KingsWay women gather monthly in homes, in small groups of 8-10, to study God’s precious Word and to encourage one another to follow him in every area of life. We call the groups Flourish Groups. Taneka recently shared about the specific ways the Lord is encouraging her soul in needed and timely ways as she gathers with her sisters.

Flourish, KingsWay’s women’s ministry, is like an oasis for women to come together to study God’s Word and talk about what the Lord is doing in our lives, personal challenges included! Our study this [past] fall has been in the first few chapters of the Gospel of Luke. I want to share two examples of how the Lord encouraged my heart through Scripture.

The first example is from the life of a woman named Mary. Mary was told by God that she would carry a child and that the child would be called Jesus. As human beings, we often doubt that what God says is true. But not Mary, she accepted the assignment by praising God and having faith in what he said to her. I’m provoked by her trust in the Lord and am praying I would do the same in all circumstances!

The second is from the experience of a man named Zechariah. He was a priest serving in the temple in Jerusalem when God told him that his wife Elizabeth would have child named John, who eventually became John the Baptist. Zechariah was like, "Look at me and Elizabeth! We are up there in age. How can I know you’re telling the truth?” Unlike Mary, he didn’t believe God’s Word. And as a result, God silenced him until his wife miraculously conceived, gave birth to a son, and Zechariah named him John.

Now you might wonder, “How is that story encouraging?” I learned that even through correction, when we don’t believe God or we make big mistakes, God is still good, loves us very much, and his perfect plans cannot be stopped. The Word says in Proverbs 3:11-12, "My child, don't reject the LORD's discipline, and don't be upset when he corrects you. For the LORD corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights". I want to be a woman who humbles myself when the Lord brings correction in my life, knowing he can redeem me the way he redeemed Zechariah.

For those who don’t know, this year marks two years that my boyfriend has passed away. I still have my moments when I am sad and feel alone. I sometimes wonder why God has put me on this hard and sometimes difficult journey. God’s faithfulness in Luke’s Gospel reminds me he is with me and that even though I feel alone, I know that I am not alone. The Enemy can sometimes make us feel that we are defeated, that there is no hope. The enemy is a liar and there is hope in Jesus.

There is a quote in the Luke Volume one study guidebook that really hit home for me: "Christianity is first and foremost a rescue religion, because Christ has come as a savior to bring peace between God and humanity.” I am thankful that God has rescued me from darkness and has brought me into his wonderful and beautiful light.

Taneka Williams