A Wife of Faith...Faith, in what?
By AprillePerhaps you are a woman just like these. Or maybe you are a wife in a hard spot, not because of your husband, but because of yourself. Maybe you are struggling with resentment towards your husband because he is gone all the time. Maybe you feel like raising your children alone and being “abandoned” away from everything familiar isn’t the life you bargained for when you married that special man. Perhaps you are feeling “out of love,” or even being tempted with unfaithfulness yourself.
A lot could be said on the subject of the demise of Christian marriages. Prayer, selflessness, love, compassion, and good communication are all strongly lacking in most marriages. But as I thought on this subject and the difficulties I have faced in my own marriage, I have realized that probably the biggest thing lacking in marriages is FAITH.
I can almost hear you...a short scoff and the perhaps cynically-tinted question: “Faith? In what?!?” Maybe it’s even followed by a question of despair... “What’s left to believe in?”
The most obvious answer would be faith in God, but I think that most Christian women already feel like they have that checked off their list. But how does having faith in God help a woman who is struggling with her marriage?
Hebrews 11:1 says: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
I think that most women would say that they hope for a good marriage, but when they look around, all they can see is the failed marriages around them, and the problem in their own marriages.
The problem here is that we are looking at what we CAN see, instead of looking to God.
Sometimes, I think that we view marriage like an 8-year-old views Santa. It’s something wonderful that makes her feel all cozy and gives her good things. But her friends around her taunt her and test her faith. One tells her that her parents are really lying to her, while another tells her that she caught her own parents wrapping the presents. Still another tells her that believing that Santa could be responsible for all of those wonderful presents is really just stupid. The 8-year-old doesn’t want to let go of her belief...yet fears that giving up is only inevitable. I mean, it eventually happens to everyone, right?
The wonderful thing is that marriage isn’t like Santa. Marriage isn’t some man-made hoax that eventually HAS to end in failure. This is where faith in God comes in.
First, we need to have faith in the all-wise, all-powerful God who created marriage. Marriage was flawless in its design, and made for God’s pleasure. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. (Revelation 4:11)
God created marriage, and blessed it. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it... (Genesis 1:27-28) God created marriage with a glorious purpose. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. (Genesis 2:23-24)
God created marriage to last. I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him. (Ecclesiastes 3:14) But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. (Mark 10:6-9)
Despite modern trends and the countless failed marriages we see around us, if we truly recognized God’s design for marriage by its very creation, and the beauty in marriage, I think we would be much less hasty to give up on marriage so quickly.
Second, we need to have faith in the God who has power to make your marriage what it needs to be. Despite the circumstances you are facing, or how horrible your husband is to you, or how quickly you rushed into your marriage, the truth remains that you are married. You took a vow, and you promised. In the eyes of God, you are one flesh. It is your responsibility before God to be a good wife, to be a Godly woman, to be a “wife of faith” through whom God can work.
Probably the best marriage advice I ever heard was given to me in the form of two questions. The first question was this: “Do you believe that God has the power to fix your marriage?”
It’s a question only you can answer. It’s a question that goes to the heart of the issue...your faith. Your faith in the God who created marriage...your faith in His ability to change the heart of individuals.
The second question is, “Will you let him?”
This is where your faith takes action. I think that what happens is that so many woman quickly say “oh yes! God can fix my marriage. Please God fix my marriage!” and yet still live their lives contrary to His design. For God to work, He needs you to follow His design for marriage, to fulfill your God-given roles as a wife of faith. How can God work if you are being disrespectful and disobedient to your husband? How can he work if you are still trying to control everything instead of letting your husband lead? Maybe it’s as simple as getting out of the way. Stop trying to fix your husband, your marriage. Stop nagging and fighting, and start praying. Take your hands off of your life, and place your marriage in God’s hands...it’s probably safer there. Worry about following God, doing what He says about marriage, and let Him take care of the rest.
Have faith. Faith in God who created marriage, and faith that He has the power to make your marriage successful. Be a good and Godly wife. Do right. Be a wife of faith.
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (Philippians 1:6)
Creative Deployment Calendar Ideas
By ClaireWhen Bryan was away, Emma was only three. She was very close to her papa, so his absence was very hard for her to understand. As far as she was concerned, one day she had her papa every morning and every afternoon, and the next he was gone - completely gone! There was no way to really prepare her for it even though we had tried. I learned quickly to give her very concrete and tangible ways to stay connected to him.
One idea I had come across on various websites and blogs back then was the idea of a “deployment chain.” Of course the idea is also very well used anytime a parent will be gone for a period of time. The deployment chain is simply a chain made of construction paper rings. Each ring on the chain represents one day and each day the child gets to tear a ring off the chain to represent one more day gone until they reunite with the parent they are sorely missing.
It’s tangible and concrete. Young children (grammar school aged) are not able to, developmentally, grasp abstract concepts. The “future” is an abstract concept, so something that provides them with a visible representation of the “future.” It is also interactive and allows them to actively be involved in counting down to a very joyful day.
This past week I was developing calendars to use in home school this Fall and Winter, and I decided we would use these calendars for Emma to count down the deployment of her oldest brother and the time spent in BCT/AIT for her other older brother. Both are leaving within a month of one another, and she’s close to both of them. It can be hung any where in the house where the child can see it when he/she needs to remember that deployment does not last forever — even when it feels like it!
The calendars are season related themes for each month. Here is a description and supply list for our calendars, but you should make the calendars in any way that is meaningful and fun for you and your child. I will try and post a picture of September’s calendar when we finish.
September:
Supplies needed: construction paper, pencil, scissors, glue, tape, 30 “leaves” (either cut out from a pattern on fall colored construction paper OR I bought a garland full of fake Fall leaves), marker, adhesive putty.
- Figure out the size you would like your calendar to be.
- Cut out a “tree trunk” from brown construction paper. Use pencil to trace a pattern before you cut.
- Cut out “tree top” from green construction paper. This what you will tape the leaves to. Glue trunk and top together with overlap of trunk hidden in the back.
- Assemble and number the leaves to match the days of the month (i.e., Tuesday, 1st) — on each leaf put a second number that represents how many days until mid-deployment leave, redeployment, or other date when the child will see his/her parent.
- Either tape or use adhesive putty to attach the leaves to the tree top. You can put the leaves in order (what I recommend for toddlers) or you can jumble them up and have a leaf search each day, making a little game of it. What ever method you use to hang the leaves be sure the child can take a leaf down each day. The “fallen leaves” represent the days that are done. You can create a “pile of raked leaves” with the ones taken down, or find another creative way to display them.
October
Supplies needed: construction paper, glue, marker, scissors, tape, adhesive putty
- Figure out the size you want your calendar to be.
- Cut out several long and curvy thin strips of green construction paper for your pumpkin vine - keep the desired size of your calendar in mind.
- Cut out 31 pumpkins. You can allow your child to decorate them as jack-o-lanterns, color the stem at the top green, and clearly write the days of the month on them. On each pumpkin put a second number that represents how many days until mid-deployment leave, redeployment, or other date when the child will see his/her parent. They can also write notes on the pumpkins to the parent they miss each day and these can be sent to the deployed parent or saved for homecoming sharing time.
- Either tape or use adhesive putty to attach the pumpkins to the pumpkin patch “vine” you created earlier. You can put the pumpkins in order (what I recommend for toddlers) or you can jumble them up and have a pumpkin search each day, making a little game of it. What ever method you use to attach the pumpkins, be sure the child can “pick a pumpkin” each day. The “picked pumpkins” represent the days that are done. If you have a small basket you can place the pumpkins in it, or you can tape them up or send them to your deployed spouse.
For November I am planning on doing a turkey with the feathers representing the days of the month, and December will be a red and green construction paper chain garland, numbered the same way. If you need patterns to help with any of the above mentioned ideas, do a google search for “child crafts pattern leaf” or “child craft pattern pumpkin” etc. Enjoy, and please write me and let me know if you use the ideas I give here, or if you come up with your own. Pictures are always welcomed too!
Second Guessing
By PattiSometimes, Gods plan for us is a little different than we expect. Sometimes we don't understand Gods plans for us when they begin to unfold. When we wait upon the Lord patiently, He will speak - we just need to listen. Truly listen.
Read your Bible, pray every day. Establish a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Be still... quite, learn to listen.
Learn to obey.
Don't second guess the plans God has before you.
Join A Small Group
By PattiHere are three phases CMW has come up with to help your small group succeed. Along with these phases, Carmen Bell - our Military Wives Fellowship Team Leader will help leaders by equipting them with the word of God as well as helping small group leaders get their groups off to a great start!
Phase I - Till Your Garden
* The 10 +10 Challenge: Every day, read your Bible for 10 minutes and pray for 10 minutes
*Encourage other military wives to do the same
Phase II - Plant Seeds
*Begin a Military Wives Fellowship in your area. MWF can take place at your home, the library, your church, a coffee shop, your local sewing group. If you enjoy doing something, find like minded military wives who also enjoy what you like - for example, if you like scrapbooking - invite other scrapbookers to get together, be sure to include Christ - this can be an outreach. I like coffee, so I will have bi-weekly meetings at a coffee shop with other military wives. The military wives do not need to be Christians to attend, we will open in prayer and we will keep our conversation good. We will have devotions.
*You can advertise your group online, publish "public announcements" in your local newspaper (its free), hang up signs around town...
*Continue to challenge yourself to 10+10 as well as other officers, your group members and friends.
Phase III - Take Care Of Gods Garden
*Build relationships with the wives who come to your small group (sunshine)
*Equipt them to reach out to others (fertilize the garden)
*Teach them the word of God (feed and water the garden)
*Teach others in your group so that they may start their own groups, reaching out to more and more military wives and families
Phase IV - Harvest Time/Rest
*Take time to rejoice in Godly relationships you have made, and watch in awe as you see your group grow and flourish, reaching out to so many others!
*Don't forget to take time to rest, God even did that when creating the world. Rest is important so you will be able to feel refreshed, and to be able to continue on!
Be Still My Soul
By ClaireI have always loved the story of Jesus rebuking the storm. When I was a child I used to hide when storms came. I was very afraid of thunder and too little to understand that the noise was the only real threat thunder had to offer. It didn't matter in the midst of the storm though. All I knew was I was scared and needed shelter.
I have come quite a long way from the frightened child hiding under her bed from the thunder, but some storms still scare me. Some noises still leave my soul greatly jolted and deeply disturbed.
War is the storm of my adulthood. The storms of deployments still leave me searching for shelter. There are many days when I wish I could hide from it all, and come out when the storm is over. It's not a lack of faith that keeps my feet grounded in knowing that hiding is not possible, but rather it's my faith that keeps me from wearying during the tempest.
Can I "consider it joy" when I face these trials? Not on my own. I can consider it joy when I rest in the knowledge that the trials I face day in and day out are not put there for my defeat. According to James 1:2 those trials are put before me to help me grow in endurance. Does that mean I should embrace war and fear and never pray for it's end? Of course not. It means I need to walk toward the trial with confidence and remember that the Lord will not put me through more than He will enable me to handle. Pray for it to cease, but embrace with faith whatever reality God has placed before you.
When I ponder the story of Christ and the disciples in that tiny boat being tossed all around I have to wonder what the outcome would have been had the disciples asked Jesus to help their faith before they asked Him to stop the storm. There is nothing wrong with crying out "Lord, please stop the storm!" The scripture passage clearly shows that the Lord rebuked the storm, and not the disciples. He did gently admonish them for their lack of belief. They were supposed to assume that Jesus did, most definitely, care for them and their lives.
I am still practicing. It's still my propensity to yell out "Lord, please stop!" instead of crying out "Lord please give me the faith I lack!" first. What if I asked the Father to still my soul before I asked Him to still the storm? I pray one day this will be my automatic response.
Music: How Are You Being Influenced?
By CarlyThe reality of it is, that satan was God's minister of music before he fell. And just because he fell doesn't mean he lost his talents for it. He is still a gifted musician, he knows what we want and how to give it to us, how to provoke an emotional response, and how to use it to incite rebellion, unconscious (or conscious) demon worship, debauchery, etc. His goal is to get us to worship him instead of God, and he uses music to that end, so that people either worship him directly through demonic music, or indirectly through worship of satan-influenced artists.
You go to a rock concert, you lift your hands to the artists and clap and sing their songs...where do you think all that adoration goes? Not to God, is the answer. Even if it does float around the universe and is never given to satan, do you want to spend ANY time or energy worshiping something that isn't God? I don't, not anymore.
We make excuses. "Well, WE don't mean it that way...I don't even listen to the lyrics, I just like the tune...Christian music just isn't as good...does God really care what radio station is on in my car?...it's just not a big deal." I know, because these are the excuses I made.
It's all unconscious, though. We don't MEAN to. I even had a head knowledge of satanic influences on music for a couple of years, like you do now, and fought it the whole time. It took me years to delete the thousands of songs I had complied over the years. Honestly, I still have a few left. So I don't write this intending for you to quit listening to secular music today. I'm just giving you a starting place to start praying about it!
Fostering Hope With Love
By PattiOn September 15, 2009 The Lost and Found Family movie will be released on DVD. The movie is a tender tale of life in a foster home. Five cautious kids find that they are beautiful, valuable, and even one a hero. A stranger discovers that God can bring her from tragedy to triumph.
The touching story and the remarkable story behind the movie make this a must see. The story starts with a wealthy woman, Ester, losing her husband only to find that he made some bad investments and lost all their money. The only possession left was a house he bought in Ester’s name years before. One catch, a family occupied the house and she would have to live in the house with them until it sold. The family was two foster parents and five kids. Two of the kids were teens that were dealing with issues of their own. Ester was struggling with loneliness and couldn’t understand that her pain was not top priority to any one else. She describes her situation as being just as much of an orphan as the kids. She also discovers that she needs God to bring her through. They all find that caring for someone else and helping them through their problems will bring them closer together.
The Lost and Found Family is an inspirational movie that shares a small sample of what foster families go through on a daily basis. If you know a foster family, tell them thank you for everything they do. The parents and kids deserve that at least. On September 15, 2009 pick up the DVD anywhere Christian movies are sold. Until then you can check out THE LOST AND FOUND FAMILY movie website.
The story behind the movie is one of compassion and unselfishness that foster families realize everyday. This movie sheds light on the passion behind the foster parents. How they give not only their homes, but their love to the kids placed in their care. Foster parents somehow see the beauty behind the hurt, tragedy, & the walls. The National Foster Care Coalition (NFCC) reported in 2006 that in the United States there were 510,000 children in foster care programs. They also reported that 32% of those children were under the age of 5 years old. Think about that, these young children taken from all that is familiar - their family, their home, their friends, and put with a family that they don’t know. That must be tough on the kids, but the foster parents must love them through that hurt. The movie gives us a glimpse of how painful that can be
Set Apart
By PattiAbout the movie
The title of the movie Set Apart reminds us that as children of God we are set apart for a special purpose. “Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself” Psalm 4:3a (NIV). This film mixes comedy and Wild West action to get across a powerful message. The story is about 4 teens from a tough city where drugs, prostitution, and violence are part of their normal life. These kids are in a fight for their lives trying to make the right decisions, but the gangs are making that very hard. A preacher, played by John Schneider (The Dukes of Hazzard), noticing that these kids are at high risk, asks his brother, Randy Gunn, to take them to his ranch, to see a different way of life. While at the ranch these teens learn about hard work, responsibility, true friendship, and above all that God loves them. Today teens are faced with tough choices all around them. They are desperately looking for love and acceptance. Who are we going to let influence our teens – God or gangs?
About the ministries
Randy and Heidi Gunn are involved in GunnPoint Music & Ministries. They perform and compete at Cowboy Mounted Shooting competitions. The Gunn’s are the official pastors of The Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association (CMSA). At these events they conduct “Cowboy Church”. These services include encouraging music and a positive message to the cowboys, cowgirls and their families. The GunnPoint Band has touched the lives of numerous cowboys and their families. They have performed in concert with some big names like Diamond Rio, Josh Turner, Natalie Grant and more. Randy is known as “The Pistol Packin’ Preacher” and with National and World Cowboy Mounted Shooting titles, that fits. He shares the Gospel to cowboys in lingo they understand – horses. As a songwriter and recording artist He has produced several top 20 hits on the Contemporary Christian Music list. Heidi is known as “Straight Arrow” as she too competes in the Mounted Shooting competitions. Heidi’s God-given gifts of singing, modeling, acting, writing, and more help her to share her love of God and people. Another inspiring ministry, The Power Company Kids Club, is featured in the film. Reverend John W. Gunn, brother to Randy Gunn, and his wife Michele founded the ministry in 1993. This is a faith-based nonprofit ministry dedicated to bringing hope to inner city kids and their families. The at-risk kids are transported to the center weekly for singing, games, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. John and Michele live in the community where they minister. They visit the families in their homes, mentor the children, and lead street ministries. Their main purpose is the emotional, physical, spiritual, and social well-being of the Power Company Kids.
Set Apart is a reality for a lot of teens in America - facing gangs, prostitution, and violence at every turn. But Thank God we have ministries like GunnPoint and The Power Company Kids Club reaching out to them and their families. On September 22, 2009, pick up the DVD anywhere Christian movies are sold. Until then, you can visit www.setapartmovie.com to learn more about the movie and the ministries. Again I ask who are we letting influence teens around us – God or gangs? Get involved with teens in your area or help the ministries that are already reaching out. Dana Chaffin is a Christian freelance writer who has published many articles on faithwriters.com. Passionate about Christian film, her desire is to get the word out about Christian movies to as many people as possible.
Dana Chaffin is a Christian freelance writer who has published many articles on faithwriters.com. Passionate about Christian film, her desire is to get the word out about Christian movies to as many people as possible.
With husband deployed, wife fights discouragement
By JocelynAs Sonja Mannarino held down the fort while her husband Jason was deployed, she quickly saw the need to go on the offensive against spirits of fear, worry, resentment, anger and bitterness. Instead of waiting for discouragement to invade and occupy her home, she countered it at every turn by wielding the Sword of Truth: God’s Word.
Her tactic was simple: she printed Scripture verses off from her computer and stuck them all around her house with Scotch tape so God’s Word would constantly be before her eyes and the eyes of her children.
Taped next to her bathroom mirror: Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength; we will sing and praise your might (Psalm 21:13).
Taped inside her kitchen cupboard: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me (Psalm 23:4).
Taped above her dresser: He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord (Psalm 112:7).
Taped in her living room: But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds (Psalm 73:28).
The result was powerful. Instead of dwelling on the unknown of the future, Sonja chose to dwell on what she did know—that God is good, and God is in control. Even after Jason returned from deployment the following year, Sonja left those verses hanging around her home.
“Without God, I couldn’t have made it,” she said. “I needed comfort and peace, and He gave it to me. That is just amazing. Jason and I prayed with each other through email, we would speak to each other about God and Scriptures to lift our spirits. God’s presence was really strong.”
Sonja was able to ward off attacks from the Enemy by claiming God’s truths. Meditating on Scripture cleared her mind and heart of the swirling negative thoughts that threatened to consume her. We can do the same.
“For the word of God is living 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” (Hebrews 4:12).
Prayer: Lord, give me the discipline I need to study and memorize your Word.
*This devotion is an excerpt from Stories of Faith and Courage from the War in Iraq and Afghanistan (forthcoming, AMG Publishers, fall 2009), which Jocelyn Green co-authored with Jane Hampton Cook and John Croushorn. Preorder your copy from Amazon.com.
Favorite Bible verses for deployments
By Jocelyn
Lately I’ve been collecting from military wives their favorite Bible verses which help them get through deployments. I’ve categorized them into topics of strength, fear, peace, trusting the Lord, hope, comfort and compassion, and Scriptures for the daily grind. I hope you’ll find some verses to uplift you within this list. Perhaps you’ll even decide to take your cue from military wife Sonja Mannarino and tape some of these up in key locations around your house. (Read Sonja’s story here.)
Scriptures of Strength
“Be strong and courageous, for the LORD will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:10-18).
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
Scriptures on Fear
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). Read the entire chapter here.
“The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1).
“He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord” (Psalm 112:7).
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).
“For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help you” (Isaiah 41:13).
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God…” Isaiah 43:1b-3a.
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34).
”For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7).
Scriptures of Peace
“I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep; for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8).
“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal” (Isaiah 26:3-4).
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-7).
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).
Scriptures on Trusting the Lord
“I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken” (Psalm 16:8).
“I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD” (Psalm 27:13-14).
“If you make the Most High your dwelling—even the LORD, who is my refuge- then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone” (Psalm 91:9-12). Read the entire psalm here.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
“Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you” (Psalm 33:20-22).
“But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds” (Psalm 73:28).
Scriptures of Hope
“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” (Psalm 121:1-2). Read the entire psalm here.
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart’” (Jeremiah 29:11-13).
“We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many” (2 Corinthians 1:8-11).
“Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you” (Psalm 33:20-22).
“The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing” (Psalm 145:13b-16).
Scriptures of Comfort and Compassion
“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all” (Psalm 34:17-19).
“By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life” (Psalm 42:8).
“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling” (Psalm 68:5).
“Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble . . . May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us–yes, establish the work of our hands” (Psalm 90: 14-15, 17).
“The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing” (Psalm 145:13b-16).
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
“You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in Your Bottle. You have recorded each one in Your Book” (Psalm 56:8).
Scriptures for the Daily Grind
“ . . . May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other” (Genesis 31:49).
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10).
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalms 118:24).
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24). Read the entire psalm here.
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever” (Matthew 6:9-13).
“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” (Romans 8:28).
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:12).
“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
“Love is patient and kind, always trusts, never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:4).
“Three things will last forever—faith, hope and love—and the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT).
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).
“Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way” (James 1:2-4, The Message).
“[God] has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time” (2 Timothy 1:9).
“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me” (Psalm 139: 7-10). Read the entire psalm here.
For more encouragement for military wives, visit www.faithdeployed.com.
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