It’s Not Unattractive to Him

What does this week hold for you?

Are you excited about it? A little scared? Full of boldness?

All of those adjectives describe me.

This is the week the team of Proverbs 31 Ministries invites women from all around the world to come to Concord. Those who feel a calling to speak and write gather together to learn and encourage each other for a few days at a conference we host called She Speaks Conference.

And it is all things great and overwhelming for us at the same time.

So, before I head into the preparation chaos of the office, I soak my heart because I know it’s going to get poured out a lot today.

Psalm 144:1 -2 provides the quenching liquid I need:

“Praise the Lord, who is my rock. He trains my hands for war and gives my fingers skill for battle. He is my loving ally and my fortress, my tower of safety, my rescuer. He is my shield and I will take refuge in him…” Psalm 144:1-2a

And as I read, my heart creates a prayer:

God, thank you that my neediness is not unattractive to you. Thank you for delighting in being my rock, my loving ally, my fortress, tower of safety and rescuer. Today, this week and for my lifetime. My shield – make this week the week I learn more about war. I know you have given me everything I need for the battle ahead.

Filled with His peace, I will tuck it close to my heart and hang on. Keeping close to me what is really important. Not that the efforts to color lift my hair yesterday gave it a slightly orange tint in direct light. Not that I’m getting my pictures for my website taken on Tuesday immediately after getting my top braces off and hope this “orange” doesn’t show up and not that my frig is completely empty yet I am leaving my family for four days.

I’ll cling today to what I have the opportunity to do: embrace this day, this week and look for Him in it all.

Could you keep me in your prayers this week if the Lord brings me to mind? I have the amazing opportunity to speak twice at She Speaks and I so want to say only what He wants me to say and keep quiet about the rest. Also, I won’t be back until next week…whichever day I can recover 🙂

You are precious to me and even more precious to Him!

What does your week hold? How do you need to look to Him to be your rock?

Lynn

22 Comments

  1. 7-8 This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details. When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God’s way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities.

    8-10 And so here I am, preaching and writing about things that are way over my head, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ. My task is to bring out in the open and make plain what God, who created all this in the first place, has been doing in secret and behind the scenes all along. Through followers of Jesus like yourselves gathered in churches, this extraordinary plan of God is becoming known and talked about even among the angels!

    11-13 All this is proceeding along lines planned all along by God and then executed in Christ Jesus. When we trust in him, we’re free to say whatever needs to be said, bold to go wherever we need to go. So don’t let my present trouble on your behalf get you down. Be proud!

    14-19 My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

    20-21 God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

    Praying for you my friend!!

    Love ya!

    1. Lynn Cowell says:

      Thank you so much, Donna! Want to read this everday! Can you share the reference with me?

  2. Lynn, I am praying for quite time for you to hear our Lord tell you how much you are loved. Don’t let Satan have one inch in your life this week. God has chosen you to be at the conference. You are more than a conqueror. Romans 8:37, God is for you. ROMANS 8:31. Jesus is with you and will never leave you. Matthew 28:20. Jesus says you can do all things. PHILIPPIANS 4:13 JESUS DID NOT GIVE YOU A SPIRIT OF FEAR 2TIMOTHY 1:7 Have a great week in the Lord. Blessings Diana

    1. Lynn Cowell says:

      Thank you so much, Diana! I have never felt God’s power in me like I did last Thursday. All the prayers were all the difference!

  3. Kate Lantry says:

    Blessings to you, Lynn 🙂 Praying that God gives you the right words for each listener and that He gives you peace and strength for each day. You’re going to do great!

  4. What beautiful words! God’s Words! Praying for you this week. I know God will shine through you! I’ll be looking for you to give you a hug! 🙂
    Blessings!

  5. I’ll be seeing you at She Speaks! I tried to not go…to put obstacles up for myself. But God cleared them all. I’m not sure what’s in store but I know it’s going to be amazing.

  6. Lynn, You Rock, my friend! Sending love and prayers your way!

  7. Kathy Halloran says:

    Lynn,
    Heard you speak at the pre-conference today. This is my first She Speaks conference. It truly felt like I was sitting in your living room and you were speaking just to me. So much of what you said resonated deep within me. Thank you for your inspiring words and faith. You have touched my heart.

    1. Lynn Cowell says:

      Kathy – I am so glad the Holy Spirit used today’s word to minister to you! Thank you for sharing with me!

  8. Teresa Mabery says:

    Thank you so much for this post. I too have found myself manipulating the outcome only to be sorry in the end. I pray that I will take His instruction to heart. May the Lord richly bless you as you speak to all the women at the conference.

  9. Erin Owens says:

    Praying for you Lynn. I really enjoyed your devotion this morning and your blog post. God bless you.

    1. Lynn Cowell says:

      Thank you friend!

  10. You are in my prayers and take some time before you speak and ask God to give you the words that the women need to hear , God already has the women attending that need to hear you, there are no coincidences with the Lord, this Speak Out was booked before you were born. God is your rock he will give you the words. God bless Carla

    1. Lynn Cowell says:

      Thank you so very much, Carla! God used that message in an amazing way. I was blown away!!

  11. Lynn,
    I just read your devotion today about Sampson & Delilah. At the end you mention your book “Revolutionary Love”. Does this book address issues of loneliness (for companionship of a mate)?
    Wendy

    1. Lynn Cowell says:

      It definitely does, Wendy! I wrote this book to teach the young women in my life no man can fill the love gap in their heart: not a dad, not a boyfriend not even an amazing husband husband. Only Jesus 🙂

  12. Everyday has become a new challenge. My oldest child has moved out to begin her life, my summer job as a manager is coming to and end, and I go back to my teaching job. I am challenged to change my thinking and the way i teach. I pray God directs my path and guards my mind and heart as I begin this new journey in my life. My I walk the path He has placed. May you walk the path He has place and find strength in Him! Amen

  13. I look forward to hearing what God has in store for each of us – especially when the message I receive in my personal time, the message on Sunday and what I read in your blog post are in line with each other. Discerning what is from God and what is my desire is difficult. Speaking God’s word into others when our own thoughts are so loud can only come after submitting to His authority. Humbly submitting to God’s authority is a challenge that I must do each day. Blessings on your week.

  14. great post and a great lesson we can all learn from.

  15. This week (hopefully today) I find out if I am being referred to U of M Hospital for some serious medical issues I have been experiencing. I really want to go there (like Delilah) to find the answers. But in reading your blog realize that God may have other plans. I’ve been out of my work for over 11 weeks and realize that the job poured my heart and soul into for the past 20 years may not be there when and if
    I recover. This scares me beyond words. I long for peace in my heart that this will all work out. My head (which reads Gods words sees it will work according to Gods will) but in my heart I’m still scared. Scared of what is wrong with me and if I will ever be who I was, scared that if I’m not who I was….will I have the strength and faith to be who and what God then wants me to pick up the pieces to become.

    So….this week I need strength to accept where God places me for treatment and the peace to know that where ever that is…is where I should be. despite what friends and family may press me toward.

  16. For the past few months I have been uneasy inside that my partner had an affair, I told him last night if he didn’t come forward and explain the situations I am not comfortable with our relationship would be over. Tonight when I am done work I have to decide if I am ready to handle the answer and if I am prepared for separation like I blurted out Sunday in my heat of angry. Please pray that God will find his way him my partners heart and give him the strength to tell me the truth. Thank you, this is the first time I have shared this and I feel better inside knowing women in Christ will pray for me

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