Proverbs 31 as a Professional Woman – Part 50
COLUMN: SPIRIT, SOUL AND BODY
Dear loyal readers, I trust that you are 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 36–49 for more context.
Two weeks ago, I took a break and used that time to rest, reflect, reboot, reset, realign, reorganise, release, review, rejoice, recalibrate and re–whatever sets my soul on fire – in alignment with God’s will for my life. Timely breaks allow me to pace myself and to show up with honour and excellence in delivering this weekly column. Sometimes the strongest thing that you can do is to take a break and pause in order to gain fresh revelation, perspective and clarity.
Why the above proposal? Because sometimes we become too much like Martha – concerned with the things of God – instead of being like Mary of Bethany, focused on the God of the things and being still in His presence.
Having learned to appreciate the importance of finding time to be still in His presence, this approach allows one to look at strength not from a place of power, but from a place of submission. It is God’s strength that we need; therefore, it is His presence that we must seek in order to access His strength. It takes connection to your Source for you to have access to every resource – including His strength.
The above is shared with an understanding that sometimes we make mistakes while attempting to trust in the Lord’s strength (see parts 46–48), but allow me to reshare the following key points from part 49:
1. What is it that you are trusting the Lord’s strength for?
2. Have you entrusted the matter fully to the Lord in prayer?
3. In light of point 2 above, do you believe that He will do it for you?
4. If you doubt it, what is it that makes you doubt His strength to fulfil His Word in your life?
5. Perhaps, do you believe that you can do it without Him?
Are you perhaps hoping that God will step in when it is convenient for you or when the matter requires a God-level intervention?
Do you understand the season that you are in, and that perhaps your inability to trust in His strength is because you need to go through a process where you must let go, heal from, disconnect, release, be delivered, submitted, more obedient and fully surrendered to Him?
Have you considered that your trust in His strength depends on you increasing your faith in Him?
Have you considered that your lack of trust in His strength is the reason why you are being tested and humbled to get to a place of knowing and trusting Him?
The above questions are meant to inspire you to take a moment to pause, reflect and introspect on how you relate to the Lord’s strength relative to your own – and to recognise the areas where you need to release, reset, reboot, reassess and realign yourself with Him for the revelation of His glory.
Each season requires a higher level of strength and courage, and the ability to discern which type of strength and courage is required in the moment. Even silence can be a form of strength and courage when used appropriately in a given situation – this allows God to speak on your behalf in ways you would never have imagined.
Think of Daniel in the lion’s den (Daniel 6). How foolish he must have appeared in the eyes of men – entering the den quietly, submitted, surrendered and trusting the Lord for His strength to come through for him (Daniel 6:23). It was in Daniel’s silence and his firm faith in God that we find encouragement to overcome seemingly impossible situations.
What is remarkable is that King Darius, who had ordered Daniel into the lion’s den, was the very one who spent the night fasting and praying for Daniel (Daniel 6:18) and who rushed to the den at dawn to see if God had delivered him (Daniel 6:18–19). This reveals that sometimes the display of God’s strength is not only about showing His love for you – although His love is inherent in all that He does – but also about revealing His strength, love and power to others through you.
In Daniel 6:25–27, King Darius, moved by Daniel’s faith, issued a decree commanding that all people in his kingdom revere, serve and trust in the Lord.
Thus, the display of God’s strength through you and for you is not always about you. His wisdom is not the wisdom of men, and Daniel’s story demonstrates that the faith of the righteous can be used by God to touch and transform the lives of unbelievers – for the revelation of His glory to them.
Shalom.
Dear loyal readers, I trust that you are 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 36–49 for more context.
Two weeks ago, I took a break and used that time to rest, reflect, reboot, reset, realign, reorganise, release, review, rejoice, recalibrate and re–whatever sets my soul on fire – in alignment with God’s will for my life. Timely breaks allow me to pace myself and to show up with honour and excellence in delivering this weekly column. Sometimes the strongest thing that you can do is to take a break and pause in order to gain fresh revelation, perspective and clarity.
Why the above proposal? Because sometimes we become too much like Martha – concerned with the things of God – instead of being like Mary of Bethany, focused on the God of the things and being still in His presence.
Having learned to appreciate the importance of finding time to be still in His presence, this approach allows one to look at strength not from a place of power, but from a place of submission. It is God’s strength that we need; therefore, it is His presence that we must seek in order to access His strength. It takes connection to your Source for you to have access to every resource – including His strength.
The above is shared with an understanding that sometimes we make mistakes while attempting to trust in the Lord’s strength (see parts 46–48), but allow me to reshare the following key points from part 49:
1. What is it that you are trusting the Lord’s strength for?
2. Have you entrusted the matter fully to the Lord in prayer?
3. In light of point 2 above, do you believe that He will do it for you?
4. If you doubt it, what is it that makes you doubt His strength to fulfil His Word in your life?
5. Perhaps, do you believe that you can do it without Him?
Are you perhaps hoping that God will step in when it is convenient for you or when the matter requires a God-level intervention?
Do you understand the season that you are in, and that perhaps your inability to trust in His strength is because you need to go through a process where you must let go, heal from, disconnect, release, be delivered, submitted, more obedient and fully surrendered to Him?
Have you considered that your trust in His strength depends on you increasing your faith in Him?
Have you considered that your lack of trust in His strength is the reason why you are being tested and humbled to get to a place of knowing and trusting Him?
The above questions are meant to inspire you to take a moment to pause, reflect and introspect on how you relate to the Lord’s strength relative to your own – and to recognise the areas where you need to release, reset, reboot, reassess and realign yourself with Him for the revelation of His glory.
Each season requires a higher level of strength and courage, and the ability to discern which type of strength and courage is required in the moment. Even silence can be a form of strength and courage when used appropriately in a given situation – this allows God to speak on your behalf in ways you would never have imagined.
Think of Daniel in the lion’s den (Daniel 6). How foolish he must have appeared in the eyes of men – entering the den quietly, submitted, surrendered and trusting the Lord for His strength to come through for him (Daniel 6:23). It was in Daniel’s silence and his firm faith in God that we find encouragement to overcome seemingly impossible situations.
What is remarkable is that King Darius, who had ordered Daniel into the lion’s den, was the very one who spent the night fasting and praying for Daniel (Daniel 6:18) and who rushed to the den at dawn to see if God had delivered him (Daniel 6:18–19). This reveals that sometimes the display of God’s strength is not only about showing His love for you – although His love is inherent in all that He does – but also about revealing His strength, love and power to others through you.
In Daniel 6:25–27, King Darius, moved by Daniel’s faith, issued a decree commanding that all people in his kingdom revere, serve and trust in the Lord.
Thus, the display of God’s strength through you and for you is not always about you. His wisdom is not the wisdom of men, and Daniel’s story demonstrates that the faith of the righteous can be used by God to touch and transform the lives of unbelievers – for the revelation of His glory to them.
Shalom.
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