April 17
A Woman Who Changes Her World
“Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”…
Possessed by seven devils, an outcast of society, bound by the shackles of darkness, no peace and no future; she had no way to free herself. She was living a life of utter hopelessness. Who would set her free, give her life meaning and purpose, and bring her back into the land of the living? Could she ever be loved, accepted and cared for? Would people look at her through eyes of indifference because of the demonic force that controlled her life for so long? Where was she to turn? It’s one thing to tell people you used to have an anger problem, or that you were an addict or lived in depression etc., but it’s entirely different to share with others that you used to be possessed by seven devils! I would imagine that people wouldn’t look at you quite the same again. Yet, this was the life of Mary Magdalene. Though we are not given a description of her life during this time of darkness, we can know that it was a very difficult life for anyone to live.
Mary Magdalene’s name means: tower or monument. From the meaning of her name we see that she is much more to us than a woman who had been delivered; she is a monument of the hope, power and heart of God to use every woman everywhere, no matter their past. When she encountered Jesus face to face, her life was never the same. Through the Word of God, in the Gospels, we see her devotion and determination and love for Jesus that never let up all the way to His resurrection. When Jesus hung upon the cross we are told in John 19:25 that there, “standing beside the cross of Jesus” was Mary Magdalene. When most of the disciples had fled, during the darkest hours the earth had ever known, we see this monument of a woman standing by the cross of her Lord.
The word standing is rich with meaning. Standing means: “to support fully, and unashamedly the authority of the cross, to trust in the cross and what it stands for and to uphold the power and authority of the cross publicly as well as privately.” She was steadfast and unwavering in her faith in the cross. You see, to her the cross represented Jesus and what He had done for her and for countless others. It was her past conquered, her present empowered and her future secured. The cross was everything to her and she would not run in times of persecution and she was not ashamed of it. Because of her devotion she witnessed Jesus face to face, resurrected from the dead! And even more powerful was the assignment He gave to her; “go and tell the others that I am alive”! Now she was a vessel of treasure carrying the most powerful life-changing message of all time; “I have seen the Lord and I tell you He is alive”!
This is a woman who changes the world. A woman so devoted to her Lord that she loves Him with her very life, and even though persecution comes and even unto death, she is found there, “standing by the cross of Jesus”. You will not impact your world for the Lord if you are not “with Him, standing there at His cross and unwavering in your devotion to be in His presence at any cost”. The Lord knew that if you reach the woman, you will reach the home and if you reach the home, you will reach the world!
My life is to reveal to others that Jesus is alive.
Pearls of Grace is a book of devotions for the entire year, including a read through the Bible in a year calendar, broken down for every day. Beautifully written with encouraging words of hope and empowering words of joy and strength for every woman. Pam draws from the truth and richness of God's Word and gives real life examples in her down to earth style. A must have in your library, click here for more information.
For more from Pam Jenkins and Jabbok Ministries, please visit www.jabbokministries.com!
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