COLUMN: SPIRIT, SOUL AND BODY: Proverbs 31 as a Professional Woman – Part 52
Dear loyal readers, I trust that you’re blessed and highly favoured.
Thank you for joining me on this journey as we continue to unpack success principle ten for Proverbs 31 as a Professional Woman: “She’s strong, courageous and discerning.” Please read Parts 36–51 for more context.
In Parts 37 and 38, we were encouraged by the revelation that:
“In the book of Psalms, we see that King David understood the multidimensionality of strength and courage as coming from God, within himself, from the support of people around him, and from moving in purpose.”
Some people think that the Lord just strengthens you and leaves you to proceed on your own with His strength beside you. Allow me to refute this notion with the assurance given to us in Isaiah 41:10 (AMP), where it is written:
“Do not fear [anything], for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; be assured I will help you; I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous right hand [a hand of justice, of power, of victory, of salvation].”
Isaiah 41:10 assures us that God’s presence in your life is the first protocol you hold on to in order to overcome fear in any given situation. It means that wherever you are, whatever you’re doing or going through, stand firm in the knowledge that He is with you.
Does it mean that bad things won’t happen to you?
No.
It means that regardless of anything happening to you, He will work it out for your good (Romans 8:28; Jeremiah 29:11).
Does it mean that you will not experience situations that make you afraid?
No.
It means that you will have to encourage yourself with 2 Timothy 1:7 (AMP), where it is written:
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control].”
Isaiah 41:10 also demonstrates that God will strengthen and help you Himself, and this is the second protocol that allows you to overcome your human limitations and fear. This requires you to humble yourself in the knowledge that you, as a created being, need the help of your Creator—because without Him, you are nothing and can do nothing. Your success is actually His success revealed through you, for His glory.
Isaiah 41:10 reminds us that His taking hold of you and being with you along the way is the third protocol, intended to give you access to His divine justice, power, victory, and salvation.
In sum, Isaiah 41:10 reminds us that God, in His divine will for you, has placed a divine obligation on Himself whereby He commits Himself to help you overcome fear, to be with you, and to strengthen and help you for His Name’s sake and for your benefit. Ideally, this is the demonstration of His love for you.
But many times we ask God to strengthen us, and when we succeed through the trial and reach the breakthrough, we often forget that it was by God’s divine alignment and intervention that we have succeeded.
So, let us humble ourselves and repent for the times when we succeeded by God’s strength but then ignored His glory and made ourselves the hero in our story.
Let us repent for the times when we said, “God, I will do/stop/give You [xxxx] if You get me through [xxxx],” and then turned around and forgot Him when human applause, fame, and recognition overtook us during the season of success.
Let us repent for wanting His strength during tough times but not wanting to submit ourselves fully to Him—coming to Him only transactionally when we need something urgently and desperately.
Let us repent for wanting human validation, applause, and acclaim above the validation that comes from God when we serve Him humbly and in divine alignment with His will for our lives.
Let us repent for wanting the hand of God more than the heart of God, and for desiring success from God more than the One who gives us the ability to be successful.
Shalom.
Thank you for joining me on this journey as we continue to unpack success principle ten for Proverbs 31 as a Professional Woman: “She’s strong, courageous and discerning.” Please read Parts 36–51 for more context.
In Parts 37 and 38, we were encouraged by the revelation that:
“In the book of Psalms, we see that King David understood the multidimensionality of strength and courage as coming from God, within himself, from the support of people around him, and from moving in purpose.”
Some people think that the Lord just strengthens you and leaves you to proceed on your own with His strength beside you. Allow me to refute this notion with the assurance given to us in Isaiah 41:10 (AMP), where it is written:
“Do not fear [anything], for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; be assured I will help you; I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous right hand [a hand of justice, of power, of victory, of salvation].”
Isaiah 41:10 assures us that God’s presence in your life is the first protocol you hold on to in order to overcome fear in any given situation. It means that wherever you are, whatever you’re doing or going through, stand firm in the knowledge that He is with you.
Does it mean that bad things won’t happen to you?
No.
It means that regardless of anything happening to you, He will work it out for your good (Romans 8:28; Jeremiah 29:11).
Does it mean that you will not experience situations that make you afraid?
No.
It means that you will have to encourage yourself with 2 Timothy 1:7 (AMP), where it is written:
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control].”
Isaiah 41:10 also demonstrates that God will strengthen and help you Himself, and this is the second protocol that allows you to overcome your human limitations and fear. This requires you to humble yourself in the knowledge that you, as a created being, need the help of your Creator—because without Him, you are nothing and can do nothing. Your success is actually His success revealed through you, for His glory.
Isaiah 41:10 reminds us that His taking hold of you and being with you along the way is the third protocol, intended to give you access to His divine justice, power, victory, and salvation.
In sum, Isaiah 41:10 reminds us that God, in His divine will for you, has placed a divine obligation on Himself whereby He commits Himself to help you overcome fear, to be with you, and to strengthen and help you for His Name’s sake and for your benefit. Ideally, this is the demonstration of His love for you.
But many times we ask God to strengthen us, and when we succeed through the trial and reach the breakthrough, we often forget that it was by God’s divine alignment and intervention that we have succeeded.
So, let us humble ourselves and repent for the times when we succeeded by God’s strength but then ignored His glory and made ourselves the hero in our story.
Let us repent for the times when we said, “God, I will do/stop/give You [xxxx] if You get me through [xxxx],” and then turned around and forgot Him when human applause, fame, and recognition overtook us during the season of success.
Let us repent for wanting His strength during tough times but not wanting to submit ourselves fully to Him—coming to Him only transactionally when we need something urgently and desperately.
Let us repent for wanting human validation, applause, and acclaim above the validation that comes from God when we serve Him humbly and in divine alignment with His will for our lives.
Let us repent for wanting the hand of God more than the heart of God, and for desiring success from God more than the One who gives us the ability to be successful.
Shalom.
Comments
Namibian Sun
No comments have been left on this article