Tag Archives: Black Woman

Restored-The 10th Day of Christmas

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On the 10th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a message of restoration (Amos 9:11-15).

Many of us come from a line of proud people. We pride ourselves on doing things ourselves and say things like “I ain’t got nobody else” or “If I didn’t do it, it wouldn’t get done.” I think deep down we know this isn’t true. When we look at the sun, we know this isn’t true. When we see the stars and feel the breeze, we should know this isn’t true. But strong black women who got to be strong black women—alone—believe we bring our own sunshine, twilight and refreshing winds to our lives and others. How else would we get them?

But the prophet Amos tells another story.

“In that day I will raise up the booth of David that is fallen and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old, that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations who are called by my name,” declares the LORD who does this. “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when the plowman shall overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall flow with it. I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant them on their land, and they shall never again be uprooted out of the land that I have given them,” says the LORD your God (vv. 9:11-15).

For the majority of Amos, the prophet tells of divine judgment on Israel for following their own way. Even though their pride and arrogance cost them, that last chapter of Amos tells how God will still empower them to bring brightness to their lives. Even though the verses say “they shall rebuild” and “they shall plant,” the beginning and end of the passage says what God will do. We only bring sunshine and twilight and refreshing winds because God first gives them to us and He continues to carry us. This passage in Amos is a perfect picture of Jesus Christ, who restored us “while we were yet sinners” (Romans 5:8). And He restores situations for us through us, as one of my favorite scriptures tells us: “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).

So be proud of God in you working through you to bring brightness and prosperity to your life and others. If it wasn’t for Him, it wouldn’t get done.

Copyright 2010 by Rhonda J. Smith

Believe Him-The 11th Day of Christmas

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On the 11th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a word about prophecy (Joel 2:28-29).

Sometimes we just don’t believe God’s word. Oh, I know this because we have too much doubt. At least I know I do and saw this last night when talking to Casey’s mom in the church nursery. Casey is a busy boy who was playing with two of my busy boys and he almost fell on my youngest busy boy quite a few times. She kept correcting and redirecting him, as well she should, but I was hardly fazed and said, “I have three of them just like him.” “Wow. Three boys. I’m done. I took care of that.” I lingered on her wow and wowed with her, wondering, “How do I deal with them from day to day?”

Slowly her other words seeped in and I realized that she was telling me that she wasn’t having anymore children because she exercised her choice to take birth control. And I remembered that I had no choice to exercise my choice but had followed God’s choice to use my womb to bear His blessings for the world. All of that came out like “When you have boys you need a lot of grace and God gives me a lot of grace.” And she gave me five and said children are a blessing and together we chuckled and blessed the Lord for them. Our exchange had me thinking about the prophetess Anna and how she believed God’s word, not seen in my every day grace, but in her spirit and she acted like it.

And she [was] a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served [God] with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem (Acts 2:37-38).

At 84 years old, Anna’s regular routine was to serve God “with fastings and prayers night and day.” She made this her job so when Mary and Joseph brought baby Jesus to the temple she knew exactly who He was, thanked God the Father for Jesus, and told people about Jesus. Yes she had the word that salvation would come through Jesus, and surely she recognized Him through prophecy, but I wonder if another prophecy sustained her:

And it shall come to pass afterward, [that] I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit (Joel 2:28-29).

Between Jesus’ first and second comings, He said He would send His Spirit (John 16:7-15; Acts 1:8). Joel tells us that Jesus’ Spirit would be spread among Jews and Gentiles, and all groups—young and old and male and female—would have people who would speak forth divine words from God. I don’t know if Anna saw this partial fulfillment, but she knew that Jesus’ initial arrival was the first step to usher in His Spirit being poured onto all flesh. His Spirit would cause there to be pervasive prophesying among women, so much so that there wouldn’t be room for them to only speak in certain parts of the temple. Anna had seen God’s grace—first in her spirit and then with her eyes. She didn’t seem to shy away from her calling because she was a woman. Instead, she prophesied to everyone who wanted that redemption.

And I tell you, who want redemption to help you with busy boys, brutal bosses, an unkind husband or backbiting friends: you have God’s Spirit, and He may not have you prophesy to others but He has given you a word of deliverance:

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Trust this word and believe that God will show up and show you exactly what He would have you to do to walk out your deliverance.

Copyright 2010 by Rhonda J. Smith

Weeping Over the Wayward-The 15th Day of Christmas

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On the 15th day of Christmas my true love gave to me tears over my wayward soul (Lamentations 1:1).

I am a planner. I like to know well in advance if someone wants me to attend an event. I like to take inventory so I can properly plan my event. And I like to already know who is ready to receive me in the event that I don’t have time to plan in advance. Nevertheless, it’s all planning, anticipating that things will go well, the people will come because you have invited them. You don’t have to be an event planner to know that rarely will everyone you invite will show up, no matter how timely your organizing is. But have you ever experienced an entire no show? This may be the reason Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet. He cried over the children of Israel not showing up to God’s invitation to holiness and allowing Him to care for their every need:

Surely, as a treacherous wife leaves her husband, so have you been treacherous to me, O house of Israel, declares the LORD. A voice on the bare heights is heard, the weeping and pleading of Israel’s sons because they have perverted their way; they have forgotten the LORD their God.
“Return, O faithless sons; I will heal your faithlessness.” “Behold, we come to you, for you are the LORD our God” (Jeremiah 3:20-22).

God cried over and out to the Israelites so they would return to Him, and they said they would, but they were unfaithful and caused Jerusalem to come to ruin.

How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow has she become, she who was great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces has become a slave (Lamentations 1:1).

Jeremiah is a type of Christ, a prophet who also wept over Jerusalem and her inhabitants:

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! See, your house is left to you desolate” (Matthew 23:37-38).

This weeping is a weeping for all wayward folks who claim Jesus Christ as our very own. Jesus Christ has an open invitation, planned well in advance, before time began, to come to Him so that our lives will go well. He invited us to receive Him as Savior so we spend life after death with Him, but until then He invites us to make Him Lord of our lives. We can, in our strong black woman strength, be our own lords, but God continues to bid us to come to Him. With Him is guaranteed protection, provision, and peace. Jesus Christ invites us to this and so much more. Don’t let Him weep over your waywardness. He has already planned to take care of you, no matter what the issue. Stop thinking, “I got this,” and let God take you under His wings.

Copyright 2010 by Rhonda J. Smith

The Ugly Parent-The 17th Day of Christmas

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On the 17th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a face to change my reality (Isaiah 52:14).

Sometimes Sundays make me sad. When I should be continually rejoicing because I get to go to church, worship with the saints and potentially hear a great word (depending on how my 1 year old is acting) I get sad and sometimes feel I just want to stay home. I don’t want to get washed and dressed, get three children washed and dressed, prepare food and feed us, pack diaper bags with diapers, wipes, drinks and snacks, get bibles, coats, gloves and hats, drive to church, unpack the children, take off our coats, take the oldest two to their classes and wait with bated breath until I have to go to the Cry Room to listen to a word from the babies. And all of this, most times, without a made-up face. That’s right, no makeup to cover up eyes that earlier cut across rooms to remind the boys to hurry up and a mouth mentioning that we will be late. I think I would just be better, feel better, if I had a made-up face, but I go plain, often, because taking care of my boys doesn’t allow time for a made-up face.

Just as there were many who were appalled at him—his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness—(Isaiah 52:14).

Then this comes to mind, a description of what the greatest parent ever, Jesus Christ, would endure: heavy hands from hollowed hearts, cruelty unimaginable that made Him unimaginable (Philippians 2:7-11). Jesus willingly received a face He didn’t want or choose but accepted so we could have a chance at life, a beauty beyond makeup basics with everlasting implications. His face was made up in a different way, beaten and bruised beyond recognition, suffering cruelty and being ugly for you and for me.

For now on Sundays may make me sad but I hope more with the sullen reality of my selfish desire for a face that will never be life-changing.

Copyright 2010 by Rhonda J. Smith

My Beloved-The 18th Day of Christmas

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On the 18th day of Christmas my true love gave to me a love that would ever be true (Song of Solomon 7:10).

God loves us deeply. In the Old Testament the children of Israel were called His bride and so is the body of Christ in the New Testament. Song of Solomon illustrates this deep love, sometimes only fathomable between two lovers. In it we see God’s love for the Israelites and His love to come for the church. This just made me think of how Jesus loves me, personally, and I wanted to share with you a glimpse of our love affair:

My Beloved
You came to me in my whirlwind
Life messed up, thinking I had my stuff together.
But my stuff was spinning, flying high, making me sick when it hit
Chaos taking me in its mix
Tossing me, turning me, preventing me from sitting still to just hear.
You came to me in the whirlwind
Changed it in an instant with your call
Told me I didn’t need to know all about you
That you would show me more about you
If I just trusted you.
And I did
In my bedroom on the side of the bed on the pink bedspread and room with the grey wallpaper.
You heard my doubt but took me out and took me in knowing that you would show me where to begin and YOU.
You, the one who made me and gave me purpose before time began.
The one who commanded light to shine to distinguish day from day’s end
My friend, my beloved, who can melt the earth He made and bring it back together again
YOU
Know
See
Hear
Feel
Carry
Sustain
Love
ME, messy ME
fiercely
deeply
tenderly (and toughly sometimes)
always beckoning me
Come.
I did.
And when I do
I feel beautiful
Wooly locked hair
Light brassy bronze skin
Dark almond-shaped eyes
Within a head you made to house eclectic thoughts
And a boxy frame short and not big enough to contain all your love loving on your lovely me.
There’s a glory in your love that shines in and through my heart.
I can never part from that love, my love, from you, my Jesus, my beloved, my Savior, my Lord, my lover, my friend.

By Rhonda J. Smith
Copyright November 12, 2010