A Woman of Substance

I enjoy the “quote” signs at Hobby Lobby. Phrases like, “So together they built a life they loved,” “Things are better when we’re together,” and “Thankful, Grateful and Blessed” make me smile.

But hanging in the store, they are just words on a piece of wood or metal, there is no substance to them.

In order to have substance, they need to be in a place where the words are lived out, where they are true, where they have substance.

At the beginning of each year, I ask the Lord for a word that He wants me to experience, to live into.

You guessed it, my word for 2024 is “substance.” Unusual word, but rich in meaning. “A person of

substance adds value to the world. They create something, whether it is material, a thought or an

emotion. They work hard and accomplish something.”

In the Bible the word means “that which stands under.” Hebrews 11:1, “Faith is the substance of things

hoped for…” Faith “stands under”, it supports what we hope for.

As I enter this new year, I want to bring the value of God’s kingdom to the world, to work hard to

accomplish His purposes, and to stand up under and support those who need to be strengthened and

encouraged. I don’t want to be just a sign hanging in a store, I want to be a woman of substance.

Thank you for giving me “a minute.”