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1 Timothy 4:12 - “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.”

Birds are probably the most talkative animals around. They are constantly singing and chirping. Just like birds, humans are pretty talkative, too. We are constantly making noise and trying to be heard. With all this talking that we do, we must realize that we are going to be heard. Someone is going to hear us, someone is going to listen. Because of this, we need to be careful of what say. We need to be good Christian examples with our speech.

There’s this thing called the Five Love Languages. It’s supposed to be for married couples but I honestly think it’s good for anyone to do. It helps you figure out your “love language”, or in other words - what makes you feel loved? Is it gifts - do you feel loved when people buy you things? Is it service - do you feel loved when people serve you? Is it quality time - do you feel loved when you have a good conversation with someone, or go on a one-on-one date? Is it touch - do you feel loved holding hands and high fives? Is it words of affirmation - do you feel loved when people give you compliments or say nice things?

For me, my love language is words of affirmation. Some people work harder when their friends say “You can do better than that! Don’t be a wimp!” I, on the other hand, work harder when people say “You’re doing so great! Try your best!” It’s just who I am. So when people say mean things, it hurts my feelings a lot. 

What you say is very important, even if your love language isn’t words. Words can encourage and build up, or insult and bring down. It even says so in the Bible! 

Proverbs 18:21 - “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”

Proverbs 15:1 - “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

I don’t know about you but I am not the most popular person in town. I am not the star basketball player or the most famous girl in town? Why would anyone look up to me? Why would I be an example to anyone? If you’re in the same boat as me (unpopular and kinda lame) then think about everyone you come in contact with. The kids I teach in Sunday School, the kids I babysit, my nieces and nephews, and even my older sister. 

Because we are all examples to someone, we need to realize that what we say is really important. Especially as Christians, people watch us to make sure that we are living out what we claim to believe.

So if we go around swearing and saying nasty things, what will people think of us? If we do that, our little siblings or kids we babysit will figure that it’s okay to swear. That’s not being a good Christian example. 

Okay. No swearing or nasties. But what about being negative? If we go around saying “I hate this” or “That’s so stupid”, what will people think of us? How can we praise God and claim that He gives us joy when we are complaining about everything and insulting everyone? 

Alright. So no swearing, no negativity. But what about gossip? Spreading rumors is just as bad as swearing and being negative. Gossip involves insulting people, making fun of people, and talking behind people’s backs. We should be encouraging people, not bringing them down.

You see, even if you’re just kidding, you could really be hurting someone’s feelings. My friend said something today, which was probably supposed to be taken as a joke, and it hurt me so badly that I wanted to cry. You need to be careful with your word. You can break someone’s heart just by being rude, even if you’re “just kidding.”

Luke 6:45 - “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

That’s the verse that gets me every time. If I speak evil things, discouraging things, negative things..then that means that my heart is evil. If I speak happy things, encouraging things, positive things..that means my heart is good. As Christians, I think it is pretty important that we have good hearts and good words. 

Now take a step back and examine yourself. Think of the way you talk. Do you whine and complain about every little thing? Do you insult people “kiddingly”? Do you find yourself swearing and saying bad things? Pray and ask God to help you speak only holy things. 

Ephesians 4:29 - “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

Because as Christians, we need to honor God with everything we do - and that includes our speech. God wants us to build each other up and encourage, not insult and complain. 

People are looking up to you and listening to what you say. Be a good example. Please God with your words. 

Psalm 19:14 - “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”

We are going to be breaking apart a well-known verse - 

1 Timothy 4:12 - “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.”

Because we are examples. To our siblings, our friends, our classmates, and anyone we come in contact with. We need to learn how to be good examples. 

I’m so excited to start this series because as a college student, I need to learn how to be a good role model. 

I hope this series encourages you! I can’t wait! 

Jesus had many disciples - twelve of them actually. Although they were all different (different families, different jobs, different beliefs), they were all very much the same. They were ordinary men called by God to be extraordinary men. 

Let’s read Mark 1:15-20. 

Jesus is walking by the sea. I’m sure there were many boats and many fishermen around. But he chose two brothers - Simon and Andrew - and he called them. He simply said, “Come, follow me.” They left their nets. Remember, they were fishermen. Their nets are what brought in the fish which gave them money. But they left their nets. They left their jobs. Where were they going? They didn’t know, they were just following Jesus.

Then Jesus walked a little bit more and saw two other brothers - James and John. He called them to come follow him as well. They dropped their nets, just like Simon and Andrew. They left their work, their whole life, and followed Jesus. But that’s not all they left. They also left their father in the boat. They left their family! And where were they going? They didn’t know, they were just following Jesus.

Skip to Mark 2:13-14.

Levi was a tax collector. He was sitting at a tax collectors booth, just doing his job. Suddenly Jesus comes by and says, “Follow me.” So he gets up in the middle of his job, leaves everything behind, and follows him. Levi didn’t say “Let me give my two week notice” or “Wait until someone comes to cover my shift”. No, he quit his job on the spot and followed. Where was he going? He didn’t know, he was just following Jesus.

In fact, it seems that whenever Jesus called someone, they’d leave absolutely everything and follow him. They didn’t worry about what would happen, how they would get money, where they would live, what clothes they would wear, or anything. They simply stood up, dropped what they were doing and followed Jesus. 

This isn’t about the Disciples but it’s an amazing example of how God will provide for us if we obey Him. Read 1 Kings 17:7-16.

Let’s talk about what just happened. Elijah was an amazing prophet. God told him to get some food and water from a widow. When Elijah got there, he asked the woman for some water. She was about to get it when he also asked for a piece of bread. She refuses - she only has a little bit of flour and oil left and she wants to use those ingredients for her and her son’s last meal. They were going to starve to death. How sad! But Elijah convinces her to make him bread anyway. And so she does. She gives up all she has. But here’s the cool thing. God knew that she didn’t have enough and because she was so willing to obey, He blessed her so that she would never run out of oil and flour. Instead of saving the bread for herself, worrying about where to get more ingredients, or freaking out, the widow obeyed God. 

Matthew 6:25-34 - “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

I love this Scripture passage so much. You see, my mother is a worrier. She worries about absolutely everything. If I skip a meal, she’s worried that I’ll starve. If I am going to my friends house, she makes me bring a water bottle in case I get thirsty. If I’m going outside, she lathers me up with sunscreen so that I don’t get skin cancer. If I’m driving by myself, she makes me call her when I leave and when I get to where I’m going. I hardly ever stay home alone. She’s scared of everything. But that’s not how God wants her to live.

If God calls you somewhere, He will provide. We don’t need to worry about where we’re going, what we’re doing, who is going to be there, or anything. If we simply obey, God will bless us. The disciples left absolutely everything to follow Jesus. They didn’t worry about their job or family or friends. The widow gave up all she had, ready to sacrifice the future of her and her on. Are you willing to give up everything to do what God is calling you to do? Or are you too worried about what will happen in the future and what your friends will think?

Obey Him. Answer His calling. Don’t worry about finances or relationships or the future. Just follow Him. Wherever we go, He will provide. Whatever we need, He will provide. 

written by Jessica Lee. inspired by God. 

I wake up on Saturday morning. I’m energized from finally sleeping in and getting enough sleep. There’s nothing much going on so I put on some worship music and read the Bible! Great, right? Then the next day is Sunday! I wake up early, dress pretty, and go to church! I worship God with all of my heart, I pray, I read the Bible. I hang out with my Christian friends and go to youth group. What a great day! But then comes Monday. I have to go to school, practice, work, hang out with friends, do homework, and hopefully sleep for a few hours. I love praising God…when I’m not busy. 

If you’re anything like me, you are a very busy person. I have ten million things to do all at the same time! I can’t possibly fit everything into my schedule so some things need to be left out. The first thing I leave out is God. I can read my Bible tomorrow or I can say my prayers in bed. I try to fit God in whenever I can, for a few minutes in between work and school or on the car ride from one activity to the other. It’s nearly impossible for me to sacrifice something I want to do so that I can grow closer to God. 

Let’s read about a man who was willing to sacrifice a lot. Read Genesis 22:1-2

If you don’t know Abraham’s life story, let me tell you a little bit. His wife was unable to have children and when they were really old (like really really really really really old) God gave them a son. Long story short, God promised that Abraham would have a countless number of descendants through his son Isaac. So when God told Abraham to sacrifice (which means kill) his own son, you’d think Abraham would say “No! This is my son! He’s my only son! You can’t do this to me!” But instead Abraham was willing. He didn’t hesitate at all. He didn’t even ask why. He was willing.

Read Genesis 22:3-8. 

Abraham instructs his servants to wait while he and Isaac go up to the mountain for a sacrifice. Then he says “We will worship and then we will come back to you.” Did you catch that? Abraham said “we”. “We” as in both Abraham and Isaac. He knew that God would save Isaac. He had incredible faith! And later, when Isaac questioned where the sacrifice was, Abraham again believed that God would provide.

Genesis 22:9-14. 

It’s kind of funny how the way God works. He usually comes in and saves the day just in the nick of time. This is how it was here, too. Isaac was tied, ready to be killed. Abraham, his own father, was about to kill him. No hesitation. But just as Abraham held up the knife, God stopped him. God knew that Abraham was an amazing man because he was willing to give up anything - even his own son - just because God said so.

So what about you? How does this awesome Bible story relate to your life? Well, think about this. What do you love doing? Are you into fashion? Facebook? School? Sports? Music? What if God told you to give one of those things up? Would you?

God told me to go to college 13 hours away from my house. I only knew a few people and I’m not even positive as to what I will be doing after college. But God commanded it. So here I am. I gave up my friends, my family, my house, my church, and everything I’ve known for years, just to go to college. And so far it has been amazing! 

What if God tells your family to move? Move to a whole new state? New friends, new church, new school, new basketball team. Would you be willing?

Or what if God told you to stop hanging out with a certain friend? They’re negative, nasty, not Christ-like, and they just bring you down all the time. You know that you need to get them out of your life so that you can grow in your relationship with God. Would you be willing to do that?

What about your money? Money is a precious thing. Without it, what would we do? But what if God calls you to give your money to a mission or to a church? Would you be willing to skip out on your daily coffee or pass on going to the movies, just so you can spend your money on something better? Is God worth your money? 

This is the big one. Are you willing to let go of some of your time in order to spend more time with the Lord? Like me, I am so busy. But I need to learn how to reevaluate my time so that I can spend plenty of time reading the Bible, praying, and listening to worship music. Think of what you spend your time doing - school, work, friends, TV, sports. What if you know you need to back up and try to spend more time with the Lord? Would you be willing to sacrifice your time?

Continue reading Genesis 22:15-18. 

Because Abraham was so willing, God blessed him. He blessed him with the promise that he would have numerous descendants. God will bless you when you serve him, when you obey him, and when you are willing to do whatever He tells you.

God has an awesome plan for your life. But it might require sacrifice. And even though it seems scary now, it’ll be worth it. 

written by Jessica Lee. inspired by God.

This is the story of Joseph. Not Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus. Joseph, the man in the Old Testament. Way back in the Old Testament. In Genesis, actually. You might remember this story being referred to as “Joseph and the Coat of Many Colors”. He had such a rough life but God was there every step of the way.

Read Genesis 37:1-11.

Joseph’s father loved him more than all of the other boys. Joseph was only seventeen (same age as me! woohoo!) so all of his older brothers were quite upset by this. Why is one of the youngest brothers the favorite? Shouldn’t the oldest be the favorite? Shouldn’t the strongest be the favorite? But Joseph received a beautifully decorated jacket from his father. And boy, were his brothers mad! Then Joseph kept having dreams, indicating that his entire family would someday bow down to him. That made them even more mad!!

Genesis 37:12-28.

Joseph was going out into the fields, checking to see how his brothers were. But when they saw him coming, they plotted to kill him! Just then, a group of Ishmaelites went by on their way to Egypt. So the brothers decided to sell Joseph to them instead and make a little money. They did just that and if you read on a little further, you’ll read that the brothers told their father that Joseph was killed by a wild animal. And as you can imagine, their father was distressed by this news. His favorite son was dead..or so he thought.

Let’s skip to Genesis 39:1-23.

In Egypt, Joseph was sold to Potiphar, who was an important official. God was with Joseph and Potiphar noticied so he put Joseph in charge of his whole house. But then Potiphar’s wife started noticing the young, fit, handsome Joseph. She begged him to have sex with her. However, Joseph was a Godly man so even though she tried seducing him every day, he never budged. One day she grabbed him but he ran out, leaving his cloak in her hands. Potiphar’s wife made up a story to tell her husband - she said that Joseph tried to have sex with her but he ran off and left his cloak. Potiphar was mad and sent him to prision. But again God was with Joseph so the warden put Joseph in charge of everyone in prison. 

While in prison (Genesis 40), some of the men tell Joseph their dreams. God gave Joseph the ability to interpret dreams. Joseph told the men what their dreams meant and within just days the dreams came true! 

Read Genesis 41:14-43.

Two years later, Pharaoh (who is like the King of Egypt) had confusing dreams. So he called for Joseph! And since God was on his side, Joseph was able to tell Pharaoh what the dreams meant. Egypt would have seven years of good crops and then seven years of famine (that means that for seven years there will be no food at all!) Joseph suggested that for the seven good years, they store all the food to be sold during the seven bad years. Pharaoh was so impressed that he put Joseph in charge of the whole castle!

Read Genesis 42:1-38. Jacob, Joseph’s father, sent ten of his sons (but not the youngest Benjamin) to Egypt to get some food. When they came to Joseph, they bowed down to him because they did not realize that he was their brother. Joseph recognized them though. However, he wanted to see his brother Benjamin so he told them to come back and bring their youngest brother with them. Jacob was afraid that they’d die, especially Benjamin, but he finally agreed.

Genesis 43:15-34. Joseph still loved his brothers. He gave them food and even cried when he saw Benjamin. But he didn’t drop his act - he still pretended to not know them. Joseph asked about his father, making sure everyone was still alive and healthy. 

Let’s skip to Genesis 45:1-8. Joseph cracks. He admits to who he really is. But what is so amazing about this is that Joseph isn’t mad or bitter about what his brothers did to him. He’s totally forgiven them! What an incredible example of forgiveness! If my sister sold me to some creep and I ended up in prison for years, I’d probably be mad. More than mad! Furious. How could someone do that to their own sibling? However, Joseph was filled with kindness and mercy. He truly was a man of God.

Several years later, Joseph’s father died. Read Genesis 50:15-21. 

The brothers were nervous. What if now that their father was dead, Joseph decided to get even? They begged Joseph to forgive them and they even offered themselves up as slaves. But again, Joseph showed incredible mercy and forgiveness. This is my favorite part. He said to them, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

God takes all the bad things that happens and turns them into good. Joseph’s brothers intended on harming him, hurting him, and killing him. But God took that situation and turned it into something good - Joseph ended up saving a countless amount of lives! My friend’s mother died but through that, he has an amazing testimony, touching many people’s lives. I know some other people who were hurt, abused, angry, or lonely but through that, they are able to counsel and help many!

Whatever situation you’re facing, God is in control. Just like in Joseph’s story, God was with him the whole time. He never left Joseph, even when he was beaten, sold, accused of rape, or put in prison. God was right there helping Joseph. God is right here with you now. He knows what you’re going through and in His timing, something good is going to come out of it.

God doesn’t kill people or give people cancer or hurt people. The devil does that. (John 10:10) But God takes what the devil meant for harm, and uses it for something good. This is where trust comes in. You need to believe that God is in control. You don’t need to be fearful about what will happen or about all the bad situations in your life. Just trust that God will be there for you and that He’ll turn the yucky circumstance into something incredible!

Romans 8:28 - “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

written by Jessica Lee. inspired by God.

Esther was an amazing woman of the Old Testament. Mary, mother of Jesus, was an amazing woman of the New Testament. She must have been a pretty special girl to have been trusted with the birth of our Savior. She must have been rich or beautiful or strong or important, right? She must have been a Queen or something powerful in order to give birth to such a powerful and important man. Right? Wrong. In fact, Common or Ordinary was Mary’s middle name! 

Let’s read Luke 1:26-38. 

It says that Mary was pledged to be married, or engaged, to Joseph. Engaged didn’t mean that she had a ring on her finger and that they were designing their wedding invitations. It was a long commitment that could only end in divorce. So Mary was engaged but still a virgin - she’d never slept with anyone, not even her fiance. But then the angel came to her. Gabriel the angel told her that she would be pregnant with God’s son. Mary was shocked. She had never had sex - not even close! - so how could she possibly be pregnant? Imagine if you were a young virgin. You’ve probably never even kissed a guy yet you were told that you were about to have a baby. I’d be shocked, amazed, and probably in disbelief. 

But this is what I love most about this passage of Scripture. Instead of Mary saying “Are you sure?” or “Pick someone else!” or “I’m too young! I’m not ready!” or “Why me?” she simply said “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” She accepted what God gave her. She was willing to do whatever God asks of her. Like I said, she was an amazing woman!

Read Luke 1:46-55. 

Mary rejoiced! She wasn’t worried or upset. She was happy! She knew what a special and important gift she was given - the opportunity to mother the child of God. She praised God, singing him a song. How beautiful!

Another book of the Bible tells about Mary’s pregnancy. Read Matthew 1:18-25.

This tells the story from Joseph’s side. Imagine this. You are in love with this girl, she’s in love with you. You’re both virgins, vowed to wait for each other on your wedding night. Suddenly she tells you that she’s pregnant. But don’t worry! She’s still a virgin. What do you think Joseph thought? It’s hardly believable that God would make Mary magically pregnant. Besides, none of their family or friends would believe that. They’d all assume that Joseph was the one to get Mary pregnant. His reputation as a righteous man would be ruined! So Joseph started to think about divorcing Mary. 

But God stepped in and told him in a dream what happened. Mary really was pregnant with Jesus. She really was still a virgin. And he shouldn’t divorce her - he should marry her! So when Joseph awoke, he did just as the Lord commanded. 

Now you’re probably thinking, what’s the big deal? Teenagers are pregnant all the time. People have sex without getting married. People live together without getting married. What’s the big deal? Well, in Bible times, it was a very big deal. If an unmarried girl became pregnant, she would be charged for committing adultery. And the punishment for committing adultery was to be stoned. Mary, as an unwed pregnant teenager, should have, by law, been stoned to death.

So Mary did in fact have a lot to be scared of. She could have been scared that her friends and family wouldn’t believe her story and they’d shun her. She could have been scared that when the town saw her bulging belly, they’d stone her - killing her and her baby. She could have been scared that Joseph would divorce her, leaving her to try to raise a baby all by herself. She could have been scared of a lot of things yet she wasn’t scared at all. 

She took on what the Lord gave her with a fearless heart. She knew that she would be okay because God gave her this baby. What would be the point of God giving her a baby but then letting everyone stone her to death? God wouldn’t do that. God wants to protect us.

Just like Mary, we have a lot to be scared of. What if I fail my class and I can’t get into college? What if my family gets into a car accident and I’m left without anyone? What if my friends don’t want to hang out with me anymore? What if I get hurt? What if he/she doesn’t love me back? What if I die? What if, what if, what if? 

But God doesn’t want us to be afraid, especially of getting hurt or dying. He made us, and like a good Father, he wants to protect us. Yes, sometimes we trip and scrape our knee or fail a test or get our feelings hurt, but God is always there, waiting to comfort us.

We don’t have to be afraid of what will happen. If God calls you to move (perhaps go to college or your family moves to a new town) don’t be worried about making friends or fitting in. If God calls you somewhere, there’s a reason for it. 

We don’t have to be afraid of money issues. I’m headed off to college and I know that I need a lot of money. I need to pay bills, get a car, etc. But God is calling me to go to this college and to do this. He’ll make a way. He’ll provide.

We don’t have to be afraid of anything.

Psalm 121 - “I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”

Psalm 46:1-3. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear,though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” 

If your life is anything like mine, it seems as if ten million things are happening at once. And there seems to be always something to be scared of. But God knows what is going on in your life. He is here for you. He will protect  you, just like He protected Mary. Just trust in God. 

written by Jessica Lee. inspired by God.

Almost every girl I know will say that her favorite Bible character is Esther. Maybe its because she’s one of only two females to have their own book of the Bible. (the other girl is Ruth.) Or maybe it’s because the story of Esther is very much like a fairy tale - after all, Esther is a Queen. But I’ll tell you more about the royal Esther later.

Have you ever noticed that when a person pitches badly, someone will respond with, “You throw like a girl!” Or if a person is whining and crying, someone will say “Don’t be such a girl.” Although these comments are somewhat sexist, there is a little truth in them. For instance, men are physically designed with more muscle so they’re usually stronger. And even though there are exceptions, guys are generally stronger, bigger, better at certain physical activities, etc. So we tend to expect males to be fearless yet girls to be fearful. However, Esther is one of the most fearless people in the Bible.

Read Esther 1 - it’s a little long but it has good stuff in it!

Here’s what happened. King Xerxes threw a banquet, all the men got drunk, he wanted his wife Queen Vashti to walk naked through the crowd of drunk men so that he could show her off, she refused (Good job, Queen Vashti!), but because of that he vanished her from the kingdom. So now King Xerxes needs to find a new wife.  

Esther 2:1-18.

The search went out for a beautiful virgin girl to become the new queen. Now Esther, who’s real name is Hadassah was an orphan so her cousin Mordecai took care of her. Esther was taken to the castle, as well as many other girls. They were all fancied up, given special foods and beauty treatments. Mordecai had told her before she left not to tell everyone she was Jewish so she kept quiet. No one knew. King Xerxes was more attracted to Esther than any other girl (and he had a lot to choose from). So Esther became Queen! 

In Esther 3, a man named Haman is brought into the story. He was kind of the King’s right hand man. Like an assistant or second in command. But good ol’ Mordecai refused to bow down to him. Because of that, Haman and King Xerxes decided to kill all the Jews (since Mordecai was Jewish) on one day. Remember - they don’t know that the beautiful Queen is one of those Jewish people.

Here’s where the story starts getting more intense. Read Esther 4.

With the help of a castle worker, Mordecai told Esther everything that was going on - and he begged her to go to the King and ask him to spare her family’s life. But here’s the deal. If anyone goes to King without being called, they’ll die. The only exception is if the King holds out his royal scepter. Esther couldn’t just waltz into the King’s room and talk to him - she’d die! But then Mordecai says these words, “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” Esther changes her mind and tells him to have all the Jewish people fast and pray. Then she says these fearless words, “And if I perish, I perish.” In other words, she doesn’t care if she dies because at least she would have tried.

Esther 5:1-8.

I can almost feel Esther’s heart beating 1,000 times per minute as she walks up to the royal throne. I’m sure ten million thoughts were going through her head. What if she died? What if Mordecai died? What if everyone she knew and loved died? What if the King didn’t hold out his scepter to her? What if the King just watched her die? Was she special enough that the King would spare her life? What will he do when he finds out that his own Queen is a Jew? But no, King Xerxes loved Esther and he held out his scepter to her, allowing her to come in and talk to him. Phew! King Xerxes tells her that he’ll give her anything, but she chickens out and asks him and Haman to come over for dinner. While at dinner, King Xerxes again tells Esther that he’ll give her whatever she wants but again she chickens out and asks him to come the next day to the banquet she’ll prepare. 

Read Esther 7:1-10. Esther begs the King to please spare her and her people’s lives. King Xerxes was furious - who could want to kill Esther’s people? His assistant and second in command - Haman. King Xerxes has Haman hung on the same gallows that were intended for Jewish Mordecai. How ironic! 

The rest of the book of Esther (only two more chapters!), explain how the Jews fought against the bad guys and how they ended up winning! It says that all the Jews were happy and celebrated. They were alive on the day they were supposed to die! And it was all because of Esther.

Esther was Queen for a reason. She lived where she lived for a reason. She was who she was for a reason. She was put on this earth “for such a time as this” and she ended up rescuing all her people. You are here for a reason. You live where you live for a reason. You are who you are for a reason. You were put on this earth for “such a time as this.”

You see, if I am an on-fire Christian, that’s great! Perhaps I can witness to all my family, friends, coworkers, and classmates. But my family is not your family, my friends are not your friends, my coworkers are not your coworkers, my classmates are not your classmates. There are some people I can witness to but you can’t. And there are some that you can witness to but I can’t. You might be here “for such a time as this” and your whole life purpose is to witness to one specific person who no one else can witness to.

Jeremiah 29:11 - “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” 

God has special plans for you that no one else can do. But you can’t be scared of them. God’s plans are always good (He knows best.) Even though we might not know what the plan is, we can know that it’s a very good plan. And that’s nothing to be fearful of. 

written by Jessica Lee. inspired by God.

I’ve always loved the story of Gideon. It’s not the most popular story but I’ve read it over and over again, always learning something new. It’s the story of the underdog, the least in his family, the kid. Probably just like most of us. 

Let’s open our Bibles and read Judges 6:1-10.

This is the background, kind of like an Introduction or a Prologue in a book. The Israelites (the good guys) were doing evil so God allowed the Midianites (the bad guys) to win. The Midianites conquered over the Israelites, taking over their land and crops. It got to be so bad that finally the Israelites cried out to God for help. And God always hears us. So God sent a prophet to tell Israel basically, “Listen. I’ve done so many good things for you. Worship me, not a false god. You didn’t listen to me, that’s why you’ve been having so many troubles.”

This is where it gets interesting. Judges 6:11-16.

This is my favorite part of the whole story. An angel comes and tells Gideon that he’s a mighty warrior and that he will save Israel out of the Midianites’ hands. Gideon replies with “But, Lord, how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” Now I don’t know about you, but my family isn’t that important or popular in my town. We’re not famous or rich. We don’t have important jobs like a senator or a life-saving doctor. We’re just…normal. And in my family, I am the least. I am the youngest and probably the weakest. I’m still young - I haven’t done very much with my life yet. So I totally relate to Gideon. I am a Gideon. 

Judges 6:17-24.

So Gideon is a little skeptical. He’s unprepared, young, and weak. Who is this guy telling him to go save Israel? What if this isn’t an angel? What if this person isn’t from God? To answer these questions, Gideon sets up a challenge. He makes a meal (soup and bread) and puts them on a rock. The angel simply touches it with his staff. Fire explodes from the rock and the meat and the angel disappear. Gideon freaks out! (So would I.) God tells him to have peace and because of that, he builds an alter for the Lord.

If I had seen fire gobble up my food, I would believe that this angel is legit. But for some reason, Gideon needed more proof. Let’s skip to Judges 6:36-40.

Gideon put some fleece on the floor and said that if in the morning the fleece was wet but the ground was dry, he’d truly believe that he was the one sent to save Israel. Of course, in the morning, the fleece was soaked and ground was bone dry. If that wasn’t proof enough, Gideon switched things up. The next morning, if the fleece was dry but the ground was wet, he’d believe. Indeed, the fleece was dry and the ground was wet! Finally Gideon believed.

So the battle to save Israel begins! Read Judges 7:1-8.

Thirty-two thousand men were ready to fight! Good size, right? Well, God says that’s a little bit too big. So Gideon tells the army that anyone who is scared can go home. Twenty-two thousand men were afraid! So only ten thousand were left. But nope, it was still too big. So when they came to some water, God said that anyone who lapped up the water like a dog had to leave. Everyone except for three hundred men were sent home. So here they were - three hundred men and Gideon. And they were expected to beat the powerful Midianites. 

Continue readings Judges 7:9-25.

God told Gideon to go down to the Midianites’ camp but if he was afraid, he could bring his friend Purah. Go into the enemy’s camp? I’d be scared. Apparently Gideon was afraid as well because he brought Purah along for support. Just as they got there, they overheard one of the Midianites telling his friend about a dream he had. The interpretation of the dream was that Gideon would win the battle! Gideon and Purah were so encouraged by this that they ran back to the camp and woke everyone up! They divided the three hundred men into groups and gave them all torches, trumpets, and jars. Then when Gideon gave the signal, they all started yelling “For the Lord and for Gideon”, blowing their trumpets, and smashing their jars. The Midianites freaked out, running around and killing each other in the dark. Of course, with God on their side, the Israelites won and even captured two of the Midianites’ leaders! 

Like I said, I love this story. Maybe it’s because I’m so much like Gideon - small, weak, unimportant, the “least” out of everyone. Maybe it’s because God defeated a huge army with only three hundred men. Everything about this story screams underdog. And everyone loves a good story about the underdog becoming champion. 

Think about all the classic Disney movies. Cinderella was a poor orphan but she became princess! Aladdin was a homeless boy living on the streets but he became a prince! Simba was a scared lonely orphan but he came back to be King! Every movie I can think of has the same plotline - the small, weak, scared, child defeats the big, bad, strong man. And that’s usually the way God likes it, too. He chooses ordinary people and makes them powerful!

I don’t know who you are. I don’t know if you’re popular, important, talented, strong, big, or powerful. But God can use you no matter what. And God will use you, if you are willing. 

1 Corinthians 1:26- “Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.”

Paul wrote this to the followers of Jesus in Corinth. He reminded them that when God first called them to do something amazing, they weren’t wise, they weren’t important, they weren’t popular. God chooses the ‘least’ in this world to glorify Him instead of the best or most popular to glorify themselves.

Now, if you’re rich or popular or talented or awesome, God can still use you. He doesn’t only choose the poor kids, he chooses everyone to do awesome things. He just doesn’t require a resume before giving you an amazing calling. He just cares about your heart.

And you don’t even have to be fearless to get called by God! Gideon was afraid - it said so many times in that Scripture passage. But even though Gideon was scared, God still used him. And even if you’re scared, God can use you. (if you’re willing.) 

written by Jessica Lee. inspired by God.

One of the most popular Bible stories is probably the story of David and Goliath. I’m sure a lot of us know it by heart. It’s the story of the little kid who goes out and fights the giant. And of course, since God is on his side, he wins. But there is so much more to the story than just an awesome victory.

Let’s read 1 Samuel 17:1-11.

Now let’s get some things straight. The Philistines are the bad guys. Saul and the Israelites are the good guys. But the Philistines have an advantage - they have a 9 foot giant on their team named Goliath. And to make things a little more interesting Goliath set up a challenge. The Israelites could pick one man and if that Israelite killed Goliath, the Philistines would be Israel’s slaves. But if that Israelite lost, they would become the Philistines’ slaves. The Bible says that the Israelites were terrified. But who could blame them?

Continue to read 1 Samuel 17:12-31.

Jesse had many sons. His three oldest sons were out on the battlefield. His youngest (David) was still at home, tending to the sheep. After forty days, Jesse sent David out to give some bread and cheese to the soldiers. Since David wasn’t old enough, strong enough, or good enough to fight, he had to just be the delivery boy. How embarrassing! Just as David gets to the battlefield, Goliath comes out. All the Israelites run away back to their camp. Surprisingly David did not seem afraid, just curious. Who is this man? What is going on? What happened? Who’s going to fight? Because of all of this talk, David was sent to the person in charge - Saul.

1 Samuel 17:32-39. 

So what just happened? David tells Saul, “No worries. I’ve got this.” But Saul reminds him that he’s just a boy. He can’t do anything important, right? Wrong. David tells stories of how he fought off a bear and a lion and rescued his sheep. Pretty impressive, huh? Well, Saul was certainly impressed so he gave David permission to fight Goliath. ButSaul made sure that David was wearing the best armor - the big heavy kind. However, David wasn’t used to that kind of stuff. He couldn’t do it! I never wear high heels. So if someone strapped me into a pair of stilettos and told me to run a marathon, I couldn’t do it! So what happens now? How can David defeat the giant without any equipment? Well, David has a different idea.

Read 1 Samuel 17:40-51.

So the baby of the family, the kid, the unprepared boy is going to go fight the giant. And as if that’s not lame enough, he decides to fight using only a few stones and a sling. Of course, when Goliath sees him, he laughs and mocks him. What I love most about this story is that it says that David ran towards Goliath. He ran towards the nine foot giant. He ran towards what everyone was scared of. He ran towards what seemed to be impossible. And of course, God helped David kill Goliath with one stone. The Philistines were so afraid that they ran off! How awesome! 

Great story, right? But here’s the deal. We all have fears. We all have something that we’re afraid of. Some people are afraid of death, heights, bugs, people, tight spaces, pain, or even imaginary things like monsters or vampires. Some people are afraid of everything. And yes, even I have my own fears.

A lot of us deal with our fears by ignoring them. If I’m scared of bridges, I won’t drive over any bridges. Problem solved! If I’m scared of what other people will think of me, I’ll do whatever I can to fit in so that no one will judge me. Problem solved! But that’s not what we’re supposed to do. 

1 Timothy 1:7 - “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

God doesn’t want us to be fearful. We shouldn’t think of our fears as just normal stuff that everyone deals with - we should think of our fears as extreme problems that we need to take care of instantly. Fear is from the devil. God wants us to change. He wants us to be fearless.

So what are we supposed to do? How do we become fearless? How to we get over these fears? 

We all have a Goliath fear in our life. A fear that seems huge, like a giant. A fear that we just can’t face. A fear that no one wants to deal with - especially not you. David ran towards his Goliath. We need to run towards ours. We need to admit to our fears, instead of denying them. We need to be willing to overcome our fears.

Like I said, God doesn’t want us to suffer from being afraid. He’ll help you to be fearless. But you have to be willing to run towards it.

written by Jessica Lee. inspired by God.

Now that my devotional series Roses are Red? has ended, it’s time for a new series!

This devotional will be entitled Fearless. Each Wednesday I’ll post a new devotional. It’ll be a Bible story about a courageous person, doing amazing things for God. And through that, we’ll discover how we can be fearless, too!

I’m so excited!!