Thus It Must Be: Women of God

Women are pretty much awesome. We can literally do just about everything.

• We can make life.
• We can make the world a more beautiful place.
• We can heal souls with love and service.
• We can master our talents and turn them into thriving businesses.
• We can learn anything and build a career.
• We can raise children to be functioning human beings.
• We can turn a boy (a young one or an old husband) into a man.

But in what way does this link us to the Savior and make us like him?

Let’s turn to the scriptures.

Matthew 26 is the beginning of the end for Jesus. It is in this chapter that he suffers for our sins and moments later, betrayed by Judas. Verses 51-54 always stand out to me as words of great revelation.

“And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear.
Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.
Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?” (Matthew 26:51-54 KJV)

What does this mean? It means this, Jesus had the power to do it all. At that moment in time, when Judas gave him away for the price of bread, Jesus could have called the legions of Heaven to his aid. But Jesus knew the scriptures. He had studied them. He knew what he had to do.

And He knew that choice wouldn’t be easy.

Let’s turn to another story from the life of Christ, Satan tempting Jesus in the wilderness. But here are the main points of this story found in Matthew 4:

1. Jesus has fasted for 40 days and 40 nights.
2. He is tired and he is hungry
3. Satan comes to him and challenges him to turn stones into bread to prove that he is the Christ.
4. Jesus refuses.
5. Satan takes Jesus to the top of the Holy Temple and tells him to cast himself down so that the Angels might bare him up.
6. Jesus refuses.
7. Satan then takes Jesus to the top of an exceedingly high mountain and shows him the world and all of its majesty and glory. He promises him dominion over everything if Jesus will all down and worship him.
8. Jesus refuses Satan again.
9. Satan leaves.

Sisters, get your scriptures. Read this story. See yourself in it.

You can turn stone into bread. You can take nothing and make something. Just think about the meal you made for your children last night when they were all screaming. Look at how you turned your house into a home through your skills as a homemaker and manager. Look at how you are turning your husband into a man by the way you treat him and respect him, even when it means gritting your teeth and turning a blind eye.

Sisters, you have been taken to the temple and have been to the pinnacle. You have made promises that will bare you up by angels if you fall down.

My friends, daily you are placed on a mountain top and shown what your talents and skills and knowledge can get you in this life. If you are like me, you ache inside to make yourself known. You yearn to be more than a mom and a wife. You are teased by “What-if’s”.

It would be so easy.

It would have been even easier for Jesus, our Savior, the master of this Earth and the creator of the universe to show Satan just how much he was worth.

But…

Just as you know, Jesus knew that this life is about more than just the here and now. It is about our Heavenly Father’s plan. It is about obedience.

“Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Matthew 4:10)

 

This is not a missive to tell you what to do.

I am asking you to be observant.

I am asking you to listen to your heart.

I am asking you if you believe Christ when he says “…thus it must be…” (Matt 26:54)

Sometimes, as a woman, you have to make a choice. Sometimes it is a hard choice.

But we are women of God.

And we know.