Women's Retreat Part 2

Prior to the women's retreat, every woman was emailed the name of a woman that would be a prayer partner...we would pray for that woman and then write her a note with our prayers and scriptures that we feel God has given us to give to her.

I was fortunate enough to get someone that I know, although I do not know her that well. After breakfast we had our first session and then we were given a quiet time. God really shared a lot of scripture with me during that time...some for me and some for her and some for both of us.

One interesting thing that happened was when I was looking up Zepheniah 3:17, which was referenced in the morning session. "The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love. He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy." This scripture was just one that showed God was there with me and that he is sometimes quiet in His Love, but as I began to write the scripture reference down in my journal, instead of writing Zepheniah 3:17 I wrote Zepheniah 3:10. Whoops, so I crossed out the "10" and tried to write "17" and wrote "10" again.

So, I figured God wanted me to read that as well. It reads: "From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, My dispersed ones, will bring My offerings." I continued to read on: "In that day you will feel no shame because of all your deeds by which you have rebelled against Me; For then I will remove from your midst your proud, exulting ones, and you will never again be haughty on My holy mountain. But I will leave among you a humble and lowly people and they will take refuge in the name of the Lord." WOW.

Shame is what I felt and God was telling me He will cover me. The next scripture I read was Isaiah 40:2: "Tell her that her sad days are gone and her sins are pardoned." Another WOW and a Whooooaaaa!

Jeremiah 3: 14-15 was the last one I wrote down, which I also included in my women's retreat prayer partner's card..."Return home, you wayward children," says the Lord, "for I am your master, I will bring you back to the Lord of Israel--one from this town and two from that family--from wherever you are scattered. And I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will guide you with knowledge and understanding."

I am thankful that I was given this scripture. I want to be brought back into the fold...the sheepfold. :) I also pray for those out there that feel separated from God. I know the feeling. Whether it be a year and a half or ten years, I pray that even when God is quiet in His love, that we have faith that He still loves us, even if we don't hear Him or feel His presence. And most of all that we know He has forgiven our sins and we should feel no shame, even if we have sinned as a rebellion (as I have) because we have somehow felt betrayed by Him (as I did).