To Protect and Serve

Divine Inspirations | By Dee Davis

Focus Scripture:

Acts 20:28 (NLT)

“…guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock His church, purchased with His own blood over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders.”

Devotional:

There comes a point in our walk with Christ where life has taught us enough lessons to know better, and by His grace, we begin to do better. We are no longer babes in the faith, moved by every wind of emotion or circumstance.

We are women who have walked through storms and found God faithful.

We are women who have seen pain, survived heartache, endured disappointment, and yet by God’s power have risen with strength in our bones and wisdom in our mouths.

This kind of maturity is not accidental. It is cultivated.

And with it comes responsibility.

Acts 20:28 reminds us to guard ourselves and God’s people to watch over, to nurture, to speak life and correction in love. As mature women of faith, we carry something precious: experience forged by fire, wisdom pressed from long nights of prayer, and counsel that flows from communion with God. It is not to be hoarded. It is to be poured out.

To Protect & Serve...

Not in the earthly sense of law enforcement, but in the spiritual sense of discipleship, compassion, and guidance.

We protect, not by controlling, but by covering.

We serve not by leading with opinion, but by yielding to the Holy Spirit.

Many of us have endured pitfalls we wish someone had warned us about. We have scars that became our teachers. We have suffered from seasons where we prayed others would understand what we could not yet articulate. Now, through growth and grace, God has entrusted us to walk alongside younger women, sisters in transition, believers searching for footing and identity.

We do not stand above them; we stand with them, and we guide through Him.

And as we offer our insight, we must be led by the Spirit; for wisdom without God can become judgment, and experience without grace can become pride. But when yielded to Him, our testimony becomes a tool of protection. It becomes a lantern on the path of another believer who is still learning to navigate darkness.

Reflection Question

• Who has God placed on your heart to guide, mentor, or uplift in this season?

Action Steps

• Pray for God to highlight one woman, young or seasoned, who may benefit from your wisdom.

• Reach out. Share a moment, a conversation, a scripture, or simply your presence.

• Let the Holy Spirit lead the way.

Encouragement for Today

We did not walk through what we walked through in vain.

Our survival is someone else’s direction.

Our wisdom is someone else’s shield.

Our voice may be the very protection their souls have prayed for.

God trusted us with the experience; now trust Him to use it through us!

Prayer

Father God, thank You for growth, maturity, and the wisdom You have forged within us through every season of life. Teach us how to serve Your people well, not in our own strength, but through Your Spirit. Show us who to encourage, when to speak, when to pray, and when to simply stand beside another woman in love. May our lives bring You glory as we protect and serve Your daughters with grace, compassion, and truth.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Stay encouraged and be blessed.