For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

I was pleased last night, to hear something of the history of Women Aglow (now Aglow international), to hear of many whose ministry had been largely restricted to teaching Sunday school or being on the social committee, suddenly set free to be powerful warriors for the kingdom. I heard how much of it was a setup. For example, one lady who was timid and suicidal was suddenly thrust into a prayer team, but not having a clue how to pray. The very first person who came for prayer was also timid and suicidal, and suddenly she knew exactly what to pray, because she knew exactly what the lady was feeling. As someone put it, He is Jehovah sneaky!

It struck me this morning, what a difference it makes when it is God who takes a group of people who are marginalized and dismissed and brings them into their true identity. What an example this movement is to the world! Because if a group of people who are marginalized and dismissed had any right to be bitter an revengeful, it was the oppressed women in the church. But there is no bitterness in the leadership of this movement, no victim mentality. And God has used their righteous struggle to mold, refine and empower, and to help many of them to discover who they are in Christ. And who they are in Christ, are precious, valued daughters of the King of kings and of the Lords and lords.

It is a beautiful thing to see this kind of change when it is God who is leading and directing. How very, very different from the way that the world does it. So often in the world, when those who are oppressed rise up, they become the oppressors. The power man seeks is so very different from the power of God (as in the verse this morning from 1 Corinthians 1:18). In the power of God, with the weapons of love and righteousness and peace, we come to know who we truly are, and to come into our destiny. And in the mystery of God, the journey to this place, this struggle to come into our identity, is every bit as important as the end result. This is because He uses the struggle to make us more like Him!

Father, thank You and that the ways that You teach us are not only more loving and gracious and masterful, they are also more powerful and, many times (but not always), more effective (it takes two to reconcile). Buy I want to thank You for the testimony of many in this movement, that their awakening and coming into their identity has resulted in marriages being saved, whole families coming to know You and finding peace and reconciliation. Truly Lord, the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men (1 Corinthians 1:25). Thank You Lord that when we totally surrender to You, You turn weakness into strength, hate in to love, discord into harmony and morning into gladness. I praise You again this morning Lord in Your precious Name Amen