And there is no one who can deliver out of My hand;
I work, and who will reverse it?”
So this week Monday devotions became Wednesday devotions, because I was travelling in the Eastern and Northern Cape. On this particular trip we did not always have electricity and sometimes no water, since the water pumps work with electricity... and for some of the time we had absolutely no internet connection. Amazing how we can do without things we otherwise these days see as absolute essentials. We had to do without some of our usual plans in our presentations and we needed to make new plans, be creative and work with the resources we had, however - God was still God. He still is the only God, since no God was before Him, nor shall there be another God after Him. He is the one and only saviour and we are His witnesses. He declared that before the day was, He IS, and that no one can be delivered out of His hand, and then that last sentence really hit home for me:
I work, and who will reverse it?
In spite of our shortcomings, in spite of our lack of resources, or wisdom or knowledge or know-how. In fact, in short we can simply say, "In spite of us" He works and no one can reverse it! What an amazing declaration! I am so relieved that He still works in spite of us - that He is so much bigger than our resources, wisdom and abilities, or lack thereof - yes in spite of all that - He is the God who works - and no one will reverse it!
Point to ponder:
Call to remembrance and share a few stories this week of times when God worked in your life and no one could reverse it ...
They have been extinguished, and have gone out like a wick):
18 “Do not call to mind the former things,
Or consider things of the past.
19 Behold, I am going to do something new,
Now it will spring up;
Will you not be aware of it?
I will even make a roadway in the wilderness,
Rivers in the desert.
20 The animals of the field will glorify Me,
The jackals and the ostriches,
Because I have given waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My chosen people.
21 The people whom I formed for Myself
Will declare My praise.
This weekend we were ministering in the 'Groot Karoo' area, and we could once again experience how God made things new and gave us a new beginning in different areas of our lives. It reminded me of this scripture which is a celebration of the might of our God. He makes a way through the sea when we think it is impossible to cross and He destroys the power of the enemy chasing us. Then He reminds us to not call to mind the former things. Not even remembering the things of the past because it takes our focus back to the enemy's plans and destruction. Instead, He reminds us to 'behold' - focus our gaze upon, look and keep looking, hold, lock our vision upon Him to see the new thing that He will bring about.
Last year in September we were also in the same area of the Karoo and it was incredibly dry. Since then God has poured out his grace, in the form of rain, on the land and the people and we could really enjoy the new thing He had done in nature this weekend. Truly there were rivers in the desert and animals in the field. Nature was glorifying Him by growing with gusto and being as green as it could be, for He gave them waters in the wilderness and drink to His chosen people.
Let us - who are the people whom He formed - declare His Praise for evermore for each new thing He is doing in our lives!
But now, this is what the Lord says, He who is your Creator, Jacob, And He who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are Mine!
Last week God called us to Arise and Shine with His Light in us, this week's message links so beautifully with that message. God reminds us that He has called us by name. He is our creator, He formed us. He tells us not to fear for He has redeemed us AND He has called us by name. Its not just a general calling, not just a blanket statement of 'everybody' is called thus implying that I am just one of the called masses. This statement is a specific and very personal one. He called you and I "BY NAME". He knows my name, He knows your name. Before we were born he knew your name, and He had a purpose and a calling in mind when He created me and you for such a time as this.
What does this calling of God mean?
Firstly I think it is a call to a life of personal relationship with Him. It is a personal calling therefore He uses our personal names. It is a call unto Him firstly.
Secondly it is a call to a God-given purpose that He has ordained, prepared and equipped us for before we were even formed in our mother's womb.
Point to ponder
Lets take time to ponder the state of our personal relationships with God this week. How do I respond to Him calling me 'BY NAME' ? Re-write that verse with your own personal name in the sentence.
Secondly let us take some time to ponder His purposeful calling of my name for this year. What are the specific purposes that He is calling me to for this season?
“Arise [from spiritual depression to a new life], shine [be radiant with the glory and brilliance of the Lord]; for your light has come, And the glory and brilliance of the Lord has risen upon you.
2 “For in fact, darkness will cover the earth
And deep darkness will cover the peoples;
But the Lord will rise upon you [Jerusalem]
And His glory and brilliance will be seen on you.
A very good friend of mine brought this well known scripture to my attention this week, and somehow it just did not want to disappear again. Every time I think about Monday devotions and wonder "what is the Lord saying for this week?" this comes to mind. Therefore I think we had better pay attention to Isaiah 60. So here goes:
Is there anyone out there that feels their light is sort of dimming in this very challenging time, or is it just me? The darkness seems to escalate continuously and less and less light and truth seem to be visible out there. It is truly a time where darkness covers the earth and a deep darkness the people. However, in the midst of this darkness, God encourages us to "Arise!" and to stand up from our downtrodden state and let the Light that He shines upon us "Shine!"
John 1:4-5 says: "4 In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness did not understand it or overpower it or appropriate it or absorb it [and is unreceptive to it]."
Even though the darkness covers the earth and the people, the Light of Christ is upon us and the darkness does not understand it, nor can it overpower it, or appropriate or absorb it. If we read closely in Isaiah 60 we see clearly that it is not our own light that we need to 'shine', it is the Light of the Lord that rises upon us. He is our Light that has come, He came to shine on us and we can merely reflect His Light to the world. In Him is life and the life IS the LIGHT of men.
Points to ponder this week:
Let us ask the Lord to clean our mirrors with which we reflect the Light that He shines on us, so that the glory that He shines upon us will be reflected brilliantly into this present darkness around us!
Some doors may have closed over the past year. Some of them may have just been outside our reach, some open doors we may not have recognized and may not have made use of, others may have been slammed shut in our faces because of other people's actions, reactions, decisions or indecisions. Whatever the case may be, chances are that we experienced some losses. We may even be mourning over the loss of whatever dreams, opportunities or expectations we perceived to be lying beyond those doors. Loss is always painful. Sometimes there are regrets about our own wrong decisions or inactions or whatever the case may be, in the end we need to face the losses and accept that our life's journey has taken a different path than planned. Mostly it means that we have to deal with the loss of our expectations.
Jeremiah 6:16-17 says:
Thus says the Lord,
“Stand by the roads and look; ask for the ancient paths,
Where the good way is; then walk in it,
And you will find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it!’ AMP
Many of us - if not all of us - are standing at a crossroad with some life decisions. We are wondering what road to take, what decision we need to make, which direction to go. The Lord reminds us today that there is an ancient path, a good way that, when we walk in it, we will find rest for our souls. The choice is ours. Are we going to take the road He placed before us since before the beginning of time, or are we like Israel of old going to say: "We will not walk in it?" The road is there, it is not missing or so obscured that we cannot find it. It's there and the outcome is rest in Christ. Rest for our souls.
Let us not hold on to what is behind us, but let us stretch ourselves out to what lies before us. Let us follow the path He has set before us.
The year 2022 lies before us, undoubtedly filled with many open doors and opportunities for a myriad of different aspects of our lives.
Revelation 3:7-8 says:
‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: 8 “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. NKJ
The Lord encourages us today that He puts before us an open door which leads to the ancient paths. He gives us opportunities and when He gives them and opens the door, NOBODY - no government decision, no world pandemic, no wrong decision, NOTHING, can rob us of the doors that He opens for us. Even when we have just a little strength left, let us keep His Word and not deny His name as we step forward through the open door and follow the ancient path He set before us.
Sometimes it looks like there is no way ahead, but God will make one, in fact He already did. Let us use every opportunity available to us to walk in His glory to the honour of His Name only.
Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many daughters have done well,
But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
And let her own works praise her in the gates.
Today on this last Monday of 2021 we are also reading the last few verses of Proverbs 31. I did not plan it like this, it just worked out this way, but I do think today's message is a timely one for us for the end of 2021, but also a good beginning for 2022. In these verses the bride is praised for being excellent in character and works. I think it's easy for us to look at the works part and see them as outstanding, but I think the real essence of this piece of scripture lies in verse 30 where she is praised for her fear of the Lord. Her works of excellence flows from this fear of the Lord - it does not come from beauty or charm - but from the FEAR OF THE LORD.
Proverbs 9:10 states:
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."
Let us therefore be reminded that no good works, no excellence, can come from any other place but from a place of fearing the Lord. Fear of the Lord does not mean that we are scared of Him, it means that we have a respectful reverence, an awe-filled wonder and excitement coupled with a deep respect for His greatness and His all-powerfulness, His omni-presence and His all-knowingness. It carries a respectful reverence in His presence for His AWESOMENESS!
Labouring from this place of fear of the Lord will produce fruit that is worthy of His praise, because it is the fruit of His Spirit in and through us - the bride of Christ. Ultimately it is the works of the Holy Spirit in forming and maturing the character of the bride of Christ, as seen in the fruit of her labours, that is worthy of praise in the gates of the everlasting city of God.
Points to ponder this week
Rejoice in the fruit of the labour of the Holy Spirit in us and through us during the past year
Let us focus our attention for the year to come on having the fear of the Lord that brings an AWE for Him, and let us allow the Holy Spirit to labour in us to build our character, and through us to produce works that have everlasting fruit.
Let us go into 2022 and fearlessly face the world, but fearfully and respectfully, with fear and awe of our God, face each day in the Name of the One and only true and Holy God.
"She watches over the activities of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness."
NASB
The bride 'watches' - interesting word. This word for 'watch' is used in other places in the Bible often in the context of the King's guards that 'watch' from their watchtowers to see if there are danger, enemies or messengers approaching (e.g. 2 Sam 18:24-27, 2 Kings 9:17-20). In Song of Songs 7:4 this word is used in the context of the bride being described as a tower watching out in the direction of Damascus, in other words as being a watchman looking out, discerning approaching danger or messengers from afar.
Likewise consider the context of the following scriptures:
Is 21:6 "For thus has the Lord said to me: “Go, set a watchman, Let him declare what he sees.” NKJ
Jer 6:17 "Also, I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!" NKJ
Ezekiel 3:17
17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me.." NKJ
Hab 2:1
"...I will [in my thinking] stand upon my post of observation and station myself on the tower or fortress, and will watch to see what He will say within me and what answer I will make [as His mouthpiece] to the perplexities of my complaint against Him. 2 And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes may [be able to] read [it easily and quickly] as he hastens by..."
When we thus consider the use of the word 'watches' in this scripture in Proverbs, it is not far fetched to understand this scripture to mean that the bride is acting as a watchman for her household. She is on her watchtower to intercede for her 'household' (a household would include more than just family, it would include everyone that God gives us to be in relationship with, e.g. family, employees, friends and friends of my family, children and grandchildren, etc.) for a number of reasons. Interceding can take on many forms and can have many purposes, but for the purpose of this devotional I would like us to focus on the following three scenarios:
She watches out, prays into and brings the Lord's word of direction and encouragement for her household, as well as:
The Lord's word of warning regarding approaching danger to her household, to ensure that they are prepared and on guard, and
In doing so for her own household, she would also be doing it for the neighbours and the city and the nation.
If we consider the following sentence in that verse within the context of intercession, it reminds me of Isaiah 56:10 "[Israel’s] watchmen are blind, they are all without knowledge; they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; dreaming, lying down, they love to slumber." The bride in Proverbs 31 is not blind and without knowledge, nor is she dreaming, lying down, loving to slumber - in other words, she does not eat the bread of idleness... she is vigilant and lives out her calling to watch over her household.
In Revelation 3 there is an end-time warning and an encouragement for us in this context:
"These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. 3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. 4 You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
Points to ponder this week:
Let us repent of having a name that we are alive but we are dead, and let us become watchful and strengthen that which remains before it dies. Let us fan the flame from the few coals there still is, so that the thief will not come upon us unnoticed and so that we will be of those whose garments were not defiled and whose names are not blotted out from the book of life.
Since we are nearing the end of 2021, what is the word of encouragement and direction God has for you and your household?
"She opens her mouth in skillful and godly Wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness [giving counsel and instruction]" AMPC
In stark contrast to some of the beliefs and teachings that women are not allowed to speak or more specifically, teach or give instruction in the body of Christ, the bride in Proverbs 31 is commended for the skillful and godly Wisdom and the law of kindness that she speaks in all her counsel and instruction. What really drew my attention in this verse is the fact that Wisdom is spelled with a capital letter. Capital letters in the middle of a sentence indicate, amongst other things, personal names. Who's name then is mentioned as Wisdom in this context? In my opinion it is none other than the Holy Spirit Himself. Consider the following scripture in this context:
In 1 Cor 12:8 the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit are mentioned and in verse 8, we read:
8 To one is given in and through the [Holy] Spirit [the power to speak] a message of wisdom, and to another [the power to express] a word of knowledge and understanding according to the same [Holy] Spirit; AMPC
The bride is given, in and through the Holy Spirit, the power to speak a message of wisdom. It is none other than the Holy Spirit Himself that speaks through the Proverbs 31 woman and she is commended for her obedience to speak the skillful and godly Wisdom the Holy Spirit gives her. Knowledge and understanding of the law of kindness is also both a gift from the Holy Spirit, and part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit:
In Galatians 5:22-23 the fruit of the Spirit is mentioned and kindness is specifically mentioned as one of them:
22 But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, 23 Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge]. AMPC
In Isaiah 11:2 the names of the Holy Spirit are given: "And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the reverential and obedient fear of the Lord"
Once again the Spirit of God is described as Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel and Knowledge amongst others.
My absolute personal favourite scripture about the nature of the Holy Spirit depicted as Wisdom, is in Proverbs 8! I just post the beginning of the chapter for us but please read the whole chapter - it's too long to quote here but it is absolutely beautiful.
Proverbs 8
8 Does not skillful and godly Wisdom cry out, and understanding raise her voice [in contrast to the loose woman]? 2 On the top of the heights beside the way, where the paths meet, stands Wisdom [skillful and godly]; 3 At the gates at the entrance of the town, at the coming in at the doors, she cries out:...
Wisdom is a skillful speaker and not silent at all. She cries out and raises her voice, she stands at the crossroads, at the gates, doors and the entrances of the town and she cries out...
The Holy Spirit is in and with and amongst us. He speaks in and through us Wisdom, Counsel and Knowledge. God commends the Proverbs 31 woman who speaks under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and encourages her to continue to do so.
Let us read Proverbs 31:26 again:
Proverbs 31:26
"She opens her mouth in skillful and godly Wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness [giving counsel and instruction]"
Questions to ponder this week:
Do you have the Holy Spirit in you? If yes, then you also have the gift of Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel and the fruit of Kindness in you.
Have you believed the lie that you are not to speak the words of Wisdom and Knowledge and Counsel and teach the Law of Kindness that He births in your heart?
Ask His forgiveness and then open your mouth and speak the skillful and godly Wisdom He gives you!
Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies sashes for the merchants.
25 Strength and honor are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to come.
The gates in ancient cities were built with an inner wall and an outer wall as a double layer of protection. Between these walls was a space big enough for meetings to take place. It is here where the leadership, even the King and his advisors, gathered to make important governmental decisions. Business transactions were negotiated and sealed in front of individual witnesses as well as in front of a public gathering of the people. It is here where the husband of the Proverbs 31 woman is well known. He must have been an honourable man and well known in leadership and in business circles of the day.
Somehow we have the idea that in the Bible, women were only allowed to be at home, raise children and run the household. I do not get that idea from Proverbs 31 at all. This husband does not seem threatened by any of her accomplishments, business transactions with the merchants or the work she does in general at all. The writer of Proverbs 31 acknowledges his accomplishments as a leader as much as it acknowledges her accomplishments. In fact, she is encouraged and supported by him in all her roles as a leader, a businesswoman, a mother, a provider and a person who lends a hand to the poor. If he was not respected for the wife he had, perhaps he would not have been as known in the gates as he was.
This woman is clothed with strength and honour and she rejoices in the time to come. She looks forward to the future - some translations say she laughs at the future. She knows who she is, who her husband is and she rejoices in her relationship with him because he respects her and she respects him. She has an honourable identity and she knows who she is, and she wears it as a garment of strength and honour.
The points to ponder this week:
Our heavenly Bridegroom has given us talents with which we are to live out the calling He has for us. Are we using them for the benefit of His Kingdom?
Am I secure in my God-given identity and do I wear it with confidence as a garment of strength and honour?
Am I rejoicing in the future because I know my heavenly husband is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and I can trust Him with my future?
In verse 19-22 we see how the bride, as represented by the Proverbs 31 woman, makes beautiful woven, colorful, durable and luxurious garments. We see how she starts with making the cloth, once again from the raw materials that the Lord provided for her. She spins the wool or linen herself into yarn that will ultimately be used to weave cloth with. This yarn needs to be prepared and she dyes it in beautiful colours like scarlet and purple (which were very expensive). What really stood out for me in this passage is that she makes garments for her own household and the poor - but - that does not mean that she neglects herself. She also makes tapestry and clothing of fine linen for herself. She does not just look after others - she makes sure that she takes care of herself, and she does so with luxurious tapestry and linen garments in rich textures and expensive colours. In Revelation 19:8 the following is said about the bride's garments:
Revelation 19:8
It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
The linen of the bride's garment is made of her righteous acts, in addition to this we read in Isaiah 61:10 the following:
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
My soul shall be joyful in my God;
For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
God Himself clothes the bride in garments of salvation and righteousness. It is His garment of righteousness that we are clothed in, and out of that flows righteous acts, and those righteous acts become the linen of the bride as mentioned in Revelation 19. In Proverbs the two colours that are mentioned are scarlet and purple. Scarlet is a red colour so for me it will point to the blood of Christ that is woven into the bride's garment - it is through the blood of Christ that we are saved and become righteous, and then righteous deeds can be done. Out of our own works that would not be possible. The purple was a kingly colour. It indicates a change in position. When the bride is redeemed through the blood of Christ, she is made righteous and then she can be His bride. Her position changes from being a slave to sin, to being the bride of Christ that does righteous acts. She now is the bride of the King. His work of redemption is completed in her.
This is surely reason to rejoice - look what Isaiah 61:3 proclaim:
"To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”
This garment of the bride is also a garment of praise against a spirit of heaviness. The King says He will give those who mourn beauty for the ashes of our broken and lost dreams, wrong choices and sinful acts. He will take the ashes of our own frivolous works and replace them with beauty. Give us the oil of joy in the place of our mourning - and we will be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord - so that He may be glorified! What a precious promise.
The bride in Proverbs 31 understands this - therefore she takes the wool or flax and starts to weave with what God gives her in her hand. Firstly the scarlet goes into the garment - the blood of Christ that gives us salvation, then the purple of a changed position in Him and then the beautiful colours of righteous acts that flow from there.
So the thoughts to ponder this week are:
Have you accepted the garment of salvation that the King gives you?
What am I weaving?
With what am I weaving?
For whom am I weaving?
Do I remember and give myself permission to weave for myself?
