WVW #015 Back to Basics: Being a Woman of Faith

(00:01): Well, welcome back. If you listened last week, you know that we had a guest with us, a very special guest, and if you didn't, I want you to hit that subscribe button so that you can be reminded to go back and listen to episode 14, where our guest joy is sharing a poem that was given to her by God, as she prayed about for this podcast, the welfare's tool and podcast. So we are continuing with this poem. I would say, Theresa, let's go ahead and ask Joyce to recite the poem so that it's fresh in our minds. And then we'll continue with expounding on the third of the four stanzas. Well, verse woman, a welfare woman is a woman of prayer, and she knows how to cast up on Jesus each and every care a Wellforce woman is a woman of God's word, and she's not moved by the fullest.

(01:01): Things that she has seen or heard a well-versed woman is a woman of wisdom for if she's committed to the Lord and the work of his kingdom, a well verse woman is a woman of integrity and she daily walks in God's favor and demonstrates his true victory. I love that choice. I just, every, each and every time I hear it. Thank you. Thank you for sharing it. Thank you for walking. So beautifully close to the Lord. I'm going to share a little bit of a personal testimony here today. That Joyce is a woman of God, such a woman of God, and always doing the work of God's kingdom in such a beautiful and personal way. You know, when we walk with God and God starts to reveal the plans and the purposes for our life and just our daily steps are set before us. Joyce was very instrumental in my life because she brought the gospel to me many years ago, 26 years ago, this an epiphany landed on my heart.

(02:06): And I wanted to know who Jesus was. I didn't understand why God had a slain, his own son. I call it Lord. Why, why did you have to butcher your son? Why, why the blood? It was so heavy on my heart. And Joyce was a client of mine at the time. And she came in with a beautiful poem for me, uh, with anchored in the scripture that we are saved by grace through faith, not by works lest any man should boast in. I was just a guest because here God brought a beautiful modern day disciple to me to share God's word and answered the burning question in my heart. Why did God have to shed his blood? Do you remember that day, Joyce? Yes. I think, um,

(03:00): Talking about being committed to God's kingdom, it's like we have to always be ready in season and out of season to share God's word. And so when I met Theresa, my desire has always been to lead people to Christ. They'll find a way of their standards. You know what I'm saying, what their walk is with the Lord. And if they don't know Christ and I want to be able to kind of plant a seed. And so this was an opportunity to minister to her and she was open because I think God has already prepared her heart.

(03:24): Yeah, absolutely. I love that. That we just have to be open. I remember Joyce first coming to the Lord and then feeling like I wanted to share this and being all nervous about how am I going to just talk to people about God? And then there were people standing on the street corners, kind of beating people over the head with their Bible and guess what some people are reached that way. So I stopped being critical of how it was being done by others. And I started being open to what God would have me do and not being nervous about it. Not being fearful, just being like you say, open and aware, and you could see that Theresa was open. And so you shared just very simply and innocently. Okay.

(04:15): I think sometimes the fear, because I had a lot of fears too, but I've, I've always desired to be obedient to God. So often, you know, like Joyce Meyer has always say, do it afraid, you know, even if you feel fear, do it afraid. You know what I'm trying to say, God, I mean, God doesn't want you to be afraid, but even if you feel fear, God still honor that if he will step out in, you know what I'm saying, faith and do what it is he's calling you to do. Cause we don't always know what the person's response is going to be. And if we try to think about it in our mind, before we do it, we will probably never minister to him

(04:45): In Joyce came just, God knew exactly who to send to me. She came in such a beautiful way, where she gently answered the questions of the burning questions of my heart. You know, that God had to shed blood and you know, his son took our wrap. Like we said last week on our episode, because without the shedding of blood, there was no remission for sins in for my sin. And to make that personal Joyce, I remember you were just so gentle and you just looked at me and you said, would you like to invite Jesus into your heart? And out of the Romans chapter 10 verses nine and 10 scriptures. Um, Joyce led me into a prayer of salvation because of the Bible does say in Romans 10, verses nine and 10, if you confess with your mouth, the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart, that God has raised him from the dead you will be saved for, with the heart.

(05:41): One believes unto righteousness or right standing with God and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. So Joyce, do you remember that beautiful morning where we sat over a cup of coffee and you looked at me? I mean, I came, I came prepared and that's what I said about being prepared. I wasn't really sure that Theresa would actually say the prayer, the sinner's prayer, but I came prepared to minister the gospel to her. And I think that has to be able hot desire that we are committed to the kingdom. When I talk about being committed to God's kingdom, it's commitment, service, and sacrifice. When you become a believer, those three areas, commitment, service, and sacrifice. And so, you know, you always have that desire to minister and, you know, God opens the door for you. You know, like I said, sometimes you're able to maybe just plant the seed and maybe somebody else water with for you.

(06:29): But you know, you do the part that God has called you to do. That's so very true. And it's done Joyce. What I love about the Holy spirit and moving with God is that it's done in such a practical way. Right? I can remember being, I can remember being on an elevator with a beautiful woman and we just, she was a stranger. We just started talking. And before you know it, my goodness in that short elevator ride down to the first floor, she started to tell him, tell me about her struggle with nicotine in cigarettes. Do you know that right? There was an opportunity. It was an opportunity in right there in the hospital in little rock, little rock, Arkansas, the myeloma clinic of the world, we stopped. And I said to her, would you like prayer? And she looked at me and she said, I sure would.

(07:19): So here we were perfect. Two perfect strangers, right? Stepping outside in the hall of a hospital, praying together and life was going on about us all around us. But in that sacred moment, we were reaching the power of God. And I believe in my heart today, she said, thank you so graciously she left. But I believe Renee enjoys that she is free from nicotine today. And that's what it, what it's about. I can remember another, uh, testimony meeting, a retired policeman who was just debilitated with back pain. And again, it was just a simple sharing of the gospel that I know the healer. And could I pray? Oh, he was just so, so receptive wreck this big John Wayne, a police man. Right. But yet he has, I just laid hands on him and prayed for healing. He was just so overjoyed. And that's what it means to practically minister and share the kingdom of God because the gospel is good news. Well, the key is not to leave people in the condition that you find them. And that has so many levels. And that, again, Joyce, we love to simplify things in this podcast. So if you're hearing these words or these stories and saying, Oh my gosh, but Theresa Joyce, they've been walking so long with the Lord and they know what to say or do. There was a time where didn't know

(08:56): What to say or do either. But guess what, if you're listening to this, you know, people who do know what and how to say and do, and all you need to do is to reach out to your spiritual mama Papa leader that will help you. So that's really the other piece of it is you don't have to go it alone. We right here on this podcast, if you put a question in the show notes, if you joined our Facebook community and put a question there, we are here to help and you can reach out to us in a number of ways, including leaving comments on the podcast. If you scroll down, but you do not have to do it alone. We are here as a community to help in that. The idea is what the key is should say is just so beautifully said is to not leave people the way you found them. Was that the words, Joyce? Yeah. The condition that you found the men and isn't that, what love is all about? Isn't that what God is all about? All of us, just making one person at a time, making them better or being, being Jesus to them. That's the only way I can describe it to leave them better than when them, before you met them.

(10:26): Absolutely. Renee, you know, as I'm sitting here, I'm thinking about, uh, when I first came to the Lord, remember Joyce, remember when I, I had so many problems and I can remember sitting on my kitchen floor just sobbing. And this is the thought that came to me. I will perfect all that concerns you. And I don't even think I knew that that was a scripture, but in fact it is Psalm one 38 verse eight. God says I will perfect. All that concerned you in, you know, to segue just a bit. This is why we study his word. This is why we reach out and fellowship to one another. And the Lord bringing Renee back into my life. The Lord bringing you Joyce into my life. He knows that we need not only a vertical relationship with him, but that we need a horizontal relationship with one another because when I'm in need and when I am down, Joyce, you come along.

(11:25): Renee comes along each and every time. And it's such a beautiful thing. She just remembered the time that my back was out and I had a 103 degree fever, and I got a call from you when you were vacuuming. And you said to me, you said, Theresa, you okay? I said, Oh, Joyce have 103 degree fever. My back is out. And you said, well, I was back to being in. I heard the Lord say, stop right now and pray for Theresa in college. You said, Lauren, I want to finish back your meeting. And he said, no, no, no, no. And you know the same way with Renee and myself, Renee, um, when, Oh my goodness, that would open up a floodgate Rene of, you know, the health and the wellbeing and the wisdom that you brought to me for my house and, and vice versa. And we could pray together in believe God together in that's what it's all about. It's knowing the scriptures coming together as women of God praying the scriptures. And then we watch God move. I want to say something a little bit about, um, the woman

(12:32): Wisdom. If we understand that knowledge is the taking in of God's, right?

(12:36): When you take in knowledge, you get knowledge from taking in God's word, but you put out wisdom, which is the application of God's word. And your intake is always going to be equal to your output. So perfect.

(12:50): So it's intake, you know, we do it in a hospital, did end of the shift. You know, we calculate what the patient took in and what they put out. And we say it's supposed to match the intake is supposed to be equal to the output because we don't,

(13:00): We have an imbalanced. Okay? So your intake of God's word is going to be equal to what you're putting out. So you take in knowledge and you put out wisdom, which is the proper application of God's word, proper application,

(13:14): Proper application is so wisdom is the proper application of God's word in every situation in your life

(13:19): Injuries, too, we have a helper that will help us.

(13:21): The Holy spirit, the Holy spirit is there is there to help us.

(13:25): You know? And so the key thing that I want to bring out is that the importance of praying God's word, because God watches over his word to perform it. You know, where the will of God is known, his word is known. So when you know the words,

(13:37): Word of God, you don't have to say, God, what is your will in this particular

(13:40): Area? We already know what the word of God says so we can pray the word of God. We can say what God's word says. For instance, that's give us a, for instance, James chapter one, verse five about wisdom, Joyce. So if you were lacking wisdom,

(13:55): Wisdom, two acts of God, and he gives us

(13:57): Liberally without reproach. You know? So, but we have to ask God for that, you know, for that wisdom, it's there for us, but we have to ask for it, just give us an example. So when you pray, so you're in a situation and you need God's wisdom. You want to ask him, w what would you say to God?

(14:13): It's like, for instance, someone probably having a financial, you know, situation, you know, you go to God, we know the word of God said that he supplied

(14:20): All of them are needs according to his riches in glory, in Christ, Jesus. I can echo that word back to godfather,

(14:26): Having this particular situation in my life.

(14:29): This is what your word says. And yeah,

(14:31): I'm trusting you that you're going to provide for me in this particular situation, of course, you have to be willing to do what God tells you to do. That's the other point, you know, it's not, you know, you have to be willing,

(14:40): Willing to be obedient to whatever God tells you to do, because the Bible says faith without works is dead. So it's not just praying

(14:47): And not doing, you have to pray, but you also have to do what the Holy spirit shows you to. You know, but it's when we talk about the word of God, you know, it's really, you have confidence in what God word says that we can go to the father and say, father, this is what your word says, because he said, his word will not return void. He said, he watches over his word. So Lord, this is what your word says. Now it's something that I'm not doing in the natural. I'm asking you for the wisdom to do, to give me the wisdom to do it. And also give me the desire to do it. Because sometimes we don't really want to do what God tells us to do. So, so Lord, give me the grace, give me the grace to do this thing that you're requiring of me to do.

(15:27): And I prayed to Joyce changed, changed my heart,

(15:31): Right in my will. I said that to God all the time, father override my willingness area, where I'm stubborn, willing my flesh don't really want to do it. Cause Paul talk about being, you know, being willing. But the flesh is, you know, what I'm trying to say is fighting him. You know? So, and God understands that, you know what I'm saying? He's he can deal with that. But we have to be honest,

(15:48): We have to be honest. And we just have to ask him, and that's the idea of prayer. That's the idea, ladies of going before God, because we're not gonna get it all right. Or want necessarily like Joyce just said the desire, not there necessarily to do what we know is right. And we can actually ask God to change our heart.

(16:15): There is actually a scripture that says work in me to will and do of your good pleasure where we ask that father work in me to will and to do. Cause it's both is to will and to do of your good pleasure. I'm really struggling with this area in my life, Lord, you know what I'm saying? I really want to put away this, this habit or this behavior, but I'm really struggling in my flesh. So Holy spirit maxing it,

(16:37): Me and he will come alongside. Like we have talked in a prior episode. Again, the Holy spirit is our helper. Go back and listen to that episode. Because once we get in the rhythm of doing these things that we're talking about, then we have what we call victory in Jesus, which is totally related to your last stanza of this. A well-versed woman is a woman of integrity and she daily walks in God's favor and demonstrates his true victory. That is the culmination of these two episodes of what we talked about. Let's talk about God's favor and true victory. Cause that sounds exciting, especially in this crazy world we're in right now, I would love God's favor. Yep,

(17:33): Absolutely. And God promises God himself. You know, the Bible says that here,

(17:39): The righteous with favor, he surrounds us is with a shield Proverbs 10 verse nine, Proverbs two verse seven, Proverbs one verse 33. He who walks in integrity, walks securely. He is a shield to those who walk uprightly. But whoever listens to me, God's wisdom will dwell safely and will be secure without fear of evil. Oh my goodness. Integrity. Walking in integrity, walking securely, knowing that God is upholding us. Joyce, do you want to talk a little bit about that particular version?

(18:17): Yeah. The two things that came to me on that one, the woman of integrity is a woman of who walks in honesty. She's honest. And she has strong moral principles. He endeavors, to be honest, and she has strong moral principles.

(18:32): What does that look like in what happens when, when we fail on a transaction of having a strong moral principles. So we fall tell us about that.

(18:44): We can always go back to God. You know what I'm saying, father, you know what I'm saying? I didn't, um, I, I, I fell in this particular area. You know, you ask God to forgive you and you ask the Holy spirit to help you. I'm always asking the Holy spirit to teach me, help me to do the right thing. Because like I said, again, it goes back to having that heart desire to please, God created me a clean heart old Lord. I pray that all the time create a near clean huddle. God. And we know you're right, spirit in me. It's a simple prayer, but it's like, God, my heart, I want my heart to be pure. And so even when we miss the Mark and it's great to know, we talk about this morning, we have a mediator, you know what I'm trying to say, we can, we can go to God and we can be forgiven and we can ask the Holy spirit. And one of the things I do also to daily is a lot. I'm committing my days, my ways and my works on to you. Those three areas of my life, my days, my works and my ways I commit to you every day, you know, help me to please you in everything that I do. And when you miss the Mark, you know what I'm trying to say, we have, we have a father, you know, that we can go to

(19:43): Beautiful thing about, we have a father to go to guess what he knew we were going to fail. He knew we were going to fail. We don't have to be ashamed like, Oh my gosh, I'm going to have to tell. I'm going to have to tell God that, that I fell short. He knew we fell short. That's why he sent his son. That's why we have a savior. That doesn't mean that we don't confess. And that our quote work is to grow in him and become more like him every day. That's our work like you said, in the first of our two episodes, Joyce, our first priority is our fellowship with him. I relationship and fellowship with him. That's our priority. That's what he wants. We talk a lot in these episodes, Joyce, about, because we have a lot of women listeners about our relationship with children and how we want as a relationship

(20:48): With our children. And we would never turn our back on our child because they did something wrong because they fell short. We want them to come to us and ask for our help. God is the same way.

(21:01): I always think of David though. He missed the Mark. You know what I'm saying? But God said that David had a heart for him. It's the heart. God looks at the heart.

(21:09): Absolutely. Absolutely. I'd like to interject a few scriptures for our listeners here. You know, I think we can blend rightly so. Philippians two 13 and first John one nine, uh, Philippians two 13 says work out your salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that it is God all the while at working in you willing to do and to choose according to his good pleasure. In first, John one nine says that if we sin, if we confess our sins, he is faithful. And just to forgive us, our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So as we said, God knows and it's okay. I can remember, Oh my goodness. I don't know if I lost my temper or just what the situation was, but I can remember being away. I was in a hotel room and I went back to my room and Oh, I just felt so condemned.

(22:06): So lousy. And I felt that God just gently, you know, through the presence of the Holy spirit, say, Hey, come on, I'm going to forgive you. You know, don't wallow on that. You would, I know you Theresa, you would not have chosen that your flesh got unruly. All right. So your will bent, but come on, let's get back in the ballgame. And that's what the Holy spirit does for us. He's our counselor. He's our advocate. He's the best coach in the world. And you know what I did at the moment I, I, in my sin, I miss the Mark, if you will. But yet his forgiveness came. And because I just love him so much. And I looked to him and I pressed into him for his help not to do that again. I began to change and I think that's what it's all about. It's the transformation of our lives into something that is more joyful. That is stronger. That is able to not bend under pressure, but to stand victoriously in a Valiant way is a woman of God. Yeah.

(23:16): And I want to add to that. The key is to keep short accounts with God and to know the difference between condemnation and conviction, that condemnation is always going to drive you away from God or conviction draws you to the father.

(23:27): Absolutely. So what I felt in that hotel room is I felt conviction God, isn't going to look the other way when we sin. But he comes in and when our heart is right towards and he comes in and he will encourage you, he'll give you instruction. He'll correct you so that we don't

(23:46): Touch that hot stove yet again, condemnation on the other hand is someone beating you and you feel like you can't go on and you feel it's all going to be a hopeless mass. And you know, that can come from old thoughts. It can come from the devil. It can come from various places, but we, when we're still, and we can hook into the Holy spirit, he'll always bring us that beautiful conviction that will lift us up again, out, uh, what a beautiful way to conclude. I, I just love this poem, Joyce, and I'm going to ask you because I love your accent. It's so beautiful to read it one more time. But if, if we would listen to the four major points that come out of this, which wraps up, Oh my goodness. If we, if we could be all these things, it would be just an amazing world. But you know, the first sexual where we want to learn God's language, which is prayer and cast upon him. The second section where we focus on the heavens, we focus on what we can't see. We become a woman of God's word, the third stanza. We talk about a wisdom and God's work. God's work about the kingdom, which we've so beautifully simplified with the scriptures ladies. And then our victory in Jesus. We become women of integrity where God is constantly refining us, just like gold. And we have true victory in Jesus.

(25:34): Uh, well, verse woman is a woman of prayer and she knows how to cast upon Jesus each and every care. Uh, well-versed woman is a woman of God's word, and she's not moved by the foolish things that she has seen or heard. A well-versed woman is a woman of wisdom for she's committed to the Lord and the work of his kingdom. Uh, well-versed woman is a woman of integrity and she daily walks in God's favor and demonstrates his true victory.

(26:02): Thank you for that. In closing Teresa, Joyce, sir. Anything you want to share with the listeners? You know, I think the final scripture, Renee that I think is so all encompassing actually there too, that you know, I've blended together. If you will. Second Corinthians chapter two, verse 14 in Romans chapter eight, verse 37, the Bible says, thanks. Be to God who always leads us in triumph, in Christ, in through us diffuses the fragrance of his knowledge in every place yet in all these things, tribulations, distresses, persecutions, famines, etc. We are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Would you say that? That's a good word. That's good. Yeah. Well, we have one more thing. Joyce, what is Romans 10 17 say faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you, Joyce. Thank you, Renee. Thank you. It's so great that we had Joyce here with us. Now don't forget to subscribe to this podcast and we still have a few more of those well versed woman journals available if you rate and review this podcast. So go ahead and do that. Join our Facebook community. It's called well-versed woman in there. We're involved. We can converse with you. We can answer your questions more fully, and then don't forget. In every episode, there are show notes that you can download print out, put on your mirror so that you can be reminded every day of God's word. We'll see you next week.