Christian

Small Beginnings

Cindy Dawson

Quote of the Week for Wednesday, 7/15/26

“Small numbers make no difference to God. There is nothing small if God is in it.”
― Dwight Lyman Moody

“For who has shown contempt for the day of small things? But these seven will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel—they are the eyes of the Lord roaming throughout the earth.” Zechariah 4:10 NASB

In His Love, Cindy

“God treated Jesus as if He had lived my life, that I may be treated as if I had lived His life.” Harvey Stalker

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”

Psalm 122:6 NASB

Photo by Rachel Reinhardt on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog

Bible and Scripture, Christian

Jesus’ Letters to the Churches

Cindy Dawson

1-Minute Devotion for Tuesday, 7/14/26

Nothing could be more relevant to the Church today than the message from Jesus to the seven churches in the book of Revelation. These letters reveal which things He approves of and which things they must repent of. (Revelation, chapters 2 and 3)

These letters are important. And they are just as applicable now as they were then. Jesus tells them they must repent or He will remove their lampstand!

“When the Bible repeats something, it should catch our attention. In Revelation 2 and 3, there is a phrase that is repeated seven times: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” In other words, this message is for everyone. God wants every Christian to study prophecy.” David Jeremiah

“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches…” Revelation 2:7,11, 17, 29 and Revelation 3:6,13, 22

May we have ears to hear!

Read Revelation chapter 2 HERE, and Revelation chapter 3 HERE.

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”

Psalm 122:6 NASB

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian, Encouragement

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

Cindy Dawson

Devotion for Monday, 7/13/26

This post from Alan Kearns at Devotional Treasure impacted me in a powerful way.

“One may mourn over the loss of a loved one or of possessions, one can also mourn over sin, and the results of it in life…”  Alan Kearns

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn – Repost

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”

Psalm 122:6 NASB

Photo by Dima Kapralov on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog

Bible and Scripture, Christian

Transform Your Morning

Cindy Dawson

1-Minute Devotion for Sunday, 7/12/26

The first thing I do every morning is to read and study my Bible. (Well, after I feed and walk Henry, my Yorkie. As you know, he is very bossy.)

When we get back, he gets in his dog bed and sleeps for a couple of hours. And I open my Bible.

This is my favorite time of the day. Do you know why? It’s because the Bible speaks to me every day, and so it becomes more dear to me every time I read it.

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:12-13 NIV (emphasis mine)

No other book in the world can do that, only the Bible. The word translated as “alive” is the Greek word zao. It is the same word Jesus used when He said,

“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4 NIV (emphasis mine)

Scripture is life-giving, not merely instructive, because the Bible is God speaking to you and me.

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”

Psalm 122:6 NASB

RealChristianWomen.blog

Encouragement

How To Encourage Someone

Cindy Dawson

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us… if it is to encourage, then give encouragement;” Romans 12:6,8 (Emphasis mine)

The Bible commands us to encourage one another. The following is a list of ways we can encourage someone.

HOW TO BE AN EFFECTIVE ENCOURAGER

1. Listen. Listening is better than talking. We need to give the person we want to encourage focused attention. That means we are carefully listening to them, not just waiting for our turn to talk. (Ouch!) Having someone listen is the best medicine for a hurting heart.

2. Provide affirmation before offering help. This validates their feelings and struggles.

3. Be compassionate and caring. The thing your friend needs most may not be answers, but just someone to talk to, someone who cares, so they can share their hurts or worries safely.

4. Do not pretend to know what they are going through or tell them what happened to you.

5. Write them an encouraging note. Believe it or not, two or three sentences can turn a person’s day around. I have received many encouraging notes over the decades, and I have kept many of them to this day.

6. Pray for them and let them know you are praying.

Maybe the Holy Spirit will lead you to pray in a certain way. Or maybe He will guide you in what to say. Or maybe He just wants you to show love and compassion. If your friend wants your advice, she will probably ask for it.

For some, being an encourager is a spiritual gift, but it is something we must all do. Let the Lord guide you to those who need your encouragement.

I can’t tell you how many times a comment someone left on my blog turned my day around. Many times, the Holy Spirit is encouraging me through their message, but they probably had no idea how timely it was. In fact, this happens quite often.

“Encourage the disheartened” 1 Thessalonians 5:14

To be disheartened means to have lost hope, courage, or enthusiasm. It is a state of feeling discouraged, demoralized, or dispirited, often as a result of experiencing setbacks, failure, or unexpected difficulties. (Dictionary.com)

The definition of encouragement is: “The act of inspiring others with renewed courage, a renewed spirit, or renewed hope.”

Look around. People who need encouragement are all around you. Ask God to help you reach out to them.

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2

Note: I have learned a lot about encouragement from David Jeremiah’s book, The Joy of Encouragement. I think you would, too.

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”

Psalm 122:6 NASB

Photo: Getty Images for Unsplash+

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian, hope

Hope for Victims of Trauma

Cindy Dawson

Reflection for Friday, 7/10/26

I experienced trauma over 20 years ago, but PTSD can linger for many years, causing anxiety and unwanted dreams. When I read these verses, I prayed, Lord, help me forget. They encouraged me, and I pray they will encourage you, too.

“Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame.
    Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth
    and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. … Though the mountains be shaken
    and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
    nor my covenant of peace be removed,”
    says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” ” Isaiah 54:4 & 10 NIV (emphasis mine) Read full chapter

The Hebrew word for forget is šākaḥ. In Biblical Hebrew, šākaḥ is not just a passive cognitive slip of the mind. Instead, it signifies willfully moving past a trauma, letting go of a previous status, or no longer acting in accordance with past grief. (David Guzik)

We can’t do this in our own strength, but we don’t have to.

Although these verses are speaking directly to Israel, they reveal the heart of God. His compassion and unfailing love are beyond comprehension. With the help of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, may those who have experienced trauma remember no more.

“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 NIV

This is the first step toward healing.

In His Love, Cindy

P.S. If this doesn’t apply to you directly, may you use it to comfort and encourage someone who needs hope.

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”

Psalm 122:6 NASB

RealChristianWomen.blog

Bible and Scripture, Israel & the Jews

The Babylonian Exile: Fitting the Pieces Together

Cindy Dawson

Bible Study for Thursday, 7/9/26

This post was first published in 2022 and continues to be viewed frequently even today.

You are probably familiar with the stories of Queen Esther, Nehemiah rebuilding the wall, Daniel in the lions’ den, King Nebuchadnezzar, and other Old Testament figures. But how do these stories relate to each other?

The story of the Jews who were exiled to Babylon and then returned to Jerusalem can be confusing. At least it was to me. I had a lot of pieces to the puzzle, but I didn’t know how they fit together. So I did a little research and came up with a timeline and a summary that can help us fit the pieces together.

In order to get a better grasp of the timeline, I have renamed the years. I have called 606 BC (the date the first exiles were taken to Babylon) Year 1. You will see that 161 years will pass before the third wave of exiles returns to Jerusalem.

Babylonian Exile Timeline

606 BC (Year 1)   Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, besieges Jerusalem. Daniel and Judean nobles are exiled to Babylon.

586 BC (Year 20) Jerusalem is destroyed by the Babylonians. Solomon’s Temple is destroyed.

539 BC (Year 67) Cyrus, King of Persia, conquers the Babylonian Empire

537 BC (Year 69) The 1st group of exiles returns to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel. 42,360 exiles return (plus slaves and singers) – a small remnant.

520 BC (Year 86) The Temple is completed.

486-465 BC (Years 120-141) Xerxes is King of Persia. He makes Esther the new queen.

458 BC (Year 148) The 2nd group of exiles returns to Jerusalem with Ezra. Artaxerxes is the King of Persia. Only 1,754 exiles return. *Including women and children, the total number would be about 7,000 to 8,000. (Jeremiah Study Bible Notes)

445 BC (Year 161) The 3rd group of exiles returns with Nehemiah to restore the walls. The walls were restored in 52 days.

 Summary

In 606 BC, the deportation of Judean nobles to Babylon begins. This group included Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The people of Judah were not exiled all at once but were taken captive over a period of several years. Twenty years after the first captives were taken, Jerusalem and the Temple were completely destroyed by the Babylonians.

Sixty-seven years after the first exiles were taken to Babylon, Cyrus, King of Persia, conquered the Babylonian empire. Only two years after he became king, he allowed the exiles to return to Jerusalem. A small remnant of 42,360 people returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel to rebuild the Temple.

First, they rebuilt the altar. Then they began to rebuild the temple, but opposition stopped the building for about 16 years. Rebuked and encouraged by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, the people finally completed the construction of the Temple.

About 79 years after the first group of exiles returned to Jerusalem, a second group returned with Ezra, the priest. Only 1,754 returned this time. (Including women and children would increase that number to 7,000 to 8,000.) The new Persian King is Artaxerxes, son of Xerxes and Vashti. Vashti was the queen before Esther.

Meanwhile, in Jerusalem, the Israelites have taken foreign wives. Ezra leads the people to cry out for forgiveness and mercy. They turned from their wicked ways.

Thirteen years after the second wave of exiles returned, the third wave of exiles returned with Nehemiah. Nehemiah’s mission was to restore the walls and gates. They accomplished this in 52 days. It had been 161 years since the first group of captives was taken to Babylon!

Sources:

Jeremiah Study Bible

Old Testament books of 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Daniel, Haggai, and Zechariah

The Babylonian Captivity

GotQuestions.org

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”

Psalm 122:6 NASB

Photos from Google Images

Updated 6/19/26

RealChristianWomen.blog

Bible and Scripture, Christian

How Can I Hear God Speak to Me?

Cindy Dawson

Quote of the Week for 7/8/26

“When I pray, I talk to God, but when I read the Bible, God is talking to me; and it is really more important that God should speak to me than that I should speak to Him. I believe we should know better how to pray if we knew our Bibles better. What is an army good for if they don’t know how to use their weapons?”
― D.L. Moody

If you want to hear God speak to you, open your Bible. God has a lot to say!

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV (emphasis mine)

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”

Psalm 122:6 NASB

Photo by Yuri Efremov on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog

Bible prophecy, Christian

Why Is the Church Silent on Bible Prophecy?

Cindy Dawson

For Your Reflection, Tuesday, 7/7/26

I have been reading in my Bible about the kings and prophets of Israel. Much of it is prophecy, and I have found it fascinating because it explains a lot about our times. And there are many lessons for the Church in these pages, too. I am referring to all the books of the prophets, plus 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles.

As I finish up this important study, I wonder why so many pastors ignore Bible prophecy. How is it even possible?

“Out of the 216 chapters found in the entire New Testament, did you know there are 318 references to the Second Coming of Christ? That means if you were to omit passages about prophecy, you would have to remove one out of every thirty verses in the New Testament. You would also have to skip 23 of the 27 New Testament books because that’s how many mention it. For every prophecy about the birth of Christ, there are eight about His Second Coming. Considering prophecy’s prominence in the Bible, how could any believer call it unimportant?”

Dr. David Jeremiah

And that’s just in the New Testament! Bible Scholars estimate that 27% to 28% of the Old Testament is prophecy. That’s a lot of the Bible to ignore! So I did some research to find out why.

One Christian author, Steve Lampman, suggests that fear is to blame (And we know where fear comes from: SATAN). Steve says,

“Fear of showing their lack of knowledge on the subject. Fear pastors may have of offending or scaring church members. Maybe the fear that people will stop coming and stop giving to support the church. Or maybe it’s the fear of them looking like a fringe group who take things to an extreme when other churches pulpits are silent on the subject. … There are many pastors who remain silent on Bible prophecy because they don’t understand and were never taught it in seminary. ” 

Steve Miller also attributes fear as the reason prophecy is not being taught in the church:

  1. A fear of generating Controversy and Division
  2. A fear of being viewed as sensational
  3. A fear of the Complicated and Unknown

Before I began this research, I didn’t expect to find that fear would be the culprit behind this neglect. But it seems to be so.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

“Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13 NASB

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”

Psalm 122:6 NASB

Photo by HAN Mengqi on Unsplash

SOURCES:

https://www.stevelampman.com/why-pastors-dont-teach-on-one-quarter-of-the-bible/

https://www.davidjeremiah.org/age-of-signs/why-should-we-study-prophecy?srsltid=AfmBOooICL-F6DS0vS-arwcCS94Vm3ZDbUrF2rm4-diS3rqKwm4BgO1m

https://harvestprophecy.com/why-are-some-churches-reluctant-to-teach-bible-prophecy

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian, Israel & the Jews

Are You an Obadiah?

Cindy Dawson

Reflection for Monday, 7/6/26

“Obadiah was a devout believer in the Lord. While Jezebel was killing off the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.” 1 Kings 18:3-4 NIV

A MESSAGE FROM AMIR TSARFATI

“As the man in charge of Ahab’s household, Obadiah found himself serving in the highest levels of a corrupt and godless government. Yet when Jezebel began slaughtering the prophets of the Lord, he quietly hid one hundred of them in two caves, fifty in each, and provided them with bread and water.

What a reminder for us today.

God may place you in a position of influence where you are surrounded by ungodliness and compromise. He hasn’t put you there for fame, success, or fortune. He has placed you there to serve Him in places where others have no access and to be a faithful witness in the midst of darkness.

When I was appointed deputy governor of Jericho at the age of twenty-one, I knew it was my faith that led the colonel to choose a lieutenant as his second-in-command. My promotion defied both logic and military convention, yet the governor sensed something in me that made him trust me more than others. I never hid my faith from him, even though he was an Orthodox Jew.

You may not be an Elijah- with all the bold confrontations, dramatic moments, and public displays of power.

But maybe, just maybe, you’re an Obadiah.

And that is no less significant in the kingdom of God.

Courage, faithfulness, and truth are rare commodities these days.

The Bible is filled with ordinary men and women whom God used to make an extraordinary difference in the lives of many.

Be one of them.”

A Message from Amir Tsarfati, on his Telegram Channel

Telegram is the one-stop shop for daily updates from Amir related to current events in the Middle East and what’s taking place around the world. Connect with Amir and Behold Israel HERE.

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”

Psalm 122:6 NASB

RealChristianWomen.blog