Iron Rose Sister Ministries

Written by Corina Díaz, volunteer with Ministerio Hermana Rosa de Hierro in Argentina

The book that bears the name Samuel is divided into two parts, 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel. Originally in the Hebrew Bible it was a single book, and its author is the same Samuel, although not in its entirety. A wonderful thing about this book is that it is harmonious in all its essence, starting with its name שְׁמוּאֵל (Šəmûʼēl), which means, “God has heard.” So, from this book come wonderful stories about the way God listens to His people and how He calls them to listen.

We have three main characters, Samuel, Saul, and David, all connected to each other. All three with similar purposes in the kingdom of God, and they demonstrate the different natures of man before God’s questioning. I love the way that God manifests Himself through three different responses to their requests: Yes, no, and wait.

Samuel, was the answer to Hannah’s prayer, a woman who was willing to heed God's call (1 Sam. 1:9-11). She conceived her son Samuel, whom she consecrated to the temple and to God’s service (1 Sam. 2:11). Samuel was a complete instrument of God's plan, and an example of someone who had to wait on many occasions.

Saul, was the first king, and although he was chosen according to God's designs, his personal purpose was different. He is the perfect example of someone who does not want to listen to God, also of someone to whom God says no (1 Sam. 13).

Finally, we have David, a man after God's heart, who heard his call and recognized God's mercy in his life; a sinful person like you and me, who opened his heart and to whom God constantly responded with a Yes! at his requests (1 Sam. 20).

So, we clearly see that there are only three possible answers to the requests of our heart (yes, no, wait), all we need is to have the ability to hear that answer. These three men listened to God in different ways, and we see the results of their own actions. But what do we need to do to listen to God?

Think for a moment, how can you listen or understand the point of what someone wants to tell you? The best way is by knowing the person. The more you share and connect with a person, you can almost predict his/her movements and looks. Has it happened to you? You are in a group and suddenly you cross eyes with your friend, your husband or your child and you already know what is about to happen. That is how our relationship with God also works, the more we know Him and the more we spend time with Him, the more we can listen and understand His responses to our requests.

God's desire for us is to stay connected with Him, and He has a wonderful promise for us.

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you remain in My word, then you are truly My disciples. You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” (John 8:31-32 MEV)

The more we know and listen to Him, the more we will know His will in our lives!

#IronRoseSister #HIStories #prayer #bookofSamuel #yesnowait #guestwriter

Written by Luzia Casali, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Porto Alegre, Brazil

Once I bought a small piece of furniture online which needed to be assembled. Because it was small, I tried putting it together without the instructions. What a disaster! I had to redo it, following the steps in the assembly manual. Has anything like this ever happened to you?

In our Christian walk, we need Bible verses that guide us to know if we are building our life as the Father desires. Fortunately, God, through the apostle Paul, left us a true treasure to be our guide in our Christian journey.

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Col 3:17 NIV)

Have you ever considered how rich this verse is?

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed…”

When Paul says whatever, he means whatever—what we have done or are going to do in our lives as Christian women. And it goes further—it’s not just in action!!! We must also watch what we think. Our actions and thoughts must honor Him. Without a doubt, it is our faith that should drive this behavior.

But to know what we need to be, we need to transform our minds, as Romans 12:2 warns:

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

By transforming our minds, we will transform our actions. But how do we do this?

We need to read the Word of God, participate in classes, and pray to the Father for wisdom. The Christian faith is a faith of action, not a static one. It's not just about knowledge; we need to put into practice what we learn from the Holy Scriptures. The Bible is a mirror to show us whether our attitudes are in accordance with God's will and whether we are following His will as daughters, wives, mothers, friends, professionals…

1. As daughters: “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you" (Ex 20:12). This means showing them respect even when you don’t feel they’ve earned it.
2. As wives: "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him" (Ge 2:18). We need to help our husbands for the growth of the Kingdom of God and the strengthening of the family.
3. As mothers: “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it” (Pr 22:6). That's a promise! We must teach our children about God and salvation in His Son Jesus Christ.
4. As friends: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Mt 7:12).
5. As professionals: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance. It is the Lord Christ you are serving" (Col 3:23-24). As much as we may not like our superiors, we need to give our best, as if we were working for God.

“…do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus…”

We need to have His authorization to act. A good illustration of this is when someone writes a check. It can only be cashed if the signature on the check matches that of the checking account holder. If it doesn’t match, the bank teller won’t cash it. The correct signature authorizes the withdrawal of the amount on the check.

Therefore, it must be very clear in our minds that our actions must be authorized by Christ.

“…giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Why give thanks? We cannot forget that we were bought with a high price: the blood of God's own Son. Therefore, what we do must always be done with respect, honor, and submission to the Lord. Because we were bought, our will is no longer ours; we must be submissive to the will of Christ. He must be glorified in our lives.

Christ died in our place, and it is thanks to Him that we have remission of our sins. Because of Him, the veil of the temple was torn and therefore we have access through prayer to the Eternal Father. And the most incredible thing is knowing that we will spend eternity with Him.

Always give thanks to Christ. Always have a grateful heart, no matter what you do.

Our challenge is to keep in mind that our attitudes must be to honor God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit—because Christ authorizes us.

And above all, always have a grateful heart!

Written by Amanda Vilela, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Sergipe, Brazil

”Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Heb 11:1 NIV). The 11th chapter of the book of Hebrews begins with two attributes of faith: confidence and assurance.

It is faith itself, not our feelings about faith, that produces confidence. Some commentators offer various complex definitions of faith. But I believe that the best definition of faith is based on the certainty of confidence in the Word of God, and not on our circumstantial feelings.

The book of Hebrews mentions the traits of some people who walked by faith. Abraham is the first person described in the Old Testament as a specific example of faith and obedience and is called the “father of faith.” Submissive to God’s will, he journeyed to a land to which he had never been, being moved solely by the conviction that God’s promises would be fulfilled. By observing the cultural context of the book of Genesis where events in the story of Abraham and his wife Sarah are narrated, we see that the world in which Abraham lived was not at all attractive! The first signs of human decadence, such as idolatry, were present.

But looking at Hebrews 11, we observe the characteristics of confidence and obedience found in those who are known as “heroes of the faith” in God’s promises.

• Their faith came from something rational and not merely circumstantial or sentimental.
• Their faith was firmly founded on the promises of a God whose knowledge is unfathomable (Heb 11:9-10).
• They walked with God. Their faith grew as they knew God more.
• They believed in God’s comfort and providence in their lives (Heb 11:7).
• They left the pleasures of the world behind and looked toward the heavenly goal (Heb 11:24-27).
• Their faith was an act of courage (Heb 11:30).
• Their faith led them to act justly and to not fear men (Heb 11:32-34).

Above all, I believe that obedience is only present in genuine faith that must be seen in the transformation of every believer in Christ. Since my conversion, I have tried to discover the call of God for my life without understanding that I should read the Scriptures to find the answers, nor understanding that God’s will for our lives is that we believe in Christ and follow His way. Until I understood these things, I walked some painful and thorny paths in large areas of my life. I doubted God’s providence, and, in many issues, I tried to “do it my way” or rush the Lord’s plans.

When we do not trust in Christ, we tend to put ourselves as the lord of our lives. Symbolically, I identify with the curious process of the pearl’s formation in the oyster. Pearls are products of pain, the results of the entrance of a strange or undesirable substance into the oyster’s interior; an oyster that wasn’t hurt does not produce pearls. Sometimes, life’s adversities push us to trust in Christ, as if it were our last escape. I wanted everything to happen in my life in my timing!

I wanted to grow spiritually overnight and have the dream of a Christian family. I wanted God to heal my soul’s scars, but the truth is that I put little into practice, forgetting His promise, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Heb 13:5). Those who seek to obey God must think like Abraham, Sarah, and Noah who considered their stay on this earth as brief, like foreigners awaiting return to their native land.

In the same way, we must think and live by faith, by hope, by the certainty of the fulfillment of God’s promises, not allowing ourselves to be shaped by the behavior of the world like people who have no hope but are attentive to our divine call to live in holiness. Listen to the call of Christ and pay attention to His voice as Samuel did when he said, “Speak, for your servant is listening” (1Sa 3:10). Calm the worries of this world and remember the words of Jesus: “Consider how the wild flowers grow…” (Lk 12:27-32). Look at the birds that rest in your window and remind you to trust in God. Just as the Lord cares for the little animals and dresses the wildflowers in the field, He will care for His people and will make them rest in green pastures, even amid life’s adversities.

May the Lord Jesus increase our faith, be it in joy or sadness, in victory or defeat. Even when fear and anxiety surround us, may our confidence and obedience grow as we walk as pilgrims and foreigners in this world, headed to the celestial city.

Written by Claudia Perez, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Alabama

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will...”
…He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” (Mt 26:39, 42 NIV)

As I read these two verses, I visualize that moment in which our Lord shows us complete humility and submission, but at the same time, that moment of tension that was beyond all human comprehension—that moment of separation from His fellowship with the Father that was necessary to redeem and offer salvation to all mankind.

Our Lord obeyed, subject to the will of the Father, experiencing such agony that is incomprehensible and inexplicable to each of us: our Lord made flesh. Although we have a hard time understanding our God's designs for our atonement, Jesus did. His agony and anguish would lead to His death, so He knew that only our God could help Him.

Currently, my family and I are going through a difficult situation in which we decided to wait and trust in God's will once again; one more trial that we are going through with great faith, holding the hand of the Lord in union with our family in Christ.

I remember a song that goes:
                                              The Lord has a will,


                                             And I have a need


                                             To follow that will,


                                             To humbly be still,


                                             To rest in it,

                                             
Nest in it,

                                             
Fully be blessed in it,

                                             
Following my Father's will.

It is in these moments that we find ourselves without any control of the situation, when we feel insecure, unprotected, and afraid. But God tells us “Don't be afraid, trust Me.” The situation or problem may seem very big to us as humans; however, in the hands of an Almighty God, it not only will result in the best answer, but it has a divine purpose. There are times in our lives that seem meaningless, and we think that what God is doing in our lives doesn't make sense. But it is in those moments that God's will is being fulfilled in us so that His purpose will be fulfilled, and His name will be glorified.

I am sitting in a hospital dealing with a complex situation as I write this article. But in this difficult situation, I've seen God's will in everything we've been through. While we have been here, we have met some brothers who have been here for six weeks in an even more difficult situation. We visit them, pray together, sing, and share. I remember one of the brother's words: "Us meeting is not a coincidence; it is by God's will; God knows how much I needed this because I felt down and sad."

When we submit to God's will, He uses us even in those difficult times of tribulation, anguish, and uncertainty to encourage others.

In those moments, we also see the love of God's family. Even at a distance, God has given us a big family that comforts us and shows us their support. That love comes from God. It is beautiful to see the body of Christ united, praying for one another, showing the power of God to the world. In these difficult times, two people have been added to this great family. God's name is being glorified! Today we are going home, we are leaving the hospital, and we still have a long way to go for my relative's recovery, but we will continue to trust in God because we know that He who started the work will finish it.

Even when things seem to make no sense, we should prostrate ourselves and pray: Lord, I understand that this is difficult, and I may not understand it now, but I want to accept that Your will be done and not mine. I want to see Your purpose in this situation and have Your name glorified. Use me as an instrument; maybe it's not what I want, but I know that what You want is much better; I surrender to Your will and wait on You.

Sister and friend, today I pray to God that in difficult moments you will allow your will to submit to God's good and perfect will. Let us remember, sisters, the words of Jesus: "Then Jesus said, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God’" (Jn 11:40).

Do you want to submit your will, surrender, and wait on Him? Are you willing to believe in seeing the glory of God?