A Moment with M.O.M.- Choosing that which is excellent

Hello Freinds!


Last week I shared about order in the home and some ideas we have used over the years. This week I want to discuss order in our priorities. This can be difficult for us because there seems to be so many good things that we should be doing. The Lord has been impressing upon my heart to not strive for the good thing but to do what is "excellent." As many of you know this year I have been sharing with other women through a weekly Bible study. This lesson was presented to the group a few weeks ago. It is a constant reminder to me that I must seek His will at all times through my day. I want to chose that is excellent not what is simply good.



May you be blessed by the sharing too.

With much love,

Mrs. Joseph Wood



Many times we can feel disorganized, frazzled and unproductive. I have learned through the years that when I have chosen that which was good instead of that which was “excellent” I am most prone to this disarray in my life. Choosing the “excellent” thing is choosing what God wants for this exact moment in my life. Not just what I normally do, not my traditions, and not what others think I should be doing. It is choosing to do what He orders for my day! It means that I am purposefully and prayerfully following His leading! We have the living example of Hannah who chose to do that which was excellent no matter what others might have thought of her. Let’s take a look at her life testimony and collect gems that we can use in our own lives today.


1. The voice of our adversary is often spoken through people in our lives.

Often times we are made fun of, criticized or spoken poorly of because Gods work in our lives does not “look” like others think it should. The enemy uses people to speak fear, discouragement and guilt into our lives. If we want to choose what is excellent we must continually remember to put on the mind of Christ or we will become not only emotionally troubled but can become physically sick! 1 Samuel 2: 6-7


2. Hannah was blessed but didn’t have the blessing she longed for.
The Lord’s blessing is upon His people in a variety of ways. It is a dangerous thing when we lose sight of His blessings to us and long for other blessings He has yet to give us. Hannah was blessed. She had a husband that loved her and longed for her more than his other wife. His other wife was blessed with children but longed for the love of her husband. (1 Samuel 1: 4) Each woman was blessed but longed for the others blessing. Elkanah didn’t understand why he wasn’t enough for his wife. He didn’t understand why she cried... 1 Samuel 1: 8


3. Hannah chooses to go and pray when others are eating, drinking and sleeping.
Hannah cries out desperately for Gods intervention in her life! Have you ever been to that place where you cried out desperately for God to do a work in your life? 1 Samuel 1: 10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore. According to the Strongs Concordance that word, “bitterness” means: angry, bitter, chafed, discontented, great and heavy. It was with this great heaviness that Hannah vowed to the Lord that she would give this child back to Him if He would only open her womb and bless her with a son.


4. When we cry out desperately for Gods blessing we can be misunderstood by others.
Hannah was at in the tabernacle praying desperately for God to bless her with a child that she didn’t even notice her surroundings. 1 Samuel 1:13 Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. Answering accusations from those who don’t understand us can be difficult however, Hannah made clear to Eli that she was neither drunken nor had any drink at all. She was pouring out her soul before the Lord! Eli blessed her and sent her on her way.


5. Hannah chooses to stay home instead of attend the yearly sacrifice.
Hannah chooses to stay home and nurse her child instead of attend the yearly sacrifice. We know that Samuel was presented to the Lord to serve. 1 Samuel 2: 11 Samuel was not only nursed physically by his mother but taught how to minister.



Have you ever had to choose between ministering to your husband and children instead of doing Something in your church, homeschool group, or with your family? It can be a battle in our heart to decide which is excellent. I remember years ago when the Lord led me to stop helping in our Church and to simply remain quiet at home. This testimony of Hannah was instrumental to give me that opinion from Scripture when I felt so much guilt from the opinions of others. There are so many good things we can do for the Lord but that doesn’t mean it is His will for me to do them all! We must guard our relationships with our husbands and children first. You can never be more confident of any ministry than the one ministry He knitted you perfect for! The ministry to your family! We need to choose that which is excellent not simply good!


Choosing that which is excellent sometimes means that we chose to go and pray when others remain at the “party”. It means we stay home when others go to worship.


Choosing what is excellent will take time, grace and wisdom from the Lord. It is nothing that someone else can tell you. It means that I am seeking His face daily and listening to His voice to direct each of my steps.