases the significance of our Creator's covenant.

Twenty years of moments.
It is a monument, a family legacy.
A deep, refreshing well of life happenings and communion.
A scrapbook of joy, trials, time, togetherness...
Collages of grace entwined with every God-gifted breath.

Twenty years of movement.
Not only a milestone, but a mile marker.
A traveler's pin to map our progress.
A motivation to finish this race united and strongly saturated in our Savior's truth.

Twenty years of ministry.
It is a purposeful commitment of servanthood housed in our Redeemer's love, honor, respect, discipline.
Living humbly as advocates and not enemies.
Daily offering ourselves in full submission; under the guidance of our Shepherd's faith, trust, integrity, strength, and holiness.

Twenty years of marriage.
Twenty years with YOU, my love, my partner, my leader, my God-appointed husband and soul mate, my head of household, my best and most cherished friend, my romance, my home.
I am so blessed to be your bride.
I am eternally grateful for the gentleman you are.
I am elated to move forward, hand-in-hand, sharing the oneness of our heart beyond the boundaries of this time and space.

This is the day that the Lord has made for us!
Let us rejoice and be glad in His endless blessings and our hope-filled eternity!
Let us love one another... forever... in Jesus' Name!

Happy Anniversary, my sweet Chuck.

I love you.

❤️

~V

saturated

I've been thinking a lot about Jesus lately.  Specifically, I've been thinking a lot about how he behaved.  How he handled stress.  How he, as God in human flesh, reacted to the constant attacks and adversities that surrounded His ministry and purpose here on Earth.

You see, even in His very worst moments of time, Jesus never panicked.  He never lost hope.  He never broke faith in His Father.  He never stopped believing, or quoting, or obeying God's Word.  Even at the doors of death itself... even after He was physically mutilated and, finally, spiritually separated from the Throne of the Most High, Jesus willfully and bravely stepped into the heart of Hell in order to free us from our bondage of sin.  He was tormented beyond understanding and separated from His Father's life-giving presence.

And, through it all, what does He do?
What does He say?
What is His composure?

At the end of the day, no matter the cost... no matter the trial... no matter His very life, Jesus loves His Father most and trusts His Word intimately, completely.  His behavior always, always showcases God's Everlasting Word.  His existence always, always glorifies God's Holy Name... God's good character... God's eternal love for us.

So, how did our Messiah behave?  How did He handle stress?  How did this man, who was also holy and perfect in every way, react to the constant attacks and adversities that surrounded His ministry and purpose here on Earth?  Always, always with Scripture.

In short, His Father was His only focus.

As I reflect on this, I realize just how saturated Jesus was in The Word of God.  How totally absorbed He lived out His time on Earth in God's presence while also faithfully reciting the truth of Heaven over, and over, and over for our benefit.  Nothing would derail this goal.  Nothing would stop Him from obeying and glorifying the Throne of His Almighty Father always, always.

This is the saturated life in Christ that I seek to know.   His life is the model of whom I wish to mirror.  All for God's glory.  All for His Kingdom.  All for His purpose - for to me "to live is Christ" always, always.

Today, I encourage you to remain in Him, dear Christian.  Compose yourself in His grace.  No matter the trial, do not fear or be afraid.  Do not panic or lose hope.  Rather, trust God's Word.  Be strong, courageous, steadfast in your faith.  And always remember, the Savior has overcome.  The God of all Heaven and Earth loves YOU always, always!

Let us each live intimately inside the security of our Master's truth.  Let us hear our Shepherd's voice, and allow His to become our voice too.  Let us boldly obey and glorify the Throne of the Most High... always saturated, always with His composure as our guide.  

For His purpose... for His glory shall we live always, always.

I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you.  You who fear the Lord, praise him!  All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!  Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! (Psalm 22:22-23)

:)

Blessings!

Victoria

© The Devoted Woman | Victoria Anderson

waiting for God

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31; King James Version)

Waiting...ugh. I hate to wait.
It is such a nuisance, such an inconvenience.
We live in a "now" world.
We have an "express lane, fast food, pay-at-the-pump" mindset, and we justify it with the idea that our time is valuable.
But the truth of the matter is, valuable or not - our time is God's.

So, there it is in Isaiah 40. The statement, "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength..."

Read also in Psalm 27:19 where it more directly commands us, "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."

There is no getting around it, no matter how desperate we are for answers, no matter how helpless we long for relief, no matter how much agony we endure - there are times that God expects us to just wait for Him. And waiting, despite our impatience and our dislike for it, is a vital element of a growing life in Christ. The ability to wait on the Lord stems from being confident and focused on who God is and in what God is doing. It means that we place our security in His wisdom, love, timing, and understanding of our situation. It means knowing and trusting His principles, promises, purpose, and power.

But let's face it, waiting is not easily.

So, as frustrating as it may be, let's step outside ourselves and try to expand our perspective to His higher vantage point...

This is the same Almighty, All-Knowing, All-Powerful God who created time itself.
He has worked out the events of this world down to the very second.
While we scurry about on the surface of the earth thinking only of ourselves, we rarely consider that God oversees the orbit of the planets around the sun.
He created this world to spin at a particular pace while exactly positioning us in the proper location of our solar system.
He oversees the rising of the sun everyday and the dawning of the moon each night.
Our days, months, years and the activities within these moments are all because He gave them to us and sovereignly reigns.
Every heartbeat, every breath - we callously take for granted our next beat, our next exhale.

Yes, this is the God who brings us color, taste, light, water, variety.
He offers us beautiful seasons with times to plant and times to harvest.
He oversees all weather and soil conditions to bring forth food that sustains all creatures.
He knows the number of hairs on our head, sands on the earth, stars in the sky.

Yes, this is the God who tells us to wait upon Him.
He is a good God.
A God that has thought through every detail of our life, and the lives of every creature that has lived - past, present and future.
So, His call to wait should not be dictated by our selfish questioning and inconvenient moment of discomfort, but rather based upon the hope of a perfect Creator’s character and faithfulness to see His plan through until the end of days.

Spurgeon wrote, "Call upon God, and spread the case before Him; tell Him your difficulty, and plead His promise of aid. In dilemmas between one duty and another, it is sweet to be humble as a child, and wait with simplicity of soul upon the Lord. It is sure to be well with us when we feel and know our own folly, and are heartily willing to be guided by the will of God. But wait in faith. Express your unstaggering confidence in Him; for unfaithful, untrusting waiting, is but an insult to the Lord. Wait in quiet patience, not rebelling because you are under the affliction, but blessing your God for it. Never murmur against the second cause, as the children of Israel did against Moses; never wish you could go back to the world again, but accept the case as it is, and put it as it stands, simply and with your whole heart, without any self-will, into the hand of your covenant God, saying, 'Now, Lord, not my will, but Thine be done. I know not what to do; I am brought to extremities, but I will wait until Thou shalt cleave the floods, or drive back my foes. I will wait, if Thou keep me many a day, for my heart is fixed upon Thee alone, O God, and my spirit waiteth for Thee in the full conviction that Thou wilt yet be my joy and my salvation, my refuge and my strong tower.'"

Waiting is a time that God wants us to seek Him. To do this, waiting means we must make time to study God's Word (seeking answers and claiming His promises); we must make time to pray about our issue (praying for discernment, clarity and wisdom); and we must make time to meditate further on who God is (getting to know Him as best we can). Included in this process might be our need to examine and evaluate our own motives and attitudes, our values and priorities, and our goals and objectives in life. By waiting and bringing everything before God in prayer and humility, we are taking the correct steps to actually be still and know God. We are to trust Him and stay on course to follow His perfect plan. We are to wait for His perfect timing to come. The exercise is intended for us to be drawn closer to the Savior, renewing the strength of our faith by stretching us to trust Him more, seeking only His will, His Way.

Ladies, remember that when you must wait on God for answers (albeit for a husband, a child, a job, a dream, a direction, a change - whatever....), remember that God is forever faithful and working for your good. He is in control of EVERYTHING. So, don't give up hope or listen to Satan's deceiving whispers telling you that God might have forgotten you, or that He doesn't care, or that He isn't interested in listening to your prayers. That is simply not true. If it were, God would not have bothered to give you life to begin with.  No, you were created for a purpose and He will see you through to the end... to His reward!  Praise His Name!

"To us, waiting is wasting.  To God, waiting is working."  (Lou Giglio)

We must always remember that God is trustworthy and hears our prayers.
He will act on our behalf and do what is best for us.
We must trust His promises.
We must trust His character.
We must trust His faithfulness.
We must believe His Word.
We must establish our foundation on His good truth and nothing else.

Faith is the daring of the soul to go farther than it can see. (William Newton Clarke)

I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.
I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. (Psalm 130:5-6)

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried.
Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate,
And the Master so gently said, "Child, you must wait!"

"Wait?', you say, wait!," my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By FAITH I have asked, and am claiming your word."

"My future and all to which I can relate
Hangs into the balance, and you tell me to WAIT?
I'm needing a 'yes,' a go-ahead sign,
Or even a 'no' to which I can resign."

"And Lord, you promised that if we believe
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry:
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply!"

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
As my Master replied once again, "You must wait."
So, I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut
And grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting. . . for what?"

He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes wept with mine,
And he tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens, and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead, and cause mountains to run.
All you seek, I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want . . but, you wouldn't know ME."

"You'd not know the depth of my love for each saint;
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint;
You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair;
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there;
You'd not know the joy of resting in me
When darkness and silence were all you could see."

"You'd never experience that fullness of love
As the peace of my Spirit descends like a dove;
You'd know that I give, and I save... (for a start),
But you'd not know the depth of the love in my heart."

"The glow of my comfort late into the night.
The faith that I give when you walk without sight,
The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked
Of an infinite God, who makes what you have LAST."

"You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that 'My grace is sufficient for thee.'
Yes, your dreams for your loved ones overnight would come true,
But, oh, the loss! If I lost what I'm doing in you!"
(Author Unknown)

"They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength."

Ladies, let's renew our strength by waiting in our Master's presence.
Let's pause as long as He requires, and take comfort that Jesus is Lord.
Praise Him as you closely follow His Word.
He is with you through every storm, through every drought.
So wait, and put your hope in His promises.
He is capable and will bring solutions in His time.
Wait... and trust He, who is Most High.

All glory and praise belong to our Lord Jesus Christ who was, and is, and is to come.  Hallelujah!

Blessings!

~Victoria

© The Devoted Woman | Victoria Anderson

the sanctity of our testimony

Your Christian testimony...

Your belief displayed...

Your living witness acknowledging that Jesus Christ is Lord of your life.

How important is your testimony?

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. You see, many of us would do anything to protect our possessions, our careers, our interests, our loved ones, even our own reputations. But how many of us really, REALLY make an effort to protect the sanctity of our Christian testimony?

Sure, we can strike a good pose in church. We can talk a good game in our small groups. We can claim that Jesus is our One and only. But the statistics don't lie, do they? For many Christians are still divorcing their spouses. Many Christians are wasting precious hours feeding fleshly lusts and admiring their televisions, their computers, and their what-not's in idolatry. Many Christians are lying to get ahead, laughing inappropriately to feel included, and frivolously spending their resources toward unholy, unhealthy endeavors.

Sadly, many who are claiming to be children of the Most High know very little about the Lord. And rather than uplift His Way, they have become center stage contributors to a generation that is numb to practicing holiness. As such, our Christian witness is in contempt. Our loyalties display treason. Our active testimony is in disarray and considered void when measured against God's unchanging and perfect Word.

Really, how important is your testimony?

A truthful witness gives honest testimony, but a false witness tells lies. (Proverbs 12:17)

Friends, God created you and me to glorify and exalt His Name. That's it. That's why we are here. To love the Lord with all our heart! To lift Him up and love others as He instructs. Our purpose is to be living witnesses of His love, His grace, and His promise to all mankind. We cannot do this when we smear ourselves in selfishness. We cannot point others to Jesus when we are focused on our own opinions and well-being. Jesus tells us to hand over such concerns to Him and then trust that He will take care of us. He does not want us distracted with the fairness of life or the desires of our heart. No, He already knows us better than we know ourselves. He has plans to grant us every blessing and give us a full life in His grace. But to receive this, we must joyfully live as He has created us to do. We must become valid witnesses to His Name - living models who support His truth. We must do all we can to know and be like Jesus always!

Christian, how precious and valuable is your testimony?
 How monumentally important is the proof that Jesus has saved you and is actively restoring your life into His holy Way?
Is Jesus the only King in all areas of your life?
Or do you still have other gods distracting you away from the Shepherd?
For God alone is MOST important!
He is why you are alive today - this very second.
Let us stop living for ourselves and claim the name of Jesus Christ this very hour.
Let us stand in agreement with His Word.
Let is live as He instructs and allow Him to change us into valid, productive, most-favored witnesses who boldly hold up His Holy Name!

Today, if you do not consider your testimony to be vitally important... if you have abused your time alive and find that you are still pursuing things different than what the Lord has decreed, then perhaps it is time to repent and turn back to the path of the King of kings. For such a time is this to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, strength - at all times, in all moments, in every single breath. He is our story. He is our song. So, let's praise our Savior, dear Christian... Praise Him all the day long!

Blessings!

~Victoria

© The Devoted Woman | Victoria Anderson

shallow or deep

I love to swim. I love everything about it! Ocean or pool, doesn't matter... I just love being surrounded in that glorious H20, and am ready to dive in whenever the opportunity presents itself!

When I was a child, Momba enrolled our family in swimming classes. Scott (my older brother) successfully mastered all tiers required at a very fast pace. He was so impressive - earning badges for every level he would complete.

Being two years younger than Scott, I remember being so jealous as I watched him progress in rank from mere "tadpole" to "shark" in only a few short weeks. It made me want to move along faster in my own swim class - ultimately proving to be a great challenge for my instructor to keep my attention and focus.

So I admit, I took a little longer in learning the "correct" way to swim because I wanted to swim my own way and equal to the level of my brother. Graciously, my swim coach remained patient until I finally listened and learned. As a result, Momba's hope for us was fulfilled, and today both Scott and I are terrific swimmers.

When a person is introduced to the water, it can be quite intimidating. Many are fearful that they will drown, so instructors generally keep them at the shallow end of the pool. A coach's only objective is to have the student get comfortable being in the water. This can include floating, gliding with one's face downward in the water, opening one's eyes under water, kicking, and learning to tread by bobbing above the surface. Similarly as believers, Christ gives each new Christian time to get comfortable with Him as we grow and mature in our faith.

When we first accept Jesus as our Savior, He knows that in order to guide us toward becoming more like Him, we must be willing to not only dip in our toes - but step into the water and learn about WHO He is. We must accept His credentials and abilities. When ready, we then start to put our whole confidence in His wisdom to teach us the skills necessary to become a good swimmer - like Jesus. As we wade further into His presence, we become comfortable to open our eyes under His protective grace and see the world from a different perspective.

In my case, growing in faith was not much different than my learning to swim. Sure, I signed up for the class and got into the water. But after that, I began to look at all my brothers and sisters around me who were more advanced in level. I wanted what they had... and I wanted it NOW. This resulted in me pushing away my Instructor and trying to swim "my own way". I finally became so frustrated that I ended up backsliding and back paddling away from showing up to class altogether. It's true. I stood in the shallow end of the pool for many years of my life doing nothing except to wade in lukewarm water.

Only when I realized that my way was going nowhere did I admit my wrongness. I stopped looking at other Christians in comparison and began to focus exclusively on my relationship with Jesus. With that life-changing decision, I gave up my need to find instant satisfaction and was able to begin learning from my Teacher.

It is the same for all of us. When we are able to listen to our "Swimming Coach" our skills will improve and we will become more and more proficient in the water. As we continue forward in our training, we will be challenged in ways different than before.

When we master doing laps, our Instructor will push us further to trust His promises and commands so that we can learn the correct technique to avoid drowning in deep waters. This can be very frightening. Sometimes our heads may be completely submerged underwater or we may even be asked to jump off a scary platform into an abyss of uncertainty. But He assures us not to fear, because He is with us - guiding us, and at the ready to jump in and help whenever necessary. He tells us not to be afraid. He is nearby and at the ready. Yes, our gracious and wise Teacher coaches us to believe His promise that nothing will separate us from His security - for HE is our life preserver!

Yes, learning to swim has proven to be a good parallel for my life of growth in Christ. You see, if we commit to it, learn it, and stick with it... in the end we will be rewarded with many badges of honor and embraced by our fellow classmates for our success. Our parent, our Almighty Father, will be pleased because His ultimate plan for us was accomplished, and the price He decided to pay for our lessons (Jesus) was indeed worth it!

I love to swim. Sure, I'm not crazy about holding my breath in the deepest and scariest of situations, but I trust the instruction of my Swim Instructor. Through it all, I am confident with His promised hope that I am always swimming upward and will one day gain that glorious, celestial breathe while I look joyfully into the proud, welcoming eyes of my faithful and patient Teacher! WOO HOO!

In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness. (Psalm 31:1)

Blessing!

~Victoria

© The Devoted Woman | Victoria Anderson 

the learning in letting go

More often than not we must give things up.
We must live without.
We must move away from something... somewhere... someone.
We must sacrifice.
We must let go.

More often than not, letting go proves unsettling.
It is not fun or easy.
It is not something our selfish, stubborn, hoarding wills take kind to.
And yet, here the altar beckons.
Here the King commands us to love Him more.
To lay down what we clench... where we stake... and to whom we cling;
To seek Him first, with the whole of our hearts.

I used to hate when people would unsympathetically blurt out the slogan, "Let go and let God."
I used to wonder if they truly knew about really letting go... about REAL loss.
But the truth is, despite our individual history, each of us must "let go" of the somethings, somewheres, and someones of this earth if we are to "let God" rule in us.
We must be willing to bow down... to surrender... to entrust...
To commit our way to Him and put on His armor as we fight His good fight.
For He is indeed better than what we see and know.
His is the narrow path that will lead us to His holy, perfect, eternal Life.
He is Salvation, The Good Shepherd,  The Lord of all lords.
And though our deadly flesh fights ruthlessly to reign against His Kingdom and sway us from His call,
Our confidence can be secure when we learn the truth of His character.
Our faith can be made complete within the loving parameters of His grace.
Yes, we need Him more.
For we were created to glorify His purpose, His plan, His presence.
We were made to worship and know Him intimately.

Scripture promises that all things work together for good to them that love God,
To them who are called according to His purpose...
Have you been called?
Has He asked you to live without...
To walk away...
To give up for His Name's sake?
To love Him more?

Will you take on His Name?
Will you clothe yourself in His righteousness?
Will you lay down your somethings, somewheres, and someones upon His altar?
Will you seek first - with your whole heart - The Lover of your soul?
Lord, help us learn that you are our Most Beloved.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! 
In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 
And into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. 
This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 
In all this you greatly rejoice, 
Though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 
These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 
Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 
For you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
(1 Peter 1:3-9)

Blessings and peace as we learn to "let go" in Jesus Name.

To live is Christ.

~Victoria

© The Devoted Woman | Victoria Anderson

wallow, worry or worship?

Are you present in the present?

Are you worshipping in the now?

Are you living each second deliberately focused and with the love of Jesus?

I know for me, one of my deepest sins against God that I must always bring to His altar in repentant prayer is my inclination to nervously worry and fear over my future and to internally wallow in disappointment when expectations are unmet. It's silly, really. For overall, I am secure in my ultimate future. I know who my Redeemer is and trust that He is faithful with my eternity. However, regularly I do not apply this same certainty or trust toward my Master regarding matters in my day-to-day life. No, my default, knee-jerk reaction is to listen to Satan's whispers and worry through my current trials. This is the subtle fear of the unknown that cripples my thoughts and paralyzes my focus to live in peace, to love fully, and (most importantly) to trust my King unconditionally in the here and now.

When I surrender to the sin of mistrust and disbelief, I stifle my ability to worship the Master completely in the "now" moments. I taint everything with a self-focus of worry rather than a glory-focus of freedom while giving credit to my Savior. It's kind of like the father who asked Jesus to remove a demon from His son in Mark 9. Ultimately, this man believed that Jesus was capable to help his son's situation or He wouldn't have come to Christ in the first place. But sadly, he also questioned the Messiah's ability and authority while entertaining the possibility that God might not come through. Read the story (below):

When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.

"What are you arguing with them about?" he asked.

A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not."

"O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me." So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?"

"From childhood," he answered. "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."

"'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."

Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again." The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" 

He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer."

They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise." But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it. (Mark 9:14-30)

Ladies, life is peppered with trials. But the truth of the matter is, individually we have no control over anything. We must accept it. WE HAVE NO CONTROL. How we choose to move forward in our trials and accept our reality will define how much we actually trust the Creator of the Universe. Yes, we could live wallowing in disappointment because our selfish expectations remain unmet. Sure, we could live in worry and fear of the unknown moments that have yet come. Or we could choose to live prayerfully in worship - overwhelmed with the wonderful presence of our Savior. We can glorify and believe that God is able... God is faithful... God is in control and will take care of us. Why? Because He loves us more than anything else. We are most important to Him.

Rather than argue over the wisdom and speculations of men... we have a choice to turn from Satan and believe that everything is possible with God and that He loves us. He is good. He wants what is best for us. He will see us through our trials if we allow Him to direct our paths. But we must seek Him and believe that He is able.

How do we do this? As His people, we must never be afraid to go to our Messiah and ask Him to teach us... to help us overcome our unbelief when times seem bleak. Prayer is key. We need to focus our energies on living prayerfully and seeking after His guidance outlined in scripture. For the only way we will be able to successfully get through our most challenging trials is through prayer and communion with the One who is in control. The One who knows the plan. The One worthy of complete trust.

"If you can...?" No. I no longer want to question your authority, Master. I KNOW You can and will take care of me. You are in complete control. With the power of Your Spirit, I will trust You and leave my worldly uncertainties aside. I will live deliberately in the mission field You have placed me in today and spend my time worshipping rather than wallowing or worrying. Use me as a living testimony to showcase Your grace. For Your Word is truth. Your power is unmatched. Your glory is evident and abounding.

Glory to my faithful Father. Praise to our blessed Savior. Honor to the powerful and holy Spirit of the Living God! I will live present in the present and consider every trial pure joy to know You more intimately. For in every trial, You will teach me to know You further. These moments will bring me closer to Your throne. Use them to keep my heart focused and enjoy Your perfect love in every second of every minute of every hour of every day. Thank you for every breath, dear Jesus. Thank you for teaching me to trust You.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. (James 1:2-7, 12)

Blessings!

Victoria

 © The Devoted Woman | Victoria Anderson

perfected in Him

But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. (1 John 2:5)

refuge and strength on the front line

Retreat!
Retreat to the King!
Retreat and find rest.
Retreat and still your soul.
He will pick up your burden.
He will fight for your honor.
He will surround you with His shield and equip you with His sword.
For He loves you most.
So, stop.
Be still in His love.
Pause and be renewed by His grace.
Retreat and breathe in His breath until you are replenished and ready to stand once again.

His victorious kingdom comes.
His eternal will is done.
And in His Name you can stand strong.
You can live secure atop this very soil, Believer.
Because the Messiah has won the war!
Because He began a good work in you and will carry it on to completion.
Because He will lift you up out if this pit and share the blessings of His holiness forever!

Get up!
Get up and rejoice!
Get up and stand tall in confidence... in the position the Lord God has put you.
Get up and stand firmly upon the solid ground of His unbreakable promises.
Yes, rise up and live boldly;
Strong and courageous;
Ever-united;
Without ceasing;
Always abiding.
Always trusting.
Always loving.
For this is the day that He has made for you to live fully... healthy... holy.

No matter where life finds you this hour, rejoice!
For Jesus' fruitful life is yours to claim right here, right now!

Hallelujah to the King!

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. (Ephesians 6:10-11)

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)

Blessings!

Victoria

© The Devoted Woman | Victoria Anderson

because He first loved

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  (John 3:16-17)

today

Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:15-16)

joyous vision

I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (Psalm 16:8-9, 11)

love Jesus

I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.  (Psalm 9:1-2)

make God first

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.  (Matthew 6:33)

we need to NEED Jesus!

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.  (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Christian, you are not your own.

For a while now, God has been redefining and remolding my thoughts around this particular passage.  I am not my own.  I know this.  I agree with it scripturally.  I've surrendered my life to Christ and acknowledge His authority as my God and King.  But to be honest, I think I have somewhat failed to actively consider the enormous depth and breadth His ownership encompasses past mercy, forgiveness, and hope.  As usual, God has once again proven Himself much bigger and more reliable than I could conceive through the course of my restoration.  Praise His Name!

You see, recently He has re-shown me something about my claim to Christianity.  Something earth-shattering to the core.  What is it, you ask?  OK, here it goes...

Alone, left to my own opinions, devices, and desires... I am ALWAYS wrong.

Yes, you read that right.  By default, I am always, ALWAYS wrong.

Now, I know you are probably thinking, "Duh, Victoria! You are a sinner saved by God's grace!"  And yes, you would be correct in stating that.  But allow me to elaborate a bit more...

You see, I know I am a sinner.  I know that my faith in the grace of Jesus is key in being restored to God.  I know this.  I believe it.  I strive to seek and love Him every single day because of it.  But still, if I were to be totally transparent and honest about my faulty human way of thinking... I don't naturally wake up every new day with the mindset of, "Victoria, without God you are always, ALWAYS wrong."  I don't attend my church or Bible study with the underlying thought, "Victoria, without God you are always, ALWAYS wrong."  And, I don't converse with others, or plan my activities, or exercise, or shop, or consider the latest news topics, or use my words reminding myself, "Victoria, without God you are always, ALWAYS wrong!!!"  How differently our life in Christ becomes when we choose to humbly remove ourselves from the stage of decision making and allow His audience of One to become the primary spotlight of our existence.   We must be mindful to understand how our corrupt wrongness will never be righted unless we desperately seek His direction, improvement, and goodness while devotedly following His guidance.

Alone, left to our own opinions, devices, and desires... we will ALWAYS be wrong.
So, Christians... we need to NEED Jesus!
We need Him to make our decisions, to dictate our thoughts, to shepherd our steps.
We need to know God's Word thoroughly and follow through in agreement with our Master's commandments.
For without His law, we are unable to function correctly.
Without His involvement, we will never fully know the depth and breadth of God's magnificent and dearest fellowship intended for our lives.

What do I count in my life as “dear to myself”? If I have not been seized by Jesus Christ and have not surrendered myself to Him, I will consider the time I decide to give God and my own ideas of service as dear. I will also consider my own life as “dear to myself.” But Paul said he considered his life dear so that he might fulfill the ministry he had received, and he refused to use his energy on anything else. This verse shows an almost noble annoyance by Paul at being asked to consider himself. He was absolutely indifferent to any consideration other than that of fulfilling the ministry he had received. Our ordinary and reasonable service to God may actually compete against our total surrender to Him. Our reasonable work is based on the following argument which we say to ourselves, “Remember how useful you are here, and think how much value you would be in that particular type of work.” That attitude chooses our own judgment, instead of Jesus Christ, to be our guide as to where we should go and where we could be used the most. Never consider whether or not you are of use - but always consider that “you are not your own."  You are His.  (Oswald Chambers)

We our called to honor God with our bodies.  With our whole selves.  With these broken, human shells that house our heart, soul, mind, and strength.  We are commanded to love Him most and fixate our eyes upon Him alone.  To commit everything to Him.  Why?  Because in Him we are not our own.

I encourage you to sear this thought process into your thinking forevermore...
Alone, left to your own opinions, devices, and desires... you are always, ALWAYS wrong.

May we each need to NEED Jesus and devote our whole selves toward honoring His Name.

Blessings!

Victoria

© The Devoted Woman | Victoria Anderson

this day until the day

I haven't written much lately.

I haven't done much of anything lately except try my best to keep my home in working order and attend to some new family health concerns, my own included.  These issues have taken up all my time and energy.  These challenges have occupied my thoughts and attention span, not to mention my hormones and sleep.

As a result, both myself and my family-loves cannot seem to get adequate rest until we gain further medical relief and timely answers to the physical health problems dancing the limbo in our lives.

Thankfully, no matter what seems to be thrown our way, dearest Jesus remains with me and regularly shows Himself in the details.

How, you may ask?

Well, this past week His Spirit was evident in the kind woman I met in Momba's physical therapy office waiting room.  She had selflessly taken time out of her schedule to repeatedly escort her 93 year old neighbor to PT.  Why?  Because she knows God's love and wants to share His goodness.  Because it is important to insure her neighbor's well-being.  Because she obediently chooses to extend herself (and her family) to kindly care for someone Jesus put before her, helping a handicapped widow regain her freedom and mobility as she recovers from a recent tumble.  This lovely, helpful woman is living as Christ - sacrificially choosing to become significant to someone who otherwise has no family left as advocate.  Yes, Jesus was definitely here.  And His love reminded me...

Be kind.
Love one another.
Love your neighbor as you would love yourself.
Give.
Help.
Care.
Offer.
Sacrifice.

For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  (Galatians 5:14)

Jesus also showed up via the many check-in's of my wonderful church Life Group.  Volunteering their help as my family regains its footing post surgical procedures, each day I was offered the following comments via text, phone, email... "We are here for you through this difficult time.  We are your faithful friends interceding for you in prayer.  We can help if you need us.  How can we ease your burden?  How can we bring you comfort?"  Yes, once again, Jesus was definitely here.  And His love reminded me...

Come to me.
I will give you rest.
Do not be discouraged.
I am with you.
I am faithful.
I am able.
I will provide.
You are not alone.
I will help.
I will hold you up.

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. (1 John 3:16)

Lastly, Jesus seems most evident inside my own home.  His colossal love coupled with our honest transparency frequently turns my family's painful moments into precious, praiseworthy gifts full of community, laughter, and hope.  Through one another, He reminds each of us to remain forward-thinking... strengthened in His Spirit together... prayerfully glimpsing past this difficult day and fixating our eyes on "the" day He has promised for our future.  "The" day when our cloudy frustrations will finally be clean, and free, and clear.  "The" day when our deepest wounds will be healed and restored to full, joyous health.  In Him, we can know rest and relax.  In His hope, we can carry on.

So, even though I have not accomplished much else these days, I am anxious to start this new day under His reign.  I am glad to progress forward toward "the" day His Kingdom becomes my family's final home.  Ever-seeking His headship, I will forever proclaim His glory!  Hallelujah!

And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. (Romans 8:11)

Yes, this is the day I choose to praise no matter the challenge ahead.  For "the" day will come quickly in the twinkling of an eye.  So until then, Jesus is definitely here... with me, with my family, with my church, with all those who claim Him as Lord.  As we each look for Him in the details, He reminds us always...

He is The Way, The Truth, The Life.
He is The Alpha, The Omega.
He is The Beginning, The End.
He is LOVE.



Keep on, eternal family!  This day, we are His hands, His feet.
"Let it shine.  Let it shine.  Let it shine."

To live is Christ!

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21)

:)

Victoria

© The Devoted Woman | Victoria Anderson

this busy, busy life

There is a lot going on.
Really, there is always a lot going on.
But this week is especially busy.
This week, in addition to some of my own health and personal matters, I am attending to a sick spouse, a mother who is going in for knee surgery, an elderly dog with severe allergy issues, etc. etc. etc.
There are medicines to be dispersed.
There are doctors and veterinarians and physical therapists to consult.
There are matters to attend to.
Food shopping.
House keeping.
Bill paying.
Orders to fulfill in my small business.
Appointments to schedule.
Life.

But too often when life gets this hectic, I forget.
I forget that my Master is with me and most important.
I forget that my Savior is close; His Spirit alive within.

Too often I become overwhelmed and default into my own hurried ritual of what I can accomplish...
I can clean.
I can organize.
I can cook.
I can nurture.
And, while all these abilities are good, they mean nothing if I loose sight of my King's loving presence.
For God is more concerned with who I am becoming than what I am capable of doing.
You see, no matter what chaos may come, I have missed the whole point if I fail to thank Jesus for His many, many gifts.
I have foolishly wasted my time, if I do not first seek after His peace and promises.

So, as this new week dawns...
This busy, busy week with so much going on...
Lord Jesus, I lift up my eyes to your Throne.
I seek first your beautiful Light.
I pray that my walk remains straightforward along your path.
And I ask that you use every word I speak for good.
EVERY SINGLE WORD!
Attend to my thoughts and keep my focus.
Afford me your wisdom and a frequency to recall your healing Word in every moment, every breath, every opportunity that you have ordained.
Move me, Lord Jesus, at your speed, at your pace...
So that I might observe and react to this hectic world through your lens of love and grace.

For there is a lot going on.
There is always a lot going on.
And in these moments,
These precious moments that you have prepared for me to become more like You...
Dear Master, remain in me.
Root your everlasting truth around me and deeply ground my heart inside your holiness.
You are my Cornerstone.
You are my Constant.
You are my Vine, my Bread, my EVERYTHING!
You are all that matters in this life...
This busy, busy Life.

Be still, and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)

Blessings!

:)

Victoria

© The Devoted Woman | Victoria Anderson

in between

The in between.

The journey.

The time along each road I travel.

Not the start, nor the finish.

Just that space and pace of walking, waiting, hoping, creating...

This is where I seem to find God most.

This is where His Spirit waits for the whole of my heart.
And honestly, it used to really annoy me.
It used to rub me wrong.

For I wanted the destination.

I was impatient for immediate answers.

Yes, often the race seemed so much more taxing to endure than the splendor and glory awaiting every finish line.

But finish lines are not always the pinnacle of God's magnificent style.

He knows what is to come.

He has accounted for every moment.

And honestly, our most genuine prayers to know Him are rarely spoken at the finish line.

Instead, I believe God desires for us to embrace the precious in between moments.

When we travel closely and dependently alongside Him.

Here, He encourages us to forgo our stress, our aches, our worry, our uncertainty...

Trusting Him through the worst of storms.

Getting to know His big heart and cherish His perfect companionship.

Believing His promises.

Allowing Him to carry us... 

To romantically drape his robe over every puddle we must cross...

To be so engulfed in His beauty and presence that everything else (even that glorious finish line) seems secondary to the now, the new of Him... today.

Yes, God will work everything out in His holy timing.

But right now, I simply desire to be close to Him in this in between.

Here is where He teaches me intimacy, courage, obedience, faith, love.

And isn't this the purpose of my life...

To love Him.

To love Him now.

To love Him closely through panic, and sin, and darkness...

To love Jesus, wherever we are, and to obey His wise shepherding.

To want only Him.

To be exclusively devoted to Him.

To relax, and trust, and let our battered souls be restored in His graciousness.

Yes, I am so thankful that God is teaching me His eternal lesson of contentment.

For He is faithful.

Here, in between my past and His future, I am learning to enjoy His healthy, life-giving companionship.

I am grateful for His holy insight which expands my vision and centers my focus to the now...

To today.

So, I can look past Satan's flashy billboards of trouble and despair.

I can file away my own expectations and surrender my immature ways.

I can be still.

I can know, right now, that He is my greatest Love.  

He is my truest Friend.

He is my Comforter.

He is my Strength.

He is my Hope and Joy.

He will never, ever, leave or forsake me.

He is with me always.

He is my God.

He is.

Hallelujah... that's all I need to know.

Thank you, Jesus.

Thank you so much for this new moment in Your presence.

I love you, Lord...

You are my very best and most beloved Friend!

Stay close and reveal Your Holy through every in between!!!

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14)

Blessings!

~Victoria

© The Devoted Woman | Victoria Anderson

keep on

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. (Romans 12:12)

Keep on, dear Pilgrim.  For you are here only a short while.  Look ahead to your final destination.  To the presence, the power of The One who is always with you.  Better is one day in His courts than a thousand elsewhere.  So live a thousand days, or perhaps only a hundred.  But live always looking to Jesus.  Live, knowing that today you may endure great pain, but your discomforts are temporary and He is still here.  Yes, pain hurts.  But there is hope right now in Christ!  There is hope in what He has planned ahead!

You see, sometimes on our journey we can trip and break a limb.  And sometimes while traveling, we can be struck down and discouraged by outside foes and/or conditions.  Yes, sometimes the very worst of this world sabotages our voyage, and brings about much turbulence and trouble. But know that these delays, these mishaps, these rocky moments are in no way changing your future.  True love is inevitable for those who seek after the Lord.  So seek Him, believer.  You will find Him.  You will be with Him.  You will abide and know His presence.  You will.  For He has promised it.

So, take one step... then another.  Keep on!  Be joyful, hopeful, patient, faithful.  Proceed forward however you are able, and always trust your King.  Trust Him through all this brokeness.  Yes, there is hurt now, but His courts are full - cheering us on with the greatest crowd of witnesses imaginable.  Remember, you have been called according to His purpose.  You are His beloved.  So, keep on, dear Pilgrim.  Look upon your Shepherd through tearful eyes of faith and trust His plan to save and restore you.  No matter what happens here, place all your hope in the Lord and keep going.

Friends, sometimes our circumstances seem unbearable.  Sometimes the enemy causes us to lose our direction so we don't know which way is up.  Sometimes evil pierces, and stings, and poisons us repeatedly without regard or sympathy.  In short, this life is very, very hard and in it, we will hurt deeply.  This life is cruel and difficult.  This life is broken and full of unholiness.  But through it all you must always remember, JESUS IS HOLY.  So look to Him.  Trust only Him.  Through it all, keep on believing Jesus!  He is all you need.  He is more than your heart craves.  He is greater than anything you have desired or longed for.  He exceeds everything else you will ever encounter.  So endure the pain of today as you cling onto His Word.  For rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

"We presume... that trust will ease infusion, dull the pain, redeem the times.  The cloud of witnesses in Hebrews 11 testifies that it is not so.  Our trust does not bring final clarity on this earth.  It does not still the chaos or dull the pain or provide a crutch.  When all else is unclear, the heart of trust says, 'Into Your hands I commend my spirit.'" (Brennan Manning)

How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. (Psalm 84:1-2)

Yes, better is one day in His courts.  Into Your hands, Father... we will trust You and keep on.

We who are alive in Christ will indeed see Him.  We will dwell with Him and praise Him in His courts.  We will know His presence face-to-face.  How wonderful a Hope we have despite today's discomforts.  Still, there is no denying that right now it definitely hurts.  These times are assuredly hard to swallow and difficult to endure.  But walk on, dear Pilgrim.  Trust Jesus through it all.  Trust your King for HE IS GOD!  He will see you through.  He will give you only what you can handle.  He will use every moment for His good.  And we need His good.  In the end, we cannot survive without His good.  So keep on keeping on!

Today, I am praying that your life is blessed abundantly in the Lord. That you seek and know Jesus intimately. That you love as He loves, and give as He gives. I'm praying that you obediently follow God's Word and daily seek to know His heart, no matter what trial may come in this life.  For better is one wonderful day in His courts... so keep moving forward toward His promised hope.  Believers, one day you and I will be laughing and singing and playing in God's presence for all eternity! Keep your focus on THAT day as you live today in His Name!

Today, I'm praying that God shows each of us His miraculous and unchanging promises in real time as we proceed forward and finish this race.

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.  For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds... Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 12:1-3; 13:13-15, 21)

If you keep going, you will get there.  So, keep on, dear Pilgrim.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. (Romans 12:12)

Blessings!

~Victoria

© The Devoted Woman | Victoria Anderson

what a lovely day to seek the King

Living in hopeful anticipation while daily seeking holy inspiration.
What a lovely day to know the Savior.
What a lovely day to seek the King.
Let's fall in love with His Word once again.
Today, let's hang onto everything He says and does!
Hallelujah!  All praise belongs to the Most High God!

I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word. (Psalm 119:16)

~Victoria

© The Devoted Woman | Victoria Anderson

excavating His holiness at the core of your rock bottom

Rock bottom.  At some point in life, we all hit rock bottom.  We arrive at a point, a place, a path that exposes a very small yet significant portion of evidence of a once holier past... a different, better life from today's "normal" and "accepted".  It is here we realize that life isn't quite what it should be.  There should me more... more good, more hope, more love... more!  Shouldn't there?

Ahhh, rock bottom.  Where God asks us to look closely at our truest, most exposed core and consider His life-changing invitation: Will we allow Him access for further investigation, cleaning, exposure and even the surrender of weighty surface materials to be removed - allowing Jesus to restore us to our originally intended and created state of purity and holiness under His intimate guidance and care???  OR will we smooth out the dust below our feet and ignore His Law... once again abandoning God's kingdom and hiding our sinful shame under more and more layers of sediment?

As crazy as it sounds, most will choose the latter.  Most will walk on by and hide the truth.  Why?  Because covering up a problem seems so much easier, doesn't it?  It requires less embarrassment and scandal.  (Or at least that is what Satan wishes for us to think.)  Let's face it, nobody wants their ugliest secrets detected and publicized.  Nobody wants to repent an exposed core of faults, corruption, and corrosive instabilities.  That would prove that WE are the real problem... that OUR universe is imbalanced because of mankind's chosen brokenness and not God's sovereign graciousness.  And clearly, WE don't wan't to be the broken or helpless ones, do we?  No, we want to believe that our best life is NOW!  That we are in complete control and living OUR way... on OUR terms (albeit a false life comfortably buried in the sand).  Yes, rather than actually experience God's eternal truth, peace, and a joy-filled life as it was originally intended, most of us are more interested in simply looking the pastoral and serene part on the surface layer of our lives.  We pridefully do all we can to save face in our social pockets of political correctness, technological and scientific adeptness, and visual celebrity pleasantness while remaining hush-hush about the accountability for man's damaging sinfulness.  Yes, that mindset is so much better than digging up the layers of fossilized, cancerous corruption that we've allowed to accumulate around our broken, weary hearts.  Isn't it?

Umm.... NO!  Not according to Jesus.  He has something much better in mind, folks!!!

Believers, Jesus has graciously made it possible to excavate and restore us into His holiness.  His death and resurrection (sacrificing Himself so that we might rediscover and receive His kingdom) is more important and valuable than anything we could possibly conceive or imagine!  Today, he invites us to submissively give up our status, our charm, our identity and instead trust our truest self to His rock bottom beginning.  To offer Him all damage present at our broken spiritual core.  To let Him do what He will with us.  Why?  Because Christ comes ready to save and restore!  He wants to uproot and plant new seeds within.  His experienced hands are ready to build new, better foundations without fault... without corruption or corrosion.  Yes, Jesus is ready, able, and willing to save us from being buried alive by all our secret, suffocating sin.  The Creator, who made us from the very earth on which we stand, brings His hope!  He can remove all man-made sinking ruins and build up His rock-solid, eternal temple!  WOO HOO!  Sure, there will be a lot of dust and debris uncovered.  There will be heavy boulders of embarrassment and stubborn weeds of pride to remove.  But consider the wonderful everlasting crowns and treasures to be gained in His Kingdom's Name!  It will be worth the effort!  Our sacrificial willingness and transparency to invite God into our rock bottom core will bring us into His intended holiness and unending LOVE... FOREVER!

So, let's stop living as frozen, ineffective fossils and get to know Jesus intimately!  It's time to get digging, peeps!  Allow the Messiah to excavate His holiness at the core of your rock bottom!  You won't regret it!

Yes Lord... remove every skeleton and cobweb of sin in our heart.
Bring us back to life... to now... to NEW... to YOU... TODAY!

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Blessings!

~Victoria

© The Devoted Woman | Victoria Anderson

precious moments: embracing God's Word as home

Precious moments...

I have been thinking a lot about the precious moments of my life. You know, those special moments that can't possibly be re-created once they have past. Moments that, when remembered, stir up blessings that might not have been realized in any other way and seem to have happened for a reason.

Usually when I first think of my own precious moments, my memories default to times spent alongside my dearest family and friends. Times spent relaxing and laughing with those I cherish. Yes, many of my precious moments have filled me up with the satisfaction of togetherness, and community, and love for others. These are times when the weight of worldly troubles seem to take pause and tidings of comfort and joy flourish. These are the details in life that we each seem to look forward to. The interludes that many would say make a life worth living. Yes, I do believe that these glimpses of goodness are indeed samplings of God's eternal Way of life for His people. But what about the moments that aren't always so joyful? What about the rest of our time when we don't feel so warm and fuzzy?

To this I ask: Can moments still be considered precious when they occur during times of personal struggle or difficultly? Can blessings still arise when trials abound? Can we glorify and praise God through moments of human instability... even when all seems hopeless and lost... even when the rest of the world around us loses faith in God's promises?

Read with me Paul's final charge to Timothy...

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:1-5)

Interestingly enough, Paul teaches us to be prepared both in season and out of season. To keep our head in all situations. To endure hardships. To do the work God has called each of us to do as ambassadors to God's throne. You see, Jesus has made Himself readily available to us in every season. Furthermore, He already knows the details of all our moments (good, bad, happy, sad). In fact, Jesus knows what is best for us more than we know ourselves!

O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in - behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. (Psalm 139:1-10)

With this in mind, I believe it is vital for Christians to understand that life is not always going to feel as warm and inviting as a special get-together enjoyed with close friends. You and I both know that most of the time our days are hard, complex, challenging, and overwhelming. But God says that He is willing and able to guide His people. So, all moments are precious gifts of time to be used for one purpose: God's glory!

Friends, no matter what trials you face today or in the future, I encourage you to continue racing confidently toward the gates of God's kingdom while embracing His Word as home. For every moment you seek Christ's guidance is indeed a precious opportunity to worship the King of kings! What an awesome honor! So, dear believer, seek first His perfect peace and everlasting satisfaction. Trust in Him with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him always and He will direct your steps safely home!

Blessings!

~Victoria

© The Devoted Woman | Victoria Anderson