Day 27: Blood Redemption

Scripture Focus: 1 Peter 1

". knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ." -1 Peter 1:18-19, NASB

"In the Bible, differentiated roles for men and women are never traced back to the fall of man and woman into sin. Rather, the foundation of this differentiation is traced back to the way things were in Eden before sin warped our relationships. Differentiated roles were corrupted, not created, by the fall. They were created by God." -John Piper

The harmony and union God created for man and woman to experience was broken with the fall of mankind in the garden. That's when the battle of the sexes began! The first couple became alienated, blaming one another and hiding in shame.

The roles God had designed for each one became distorted. And ever since the Fall, men and women have been tempted to react in ways that distort the beauty and design of God's created order.

The biblical ideal for the man is to demonstrate humble, loving headship. But the temptation for the man is to react in one of two extremes: passivity or aggression. The man can become an extreme wimp or a domineering tyrant.

The biblical ideal for the woman is joyful, intelligent submission. But because of the distortions brought about since the Fall, she can also react in the extremes of passivity or aggression. This can result in her either living as a doormat or boldly usurping the man's headship.These role distortions and extremes make it impossible for us to enjoy the kind of relationships God intended within marriage and between men and women. Mercifully, through Jesus, we have been redeemed from this futile way of life. Because of His redemptive work on the Cross, we can now experience true unity and intimate fellowship, and we can fulfill His purpose for our lives as women. We are not left in bondage to our fallen desires.

Jesus is the Lamb of God who was slain to deliver us from the mess we had made, to reverse the effects of the Fall. When we receive what He has done, we become living examples of His grace, filling the earth with His glory.

Take Time to Reflect

First Peter 1 gives a beautiful description of Jesus' payment for us. He set us free from bondage to the role distortions produced by the Fall. Do you know that you've truly been set free because of His blood that was shed for you? Why don't you take the time to write out a description of the way this occurred in your life, then spend some moments thanking Him for His work on the Cross.

True Woman Wyoming Prayer Focus

Pray for women who will be at the True Woman Wyoming conference who are struggling with gender distortions brought on by the Fall, whether it affects their marriage, hinders their ability to work well with men, is causing difficulty in their relationships with their sons, or perhaps has even caused gender confusion that no one knows about.

Pray for a spirit of humility, forgiveness, and grace for women who have been deeply wronged by men and who may have put up walls or responded in bitterness. Pray that the Word and Spirit of God will bring spiritual and emotional healing where that is needed, and will help women "bring every thought captive to obey Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5 ESV).

Day 28: Sacrifice Required

Scripture Focus: Romans 3

The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them." -Genesis 3:21, NASB

Imagine the scene in the garden. Prior to the Fall, everything operated in perfect harmony. Formed by the masterful hand of God, creation displayed a beauty unknown to those born since the Fall. All creation danced in a song of praise for the Creator; the animal kingdom knew no fear of man; there existed no concept of pain or death. The earth was full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. But one act of disobedience changed all that and threw all of creation into a state of corruption and groaning (Romans 8:20-22).

Adam and Eve's disobedience in the garden was not a mere flirtation with sin-it was an act of high treason against the Creator. The holy God, the Provider and Sustainer, the Just and Merciful, the Giver of all good things-spurned. His instructions disregarded. His commandment rebelled against.

The penalty for treason had to be paid. Blood would be shed. Death would now enter the perfect garden. If we stood as observers, what would we have witnessed? Consider the relationship that Adam had developed with the animal kingdom. Before Eve, the animals were Adam's only companions. He not only named and cared for them, but Adam probably spent many hours of enjoyment with the animals under his rule.

Then death came to the animal world. Genesis 3:21 gives a glimpse into God's redemptive plan. The details are hidden, but it is clearly implied that a blood sacrifice was made. Adam and Eve must have stood transfixed by the shocking sight as they witnessed one of their precious lambs, never having shown hostility or aggression, quietly obey the Creator's call.

What were they thinking as the Master laid His tender hand on the willing subject's neck? Were they horrified at their first sight of blood as the lamb's life ebbed away? Did they feel remorse that an innocent creature was bearing their death penalty and providing the necessary covering for their sin? Later, did they relive those moments every morning as they dressed in their garments of skin? Someday we may know the answers. But for now we understand that this sacrifice would be the first foreshadowing of the Lamb who would be slain for the sin of the world. This was the first hint of the ultimate sacrifice that would one day be made at the Cross.

Take Time to Reflect

How does the death of Christ relate to the sinful choices we have made as women and the breach in our relationship with God and others? Have you allowed your heart to grow cold and indifferent toward God's grace? Read Romans 3 and spend some time expressing gratitude for Christ's sacrifice.

True Woman Wyoming Prayer Focus

Ask the Lord to provide the volunteers needed to assist in various areas throughout True Woman Wyoming Conference. We are hoping for some men (that aren't already caring for children in the absence of their mothers) to help in areas of lunch assembly, maintaining beverage/snack tables, cleaning and/or setting up for Sunday church after the conference and praying for the women during some of the conference time. Time commitment would be flexible based on availability of volunteer. If you know of men or teenage youth that may be willing to serve the women in this way, please reply to this email with a name and phone number/email address.

Day 29: The Wilderness is Looking Pretty Good

Scripture Focus: Song of Solomon 1-2

“Better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and angry woman.” —Proverbs 21:19, NKJV

“Most people know I’m a quadriplegic. I cannot fold clothes; but I can pray for, cheer on, encourage, support, listen to, applaud, and praise my husband. The secular feminist movement has virtually neutered men’s masculinity. As women, we can help reinforce those characteristics about a man that are truly praiseworthy. In so doing, we not only fulfill our Genesis 2 role of being a helpmate, but we help our husbands be the men God designed them to be. That’s a marvelous vocation.” — Joni Eareckson Tada*

Surely you’ve seen him trudging behind his wife in the mall. His eyes are glazed over and downcast. He seems to be in an almost comatose state. He is the “neutered man.” At one time he may have seen himself as some type of leader, exhibiting certain skills and strengths, willing to take a risk in order to achieve and explore, to conquer new territory and hurdle obstacles. He no longer tries. He has lost his zeal for living and his confidence as a man and leader. And the greatest risk he takes now is to make feeble suggestions to his domineering wife. If we could read his mind, would it be filled with resentment, or would we find a blank emptiness, the resentment long ago dissolved into an ocean of hopelessness?

Many women confuse their assigned role of “helper” with that of “controller.” Rather than cheering on their man, they resort to ordering him around. This type of woman sees her husband as less than what she thinks he should be and resorts to various pressure tactics to whip him into shape—for his own good, of course! Rather than applauding and praising his achievements, she finds ways to critique him with the justification that she is merely “helping” him. When silence and supportive smiles would be appropriate, she blasts him with her opinionated rhetoric until he quietly retreats.

The feminine role of helper does not imply silent acquiescence toward a mate who is clearly making foolish choices, but it is a role that finds creative and supportive means to bring out the best in the men around us. If the men around us have lost the joy of manhood, their confidence to lead, and the desire to cherish us, it may be that we have stripped them of their masculinity through our rejection of the helper role.

Take Time to Reflect

Do the men around you have the confidence to make leadership decisions, even if it means conflicting with your opinion? Do men seem to fear having discussions with you?If you are married, does your husband’s countenance and attitude reflect mature masculinity? Does your husband seem to resent you? Has your husband retreated into a “silent but safe” world?

Do you need to refuel your appreciation for your husband? Read Song of Solomon 1-2. Notice the words of admiration that the bride expresses. Also, if you have never taken the 30-Day Husband Encouragement Challenge for wives, consider doing so. If you are single, consider passing on the challenge to someone who is married. (You’ll also find encouragement for your relationship with Christ in the Song of Solomon reading!)

True Woman Wyoming Prayer Focus

Pray for God to prepare the hearts of all of the women who will be attending True Woman Wyoming. Ask Him to speak His truth to the attendees during the conference and to grant His daughters the vision to see clearly the subtle- yet very dangerous- lies to enemy has used to make us behave like women of the world instead of women of the Word.

Day 30: Gender Conflict

Scripture Focus: Genesis 3

“Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” —Genesis 3:16, NASB

In today’s Scripture Focus passage, God pronounces the chilling decree that frames the future for mankind in their new state as fallen creatures. The serpent’s enticing words have faded into a dim memory, the promise of godlike status having become nothing more than mockery. And the defiant assurance “You surely will not die!” (Genesis 3:4, NASB) has proven to be the biggest lie of all. We all die. In fact, because of the Fall, all of mankind would now be born spiritually dead. All that was produced from Eve’s dalliance with disobedience has been destructive, and we, as Eve’s daughters, are still dealing with it today.

Perhaps the most challenging consequence of Eve’s fall has to do with the issue of desire. The Hebrew word that is translated into our English word “desire” (Genesis 3:16) is an interesting noun. We find it in only two other verses in Scripture. Many scholars view this term as referring to the woman’s desire and urge to “rule over,” or dominate, her husband, when in fact the husband has been given the position of authority over her. Sounds like a recipe for disaster.

Whether single or married, most women struggle with this issue of control. We have an underlying drive to manipulate the men around us. We may not express it overtly, with harsh tones or verbal jabs; some of us may take a more subtle route—raised eyebrows and manipulative silence. Yet either way, men can become paralyzed in fear when faced with a domineering woman and give in to what is generally their common struggle: passivity. In spite of their God-given position of headship, many men would gladly abdicate their role and bestow that “honor” on the woman.

John MacArthur has said,

"Because of sin and the curse, the man and the woman will face struggles in their own relationship. Sin has turned the harmonious system of God-ordained roles into distasteful struggles of self-will. Life-long companions, husbands and wives, will need God’s help in getting along as a result. The woman’s desire will be to lord it over her husband, but the husband will rule by divine design (Eph. 5:22-25)."*

Take Time to Reflect

Evaluate your general approach to men. Do you typically view men as incompetent, less intelligent than you, insensitive, or immature? Consider whether you have any negative attitudes toward the male gender and how that might affect your treatment of men. Think through the events of Genesis 3. Ask yourself whether you recognize any tendencies in your own life that might be a result of the fallen desire to rule over men. Confess to God any areas where you are guilty of usurping man’s leadership role. Ask God to reveal to you what issues of the heart might be affecting your view of men. Also, ask Him to transform your thinking to enable you to view men with an attitude of respect that is compatible with their God-assigned position.

True Woman Prayer Focus
Ask God to give the men leading our churches His grace and strength, enabling them to accomplish all He desires from them as they serve Him. Pray for their wives and the women who serve alongside them in the ministry to be supportive, treating them with respect and affirming their leadership roles, so that they might have the confidence to live out biblical masculinity.

Pray for the pastors’ wives who will be attending True Woman Wyoming. Ask God to use the conference to encourage and strengthen them in their calling and ministry.

Day 31: Hiding from God

Scripture Focus: John 3:16-21

"They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God." -Genesis 3:8, NASB

Hiding. It is what we do when we're afraid, when we're ashamed, when we know we've messed up but we don't want to face the consequences. Once Eve sinned, what may have been a daily, joyous routine, sharing the evening hours with her Creator, now became something to dread. She found herself hiding from God-and even ashamed for her husband to see her as she was.

Are you in hiding?

It may be hard to admit that we are trying to avoid God. We may find plenty of excuses to skip Bible reading, steer clear of friends who might confront us, or simply stop listening to truth. Sometimes we've been in hiding for so long that we've forgotten the reason why. Hiding from God keeps us from His presence, which leads to spiritual drought.

"Silence is not golden when we use it to try to avoid the truth," say Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Tim Grissom. "Any attempt we make to hide from God-whether through silence or blatant lying-is absurd. Do we really believe God won't notice our sin or our efforts to conceal it?"*

Our attempts to hide from God are as juvenile as the two year old covering his eyes and believing that he is hidden from view. Yet when we are unwilling to discuss something with a godly counselor, when we resist the things of God, when we fill up our lives with enough activity to drown out the Spirit's conviction, we are in hiding mode.

Rather than fearing to come out into the open, we should fear the consequences of covering our sin. Consider this truth from the Word: "He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion. How blessed is the man who fears always, but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity" (Proverbs 28:13-14, NASB).

A healthy fear of God leads to openness, honesty, and freedom. But fear of confessing our sins brings concealment, deception, and enslavement to our fears. Hiding seeks the darkness for its covering; confession seeks the light (John 3:19-21). Hiding is an attempt to deal with our sins independently from God; confession allows the blood of Christ to cover our sins.

Take Time to Reflect

Are there things you have kept hidden? Have you resorted to deception in an attempt to cover sin? Are you hiding from God because of resistance to His role and design for you as a woman? Do you have hidden sin in the area of moral purity? Is your pride keeping you from being honest? Is anything worth keeping you from experiencing God's presence? Prayerfully read John 3:16-21. Ask God to open your eyes to any sin you may have hidden for so long that you're no longer convicted. Ask God to soften your heart and make it sensitive to sin. Be willing to agree with God about your sin. Come clean and step into the light!

True Woman Wyoming Prayer Focus

God will touch the hearts of women during the True Woman Wyoming Conference. Ask Him to give the planning committee sensitivity to His Spirit, along with discernment and compassion, as they pray for the women and the events being planned for the conference. Pray that women will not be "spectators," but will respond personally to the conviction and ministry of the Spirit. Pray for a spirit of brokenness throughout the weekend.

Day 32: Listening to Error Brings Deception

Scripture Focus: John 17

"The serpent said to the woman, 'You surely will not die!'" -Genesis 3:4, NASB

"Listening to things that are not true is the first step toward ultimate bondage and death. . There are no harmless lies. We cannot expose ourselves to the word's false, deceptive way of thinking and come out unscathed. Eve's first mistake was not eating the fruit; her first mistake was listening to the Serpent." - Nancy Leigh DeMoss*

What was Eve thinking? It is easy for us to scan the Genesis 3 account and roll our eyes at Eve's gullibility. But would we have fared any better in the situation? And honestly, do we manage any better as we battle deception on a daily basis?

One of the most amazing aspects of this biblical account is the fact that Eve so quickly abandoned her loyalty and confidence in her Creator. He had never given her any reason to question His care and commitment to her well-being, and yet she entertained doubts about His motives and character and then proceeded to defy His instructions. But is our progression toward disobedience any different? Do we have any reason to doubt God's care and commitment to us?

From the moment the serpent spoke words that contradicted her Creator, Eve should have had heard warning alarms sounding. "You surely will not die!" (Genesis 3:4, NASB). Who was this creature to contradict the Master? Not only did he directly contradict God, but he also brought slanderous accusation: "God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (verse 5, NASB). The statement was not completely false; Adam and Eve definitely had their eyes opened. But that wasn't a good thing, and this temptation to "be like God" is vastly overrated.

Why do we put ourselves in the position to function as god, when our godlike qualities are severely limited? We can't see into the future; we don't have all power; we can't fathom the concept of infinity. We even struggle at times to remember what we ate for lunch! And yet we keep trying to step into the God role and take charge of our lives-always the wrong choice.

How can we protect ourselves from this kind of deception? We must become discerning women-women who are trained to recognize error, who are so filled with the truth that when we are exposed to error the contrast is as jolting to us as ice-cold water thrown in the face.

Take Time to Reflect

Read Jesus' prayer in John 17. What does He refer to as "truth"? What is His main concern for His disciples? Are you easily misled? Do you struggle with being able to discern? What does Hebrews 5:14 say about this? Ask God to mature you in His Word, to use the knowledge of His truths to protect you from error. Consider whether you need to increase your consumption of truth.

True Woman Wyoming Prayer Focus

Teresa Dick, Jodi Hubert, Jackie Huber, Brenda Szymczak, Deb Magee and Linda Olsen will be speaking at and organizing the True Woman Wyoming Conference. They are also taking forty days leading up to the conference to prepare their hearts and messages. Ask God to give them wisdom, courage, and fresh anointing of the Spirit as they deliver the Word during their scheduled sessions. Ask Him to pour out His Spirit in those sessions.

Day 33: Complementary Versus Competing

Scripture Focus: Mark 9:33-41

"Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted." -Matthew 23:12, NASB

"The role of men and women in ministry is complementary. True enrichment for both Christian men and women comes when these roles are fulfilled side-by-side. A woman's ministry is primarily maternal in flavor and style, and the man's is primarily paternal. This marvelous and rich role difference should be celebrated and reflected. It's cooperative ministry."

-Joni Eareckson Tada*

You've just completed your first week of heart preparation for the True Woman Wyoming conference. We trust that you are sensing God at work in your life, as you consider His wonderful plan for women. This week, we're going to go a little deeper. Hang in there with us-you don't want to miss out on what God has in store for you!

The woman was created to fulfill a vital role in man's life, serving as his co-regent over creation and functioning as his helper. Some women react to the concept of being a "helper," as if that were an inferior position. But to the contrary, the helper role is honorable, vital, and can be embraced when it is seen as a necessary complement for the man.

Let's look at one "helper" whom Jesus commended as the greatest Old Testament prophet. In the Gospel narratives, John the Baptist stands out as a premier player, one of a kind and necessary in preparing the way for the coming King. But what did John say of Jesus and himself? "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30, NASB). Why didn't John grasp for fame? Why didn't he grumble over losing the following he had acquired in his wilderness ministry? Because he understood the principle "It's all about Him; it's not about me."

Do we view John as less than the impacting proclaimer that he was because he played a supporting role when the Son of Man arrived on the scene? No, we hold him in even higher regard for humbly taking his rightful position as the "preparer of the way" while refusing to be proclaimed as "The Way."

So, why do we, as women, sometimes take offense at being considered a supporting player rather than the leading character when it comes to God-assigned roles? Somehow we've convinced ourselves that there is less value in this position, so we view our role as demeaning or as less significant than the man's. Where did that kind of thinking come from? Perhaps during a dialogue in Eden? We'll take a look at that fateful exchange tomorrow.

Take Time to Reflect

How did Jesus respond to His disciples' competitive spirit in Mark 9:33-37? Do you compete with the men around you, or do you try to use your gifts and abilities to complement them? Do you seek to honor worthy men in respectful and appropriate ways, or do you have a demeaning attitude toward men? Ask God to open your eyes to your own attitude and behavior.

True Woman Wyoming Prayer Focus

Pray that a spirit of humility will permeate the conference. Pray that the speakers, team members, and women in attendance will submit to the convicting presence of Almighty God. Pray also for a spirit of prayer throughout the weekend. Pray that women will be moved to cry out to the Lord on behalf of our lives, families, churches, and nation.

*Interview with Joni Eareckson Tada, www.ReviveOurHearts.com/Resources/Videos