PURITY / Mrs April Holman

Mrs April Holman

Deaf Pastor's Wife

Lighthouse Baptist Church

Lebanon, IN

  PURITY
Scripture:  Proverbs 4:23
II Corinthians 2:10
Mark 7:21-22
Psalms 40:1-3
Ruth 3:18 

Just a few weeks ago, my oldest daughter celebrated her 16th Birthday!   For a Mama, it is very difficult to see your first born baby girl all grown up!  I am so proud of her though!     Where most girls would want to have a big party, invite all of their friends and celebrate “Sweet 16”, she didn’t.   She wanted to have what is called a “Purity Luncheon”.  She invited Ladies in the church and her Grandmother and Aunts to come and have lunch with her.  She asked them to bring along a letter that they had written, giving her advice on staying pure until Marriage.  It was such a sweet, touching and an emotional day.  So many ladies came to the luncheon, each one touched, that she chose them to ask advice from. Each lady came bearing a letter of advice.  We went around the room and each lady openly read their letter to her.  Our Pastor’s wife gave a devotion.  There were many tears, of course, but so much good advice to glean from.  My daughter learned so much from these ladies.  This was so good for her and I am so glad that she has a tender heart to want to seek advice and learn how to stay pure.  Her Daddy and I gave her a Purity Ring to wear so she will never forget this day and her promise to the Lord.  As we left, my heart was so full! 
Some things I would like to pull out and focus on that deal with Purity.  
1. Purity all starts in the HEART.  We need to guard our HEART.
a. Proverbs 4:23 says, “KEEP thy heart with ALL DILIGENCE; for out of it are the issues of life.” We are in a day and age where Satan will do anything he can to destroy our heart!  Through our eye gates, our ear gates, so many things that he can send his arrows of temptation to strike us straight in the heart; so many things that can distract us from serving the Lord.  We must GUARD our heart!!!  
b. We cannot be Half-hearted in the things we do for Him.  We must serve Him and guard ourselves WHOLE-HEARTEDLY.
 
2. We must guard our MIND.
II Corinthians 2:11 says, “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. “
               Again, we cannot allow Satan to get that foothold in.  What affects our minds will affect our hearts.  We have to be oh so careful what we watch, what we listen to, where we go.  

3.  We must keep our hearts tender to what God has for us.  
a. Philippians 4:8-9 says, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are TRUE, whatsoever things are HONEST, Whatsoever things are JUST, whatsoever things are PURE, whatsoever things are LOVELY, whatsoever things are of GOOD REPORT; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, THINK on these things.

b. We must THINK on the good things…ON PURPOSE! It’s like an army who builds a Wall or a Fortress around their camp to keep the enemy out.  We must ON PURPOSE keep that enemy out!  The Fortress or wall we build is PRAYER.   Deflecting the fiery darts of the wicked!  

I have shared with my daughter on multiple occasions some of my past.  If you have ever heard my testimony, I had a very difficult upbringing.   I was adopted at age 2 because of a terrible incident that took place with my parents.  My Uncle and Aunt adopted me.  My Uncle was very kind to me, but my Aunt was very cruel.  For the next 19 years of my life I would experience mental, physical, emotional abuse at her hands.  I spent a great portion of my childhood in a basement by myself.    I did not have anyone that I felt I could trust to ask for advice. I did not have anyone to teach me about Purity.  So when I turned 18, I sought to find love on my own.   Boy did it get me into trouble!  I wasted the next 4 years of my life.  I spent 2 years in a “home” for troubled girls and women, I spent all that time hating God for everything that had happened to me.  At age 22, only through God’s Grace, I was adopted by a loving Godly couple.  Shortly after that I went to Hyles-Anderson College where I met my husband.   In 2003, I was a Pastor’s Wife, I had 2 children and one on the way, I was a soul winner, but I had NEVER been saved.  I was interpreting a sermon for the Deaf when God convicted me so strongly I could not continue to interpret.  I ran out of the church, followed by my Mother, who led me to the Lord.     
I tell my daughter all the time I wish I could take back those wasted years.  But I can’t.  My life verse is Psalms 40:1-3 which says, “I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.  He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.”
I believe the Lord allowed me 19 years of abuse so that I could help someone else who may be going through the same thing.  Our God is SO GOOD!   I never want my daughter to experience that horrible pit or the miry clay. I never want her to make the mistakes and experience the heartaches that I did.

If she will just keep her heart as tender as it is right now, and guard her heart and mind, She will keep her purity.
She shared a verse with me just today that she found.  She was writing a book report for school on the book of Ruth.   Ruth 3:18 says, “Then said she, sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall:……..”

Yes, little girl, sit still and let God move!   Be still and know that HE is GOD and HE knows what is BEST for you!  He makes all things beautiful in His time!