Tag: Trust

Christian

“Never Give Up: A Lesson From Elijah

Cindy Dawson

2-Minute Devotion for Thursday, 5/28/26

Have you ever felt like giving up? Did you ever feel like you had all you could take? I felt like that once when the Bible Study I attended started using a popular new book written by a false teacher.

I started searching the websites of other local churches. When I checked the Women’s Ministries tab, guess what? I couldn’t find a Women’s Bible Study that was actually studying the Bible itself. That’s when I felt like giving up.

Then, God reminded me of Elijah’s troubles with Ahab and Jezebel, who were killing all of God’s prophets. You can read about it in 1 Kings 19. Elijah told the Lord,

“I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 1 Kings 19:4

Elijah thought he was the only prophet left who had not bowed his knee to pagan idols.

Feeling all alone in your misery is very hard. There is no one to talk to and no one to encourage you. But the situation wasn’t as bad as Elijah thought. God said,

“Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.” (vs. 18)

Not only that, but Obadiah had hidden 100 prophets in caves and provided them with food. (1 Kings 18:4) Elijah was not alone in his faithfulness to God!

Maybe my situation isn’t that bad after all. No one is trying to kill me! Maybe your situation isn’t that bad after all, either!

When you’re discouraged, remember: You don’t know everything God is doing. You have a limited perspective. God is working all the time, and He will always accomplish His will.

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

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The Lord Opened Her Heart

Cindy Dawson

1-Minute Devotion for Sunday, 5/24/26

The Apostle Paul and his companions traveled to Philippi and stayed there several days. On the Sabbath, they went looking for a place of prayer by the river. They began to speak to the women there about Jesus.

“One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.” Acts 16:14-15 NIV

It wasn’t Paul’s preaching alone that convinced her to believe. The Lord Himself opened her heart!

Pray that God will open the hearts of those you know who have not believed the Gospel. Then share the Good News!

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 Dillon Groves on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog

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Redemption: Lessons from Ruth

Cindy Dawson

1-Minute Devotion for Thursday, 5/21/26

The Book of Ruth is a deeply moving account of love and redemption. You will see God’s tender care for women as He eases the burdens of two homeless widows. In his generous redemptive actions, Boaz becomes a forerunner of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer.

“The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth.” Isaiah 54:5 NIV

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace” Ephesians 1:7 NIV

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 1 Peter 1:18-19 NIV

Although only 4 chapters long, the Book of Ruth has long been recognized as a literary masterpiece. Read it now, and you will see why.

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 Kingdom Bloggers on Google

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Why Study End Time Prophecy?

Cindy Dawson

Reflection for Tuesday, 5//19/26

“The Bible reveals details about the last days to alleviate the stress of wondering what is coming and to prepare us so that we will be ready. Because we should be familiar with our Bibles, God expects us to know what His Word says about future events.”

Jack Hibbs, from his book, Living in the Daze of Deception

Jesus said, “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. For this reason you must be ready as well; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.” Matthew 24:42-44 NASB (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 Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash+

RealChristianWomen.blog

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Do Christians Today Have Idols?

Cindy Dawson

 “As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.  He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.” 1 Kings 11: 3-6

Notice that Solomon started doing what “everyone else” was doing. He may have thought, “All the other kings have lots of wives and concubines. All the other kings have idols. I’m just doing what all the other kings do. Things are different now from when my father was king.”

We can do the same thing today by accepting what the world puts forth as truth rather than holding on to God’s Word, which is the only reliable source of real Truth.

Ashtoreth was the pagan goddess of war and sexual love. How is that any different from the practice of sexual sin found in today’s world?

Molek was an Ammonite god who required propitiatory child sacrifice. A couple sacrificed their firstborn by burning the child on a metal idol of Molech. How is that any different from abortion, which is really all about freedom to engage in sexual sin without consequence?

In today’s society, sexual sin and abortion are not only acceptable behaviors but also normalized through social media, television, and movies.

According to Guttmacher, 1,125,930 babies were murdered by clinicians in the United States in 2025 alone.

And there are more than 20 million estimated new cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States each year — and rates are increasing. (Satterwhite, C.L. et al. 2013)

Idol worship doesn’t just refer to a pagan statue. The Apostle Paul tells us more.

“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.” Colossians 3:5-6

“Idolatry starts in the heart: craving, wanting, enjoying, being satisfied by anything that you treasure more than God. That is an idol. If we find God to be so boring or so negligible that we must put other things in his place that really satisfy us more than He does, then we not only offend him, but we also destroy ourselves.”

John Piper

“…yet I am glad now, not because you were hurt and made sorry, but because your sorrow led to repentance [and you turned back to God]; for you felt a grief such as God meant you to feel … For [godly] sorrow that is in accord with the will of God produces a repentance without regret…” 2 Corinthians 7:9-10 AMP

Any number of things could become an idol. Ask the Lord with a sincere heart to show you if you have any idols. The Holy Spirit will bring conviction, but not condemnation. Conviction makes you want to change, but condemnation makes you want to give up.

“Since the fall, the hearts of humans have been inclined toward idolatry.”

Dr. Jeff Reynolds, Pastor

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

Featured image from Nick Fancher on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog

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Divine Wisdom or Human Logic?

Cindy Dawson

Reflection for Thursday, 5/14/26

1 Samuel 13:7-14 is a short passage with a big lesson. And that lesson is this: Obey God, even when you think you should do something else.

“There is a way that appears to be right,
    but in the end it leads to death.” Proverbs 16:25 NIV

“Proverbs 16:25 warns that human judgment is often flawed and self-deceived, leading to disastrous consequences. This biblical proverb highlights the danger of relying on personal logic rather than divine wisdom, emphasizing that what feels right in the moment can lead to ruin.”

Richard E. Simmons III

King Saul disobeyed Samuel’s command to wait for him, and he offered the sacrifices himself. I’m sure Saul felt justified. After all, the Philistines were assembled against them, and Saul’s troops were trembling in fear. But read what happened when Saul took things into his own hands instead of obeying God.

“Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered up the burnt offering.  Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.

 “What have you done?” asked Samuel.

Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash,  I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”

“You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.” 1 Samuel 13:7-14 NIV

Even though the Bible warns us not to disobey God and exalt man’s wisdom, people do it all the time. Consider all the things Christian leaders do instead of what the Bible teaches us about leading the flock.

Do we overemphasize entertainment and comfort? Is our focus on attracting new members instead of making disciples? Are we diluting the gospel message or avoiding important doctrines like sin and repentance? Do we avoid controversial topics (like false teaching) because someone might be offended?

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 Sincerely Media on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog

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What God Sees

Cindy Dawson

Quote of the Week for 5/13/26

“Even in your weakness, He sees what you can do by His strength in and through you. Gideon was obedient and surrendered to God’s will for his life, as unlikely as it seemed in human eyes…and he became the valiant warrior that God saw.”

from “Valiant Warrior” by Alan Kearns

When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Judges 6:12 (emphasis mine)

Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” (Judges 6:15
Read full chapter

What does God see when He looks at you? Hint: It’s not what you see.

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 Baran Lotfollahi on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

When I Am Afraid, I Will Trust in You

Cindy Dawson

Devotion for Tuesday, 5/12/26

Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. Psalm 32:7 KJV

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 Ben White on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Knowing God

Cindy Dawson

1-Minute Devotion for Monday, 5/11/26

“And those who know Your name [who have experienced Your precious mercy] will put their confident trust in You,
For You, O Lord, have not abandoned those who seek You.” Psalm 9:10 AMP

In the Old Testament, names often represent more than mere identification. A person’s name typically conveyed meaning associated with specific characteristics or attributes. 

To know God’s name means you know His character: He is loving, faithful, kind, forgiving, merciful, gracious, just, righteous, and holy. He is worthy of our complete trust at all times.

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 from Unsplash+

RealChristianWomen.blog

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Don’t Doubt Your Calling

Cindy Dawson

Encouragement for Thursday, 5/7/26

Do you ever get writer’s block? Do you even doubt your calling because you feel inadequate? That is your enemy, Satan, oppressing you. He’s a liar! Remember this:

“ I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].” Philippians 1:6 AMP

Praise the Lord!

And this is my favorite go-to verse:

“Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.” Proverbs 16:3 AMPC

If you need more encouragement, read this: Don’t Let Satan Stop the Work

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 Steve A Johnson on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog