Meditation for October 12 from Pastor Karen

Here is Pastor Karen's devotion today:

Good morning!

Strong women! The Bible is full of them, and we pastors don’t talk about them enough, possibly because women are seldom the “main characters” in our biblical accounts. Don’t mistake this to mean they aren’t important!

Today in our Luke reading, the 12 disciples are going out to towns and villages, proclaiming the gospel and the good news of the kingdom of God. Along with the 12 were also some women!

We know about Mary Magdalene, “from whom seven demons had been cast out,” but do we know much about “Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza” and, my personal favorite in this passage, “Susanna and many others who provided for (the disciples and Jesus) out of their resources”?

How can this be—that women had means and were able to support the entire group of disciples and, of course, our Savior? Wouldn’t it be nice to know more about them? Still, we know for certain they are strong women of the faith, used by God to accomplish His kingdom purposes.

Would the disciples have been able to eat or have a place to sleep some nights without these strong women? Not so much! Their means and generosity allowed the disciples to give up their full time jobs and live this life of wandering from place to place, proclaiming the gospel and the good news of the kingdom of God.

Has a strong woman been an inspiration in your life? A mother, sister, grandmother, friend, missionary, organist, choir director, Sunday school teacher, or pastor?

Tell them today how much they mean to you and how much they have inspired you to keep up the faith and follow after Christ, no matter what it takes.

And if they have already passed away, as my grandmother has, then take the time today to give thanks to God for these saints who have likely already heard our Redeemer say, “Well done, good and faithful servants! Well done!”

Let us pray.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the strong Christian women in our lives who have urged us on to live the life Christ asks us to live. Thank you for their example, their teaching, their love, and their prayers. Thank you, Holy God, for giving us your Son so we would be forgiven of all our sins and proclaim the gospel and the good news of your kingdom—now and forever. Amen.

Today’s readings are Micah 3:9-4:5; Acts 24:24-25:12; Luke 8:1-15; Psalms 140 and 142.

Blessings in Christ!

Pastor Karen