9.13.2026

eXhaustless (WEEK 24) A-Z PRAISES TO GOD

 

🌿 Week 24 — X: eXhaustless

✨ There Is Still More


📖 Key Scripture

“Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.”
— Psalm 145:3 (KJV)

🌟 Big Idea

Because God is eXhaustless, I can spend a lifetime knowing Him and never reach the end of who He is.

🌿 Welcome to the Women of Wisdom Table

Laura stood at the front as the Women of Wisdom settled into their seats.

Laura: “Good evening, ladies. Gale is unable to be with us today, so she has asked me to facilitate in her place.”

Debbie: “We promise to make it easy for you.”

Laura: “I remember that promise from last week. I am not falling for it again.”

The ladies laughed.

Laura: “Whether you are joining us for the first time, have been travelling with us from A, or are returning after some time away, welcome.”

You do not have to know everything we studied before today to join us. Pull up a chair and begin here.

Laura: “Ladies, we have arrived at an interesting place in our alphabet.”

Maria: “X.”

Abigail: “The letter everybody has been wondering about.”

Laura: “Exactly.”

Tessie: “Pastor Penny, I suppose you're going to tell us you found another word with an X hiding somewhere in the middle.”

Pastor Penny: “I did.”

He turned to the board and wrote:

eXHAUSTLESS

There was a pause.

Maria: “Oh, I like that already.”

Pastor Penny: “And this one is going to do something slightly different for us.”

He looked around the table.

“Ladies, we have spent twenty-three weeks describing our God.”

Almighty.
Benevolent.
Compassionate.
Deliverer.
Eternal.
Faithful.
Gracious.
Holy.
Immutable.
Just.
King.
Love.
Merciful.
Near.
Omnipresent.
Provider.
Quickener.
Righteous.
Sovereign.
Trustworthy.
Unchanging.
Victorious.
Wise.

Pastor Penny: “Now here is my question.”

Have we run out of things to say about God?

Ladies: “No!”

Pastor Penny: “Have we run out of attributes?”

Ladies: “No!”

“Names?”

Ladies: “No!”

“Descriptions?”

Ladies: “No!”

Debbie: “We're running out of letters.”

The room erupted in laughter.

Pastor Penny: “Debbie has just given us today's lesson.”

We are running out of alphabet.

We are not running out of God.

Laura: “Pastor, teach us.”


🙏 P — PRAY

Invite God to deepen our wonder.

Laura: “Cassandra F., would you lead us in our opening prayer?”

Cassandra F.: “Certainly.”

Great and inexhaustible God,

We come before You in wonder.

For many weeks, You have allowed us to see different truths about who You are.

Yet we know that what we have learned is only a glimpse of Your greatness.

Open our eyes again.

Keep us from becoming satisfied with merely knowing words about You.

Give us a deeper hunger to know You.

Show us more of Your character, Your ways, Your glory and Your heart.

And when our minds reach their limits, may our hearts continue in worship.

In Jesus' name,
Amen.

✨ The Lesson Begins

Pastor Penny underlined the word on the board:

eXHAUSTLESS

Pastor Penny: “What does it mean for something to be exhaustless?”

Agneta: “That it cannot be used up.”

Pastor Penny: “Exactly.”

Melanie: “So we are saying there is no point at which we finish discovering everything there is to know about God?”

Pastor Penny: “Precisely.”

To say that God is eXhaustless means that the fullness of His greatness, wisdom, knowledge, glory, goodness and perfection can never be depleted or completely searched out.

We can know God.

We can know Him truly.

We can know Him personally.

But we can never know Him exhaustively.

Jacintha: “So there will always be more?”

Pastor Penny: “Always.”

Important: God is not eXhaustless because He keeps becoming more. He is eXhaustless because the fullness of who He already is can never be completely searched out.

🌊 An Ocean Without a Shore

Pastor Penny: “Imagine standing at the edge of an enormous ocean.”

“You step into the water.”

“You experience it.”

“You know it is real.”

“You can feel it.”

“You can study it.”

“You can describe things about it.”

“But standing ankle-deep at the shoreline does not mean you have exhausted the ocean.”

Hazel: “And going deeper still wouldn't mean you've reached the end.”

Pastor Penny: “Exactly.”

That is one way to think about knowing God.

What we know about Him is true.

But there is always greater depth.

Greater wonder.

Greater wisdom.

Greater glory.

Tessie: “So every attribute we've studied is like going a little deeper into the ocean.”

Pastor Penny: “That is a beautiful way to put it.”

Then he smiled.

“Except this ocean has no shore on the other side.”


📖 R — READ

Listen carefully to what Scripture says about the greatness of God.

Pastor Penny: “Let's allow the Word to show us whether God can ever be exhausted.”

📖 Psalm 145:3

Antonia read:

“Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.”

Pastor Penny: “Notice that word—unsearchable.”

“It does not mean, ‘Don't search.’”

“It means you will never reach a place where you can say—”

“That's it. There is nothing more to discover.”

📖 Romans 11:33–36

Barbara read:

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!”

Cassandra D. continued:

“For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?”

Jesmyn read:

“Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?”

Theresa finished:

“For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.”

Pastor Penny: “Paul has been teaching profound truth, and suddenly his theology turns into worship.”

Trudy: “He reaches a point where all he can say is, ‘O the depth!’”

Pastor Penny: “Exactly.”

Sometimes the proper response to truth about God is not another explanation.

Sometimes it is—Worship.

📖 Job 11:7–9

Vernice read:

“Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?”

Maria continued:

“It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?”

Abigail finished:

“The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.”

📖 Isaiah 40:28

Hermione read:

“Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.”

📖 Psalm 147:5

Claudia read:

“Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.”

📖 Ephesians 3:18–19

Veron read:

“May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;”

Michelle continued:

“And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”

The room became quiet.

Cheryl: “That almost sounds like a contradiction—‘to know’ something that ‘passes knowledge.’”

Pastor Penny: “And that is exactly the wonder.”

We can genuinely know His love.
But we will never reach the bottom of it.


🔍 O — OBSERVE

What do these passages reveal?

Pastor Penny: “What words or ideas did you notice?”

Alynthia: “Unsearchable.”

Pastor Penny: “Yes.”

Cassandra P.: “Infinite.”

Pastor Penny: “Good.”

Anne: “Depth.”

Pastor Penny: “Yes.”

Lilly: “And in Ephesians: breadth, length, depth and height.”

Pastor Penny: “Excellent.”

He began writing their observations on the board.

  • God's greatness is unsearchable.
  • God's wisdom is beyond human measurement.
  • God's knowledge cannot be exhausted.
  • God's understanding is infinite.
  • God's ways surpass our ability to trace them completely.
  • Christ's love surpasses knowledge.
  • God can be truly known without ever being fully comprehended.
  • The more we know Him, the more reason we have to worship.

Debbie: “So not understanding everything about God is not evidence that something is wrong.”

Pastor Penny: “Not at all.”

“In fact, if the infinite God could fit completely inside my finite mind, He would not be much of a God.”


💡 M — MEANING

What does it mean that God is eXhaustless?

Pastor Penny: “Ladies, here is an important distinction.”

God is knowable.

But God is incomprehensible.

Maria: “Explain incomprehensible, because people sometimes use that word to mean impossible to understand at all.”

Pastor Penny: “Good question.”

“In theology, it does not mean we cannot know anything about God.”

“It means we cannot know everything about God.”

God has revealed Himself.

He wants to be known.

He speaks through His Word.

He reveals Himself through His works.

And supremely, He has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ.

But because God is infinite and we are finite—

we will never exhaust the knowledge of Him.

Agneta: “So the problem is not that God is unknowable.”

Pastor Penny: “Correct.”

“The wonder is that He is infinitely knowable.”


📚 Beyond Our 26

Pastor Penny: “Now tell me some truths about God that were not part of our 26 words.”

Hands began going up.

Laura: “Creator. Sustainer. Father.”

Debbie: “Good. Kind. Generous.”

Maria: “Shepherd. Refuge. Rock.”

Abigail: “Forgiving. Patient. Longsuffering.”

Cassandra F.: “Healer. Keeper. Defender.”

Agneta: “Truthful. Perfect. Incomparable.”

Melanie: “Glorious. Majestic. Worthy.”

Jacintha: “Redeemer. Judge. Lawgiver.”

Hazel: “Light. Peace. God of all Comfort.”

Tessie: “Most High. Ancient of Days. Lord of Hosts.”

Antonia: “Alpha and Omega. I AM. King of kings.”

Barbara: “Lord of lords. Consuming Fire. Self-Existent.”

Cassandra D.: “Omniscient. Infinite. All-Powerful.”

Jesmyn: “Gentle. Patient. Abounding in Mercy.”

Theresa: “Preserver. Sustainer. Creator.”

Trudy: “Refuge. Fortress. Shield.”

Vernice: “Shepherd. Keeper. Helper.”

Hermione: “Light. Truth. Peace.”

Claudia: “Majestic. Glorious. Awesome.”

Veron: “Ancient of Days. Most High. Everlasting Father.”

Michelle: “Lord of Hosts. God of all Comfort. Defender.”

Cheryl: “King of kings. Lord of lords. Judge.”

Alynthia: “Alpha and Omega. First and Last. Beginning and End.”

Cassandra P.: “I AM. Self-Existent. Self-Sufficient.”

Anne: “Good. Patient. Forgiving.”

Lilly: “Worthy. Incomparable. Glorious.”

Pastor Penny looked around the room.

Pastor Penny: “Ladies, listen to what just happened.”

“We have moved beyond our 26 words, and the names are still coming.”

Pastor Penny: “Have we exhausted who God is?”

Ladies: “No!”

Pastor Penny: “Have we even come close?”

Ladies: “No!”

We did not run out of things to say about God.

We ran out of alphabet.

🌿 Attributes, Names, Titles, and Descriptions

Pastor Penny: “There is one more adjustment I want us to make.”

“Throughout this journey, we've often spoken about the attributes of God.”

“And that is right.”

“But some of our words are attributes.”

“Some are names.”

“Some are titles.”

“Some describe His works.”

“Some describe how He relates to His people.”

“So perhaps the fuller phrase is—”

The Attributes, Names, Titles, and Descriptions of God

Cassandra F.: “That gives us room to say Shepherd, Rock and Refuge without trying to make everything fit the same category.”

Pastor Penny: “Exactly.”

The purpose is not to win a vocabulary contest.
The purpose is to know our God.


♾️ Four Truths About Our eXhaustless God

1. His Greatness Is eXhaustless

“His greatness is unsearchable.”
Psalm 145:3

God will never become greater than He already is.

But our understanding of His greatness can continue growing.

Anne: “So when God seems greater to me after studying Him, He did not increase.”

Pastor Penny: “Correct. You simply saw more clearly what was already true.”

2. His Wisdom Is eXhaustless

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!”
Romans 11:33

There will be times when God's ways exceed our understanding.

That does not mean He has stopped being wise.

He sees what we cannot see.

Cassandra P.: “And that connects beautifully with W — Wise.”

Pastor Penny: “Exactly. We studied His wisdom last week. X reminds us that we have not exhausted it.”

3. His Love Is eXhaustless

“And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge…”
Ephesians 3:19

Cheryl: “You can know His love and still keep discovering His love.”

Pastor Penny: “Yes.”

No believer ever graduates from needing to understand the love of God more deeply.

4. Knowing God Is an eXhaustless Journey

Paul knew Christ.

Yet Paul still said:

“That I may know him…”
Philippians 3:10

Vernice: “So maturity does not say, ‘I know enough.’”

Pastor Penny: “Exactly.”

Maturity makes us hungrier.

The deeper we go—the more we realize how much more there is.


❤️ P — PRACTICE

Move from “I know about God” to “I want to know God more.”

Pastor Penny: “Now we bring this home.”

“There is a danger in Bible study.”

The ladies looked at him.

Pastor Penny: “We can accumulate information about God without allowing that knowledge to deepen our relationship with God.”

We can know definitions.

Remember verses.

Fill notebooks.

Answer questions.

And yet stop wondering.

Stop seeking.

Stop asking.

Stop worshipping.

Trudy: “So knowledge can become familiar without remaining precious.”

Pastor Penny: “Yes.”

This week, rather than simply asking:

“What did I learn?”

ask:

What does this make me want to know about God next?

🌿 Personal Reflection

  1. Which attribute, name or description of God has affected me most?
  2. What truth about God do I want to understand more deeply?
  3. Have I become satisfied with knowing about God, or am I still hungry to know Him?

Laura: “That third question is worth sitting with.”

Pastor Penny: “Yes. There is no condemnation in it.”

It is an invitation: Come deeper.


💎 T — TREASURE

Hold one truth close.

There is still more of God to know.

Week 24 Treasure:
I will never outgrow my need to know God more.

Other truths worth carrying:

  • God's greatness is unsearchable.
  • The more I know God, the more reason I have to worship.
  • My questions do not exhaust His wisdom.
  • His love is deeper than my understanding.
  • Twenty-six words cannot contain an infinite God.
  • I can know God truly without knowing Him exhaustively.
  • There is always more of God to discover.

Lilly: “Mine is, ‘I will never outgrow my need to know God more.’”

Debbie: “I'm keeping, ‘Twenty-six words cannot contain an infinite God.’”


💬 S — SHARE

Tell somebody in your WOW chat what you have discovered about God.

Pastor Penny: “One reason we share what we learn is that somebody else may need the truth God has shown us.”

“But this week, I want us to share a little differently.”

Tell somebody in your WOW chat:

“One thing I have learned about God is __________.”

Then add:

“And I am discovering there is still more of Him to know.”

Hermione: “That keeps the conversation from sounding as though we have God completely figured out.”

Pastor Penny: “Exactly.”

Humility should accompany theology.

The more accurately we see God's greatness—the less casually we speak as though we have mastered Him.


👑 The Names Keep Coming

Pastor Penny: “Before we close, let's do something together.”

“I am going to ask one question.”

“When you hear it, don't overthink it.”

“Call out an attribute, name, title or biblical description of God that was not part of our original 26.”

WHO IS OUR GOD?

Laura: “Creator. Sustainer. Father.”

Debbie: “Good. Kind. Generous.”

Maria: “Shepherd. Refuge. Rock.”

Abigail: “Forgiving. Patient. Longsuffering.”

Cassandra F.: “Healer. Keeper. Defender.”

Agneta: “Truthful. Perfect. Incomparable.”

Melanie: “Glorious. Majestic. Worthy.”

Jacintha: “Redeemer. Judge. Lawgiver.”

Hazel: “Light. Peace. God of all Comfort.”

Tessie: “Most High. Ancient of Days. Lord of Hosts.”

Antonia: “Alpha and Omega. I AM. King of kings.”

Barbara: “Lord of lords. Consuming Fire. Self-Existent.”

Cassandra D.: “Omniscient. Infinite. All-Powerful.”

Jesmyn: “Gentle. Patient. Abounding in Mercy.”

Theresa: “Preserver. Sustainer. Creator.”

Trudy: “Refuge. Fortress. Shield.”

Vernice: “Shepherd. Keeper. Helper.”

Hermione: “Light. Truth. Peace.”

Claudia: “Majestic. Glorious. Awesome.”

Veron: “Ancient of Days. Most High. Everlasting Father.”

Michelle: “Lord of Hosts. God of all Comfort. Defender.”

Cheryl: “King of kings. Lord of lords. Judge.”

Alynthia: “Alpha and Omega. First and Last. Beginning and End.”

Cassandra P.: “I AM. Self-Existent. Self-Sufficient.”

Anne: “Good. Patient. Forgiving.”

Lilly: “Worthy. Incomparable. Glorious.”

The room grew louder as the names and descriptions kept coming.

Pastor Penny raised his hand and the room slowly quieted.

Pastor Penny: “Ladies...”

“Did we finish?”

Ladies: “NO!”

Pastor Penny: “And that...”

He pointed to the word eXHAUSTLESS.

“...is X.”


❤️ A Wonder Check

Pastor Penny: “Ladies, here is one question I want you to carry this week.”

Have I become familiar with God without remaining amazed by God?

Because the goal of knowing more about Him is not merely information.

It is deeper reverence.

Deeper trust.

Deeper worship.

Deeper love.


♾️ We Ran Out of Alphabet

Pastor Penny closed his Bible.

Pastor Penny: “Ladies, our alphabet is almost finished.”

“We have two letters remaining.”

Y — Your God.

Z — Zealous.

“And then A–Z will be complete.”

He paused.

“But listen carefully.”

Our study will reach Z.

God will not.

Twenty-six weeks cannot exhaust Him.

Twenty-six attributes, names, titles and descriptions cannot exhaust Him.

Twenty-six thousand could not exhaust Him.

A lifetime cannot exhaust Him.

Alynthia: “So we have not been trying to finish God.”

Pastor Penny: “Never.”

“We have been learning to behold Him.”

He looked around the table.

“And perhaps X has given us one of the most important truths in the entire journey.”

We did not run out of things to say about God.

We ran out of alphabet.

Pastor Penny: “And when we finally reach Z, remember this.”

We reached the end of the alphabet.

We did not reach the end of God.

🙏 Closing Prayer

Laura: “Michelle, would you close our teaching time in prayer?”

Michelle: “Yes.”

eXhaustless God,

How great You are.

How deep Your wisdom.

How endless Your goodness.

How immeasurable Your love.

Thank You for every truth You have revealed to us throughout this journey.

Thank You for being Almighty, Faithful, Holy, Merciful, Sovereign, Wise and so much more.

Forgive us when we become satisfied with knowing a little about an infinite God.

Keep us hungry.

Keep us searching Your Word.

Keep us wondering.

Keep us worshipping.

May we spend the rest of our lives knowing You more and never lose the joy of discovering who You are.

In Jesus' name,
Amen.


🌿 Your Turn at the Table

Laura: “Now it’s your turn to join the Women of Wisdom conversation.”

“You may answer one or both questions.”

1. 🌊 There Is Still More

Which attribute, name, title or description of God would you like to understand more deeply?

Creator • Father • Shepherd • Refuge • Rock • Redeemer • Healer • Keeper • Light • Peace • Most High • Ancient of Days • I AM • Alpha and Omega • God of all Comfort • Good • Patient • Forgiving • Infinite • Incomparable • Glorious • Majestic • Worthy • or another truth about God

I would like to know more about God as __________ because __________.

2. ❤️ Finish the Thought

Because God is eXhaustless, I ________________________________.

Possible responses:

  • will never stop seeking to know Him.
  • can trust His wisdom when mine reaches its limit.
  • know there is always more to discover.
  • want to remain hungry for His Word.
  • will never assume I have God figured out.
  • can spend a lifetime knowing Him more.
  • have endless reasons to worship Him.

🌄 Before You Leave the Table

Twenty-three letters have brought us here.

We have discovered power.

Goodness.

Compassion.

Faithfulness.

Holiness.

Mercy.

Presence.

Provision.

Sovereignty.

Victory.

Wisdom.

And so much more.

But X reminds us that this journey was never about finding enough words to contain God.

No alphabet can do that.

No dictionary can do that.

No theological system can do that.

No human mind can do that.

God has graciously revealed Himself so that we may truly know Him.

But He remains infinitely greater than everything we have yet understood.

So do not allow familiarity to steal your wonder.

Keep opening His Word.

Keep asking.

Keep seeking.

Keep learning.

Keep worshipping.

Keep going deeper.

Because there is still more of God to know.

Laura: “Women of Wisdom, we have almost reached the end.”

Debbie: “Of the alphabet.”

Laura smiled.

Laura: “Exactly.”

Not of God.

📖 Next week, God willing, we continue with Y — Your God.

And as our WOW President always says:

📖 Stay the Course in the Word.

9.06.2026

WISE (WEEK 23) A-Z PRAISES TO GOD

 


🌿 Week 23 — W: Wise

📚 The Wisdom Library

📖 Key Scripture

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!”

— Romans 11:33 (KJV) 
🌟 Big Idea
Because God is Wise, I can trust His way even when it is not the way I would have chosen.

🌿 Welcome to the Women of Wisdom Table

There was a little more chatter than usual around the table when Debbie stood up with her Bible and notes.

Debbie: “Good evening, Women of Wisdom!”

Several voices answered at once.

Debbie: “Now, before anybody gets nervous, Gale has not been overthrown.”

The room broke into laughter.

Gale: “Thank you for clearing that up.”

Debbie: “Gale asked me to facilitate today, so I am going to do my very best to behave myself...”

Abigail: “How long do you think that will last?”

Debbie: “We are not taking bets in Bible study.”

Gale: “Debbie, they’re yours.”

Debbie smiled and looked toward everyone gathered around the table.

Debbie: “Before we begin, I want to welcome everyone who is following along with us.”

“If this is your first study, you have not arrived late. Come right in.”

“If you have been here week after week, we are glad you are still journeying with us.”

“And if you started with us, disappeared for a while, and found your way back...”

Welcome back. No explanations required. Your seat is still here.

Debbie: “Last week Pastor Penny taught us that God is Victorious. The battle may be real, but the banner still stands.”

“Today we have arrived at W — Wise.”

She turned toward Pastor Penny.

Debbie: “Pastor, this one sounds like it was made for you.”

Pastor Penny: “I’m not sure whether that is a compliment or additional pressure.”

Debbie: “Both.”

🙏 P — PRAY

Invite God to prepare the heart.

Debbie: “Laura, would you open our study in prayer?”

Laura: “Of course.”

Wise God,

Thank You that Your understanding is perfect.

Help us not to depend only on what we can see, feel or understand.

Teach us to seek Your wisdom, trust Your Word and follow Your direction.

Give us wisdom for the next step and humility to obey You when Your way is different from the one we would have chosen.

Open our minds and hearts to Your Word today.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.```

📚 The Lesson Begins

Pastor Penny stood and wrote one word on the board:

WISE

Pastor Penny: “Ladies, wisdom is more than possessing information.”

“A person can know many facts and still make foolish choices.”

“Biblical wisdom includes knowing what is right and applying that knowledge rightly.”

Debbie: “So knowing the answer is not enough?”

Pastor Penny: “No. And I suspected you would ask that first.”

Debbie: “At least I waited until you finished the sentence.”

Pastor Penny: “Progress.”

He continued.

To say that God is Wise means that He perfectly knows the best way to accomplish His perfect purposes.

God never lacks information.

He never discovers a fact He did not previously know.

He never miscalculates.

He never overlooks a consequence.

He never needs advice.

And He never looks back at a decision and says, “I should have done that differently.”

Barbara: “Because there is nothing He failed to consider.”

Pastor Penny: “Precisely.”

📚 Enter the Wisdom Library

Pastor Penny: “Imagine walking into an enormous library.”

“Every shelf contains an area of life where we wish we had complete understanding.”

🧭 Decisions

🤝 Relationships

⏳ Waiting

🏠 Family

💼 Work

💰 Finances

🌿 Purpose

🔭 The Future

Pastor Penny: “And somewhere in that library, most of us would like to find a volume entitled...”

EXACTLY WHAT GOD IS DOING IN MY LIFE RIGHT NOW

Maria: “I would like the large-print edition, please.”

Lilly: “With an index.”

Vernice: “And a chapter called ‘When Will This Make Sense?’”

The ladies laughed.

Pastor Penny: “Unfortunately, that volume is not available.”

“God has not promised to give us access to everything He knows.”

“He has given us His Word.”

“And He has given us Himself.”

Claudia: “So the goal is not knowing everything God knows.”

Pastor Penny: “Correct.”

Claudia: “The goal is trusting the God who does know.”

Pastor Penny: “Exactly.

📖 R — READ

Listen carefully to what God says.

Pastor Penny: “Let us hear the passages in full. We will begin with Romans 11.”

📖 Romans 11:33–36

Agneta read:

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!”

Michelle continued:

“For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?”

Trudy read:

“Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?”

Anne finished:

“For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.”

📖 James 1:5

Jacintha read:

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

📖 Proverbs 3:5–7

Cassandra P. read:

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”

Hazel continued:

“In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Theresa finished:

“Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.”

📖 Isaiah 55:8–9

Cassandra F. read:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.”

Veron continued:

“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

A quiet pause followed.

Debbie inhaled as if she were about to speak, caught herself, and looked around the table.

Debbie: “I am waiting.”

Hermione: “Thank you.”

The room laughed.

🔍 O — OBSERVE

What do the passages reveal?

Pastor Penny: “Let us observe before drawing conclusions. What is actually in these texts?”

Debbie looked at him, then folded her hands.

Debbie: “Still waiting.”

Hermione: “Romans says God’s wisdom is deeper than we can fully search out.”

Pastor Penny: “Yes.”

Michelle: “It also asks who has been God’s counsellor. The implied answer is no one.”

Pastor Penny: “Exactly.”

Jacintha: “James says that even though God possesses perfect wisdom, He is willing to give wisdom to us when we ask.”

Pastor Penny: “An important observation.”

Cassandra F.: “Proverbs does not tell us to stop thinking. It tells us not to make our own understanding the final authority.”

Pastor Penny: “Very good.”

Debbie looked around.

Debbie: “May I?”

Pastor Penny: “Please.”

Debbie: “Isaiah is basically reminding me that if God’s way does not make sense to me, that does not automatically mean something has gone wrong.”

Pastor Penny: “Yes. Our lack of understanding is not evidence of God’s lack of wisdom.”

  • God’s wisdom is deeper than we can fully understand.
  • God’s knowledge is complete.
  • No one serves as God’s counsellor.
  • God generously gives wisdom to those who ask.
  • We are called to trust God rather than depend entirely on our own understanding.
  • God’s thoughts and ways are higher than ours.
  • True wisdom requires dependence upon God.

Antonia: “The passages also seem to require humility from us.”

Pastor Penny: “They do.”

Antonia: “Because trusting God’s wisdom means admitting that my perspective is limited.”

Pastor Penny: “Precisely.”

💡 M — MEANING

What does it mean that God is Wise?

Pastor Penny wrote three statements on the board:

GOD KNOWS COMPLETELY.

GOD CHOOSES PERFECTLY.

GOD ACTS PURPOSEFULLY.

Pastor Penny: “God’s wisdom is not merely greater than ours. It is perfect.”

God knows every detail.

Every consequence.

Every motive.

Every heart.

Every possibility.

Every outcome.

Nothing has to unfold before God understands what it means.

Alynthia: “So God never has to adjust His plan because He discovered something He did not anticipate.”

Pastor Penny: “Correct.”

Cheryl: “That makes His wisdom very different from ours. We make the best decision we can with the information available to us.”

Pastor Penny: “Exactly. Our decisions are made from partial knowledge. God’s are not.”

Jesmyn: “Then even when God’s timing puzzles us, the timing itself is not careless.”

Pastor Penny: “Yes. We may not understand His timing, but we can trust the wisdom governing it.”

Barbara: “Which is different from saying that everything happening around us is good.”

Pastor Penny: “Very important.”

“Scripture does not require us to call evil good, pain pleasant, or loss insignificant.”

“It calls us to trust that God’s wisdom is not defeated by what we cannot understand.”

❓ “But Why Would God Do It That Way?”

Pastor Penny: “There is a question believers sometimes hesitate to admit.”

Debbie raised her hand immediately.

Debbie: “Why?”

The group laughed.

Pastor Penny: “Exactly.”

Why this route?

Why this delay?

Why did that door close?

Why did this prayer receive that answer?

Why was this allowed?

Why can I not see what God is doing?

Melanie: “And sometimes the hard part is not that there is no answer yet. It is that we can imagine an answer we would have preferred.”

Pastor Penny: “Exactly.”

Trudy: “So trusting God’s wisdom may mean accepting that what seems best from my limited perspective may not actually be best.”

Pastor Penny: “Yes.”

Trust does not say:

“I understand everything God is doing.”

Trust says:

“I do not understand everything God is doing, but I trust the wisdom of the God who does.”

Veron: “That gives room for questions without requiring us to surrender trust.”

Pastor Penny: “Exactly.”

❤️ P — PRACTICE

How do we live in dependence upon God’s wisdom?

Pastor Penny: “Let us return to our library.”

“Which shelf are you standing at?”

  • 🧭 Direction
  • 🤝 Relationships
  • ⏳ Waiting
  • 🏠 Family
  • 💼 Work
  • 💰 Finances
  • ❤️ Matters of the heart
  • 📖 Spiritual growth
  • 🌿 Purpose
  • 🔭 The future

Tessie: “All right. What do we do while standing at the shelf?”

Debbie: “Thank you, Tessie. I was holding that one in.”

Pastor Penny: “First, ask God for wisdom.”

“James specifically invites us to do that.”

“Second, search Scripture.”

“God will never guide us contrary to what He has already revealed in His Word.”

“Third, seek godly counsel where appropriate.”

“Fourth, distinguish between needing wisdom and demanding certainty.”

Cassandra D.: “That distinction is significant.”

Pastor Penny: “Why?”

Cassandra D.: “Because sometimes I say I need wisdom when what I really want is a guarantee.”

Pastor Penny: “Exactly.”

God may not give you the complete five-year map.

But He may give you enough wisdom for the next faithful step.

Hazel: “So I do not need to know everything before I obey what I already know.”

Pastor Penny: “Correct.”

Lord, I do not need to know everything.

Give me wisdom to take the next right step.

Debbie: “That is difficult for those of us who would prefer the whole map.”

Pastor Penny: “It is difficult for many of us.”

Gale: “But the next right step is still movement.”

Pastor Penny: “Yes.”

💎 T — TREASURE

Hold one truth close.

Pastor Penny: “Our truth to carry this week is simple.”

God’s wisdom sees what my understanding cannot.

Anne: “That is especially helpful when we can see only one part of the situation.”

Pastor Penny: “Yes.”

Other truths worth carrying:

  • God knows what is best.
  • God never makes a mistake.
  • I can ask God for wisdom.
  • I do not need every answer to take the next faithful step.
  • God sees what I cannot see.
  • God knows what I do not know.
  • I may not understand God’s way, but I can trust His wisdom.

Cassandra P.: “I’m taking ‘I do not need every answer to take the next faithful step.’”

Abigail: “Mine is ‘God knows what I do not know.’ That covers quite a lot.”

Maria: “Pretty much everything after tomorrow morning

💬 S — SHARE

Encourage someone else with what you have learned.

Pastor Penny: “There are times when wisdom is shared simply by reminding someone of what is true.”

Vernice: “Especially when they are too close to the situation to see clearly.”

Pastor Penny: “Yes.”

Lilly: “Sometimes we don’t need to give people an answer. We need to point them back to God.”

Pastor Penny: “That is often the wiser response.”

Debbie: “Which means I don’t have to solve everybody’s problem?”

Pastor Penny: “You do not.”

Debbie looked genuinely relieved.

Debbie: “This study is ministering to me personally.”

The room laughed.

Cheryl: “There is humility in saying, ‘I don’t know, but let’s pray for wisdom.’”

Pastor Penny: “Absolutely.

🌿 Before We Close the Library

Pastor Penny closed his Bible but remained standing beside the board.

Pastor Penny: “Ladies, there will be pages in your life that you cannot yet interpret.”

“There will be chapters you would have written differently.”

“There will be decisions for which you wish you had more information.”

“There will be moments when God’s way seems puzzling.”

“But the limitation is not in His wisdom.”

“The limitation is in our view.”

You do not need to know everything
when you know the God who does.

Pastor Penny: “Ask Him for wisdom.”

“Search His Word.”

“Take the next faithful step.”

“And when His way is not the way you would have chosen, remember who is seeing the whole picture.”

Agneta: “We see the shelf. God sees the whole library.”

Pastor Penny smiled.

Pastor Penny: “That may be the sentence we close with.”

🙏 Closing Prayer

Debbie: “Theresa, would you close us in prayer?”

Theresa: “Yes.”

Father,

Thank You that Your wisdom is perfect and Your understanding has no limit.

Forgive us for the times we have trusted our own perspective more than Your Word.

Give us wisdom where we need direction, patience where we must wait, and humility when we do not understand.

Help us not to demand the whole plan when You are asking us simply to trust You with the next step.

Remind us that You see what we cannot see, You know what we do not know, and You never make a mistake.

Teach us to trust Your way even when it is not the way we would have chosen.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

🌿 Now It’s Your Turn

Debbie stepped forward again.

Debbie: “Pastor Penny has closed his notes, so now nobody can hide behind him.”

A few smiles went around the table.

“Whether you are joining us for the first time, returning after being away, or have been with us throughout this journey, we want you in the conversation.”

“Choose the question that sounds most like you—or answer all four.”

“Then share your answer in the comments below.”

“You do not have to tell us the situation. Share only what you are comfortable sharing.”

1. 📚 Which truth about God’s wisdom gives you the most confidence today?

  • God sees what I cannot see.
  • God knows what I do not know.
  • God never makes a mistake.
  • God’s timing is guided by perfect wisdom.
  • God can give me wisdom when I ask.
  • I can trust Him without understanding everything.
  • My answer: __________________________

2. 🧭 What do you most need from God as you take your next step?

  • Wisdom to make a decision.
  • Patience to wait.
  • Courage to obey.
  • Humility to accept a different way.
  • Discernment to recognize wise counsel.
  • Peace when I do not have all the answers.
  • My answer: __________________________

3. 📖 Which Scripture from today’s lesson would you carry with you this week?

  • Romans 11:33 — God’s wisdom and knowledge are deeper than we can fully search out.
  • James 1:5 — If I lack wisdom, I can ask God.
  • Proverbs 3:5–6 — Trust God instead of leaning entirely on my own understanding.
  • Isaiah 55:8–9 — God’s thoughts and ways are higher than mine.
  • Another Scripture God brought to mind.
  • My answer: __________________________

4. ❤️ Complete this sentence:

Because God is Wise, I will __________.
  • ask Him for wisdom before rushing ahead.
  • trust Him when I cannot see the whole picture.
  • stop demanding answers before I obey.
  • take the next faithful step.
  • trust His timing.
  • lean less on my own understanding.
  • follow His way even when I would have chosen differently.
  • My answer: _________________________

💬 Pull Up a Chair in the Comments

Debbie: “Now, don’t just think your answer and disappear.”

“Share one response or all four below.”

“Someone reading after you may need exactly the truth God brought to your attention.”

If you are joining the Women of Wisdom for the first time, say hello. 🌿

If you have returned after being away, tell us:

“I’m back.”

And if you have been here all along, make some room at the table and welcome somebody new.

📚 One Book You Don’t Have to Find

Before everyone left, Debbie glanced back at the imaginary shelves Pastor Penny had described.

Debbie: “You know, I still wouldn’t mind finding that book called Exactly What God Is Doing in My Life Right Now.

Pastor Penny: “I suspected as much.”

Debbie: “But I think I understand the lesson.”

“Maybe I do not need that book as much as I thought.”

The room became quiet.

Debbie: “If I know the Author... I can trust the part of the story I haven’t read yet.”

Alynthia: “That is the lesson.”

You may not know the next chapter.

But you know the Wise God who already does.

Last week we learned that the banner still stands.

This week, we leave the Wisdom Library remembering:

God sees the whole library when I can see only one shelf.

Ask for wisdom.

Trust His Word.

Take the next faithful step.

And trust the Wise God with the pages you cannot yet read.

🌿 Next week, God willing, our Attributes of God journey continues with X.

📖 Stay the Course in the Word.

9.01.2026

SEPTEMBER BIBLE READING PLAN

 


📖 Weekly Bible Journey | September 2026

Days 244–273

🌿 Thank You for Reading with Us

Thank you for faithfully reading God's Word with us throughout the month of August. We trust that the Lord has encouraged, strengthened, and challenged you through His Word.

Whether you found yourself identifying with Job's perseverance, reflecting on the wisdom of Ecclesiastes, especially from the Message, or growing in hope through the New Testament letters, we pray that each day's reading has drawn you into a deeper relationship with the Lord.


💬 Encouragement

As we begin September, we enter one of the most remarkable sections of Scripture.

This month reminds us that God is both holy and sovereign. Through His prophets, He calls His people to repentance, offers hope to the faithful, and reveals His glorious plan of redemption.

Some chapters contain warnings.
Others overflow with promises.
Many point us forward to the coming Messiah and God's eternal kingdom.

As you read, ask God to give you ears to hear His voice and a heart that responds in obedience.

Pray simply:

"Lord, open my eyes to Your holiness, strengthen my faith in Your promises, and help me live faithfully before You."


🌿 Monthly Overview

This month completes the beautiful Song of Solomon before leading us into the opening fifty-six chapters of Isaiah, often called the "Gospel of the Old Testament."

Isaiah reveals God's holiness, His righteous judgment against sin, His compassion toward those who repent, and His promises of restoration. Throughout the book we encounter some of Scripture's clearest prophecies concerning the coming Messiah, the suffering Servant, and God's future kingdom.

In the New Testament, we complete the book of Revelation, bringing our New Testament reading to its glorious conclusion. John's visions remind us that Jesus Christ reigns, evil will be judged, God's people will be victorious, and a new heaven and new earth await all who belong to Him.


📅 Daily Reading Plan

Day     Date    OTNT
Day 244    Tuesday, September 1    Song of Solomon 5–6Revelation 6
Day 245    Wednesday, September 2    Song of Solomon 7–8        Revelation 7
Day 246    Thursday, September 3    Isaiah 1–2Revelation 8
Day 247    Friday, September 4    Isaiah 3–4Revelation 9
Day 248    Saturday, September 5    Isaiah 5–6Revelation 10
Day 249    Sunday, September 6    Isaiah 7–8Revelation 11
Day 250    Monday, September 7    Isaiah 9–10Revelation 12
Day 251    Tuesday, September 8    Isaiah 11–12Revelation 13
Day 252    Wednesday, September 9    Isaiah 13–14Revelation 14
Day 253    Thursday, September 10    Isaiah 15–16Revelation 15
Day 254    Friday, September 11    Isaiah 17–18Revelation 16
Day 255    Saturday, September 12    Isaiah 19–20Revelation 17
Day 256    Sunday, September 13    Isaiah 21–22Revelation 18
Day 257    Monday, September 14    Isaiah 23–24Revelation 19
Day 258    Tuesday, September 15    Isaiah 25–26Revelation 20
Day 259    Wednesday, September 16    Isaiah 27–28Revelation 21
Day 260    Thursday, September 17    Isaiah 29–30Revelation 22
Day 261    Friday, September 18    Isaiah 31–32
Day 262    Saturday, September 19    Isaiah 33–34
Day 263    Sunday, September 20    Isaiah 35–36
Day 264    Monday, September 21    Isaiah 37–38
Day 265    Tuesday, September 22    Isaiah 39–40
Day 266    Wednesday, September 23    Isaiah 41–42
Day 267    Thursday, September 24    Isaiah 43–44
Day 268    Friday, September 25    Isaiah 45–46
Day 269    Saturday, September 26    Isaiah 47–48
Day 270    Sunday, September 27    Isaiah 49–50
Day 271    Monday, September 28    Isaiah 51–52
Day 272    Tuesday, September 29    Isaiah 53–54
Day 273    Wednesday, September 30    Isaiah 55–56

🌿 Conclusion

September brings us to a significant milestone as we complete the New Testament. What a wonderful reminder that the story of Scripture ends with the glorious hope of Jesus Christ reigning forever and the promise that He is coming again.

Yet our journey is not finished. The Old Testament continues to unfold God's faithfulness through His prophets, preparing our hearts to see His redemptive plan even more clearly.

Thank you for faithfully walking through God's Word with us. Every chapter read is another step in knowing Him more deeply.

"Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it." — Revelation 1:3

Keep reading. Keep growing. Keep trusting the Lord—one chapter at a time. 🌿📖

8.30.2026

VICTORIOUS (WEEK 22) A-Z PRAISES TO GOD

 


🌿 Week 22 — V: Victorious

🏆 The Banner Still Stands

A Women of Wisdom Bible Study

📖 Key Scripture

“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

— 1 Corinthians 15:57 (KJV)
🌟 Big Idea
Because God is Victorious, I can face every battle with confidence in Him.

🌿 Welcome to the Women of Wisdom Table

Gale stood as the Women of Wisdom settled around the table.

Gale: “Welcome, ladies.”

“If this is your first time joining us, we are genuinely glad you are here.”

“If you have been walking through the Attributes of God with us week after week, welcome back.”

“And if life got busy, you missed a few studies, or you stepped away for a while and decided to return today...”

Welcome back. There is no catching up required before you belong at the table.

Gale: “Last week, Pastor Penny taught us about U — Unchanging. We learned that our seasons may change, but our God does not.”

“Pastor Penny will continue teaching us through the next few attributes, and today we come to V.”

She turned toward him.

Gale: “Pastor, we are ready.”

Debbie opened her mouth, paused, then pressed her lips together.

Abigail: “Debbie, are you all right?”

Debbie: “I’m giving Pastor a chance to ask the first question before I answer it.”

The room broke into laughter.

Pastor Penny: “I appreciate the restraint.”

🏆 The Lesson Begins

Pastor Penny opened his Bible, then wrote one word carefully on the board:

VICTORIOUS

Pastor Penny: “Before we ask what victory means for us, we need to begin in the right place.”

He wrote another question:

What does Scripture reveal about the Victorious God?

Debbie leaned forward, then visibly stopped herself.

Debbie: “No. I’m waiting.”

A few seconds passed.

Debbie: “This is a very long silence.”

Melanie: “It has been six seconds.”

Debbie: “Exactly.”

The women laughed.

Alynthia: “Victory belongs to God before it ever becomes something we experience.”

Pastor Penny: “Excellent. That is exactly where we should begin.”

Biblical victory is not positive thinking.

It is not pretending that the battle is easy.

It is not confidence in our personality, resources, influence or strength.

Victory belongs first to God.

Tessie: “So we are not starting with, ‘How do I win?’”

Pastor Penny: “No. We begin with, ‘Who is God?’”

Life brings real battles.

Fear.
Temptation.
Grief.
Opposition.
Waiting.
Discouragement.
Uncertainty.
Weariness.
And struggles known only to God.

Anne: “Sometimes the battle itself becomes so loud that it is difficult to remember what we already know.”

Pastor Penny: “Yes. Which is why truth must come before interpretation.”

🏳️ The Banner Still Stands

Pastor Penny: “Imagine an ancient battlefield after the fighting has ended.”

There is dust.
There is damage.
There is evidence that a real conflict took place.

“But in the distance there is one thing everyone looks for.”

Debbie’s hand went up immediately.

Then she lowered it.

Debbie: “Somebody else.”

Maria: “The banner.”

Debbie: “Yes! Thank you. That was taking forever.”

Maria: “Debbie, I answered quickly.”

Debbie: “You did. I’m growing.”

Pastor Penny: “The banner identified who had prevailed.”

Our lives may also carry evidence of battle.

Scars.
Memories.
Questions.
Disappointments.
Unanswered prayers.
Long seasons of waiting.

But evidence of conflict is not evidence that God has been defeated.

The cross still stands.

Christ is risen.

God still reigns.

His Word is still true.

His purposes still stand.

Veron: “So the evidence of struggle and the reality of victory can exist at the same time.”

Pastor Penny: “Exactly.”

Claudia: “The battle tells us something happened. It does not tell us that God lost.”

Pastor Penny: “Very well put.”

🙏 P — PRAY

Invite God to prepare the heart.

Pastor Penny: “Before we continue, let us ask God to help us see our battles through Scripture rather than through fear.”

Victorious God,

Thank You that no power is greater than Yours.

Teach us not to rely upon our own strength.

Help us to see clearly what Your Word says about victory through Jesus Christ.

When we are discouraged, remind us that You still reign.

When we are uncertain, steady us in truth.

Give us wisdom to know what obedience requires of us and faith to leave the outcome in Your hands.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

📖 R — READ

Listen carefully to what God says.

Pastor Penny: “I want us to hear several passages together. One passage gives us truth; several together help us see the shape of the doctrine more fully.”

📖 1 Corinthians 15:54–58

Barbara read:

“So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.”

Antonia continued:

“O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”

Melanie read:

“The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.”

Michelle continued:

“But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Trudy finished:

“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

Debbie leaned forward.

Debbie: “Can I say something now?”

Pastor Penny: “You may.”

Debbie: “Paul does not say, ‘God gives you victory, so relax and do nothing.’ He says, ‘Therefore... be steadfast.’”

Pastor Penny: “Excellent observation. Victory produces faithfulness.”

📖 Romans 8:31–39

Cheryl read:

“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”

Cassandra D. continued:

“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”

Theresa read:

“Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.”

Hazel continued:

“Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”

Jesmyn read:

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”

Agneta continued:

“As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

Cassandra F. read:

“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”

Hermione continued:

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,”

Claudia finished:

“Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

📖 Psalm 20:6–8

Jacintha read:

“Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.”

Laura continued:

“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.”

Lilly finished:

“They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.”

📖 Revelation 19:6

Vernice read:

“And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.”

The room became quiet.

Debbie: “I’m not interrupting the silence this time.”

Abigail: “You just did.”

Debbie: “Fair point.”

🔍 O — OBSERVE

What do the passages reveal?

Pastor Penny: “Before we explain what these passages mean, let us observe carefully. What is actually present in the text?”

Debbie looked around the table.

Debbie: “I am genuinely waiting.”

Agneta: “Victory is repeatedly connected to God’s action rather than ours.”

Pastor Penny: “Yes.”

Cassandra D.: “In 1 Corinthians, death itself is treated as a defeated enemy.”

Pastor Penny: “Important.”

Laura: “Psalm 20 contrasts trust in human strength with trust in God.”

Pastor Penny: “Exactly.”

Hermione: “Romans 8 does not say believers avoid tribulation. It says those things cannot separate them from God’s love.”

Pastor Penny: “Very good. That protects us from a shallow definition of victory.”

Debbie: “Now can I say mine?”

Pastor Penny: “Please do.”

Debbie: “The victory passages do not pretend hard things are not happening. They tell us who is greater while the hard things are happening.”

Pastor Penny: “Exactly.”

  • God gives victory through Jesus Christ.
  • Sin and death do not have the final word.
  • Christ died, rose again and intercedes for believers.
  • Nothing can separate believers from God’s love in Christ.
  • Human power is not our ultimate confidence.
  • God remains sovereign over every opposing power.
  • Victory produces steadfastness and faithful service.

Antonia: “So biblical victory does not mean there was no battle.”

Pastor Penny: “Correct.”

Antonia: “It means the battle cannot overturn God’s final purpose.”

Pastor Penny: “Precisely.”

💡 M — MEANING

What does it mean that God is Victorious?

Pastor Penny wrote three words on the board:

AUTHORITY   —   TRIUMPH   —   CERTAINTY

Pastor Penny: “To say that God is Victorious means that no opposing power can ultimately overthrow His authority or defeat His purposes.”

His reign is secure.
His power is unmatched.
His purposes stand.

“And the clearest demonstration of God's victory is found in Jesus Christ.”

Cassandra P.: “Because of the cross and resurrection?”

Pastor Penny: “Exactly.”

At the cross, Jesus appeared defeated.

He was mocked.
Crucified.
Buried.
His followers scattered.

Maria: “Friday looked final.”

Pastor Penny: “Yes. But Friday was not the end of the story.”

At the cross, sin was being dealt with.

At the resurrection, death was defeated.

Jesus rose.

The grave did not hold Him.

Theresa: “So something can look like defeat while God is actually accomplishing victory.”

Pastor Penny: “Yes. And that should make us cautious about declaring the final meaning of a situation while God is still at work.”

Michelle: “We often interpret the whole story from one painful chapter.”

Pastor Penny: “We do.”

Barbara: “Which means perspective matters. We see a moment. God sees the whole.”

Pastor Penny: “Exactly.”

🌿 Victory Does Not Mean Easy

Pastor Penny: “We need to make one more distinction.”

“God’s victory does not mean His people never suffer.”

Romans 8 includes:

tribulation,
distress,
persecution,
famine,
peril,
and sword.

Yet Paul still says believers are more than conquerors through Christ.

Cassandra F.: “So victory may sometimes mean remaining faithful in the trial, not immediately escaping it.”

Pastor Penny: “Exactly.”

Victory may look like:

  • standing when you wanted to quit,
  • obeying when compromise seemed easier,
  • forgiving when bitterness seemed justified,
  • waiting when impatience was louder,
  • trusting when answers were incomplete,
  • remaining faithful when circumstances did not change.

Trudy: “Then victory has to be defined by God’s purpose, not merely by whether I got the outcome I wanted.”

Pastor Penny: “That is very well said.”

Cheryl: “That also makes victory deeper than success. Success can depend on circumstances. Faithfulness depends on whether I obeyed God.”

Pastor Penny: “Excellent distinction.”

❤️ P — PRACTICE

How should this truth change the way we live?

Tessie: “All right, Pastor. What does this look like when the battle is not theoretical but sitting in your house on Tuesday morning?”

Debbie pointed at Tessie.

Debbie: “See? I waited, and she asked my question.”

Tessie: “You’re welcome.”

Pastor Penny: “It means we distinguish between God’s responsibility and ours.”

God’s part: the outcome.

My part: faithful obedience.

Gale: “That sounds simple, but it can be difficult to live.”

Pastor Penny: “Very difficult.”

Think about a battle you may be carrying.

Fear.
Temptation.
A difficult relationship.
A decision.
Family concerns.
Discouragement.
Waiting.
Loss.
Opposition.
Something private.

Then ask:

What does faithful obedience look like here?

It may mean:

  • pray,
  • wait,
  • forgive,
  • speak,
  • remain silent,
  • persevere,
  • seek wise counsel,
  • ask for help,
  • set a healthy boundary,
  • repent,
  • take one faithful step.

Jacintha: “So surrender does not mean passivity.”

Pastor Penny: “Correct.”

“Faith does not refuse responsibility.”

“It refuses to assume God’s responsibility.”

Veron: “That takes some pressure off.”

Pastor Penny: “It should.”

Hazel: “Then part of victory may simply be doing the next right thing without demanding to know how everything will end.”

Pastor Penny: “Exactly.”

Debbie nodded.

Debbie: “I like ‘the next right thing.’ Sometimes I want the whole plan, when God may only be asking for the next step.”

💎 T — TREASURE

Hold one truth close.

Pastor Penny: “Every study should leave us with something concise enough to remember when the battle becomes loud.”

He wrote:

The battle may be real, but God is still Victorious.

Jesmyn: “That keeps both truths together. The battle is real, and God is still greater.”

Pastor Penny: “Exactly.”

Other truths worth carrying:

  • Victory belongs to God.
  • Christ has conquered sin and death.
  • God’s purposes cannot be defeated.
  • I do not have to fight in my own strength.
  • Difficulty does not have the final word.
  • The banner of God’s faithfulness still stands.

Abigail: “I’m taking ‘difficulty does not have the final word.’”

Lilly: “I like ‘the banner still stands.’ That sounds like something you say out loud when you need courage.”

Vernice: “Or something you tell somebody else when they cannot see beyond the battle.”

Debbie raised her hand halfway.

Pastor Penny: “Debbie?”

Debbie: “I was trying not to say it, but yes: the banner still stands. That is the one.”

💬 S — SHARE

Strengthen someone else with truth.

Pastor Penny: “One reason Scripture preserves testimony is that remembered victory strengthens present faith.”

Vernice: “Sometimes another person needs to borrow your reminder for a little while.”

Pastor Penny: “Yes.”

A testimony does not have to be dramatic.

“God sustained me.”

“God gave me wisdom.”

“God kept me from giving up.”

“God answered differently than I expected, but He was faithful.”

“God carried me.”

Claudia: “That kind of testimony does not make the person the hero.”

Pastor Penny: “Exactly.”

“The testimony points back to the Victorious God.”

Debbie: “And sometimes somebody needs to hear your story before they can imagine that God might carry them too.”

Pastor Penny: “Yes. Which is why we share with humility.”

🌿 Closing Encouragement

Pastor Penny closed his Bible.

Pastor Penny: “Ladies, some battles are brief.”

“Others last much longer than we expected.”

“Some victories are immediately visible.”

“Others become clear only with time.”

“And some will not be fully understood until eternity.”

He paused.

“But never confuse a difficult battle with a defeated God.”

He is still reigning.

Christ is still risen.

His Word is still true.

His purposes still stand.

His love remains secure.

His victory is certain.

Anne: “So even when we cannot see the whole outcome, we can still know who God is.”

Pastor Penny: “Yes.”

“And sometimes that is the truth we need most.”

🙏 Closing Prayer

Victorious God,

Thank You that You reign over every power and circumstance.

Thank You for the victory You have given through Jesus Christ.

When our battles feel overwhelming, keep us from trusting only what we can see.

Teach us to stand firmly in Your Word.

Show us what obedience requires.

Give us strength to remain faithful.

Help us release the outcomes we cannot control into Your hands.

And when discouragement whispers that You have lost, remind us of the cross, the empty tomb and the risen Christ.

The battle may be real, but You are still Victorious.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

🌿 Now It’s Your Turn

Gale stood again.

Gale: “Thank you, Pastor Penny.”

She turned toward the Women of Wisdom—and toward every woman following the study.

Gale: “Now the conversation comes to you.”

Whether this is your first time, you have been with us every week, or you are returning after some time away—

Welcome. There is room for you here.

Choose one question or answer all four.

Then share your response in the comments below.

There is no need to share private details. One sentence, one Scripture or even a few words may encourage another reader.

1. 🏆 Which truth about God’s victory gives you the most confidence today?

  • God is greater than the battle I face.
  • Christ has conquered sin and death.
  • God’s purposes cannot be defeated.
  • Nothing can separate me from God’s love.
  • God is still reigning.
  • Difficulty does not have the final word.
  • My answer: __________________________

2. 🌿 What might faithful obedience look like in your present situation?

  • Pray before reacting.
  • Wait patiently.
  • Forgive.
  • Speak truth with wisdom.
  • Seek help or counsel.
  • Persevere.
  • Take one faithful step.
  • Release the outcome to God.
  • My answer: __________________________

3. 📖 Which Scripture from today’s lesson would you carry with you this week?

  • 1 Corinthians 15:57 — God gives victory through Jesus Christ.
  • Romans 8:37 — We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
  • Psalm 20:7 — We remember the name of the LORD our God.
  • Revelation 19:6 — The Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
  • Another Scripture that strengthened you.
  • My answer: __________________________

4. ❤️ Complete this sentence:

Because God is Victorious, I will __________.
  • stop carrying the battle as though everything depends on me.
  • trust God when I cannot see the outcome.
  • remain faithful instead of giving up.
  • obey what God has shown me.
  • stand on His Word when fear rises.
  • remember that the battle is not the end of the story.
  • My answer: __________________________

💬 Join Us in the Comments

Gale: “Ladies, your answer may be exactly what another woman needs to read.”

Share one answer in the comments below.

If you are joining us for the first time, say hello. 🌿

If you are returning after being away, simply say:

“I’m back.”

And if you have been walking with us consistently, welcome someone who is new or returning.

There is room at this table for all of us.

🌿 Continue the Journey

Last week:
U — Unchanging

This week:
V — Victorious

Pastor Penny will continue teaching us through the next few attributes.

Next week, God willing:

W — ?

What do you think it will be?

🌿 The journey continues...

📖 Stay the course in the Word.

🏆 And when the battle becomes loud, remember:

The banner still stands.
The battle may be real, but God is still Victorious.