Author: Mimi Acosta

Mimi Acosta is a retired secondary school administrator and educator. Soon after they were blessed with a saving faith, Mimi and her husband, Noé, began a ministry of education for pastors in Latin America—Gospel Through Colombia. Through this mission, Mimi teaches women’s Bible studies and encourages women to do the same within their churches and communities. At her church in Central Florida, Mimi sings in the choir. She enjoys writing songs and poetry.
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Wanted: A Helper…See Job Description Below

Genesis 2: 18

“And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone;

I will make him a helper comparable to him.”

Have you wondered, Dear Christian Sister, what God did when he made us to be a helper? He gave us a huge job description, no doubt about it, one that was designed only for us and could only be met by us. We got the job, because we filled all of the qualifications for the position of the helper comparable to him, that is, to our husband!

We have been carefully selected and joined by God to our husband to meet his needs. If we look at other faithful Bible translations we will understand our role even better: “help mate” (KJV), “suitable to him” (NIV and NASB), and “fit for him” (ESV). We hold a diploma in each of those categories, so hang it on your wall, because we are going to enjoy our job and live up to the expectations of the King Himself!

Even better, our design as helper encompasses much more than matching our husband’s socks or making sure dinner is on the table when he returns to the home. We are helpers for mankind—helpers for the others in our family, helpers for our community, helpers for the church family and helpers within the Kingdom of God.

We shall never be bored, dear ones, because God gives us a tall order, He expects us to deliver, but also, He beautifully gives us all the equipment and resources we need—the models of Godly women who appear throughout the Scriptures.

As helper to our family, let us take note of Hannah, mother of Samuel. In 1 Samuel 1, Hannah prayed for a son. When our merciful God heard her prayer and gave her the son, she returned him to God, dedicating him to the service of the Lord, and making a special little coat for Samuel each year. Women blessed with children, remember this sweet action of Hannah when your children have special needs—physical, emotional or spiritual, when they require discipline for teasing one another, when they are gobbling down their favorite dessert that took half a day to prepare. As Hannah provided a little robe for her son, so we should provide a prayerful coverage of loving hope for our children—dedicating their life for the service of God. It makes all situations, even the most trying ones, so much more effortless-day after day after day.

As helper in our community, a great example is the beautiful Abigail. As you read 1 Samuel 25, note her genuine concern for damage control. Abigail’s husband, Nabal, was a mean individual who dishonored even the king’s personal envoys. When King David heard of his nasty treatment of them, the king was ready to send his army and destroy Nabal, along with his community. Abigail takes a treat of delicious food to King David and his army and apologizes for the vile behavior of her husband. When Nabal dies, King David sends for Abigail and marries her.

There are often situations in our community, the workplace—even the extended family—that may create distress in our personal relationships. People gossip about each other, grumble to each other, grit their teeth behind each other. I believe that we all have seen it happen, at the supermarket, on the highway, at the Little League tryouts and, yes, at Thanksgiving Dinner. We can be helpers of bringing the community back together, mending fences, allowing others to make something good out of something offensive. We may be perceived as little Pollyannas, but we may be the very ones used by God to present Jesus Christ to spiritually bankrupt people, and it does not require a degree in labor relations. Proverbs 25: 11 says:  “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” Our next Thanksgiving Dinner table will look great with that as the centerpiece!

Finally, sweet Sisters, we can be helpers for the Kingdom of God in the role of evangelists. In John 4, the Samaritan woman at the well met Jesus face to face. He told her she was a sinner and, in so many words, He made her understand her need for a Savior and that He is that Savior. She joyfully and humbly went into her village—a village that most probably despised her because of her unholy lifestyle. The people of Samaria believed Christ as the Messiah and craved spending time with Him. Likewise, we should gladly obey Christ’s final command before He ascended into Heaven. Matthew 28: 19-20 reminds us of this command: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

We are privileged to present Christ to people everywhere, by the way we respond, by the way we act or react, by the way we speak. These are very real ways we are helpers in the Kingdom of God. There is a hungry world out there and we have been bestowed the eternal Bread of Life that so many need right now. Let’s help feed them.

Our God made us exactly how He wants us for His purpose, for His Kingdom, for His name. May we be blessed today, Christian Sisters, to be a helper somewhere to someone for His glory!

From one Helper to Another,

Mimi

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Heavenly Glory

 

The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.


glory

 Psalm 19:1

This photo was taken as I stood atop a mountain in Medellin, Colombia, as dusk was making her entrance. The tiny light to the upper left is the moon—a minuscule speck!

Looking upward more intently I gasped at the magnificent open sky, where, for one brief moment, sun, moon and stars were all delicately resting together upon the blue velvet firmament. Indeed, it was one brief moment, but a moment declaring the glory of God.

Astounded, I recalled God’s first command for Creation, Let there be light, and with His mighty words there was light for the first time—except for His eternal brilliance. Then, on Day 4, God brought into existence sun, moon, all recorded in Genesis 1 of the Bible.

Think about it, Dear Sisters! What you and I observe in the sky are the same heavenly lights that God created—from nothing— on that phenomenal ancient day. How amazing!

The psalmist tells us in Psalm 148 that sun and moon and stars praise God. They were created to give Him glory, every day, without contest or objection, whether perceived, or behind clouds.

Psalms 148:3

Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all stars of light.

God’s eternal, infinite refulgence is unapproachable to us, but these created beings are visible to the eyes of such little ones as you and me! That we may give God glory—whether we stand atop the mountain or down in the valley.

 

Soli Deo Gloria!

Mimi

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Son of God, Light of the World

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8: 12

Dear Sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ,

It is December 26, night has fallen, and a bit of the blues of another Christmas Past clouds my evening. Alas, all the house decorations, all the gifting particulars, all the music practices, and all the festive gatherings culminated in, what is now, yesterday. Christmas Day has come and gone. Already I await the First Sunday of Advent—next year! That sets my mind on something merry and bright for the next 52 weeks! O Come All Ye Faithful!

Thankfully the delight of Christmas lights that twinkle and shine in the neighborhoods, in the shopping centers and in the parks extend the spirit and the joy—hopefully until Epiphany, January 6. That is the celebration of the visit by certain wise men who brought gifts to the Christ Child. These men, who studied the position of the stars, for whatever reason important to the culture of the times, were fascinated by one specific star in the east. Familiar, also, to the Hebrew Scriptures, they expected the birth of the King of the Jews. The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 2, verse 2 contains this narrative:

“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?
For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”

These highly educated men depended on the Scriptures and the knowledge that God gave them to seek Jesus in order to worship Him. What a precious reflection of the way God draws us to Himself—through His word and in His creation! We do not have to be academicians to know God. The magnificence of the creation tells about the Creator. Indeed, this is exactly what Paul states in Romans 1, verse 20:

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”

They followed the star to find a King, and when they found Him, they fell to the ground and worshipped Him. Then they presented Him royal gifts: gold for splendor, frankincense for fragrance, and myrrh for soothing. Imagine that—not being Jewish themselves, there was something that moved them to worship this Child-King. Memorialized in the Gospel of Matthew, our Christmas traditions have, through centuries, included the wise men—and gifts—and stars.

O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy Perfect Light.

In our dark world, where sin abounds, where anxieties and fears paralyze, where troubles and sickness hurt, where things and desires overtake, where hatred and warfare kill, we need the Perfect Light. That Light is Jesus, who took upon Himself our sins and guilt on a dark day in the midst of a blaming mob, so that we, who believe on Him and trust that He died on our account, will have eternal life with Him. Jesus, the only Son of God, left His resplendent Heavenly throne to become like us in every way, but sin, and obeyed His Father in every aspect, where we could never obey Him.

In retrospect, Dear Sisters, this day after Christmas has actually turned into a sweet and joyful time. Our Christmas tree never looked so sparkling, there are still a few radio stations playing Christmas music, and there are still some cookies in the tins. Above all, I am glad that you and I have spent this time together, reflecting on the True Light. Joy to the World!

Merry Christmas,
Mimi

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His, Mine and Ours

Dearest Sisters in the Lord,
One of the most delightful and meditative ways for me to pray is to spend time dwelling on the characteristics of God, concentrating on Who He is, how magnificent His reign, how wonderful His works!

Come alongside me and we can pray this way together. We might one day focus on His incommunicable characteristics: holy, eternal, infinite, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, abounding in grace. He alone possesses them and shares, or communicates, them with no one and nothing in His creation. Caveat, Dear Ones: when we meditate on these, be prepared to leave your prayer place totally breathless!

However, on another day, we may want to dwell on those characteristics of God that he does communicate, or shares, with us. Such would be love, joy, peace, patience, and goodness, those wonderful “fruits of the Spirit” listed in Galatians 5. It is God’s faithful promise to us that when we receive Christ Jesus as our Savior, we begin to experience these special traits for ourselves, and we are, also, glad when we see them exhibited in others. We are made in His image, after all!

So, to start such a devotional today, let us consider goodness—God’s and ours, but we shall quickly discover but they are not one and the same; however, we can still enjoy the comparison and praise Him for any goodness that He places in us.

God’s goodness radiates from all that He is because He is God. His goodness is eternal, there was no beginning to it and there will be no end to it. The goodness in us might allow us to perform a noble deed, or extend an act of kindness—something easy to do when nothing has interfered with our time and no one has disturbed our space.

Unlike us, God’s goodness is infinite—there is no limit to it. The beauty of His creation reveals it to us daily—a captivating sunset, snow sparkling on the mountain, ripples in a stream, a baby’s first words, a familiar hymn, and, without more hesitation—chocolate! We can taste and see His goodness everyday and everywhere:
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Psalm 34:8

Where His goodness is everlasting, ours lasts until someone or something makes us angry, upset, annoyed, and, in arrogance, we refuse to be nice to anyone anymore! Have you ever had one of those days?

God’s goodness is holy. There is nothing unholy in Him. If there is any goodness that emanates from us, it often comes to light with some measure of pride and some need for a reward. What a great feeling to do something good for someone—whether they deserve it or not! We might not say it, but we sure can think it in our heart—just place the royal crown on my head right now!

Our goodness is unholy—pitiable, passing and puffing!

Sisters, I share these thoughts today, because it is so important to remember God’s goodness— and forget ours! The truth of the matter is that there is nothing good in us, unless we wear the robe of righteousness that Jesus Christ wove for us in His blood.
I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness.
Isaiah 61:10a

Goodness belongs to God alone and His goodness is always accompanied by His glory—something Moses saw when God permitted him to in Exodus 33. Moses yearned to see God Almighty, and the God of all Grace rendered him the unsurpassable privilege of experiencing on earth His Shekinah glory, calling it His goodness while revealing His graciousness and mercy.

And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The Lord.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.
Exodus 33:19

We can only gasp with wonder and awe at the thought! Yet, someday, you and I will see the same in Heaven:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23:6

Ah, how good for us to linger on God’s Goodness for the rest of the day, and tomorrow, and the next day, and, indeed, for all the days of our life.

In His Grace and Goodness,
Mimi

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A Marriage Like No Other

Song of Songs 8: 6-7
6 Set me as a seal upon your heart,
As a seal upon your arm;
For love is as strong as death,
Jealousy as cruel as the grave;
Its flames are flames of fire,
A most vehement flame.
7 Many waters cannot quench love,
Nor can the floods drown it.
If a man would give for love
All the wealth of his house,
It would be utterly despised.

Dearest Sisters,
That’s the power of love! These verses from Song of Songs contain the most exquisite description of love between a man and his wife. This is not the kind of “wedded bliss” love that we can have here and now, but this love that King Solomon penned by Divine Inspiration is already ours as we await our wedding day to the Prince. Someday my prince will come, indeed! He is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Yes, Dear Ones, the love songs of yesterday and today are quite beautiful. I admit, I am a fool for an old romantic musical—especially those that ran first on Broadway and later became movies. I relish watching them—those corny, silly, unrealistic, tear-producing two- hour segments of simplistic songs and trivial dialogue. And they do, to a degree, represent the love that often leads, even idealistically, to marriage. After all, they go together like a horse and carriage!

But sadly, in many marriages, that is the only kind of love that may exist between a husband and wife who have no hope in Jesus Christ, or even desire to know about Him and His love for His Bride. They work like a horse to ride out their marriage in a perishable carriage. Marriage without Christ makes no sense!

But for us who trust in Christ alone for our salvation, whether married or single, we await that glorious Wedding Day when our Heavenly Groom takes us for Himself. He has sealed us over His heart, a heart that once throbbed as He wept over Jerusalem, but now throbs in Heaven for those for whom He died. He wears each of us in our own emblem on His arm, and loves us as we are, sinful now, but sinless when He comes for us, dressed in our brilliant bridal gown, unstained, unwrinkled—but washed in His very own blood!

Christ’s love for us is as strong as death and His love is eternally jealous for us. Oh, I am not speaking about the love we should have for one another, where I Corinthians 13 tells us that love is not jealous. The Song of Songs proclaims the Divine Jealousy that characterizes God Himself when He declares in Exodus 34: 24, for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. Jesus will have us for Himself, and we cannot share ourselves with anything or anyone in this world.

Precious Sisters, He does not stop there to profess His remarkable, unmatchable love for us in our eternal marriage to Him. He says that His love burns like a blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Do you remember the burning bush in Exodus 3? This is the same God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who spoke to Moses then, and is speaking to us now. What a great mystery, and yet, so real for us! Please, take a deep breath, and try to consider this kind of marital love that will send sparks flying forever! Imagine a candle lit evening, the most sumptuous dinner for two, music and poetry, His penetrating eyes, His truthful mouth, His breath of life—lasting forever and ever! And our residence will be Our Heavenly Mansion, Heaven, Heaven (no zip code required)!

There is even more good news! No waters—not even floods— can ever quench that flame of love that the Lord Jesus has for us! And no amount of money could have purchased it for us. God Himself gave Christ’s infinite and eternal love to us, by grace. As we await our Groom, let us remember that wonderful verse 8 from Ephesians 2, For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

And so, my married and unmarried Sisters, marriage on earth should reflect this exciting, romantic, eternal marriage to Christ Jesus. It should, but it cannot. It cannot because sin gets in the way. It is an ancient sin that began with our first earthly parents in Genesis 3:16, the sin of struggle with one another (…Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you. ESV)

Yes, as much as we love the husband God gives us here, and we sincerely strive to submit, to honor and to respect him, we fail him and we fail God. How good it is to remember that we are already forgiven of this sin, that we are called to repent of it and ask God daily to help us look upon our earthly husband as we would Our Eternal One! Ah, now that could really feel like a marriage made in Heaven!

Stay close to Jesus Christ,
Mimi