Yvette

I am Yvette, the Bible calls me simply the woman with the issue of blood. I have been hemorrhaging for twelve years. All my money is gone, the doctors were paid but could do nothing more. I suffer daily, and I am considered unclean, I have but one servant to help me, I am a widow.

I have nothing left. I sit at the window, not allowed outside. My home has been a prison. Though beggars and blind, even the lame take to the street, I risk arrest were I bleeding in them.   Even now I feel the leakage and warmth of my blood, I soak and boil rags daily. My linens are almost gone as is my money and hope.

There are a lot of people coming,  I hear them talking about Jesus. I have heard He could heal and perform miracles. They say He is coming. I wonder. I hurry to wash and bind myself with clothes to absorb the bleeding, I had Zara to help me wrap them tightly. I put on a cloak and cover my head, and go to the street. ” Perhaps, if only…Jesus is my hope. ”

Zara asks if will be alright. ” I told her I had to see Jesus. ” And I followed the crowd, I saw Him ahead of me, the disciples all around. People began to push and shove, and  I was on my knees. A man picked me up, it was John, he was a disciple. I pushed past people following him, he was behind Jesus, Peter was yelling at them to back away. He was large man, tall and rugged, I heard someone talking about the fisherman. His voice was loud.

Again, I was on my knees, I was crawling and in tears, I could feel the blood rushing from me. I saw Jesus ahead, and said out loud to God that, ” If I could only touch the hem of His garment, I would be whole. ” I got to my knees and reached for Him, my fingertips brushed the talit, and immediately I stopped bleeding, the smell was gone. I stood up.

Jesus said, ” Who touched me? ” The disciples were asking Him to look around and why would he would say that. I stepped forward with my head bowed, ” It was I, Lord. ” I managed to speak but could not look at Him. He took my face in His strong and tender hands and told me not to be afraid, my faith had made me whole, and to go in peace. He smiled at me and I was so overjoyed that I kissed His hand.

I was ready to run home, when I saw Jairus push through to Him asking Him to come to his house and heal his daughter. I had seen Elaya, she was only twelve, I decided to follow them. I was thinking she had been alive as long as I had been sick. Just then, a couple of servants came and told Jairus not to trouble the master, his daughter was dead. A hush fell over the crowd.

I heard Jesus tell him not to be afraid, to only believe. Jairus followed Him because He kept walking toward his house, I could not see Jesus any longer, I got separated, but John took my hand and walked me to the door of the house, Jesus was standing there, beyond His shadow, the frail figure of a girl no longer alive, wrapped in a talit, her mother weeping.

He called out the women who were crying, and moved the crowd back, the disciples had them back up. Peter was so loud and John so quiet and thoughtful, yet I knew somehow that Peter was really gentle and John could be powerful, he let go of my hand and they stood behind Jesus as He stood in the door. Then He went in.

He raised Elaya from the dead. I heard her say so after Jesus left. He smiled at me again on the way out. The servants had said not to trouble the Master but it was no trouble for Him, nor was I. We were touched by the Master’s hand.

Rebecca Jones  Jose Martinez / Unsplash

When Jesus used phrases twice, it was to make a point, like verily, verily or truly, truly. There are two doubles in this story only a short time apart. The woman was sick twelve years and the girl was twelve. Twelve is the number of disciples and has to do with discipleship but also with divinity and fullness. Jesus demonstrated this, His divinity and fullness of power, virtue or dunamis. It was drained from Him to the woman and the Spirit replenished Him to raise the girl.

Also she touched the hem of His talit, or prayer shawl, the Bible simply says garment and it may have been but it was possible the prayer shawl like any Jewish man wore. Jairus was likely not wearing his because it would have been the custom to wrap the child and pray. Her earthly father could not heal or save her but her heavenly one could. Pronounce his the name, Jairusm with a y, there are no j’s in Hebrew.

To me, it is like double promise. Thanks for reading, and Yvette, meaning life and Elaya, God loves me, are not named in the Bible, it is for teaching and dramatic purposes only.

Eve

I want you to get to know me, I’m Eve. ns I wan you to know evil. had a perfect life and a perfect husband because I had a perfect Lord. He even gave us a choice. I know you are reading what has been written about me some of it may be true, the Bible doesn’t detail every account.

We were clothed with the very glory of God, we knew no fear or shame. We had nothing to be ashamed of because we had done nothing wrong, until I heard my name being called, I heard it again and again. So, I went to see who it was. It did not sound like Jesus who came and walked in the cool of the day.

It was the serpent, I was used to talking to animals, but he had given himself to the wicked one, I believed his lies and began questioning God. I did try to resist. But I should have went to get Adam, perhaps, I should have just awakened him to protect me, but  I had no reason to think I needed protection, none of the animals had ever hurt us.

The serpent continued to talk me, and I thought it would be good to be like Him, but I never realized He had made me in His image and so I already was in a way, not entirely, he knew what evil was and could avoid it or prevent it, His choice was always goodness and love, and I had perpetual peace and His love and Adam loved me, and I loved him.

In a moment, that all changed and I ate the fruit, I gave it to Adam. The Garden of Eden, our idyllic life was shattered by a liar, although I was deceived, Adam accused me before God, I do wish I had repented but I was so terrified, I was trying to hide the beautiful body I was given, my lovely tanned skin and shapely legs. I suddenly felt weak and frail before the Lord as we hid.

He sent us out of the garden and we were under a curse instead of a blessing, the serpent was as well, I watched in horror as he fell from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, no longer a beautiful creation of God, but a limbless creature writhing and squirming unable to walk, he crawled away hissing and spraying poison.

I managed to survive, but life was hard when it had been perfect, the sun aged me and Adam was angry with me, I bore sons in horrible searing pain and one killed the other.  If I could speak to you daughter of God, I would ask you to learn from mistake and not listen to that viper who is still lying to women. Speak peace not poison to you sisters.

Now, I know he went after women because one day Jesus would be born to save all who would believe. My Jesus, that I walked with and touched. I held His hand and one day, my sin and the sins of others would cause it to be pierced with a spike. Only a loving Father would give His beautiful Son over to such and enemy as evil and death to save human beings. If only, I could have believed and left the fruit alone. I was created perfect, followed God in the person of His Son, I should have known better. and those who came after me are in danger, you can make the same choice to listen to the liar or not. I could not see the future, but you know the past.

I knew only love and peace, but evil deceived me, I will not lie to you. Follow Jesus, and stay close. Women are such help to husbands who believe. Men and ministers still paint evil portraits of me, but I am not evil, just a woman, simply Eve. Unfortunately, I met evil.

Rebecca Jones  Molly Mears / Unsplash

The Savior Is Born

The ride to Bethlehem was harder than I expected. I was in my ninth month, I thought it was perhaps, the eighth but I was young and having a child was new to me. I realize now, the day the angel told me was the day I conceived, even though I would often feel a peace and presence of the Lord.

It was so crowded, I had never seen so many people. We went to place after place, and finally an inn. There was no room at the inn, the innkeeper told us. Just then his wife came and shouted at him, “Can’t you see she is with child? ” The woman was kind enough to offer us her stable. It would be warm and dry, she brought is food and cool water, some blankets.

The stable was more of a cave and there was a cow, a couple of sheep, a baby lamb. She moved the camel because he would spit but let a little donkey stay with ours. We called him Nicodemus, because Joseph had a friend  name that and he laughed as loud as the donkey brayed.

We ate and fell asleep on the hay he had bundled in our blankets and covered ourselves with those from the inn. The stars were shining, but I could hear a soft and gentle rain in the night. Before dawn I had a searing pain, and my water broke,         before I knew it Joseph was up and saying he could see a little head, I pushed as hard as I could holding the rail beside me, and Jesus was born. It was not difficult at all.

Soon I was cradling him and washing with some warm water that had been in our small fire pit by the entrance, Joseph mixed  it with cold.  He knew how to keep us warm without a lot of smoke or danger because of the hay. He was so beautiful, my little prince of peace. I washed his fingers and toes, and body after first seeing his sweet face.

Just after dawn I feel asleep as he nursed for the first time. When He was asleep, Joseph filled a stone manger with hay and laid Him there. When I woke a few hours later He was smiling at me, not crying at all but hungry. The innkeeper’s wife and daughter came to visit me and brought some warm broth and fresh bread and fruit

They held Jesus while we ate and then Joseph went to pay the taxes. He told me I could rest a few days and then we would head home. During those days, Jesus had many visitors, from shepherds and wise men. He had so many gifts, we needed an extra donkey to carry them, the innkeeper offered us his.  Nicodemus was happy to have a friend, he already had a name, it was Zach.

We headed home when the wise men told us about Herod being interested in Jesus, they said they were not telling him about the baby. When we got home, and Jesus was just sitting up, Joseph had a dream and the Lord told us to flee to Egypt, where we lived almost twelve years, until Herod died. We had heard about him massacring babies in hopes of killing the Messiah.

Fortunately, the gifts helped us to live and Joseph was still able to carpenter. I had a small house but only a few trusted friends. I did my cooking and chores and tended to Jesus. Then one night Joseph was so tired he fell asleep with his head on my lap, Jesus was already asleep. I just sat there and held his strong, rough hand and brushed back hair from his face. After only a few minutes, he awoke so quickly and sat straight up that he startled me.

” What’s wrong, Joseph? ” I just have to know. ” Wrong? ” he said. Nothing is wrong Mary. Herod is dead, the angel said we can go home. ”  He said we would get some sleep and start out tomorrow, and soon we were home, I was so glad to see my parents.

Rebecca Jones

Elizabeth

Elizabeth was Mary’s cousin. It was a wonderful day when Mary finally arrived, Elizabeth hugged her, John leapt in her womb. She was already six months pregnant, when she came. For a long time she had wanted a child but was barren. She and  Zacharias were both descendants of Aaron and he was a priest at the temple.

One day the lots were drawn and it was turn to enter and burn the incense. The people were praying outside and began to wonder about what was taking him so long unaware that an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.

When Zacharias saw him, he was startled and was afraid. But the angel said to him not be that your prayer was heard. He said  that Elizabeth would bear you a son, and you are to call him John. And he will be a joy and delight to you, he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born.

He went on to tell him that he would walk in the Spirit and power of Elijah and turn hearts back to God. Elizabeth was explaining about what happened as Zacharias was mute. He had begun to question the angel, Gabriel. And because he did he was mute. He had not been able to speak since coming out of the temple.

Elizabeth said he had to make gestures or write to communicate, so Mary didn’t bother him with a lot of questions. her response had been quite different, even though she had her doubts, she wanted to obey God. Mary stayed and got to see John’s birth and the joy it brought her. ” Oh, Mary. Look at my beautiful son, God has taken away my shame. ”

Mary told her he was beautiful and helped her care for him. She knew a little about babies but this was good experience for a mother to be. Soon she would have to return to Joseph, he was hoping to make a trip to Nazareth to pay taxes before she gave birth.

Crowds of people gathered to see the new arrival, and people were saying he would be named after his father but he wrote John, and when he did in obedience to God he could again speak, and he and Elizabeth laughed and cried with joy, and Mary was able to celebrate with them and even talk to Zacharias about his angelic visitation and tell him about Gabriel’s visit to her. He was glad she had not question his word.

Soon Mary packed and her parents came to get her. They enjoyed one last night of visiting and playing with John, after breakfast the next morning they went home and Joseph was waiting for her with a crib he had made. He asked her if she would able to go to Nazareth and she said yes, thinking there was enough time before Jesus would be born.

Rebecca Jones    Pexels or Unsplash

Mary

Welcome back to our Beautiful Bible Women, we have taken a break to focus on other blogging, but we are reintroducing some of the women of the Word in story form, I intended to do these more for Mother’s Day, but I was offline a while, thank you for continuing to read and share my posts, although we are leaving summer soon and Christmas is still a way off Jesus is not, and we have to start with Mary. She is a wonderful example to us. Here is her story.

 

” Eemah, ” ( mother in Hebrew ) I don’t know how to tell you this. Please sit down. ” Her mother went to the kitchen with her. Mary began to tell her how that a few weeks ago, how she was walking in the garden and just praying silently when an angel appeared from nowhere and overwhelmed her with his light and beauty.

” He told me God had chose me to have a son, but I told him I was not yet wed. ” She continued, her voice trembling between joy and fear. ” He said the child I would have would be from the Holy Spirit. ”  She had told him that she would do as God asked of her, that she was the handmaiden of the Lord.

He mother hugged her, ” Such an amazing story, Mary. Are you sure it was not a dream? ” Mary told her she was not asleep but in a complete peaceful state as the angel spoke, she had been afraid but he reassured her, and she said she knew she was now with child because she had missed a cycle and there had been a warmth in her womb ever since the peace of the Spirit touched her belly.’

Her mother and father talked with her some more, they decided she needed to tell Joseph, the carpenter she was betrothed to. Mary went and spoke with him. He wanted to be sure of their upcoming marriage, they made their vows already, drank from the marriage cup and signed a ketubah. ( A ketubah ka-too- bah is a marriage contract. )

Mary was a beautiful young girl, God had preserved a bloodline in order for Jesus to be born as the Messiah, she took his hand and put it against her soft, pink cheek. ” I love you, Joseph. I promise it was God. There was no other man. ” He told her to go home, it was getting dark and he would to her tomorrow, and went back to work.

He finished a chair and ate a bit of supper, and laid down in deep thought. He had actually decided to divorce her quietly and fell asleep. Then Gabriel appeared in a dream and told him to not be afraid to marry her. She was with child but it was of the Spirit.  Joseph woke in a cold sweat, he washed his face and felt sorry that he had pushed her away. He knew now she was telling the truth, and was still the beautiful and pure girl he had fallen so in love with. It was not yet morning but he went to her house and told her about the angel.

Later, they were married quietly and even though there was singing and dancing, a normal celebration, when he took her in the tent, he only held her close, so close, he could feel the baby move although she was approaching her second trimester, she was not showing through a larger and draped wedding gown her mother had made.

When everything quieted down and she had stayed with Joseph a while, it was decided she would visit he cousin Elizabeth, who was older but also expecting a son, and it was her husband who had an angel to visit.

Rebecca Jones

 

Hold Your Peace

A woman of understanding holds her peace. I’m paraphrasing, it says man, usually in reference to all mankind. Proverbs  11:12

There are a lot of things we say we wish we could take back, as word spoken in anger, that we really didn’t mean, maybe we were defensive, when God is our defender. Faith doesn’t need defending, God takes care of it. We wish we had some some nicer things as well, maybe someone moved or moved on to heaven.

No matter what people believe about speaking faith or Mark 11:23. in particularly, the Bible is so full of references to words and what we  say, choosing wisely. We should give learn the wisdom  to hold our peace or speak it. We should have timely words and to that end, we are going through the Proverbs this month.

I hope you will read it through, take notes, write what applies to you or your family and start to speak it, and become that Proverbs 31 woman. remember, I have a Pinterest board also if that will help you. I had a lady tell me she like two of the verses I gave the other day and was going to put them on sticky notes.

I told her it was a great idea. I have some note on my door where the flour, meal, coffee and some pots and pans sit inside. They are ragged. There is also the fridge, chalk boards, lunch boxes and briefcases. I have a few Scripture magnets, I have a couple of angels and a dove one.

It surprises me that some women have questions about studying the Bible. It is never a waste of time, though how you study, may or may not help as much, that may be their concern. Try different ways, I have a Women’s Bible Study Pinterest. Do what works best for you, I try to keep it simple and fresh even though we have heard it before, it never gets old. I do everything I possible can to help you, so go ahead and study and learn how to give good answers. If you’re to busy for Jesus, you are too busy. Go study rest.

But this verse made me think of a wedding and forever holding your peace, that is what we want to do, forever hold His peace the peace that is not of this world but from Jesus, a gift to believers, in John 14:27, and to do that we have to learn as it says in Ecclesiastes, also written by Solomon, when to speak and when to be silent.

And as my blog post would not load again today, here is our proverb. By wisdom a house is built and through understanding it is established., and by knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. Proverbs 24:3,4.

This will be my last post here for a while but it will be back with more Bible Women. Rebecca Jones / Nina Photography

Steps

The mind of man ( or woman ) plans his/her way, but the Lord directs, his/her steps/ Proverbs 16:9

Isn’t that true, we plan a lot of things and make a lot of decisions but the Lord has already made better plans and decisions for us. And He will lead us in the paths of His righteousness and guide us with the light of His love. He knows what is best for us and who.

He knows where we will benefit and prosper. He knows all about us, every little nuance and quirk. He created us all with some individual and unique quality.

Have you ever followed a treasure map, or one on vacation? Now we have GPS instead of a folded map on the dash. One you can never fold right and even GPS can get it wrong, God doesn’t. He doesn’t make mistakes, He forgives and corrects.

So it is better to trade our mindset for His and let Him guide our steps. He will keep us on the right path and make it straight. He will get us going in His direction, for we are all going down the road to meet Him someday, as believers. He will walk us through it all.

And He will walk us in His peace, if we follow His directions, God never gets lost. Rebecca Jones / Devostock

The Name of The Lord

The name of the Lord is a strong tower, and the righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10. How often do we find ourselves almost wandering aimlessly amid our problems and worries or even just the busy days? But thankfully, we have the Lord Jesus Christ, God our Father, and the very present help of His Spirit.

We have a strong tower to run to when there is nowhere to turn and we are safe in His hand because Jesus died to make us righteous.  There was just no other way. Being self righteous, or hypocritical can be detrimental to our souls. we can never earn salvation, God gives freely to those who believe.

I believe this Proverb is an easy one to remember? Have you been studying with me? If not when you find you study time, or make it. Think about Proverbs. It is an easy read ata chapter a day, and full of wisdom.

I am so glad to have the name of Jesus to call on, there are so many times we will need to do that and we should long before trouble comes, but if it does, and it will, if you are a believer, you have as strong tower, a reminder of a strong and loving Lord, and a place to run to.

His name, all His names all the names of God, which I believe are rolled up into Jesus, who also had many names, well the name above names too, is a strong tower. Run in and be safe, I think I’ll just stay there.

My Soul / photo / reshot

Strife

Strife! It is a five letter word but it could be an expletive! When there is competitiveness to excess, envy and jealousy, just pain old sin and meanness, there is strife. Not only at work but church, and at home,

As the saying goes there are too many chiefs and not enough indians, or too many cooks spoiling the pot. everyone wants to be in charge even if they’re not right.They have the, why me, poor me, or it’s all about me attitude. As a believer, it is all about Jesus.

We have a good proverbs today. Hatred stirs up (strife) conflict, but love covers over wrongs. Proverbs 10:12. Personally, I thought the enemy was the only one I truly hated, but there have been people and things that that I have hated what they said or did or even didn’t do.

I rarely voiced that opinion until it was absolutely necessary because I saw what was working against people in certain situations. And even me. It is very hard to love when someone is hurtful or unloving, God is the only who can help you overcome that.

Love does cover a multitude of sins. Or wrongs as the NIV put it. But I think that love is His love in us, somethings are harder to forgive and forget, and sometimes it is ongoing, that love in us brings His peace.

It makes it easier to overcome the spiritual hatred of of others and the enemy. Please don’t think you are not hating something, I have had to dredge my soul, it was like everytime I mentioned something, even I forgave it, that I was fish in some black murky water and catching something evil or cruel, I wouldn’t want to reel in.

Remember, Jesus is Lord, He is the Chief, the chef with the right recipe and love is the way to go. His words are wisdom, and will help us sort out the strife, because it allows in every evil work.

Diane Deaner photographer

For The Lord Gives Wisdom

Our verses from the Proverbs coloring book is actually Proverbs 6-8. I will put it at the end but I wanted focus mainly on verse 6, it is easily memorized as as song and will help you to remember where wisdom comes from as a Proverbs 31 woman.

For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Sing it this way. For the Lord gives wisdom and from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:6, for the Lord gives gives wisdom. It is from and old Steve Green tape I used in family daycare.

He really does give wisdom and He make sure and with now doubt about where it comes from, what it is and isn’t, and how valuable it is. Worth more than rubies, silver, gold or riches. I hope you have read Proverbs, I still like a few chapters though I have read it before. It is a good read a few times a year, along with Psalms or John. I don’t always read the Bible through in a year as some do.

From God’s mouth through the patriarchs, prophets, and especially, Jesus comes all wisdom and understanding. Solomon was wise but did not always obey, and Jesus said that a greater one than Solomon had come, and people didn’t always listen to Him, did they. Nor do they now.

But as women of faith, in a great love with the savior, we know our Redeemer lives, and He gave us salvation and the ability to understand His words. We have such a gift that we have the benefit of all this wisdom and knowledge, and even more the Holy Spirit.

The people of old would have loved to have a Bible in hand, or a cell phone with and app and the internet. How blessed we are with His wisdom and even technology, let’s use it wisely.

For the Lord gives wisdom;

from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

He holds success in store for the upright,

He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,

for he guards the course of the just

and protects the way of His faithful ones.

Proverbs 2:6-8,

Anderson Miranda / Reshot

• Correction: NIV actually says, grants wisdom.