Devotions for Ministry Wives - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0310236320 ISBN 13: 9780310236320

Publisher: Zondervan, 2002

Synopsis

The wife of a minister is made of the same stuff as any other woman, but her circumstances set her apart. If you’ve married into the ministry, you know the difficulty of balancing the demands of your church and your family, the stresses of clergy marriage, the pressure of unrealistic expectations, and the setbacks of ministry---and the joys. Other than Jesus himself, only a ministry wife really understands what it’s like to be a ministry wife. This devotional is written for you. In its pages, you’ll find not only wisdom and encouragement from God’s Word, but also the reassurance and solidarity of fellow ministry wives who are traveling the road with you and who know the territory. Kathy Chapell, Jeanne Hendricks, Barbara Hughes, Heather Olford, Jan Ortlund, Noël Piper, Sue Sailhamer, Paulette Washington, and many others share their experiences and their hearts in ninety daily reflections that begin with a Scripture verse and conclude with a prayer. Their insights are short, honest, intimate, and practical---and they always point you back to the One who is your ultimate source of help and guidance.

About this title

About the Author:

Barbara Hughes has many years of experience as a pastor's wife. Married to Kent Hughes, pastor of College Church in Wheaten, Illinois, she is the author of Disciplines of a Godly Woman and co-author with her husband of Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome and Common Sense Parenting. She is the mother of four children.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

The Short End Barbara Hughes Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save. Isaiah 59:120 Short is something I understand. I’m short. My father was short, my mother is short, my siblings are short, and all my children—except for one—are short. We are well acquainted with the teasing that comes with being short—nicknames such as "Shorty," "Pee-wee," and "Shrimp-boat," and taunt-ing songs such as "Short People Have No Reason to Live." The message is clear: Short is defective. But of course, the teasing has all been in good fun and has given us many good laughs. The very first verse I memorized as a child points to another "short" that is far more serious in nature. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Even the tallest person has inherited this "short" gene and is seriously defective. No one laughs when they are called up short in some failure. For ministry wives this sinful defect can sometimes be embarrassingly public: a neglected responsibility, a harsh word, an ungrateful spirit. When the prophet Isaiah wrote the verse on which I base this devotion, he made a simple statement about the adequacy of our God: He is able to save. Jeremiah 32:17 agrees: "Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you." Often when I am stretching for something just out of reach or when I’ve come up short, I am reminded of this wonderful truth. Thank you, dear Lord, that your arm "is not too short to save." Forgive me when I fall short of your glory in thought and word and deed. Give me grace to grow in the stature that truly counts. Amen. Even the tallest person has inherited this "short" gene and is seriously defective.

About this edition

• Publisher: Zondervan
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0310236320
• ISBN 13: 9780310236320
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 208
• Editor: Hughes Barbara