Her lamp does not go out by night...

Proverbs 31:18

"She perceives that her merchandise is good,

And her lamp does not go out by night" NKJV

"She perceives that her merchandise is good..."  

The bride, as represented by the Proverbs 31 woman, looks at her "merchandise" - the fruit of her labours for the King - and she perceives, she knows and understands that it is good because it is the fruit, or the product, of the labour of the Holy Spirit within her.  She knows the Holy Spirit produces it in and through her.  So what will be the merchandise of the bride of Christ in this sense?  The following scriptures explain much about this:

Galatians 6:7-9

7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

The bride's merchandise is therefore the harvest of that which she has sown - it is her return on the investment she made with her labours and conduct in and out of season and she perceives it is good.  

"...her lamp never goes out by night..." 

The bride's light never goes out - not even in the dark times and seasons of trials and tribulations.  When the clouds of cultural darkness assembles itself and persecution is around the corner, even then her light shines brightly.  She wraps herself with the armour of light - Romans 13:12-14 "The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts." When the bride puts on the Lord Jesus Christ, she cannot help but wrap herself with the armour of light - look what is written in Ps 104, how He is dressed in light!  

Psalm 104:1-2

My soul, praise Yahweh! Lord my God, You are very great;

You are clothed with majesty and splendor.

2 He wraps Himself in light as if it were a robe, (HCSB)

We can be assured and rejoice in Christ, for in John 1:1-2 we read:

John 1:4-5 (HCSB)

Life was in Him

and that life was the light of men.5

That light shines in the darkness,

yet the darkness did not overcome it.

The bride's lamp will never go out by night for the darkness cannot overcome the light of Christ in her!

So the questions to ponder this week are:

• Rejoice in the merchandise that the Holy Spirit already produced and put in your hand - give Him the glory for it!
• Reflect on what we are sowing - thus what kind of merchandise are we expecting to harvest?
• Are you and I wrapped with Christ and therefore with the armour of light?
• Do we believe that as the night deepens and darkness prevails in the culture of our day - that our lamp will never go out for darkness cannot overcome or comprehend it?  

Let there be light - Hillsong