The Village Blog

These are some pretty big shoes to fill. Women throughout Christian history have aspired to emulate this woman’s behavior. And the character qualities beneath the behavior give us insight into how she was able to live such a significant life, particularly in how the text primarily describes her as “excellent.”

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Nehemiah was an empathic man. In Nehemiah 1:4, he writes, “As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” He did not witness the disaster in Jerusalem, nor did he personally know those suffering there. Yet his heart broke for the trouble occurring among God’s people. He spent days fasting and praying, ...

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Until about five years ago, I cannot remember a time when I wasn’t plagued with anxiety. For years I worked tirelessly to control everything about myself and my environment in order to bring security to my life. I talk with lots of people who grew up in really rough homes and dealt with horrible situations, but I was not that person. I had no reason to feel anxious about life. I just did.

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When I meet with someone walking through difficult circumstances and ask her how she has tried to work out her problems, that person will often tell me that she has tried many of the prescribed methods of the church, such as prayer, Bible reading and deeper biblical community but is still struggling with the collision of her faith and broken life. She tells me that she believes the truth of ...

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When I think of worship, I naturally think of music, nature, service and the study of Scripture. But there is another kind of worship that is equally pleasing to the Lord. Habakkuk 2:20 says, “But the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.” Scripture teaches us to be silent before the Lord in reverence and holy fear.

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