She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.
{Proverbs 31:25}
A commentary about this passage, I recently read says,
"Her heart is full of another world even when her hands are most busy about this one."
This passage has been etched on my heart for the past couple weeks. Over and over, seeing it come to life in different ways, and what does it really mean to walk in this mindset. To live it out. The future, this stage in life, can be daunting. I feel a lot like Peter, as described in Matthew 14: 28-32.
I asked the Lord to tell me to "Come" and He did. Stepping out of the boat on to water can be quite the little feat, struggling against everything in and of ourselves that is saying, "You. Cannot. Walk. On. Water. Helllooooo. Wake up." Yet something bigger and deeper within us is fighting that "reality", fighting "this world" - calling us forward - saying, COME TO ME. Look at my face. There is risk absolutely, but peace overwhelms the fear in risk because we are familiar with and confident in the One who is beckoning us forward. So we step, however long it may take us, over the edge of the boat and put our feet on the water. However, even we get there, a whole other battle could begin. We could have a little freak out for a few reasons:
a). We realize we are indeed standing on water. Fear sets in.
b). The wind and the waves are swirling, daunting, and bigger than we imagined. No control.
c). We forget who HE IS who called us there in the first place, and are focused on our inadequacies.
When this happens we, which I so often try to do, slowly start inching back towards the boat we left. Or we could be so paralyzed by fear that we neither go forward nor backwards, we just stand there. The thing is we have set out on the path of the impossible, a faith adventure. Not one thing where we are is of our own accord. Challenges and opposition from the enemy will undoubtedly come when we forgo our life in the boat. However, the safest place we can be is in the middle of the Lord's will even if that is on water.
I imagine that Proverbs 31 godly woman, confidently standing there looking at those waves and the wind- in strength, and dignity, and LAUGHING at them she knows who is before her. She knows who is calling her forward, and her hope is in Him. No sight of wind or wave could weaken what He has called unto her, and put so within her that caused her to step out in the first place. SHE KNOWS that He who promised is faithful and He will fulfill what He has spoken to her. Regardless of what is going on around her, her joy is not stolen, her peace is not stolen because her heart is FULL of another world, even though she is walking in this one.
I so desire to become more and more like this woman.
“And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became afraid, and begin- ning to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when He got into the boat, the wind stopped.
I asked the Lord to tell me to "Come" and He did. Stepping out of the boat on to water can be quite the little feat, struggling against everything in and of ourselves that is saying, "You. Cannot. Walk. On. Water. Helllooooo. Wake up." Yet something bigger and deeper within us is fighting that "reality", fighting "this world" - calling us forward - saying, COME TO ME. Look at my face. There is risk absolutely, but peace overwhelms the fear in risk because we are familiar with and confident in the One who is beckoning us forward. So we step, however long it may take us, over the edge of the boat and put our feet on the water. However, even we get there, a whole other battle could begin. We could have a little freak out for a few reasons:
a). We realize we are indeed standing on water. Fear sets in.
b). The wind and the waves are swirling, daunting, and bigger than we imagined. No control.
c). We forget who HE IS who called us there in the first place, and are focused on our inadequacies.
When this happens we, which I so often try to do, slowly start inching back towards the boat we left. Or we could be so paralyzed by fear that we neither go forward nor backwards, we just stand there. The thing is we have set out on the path of the impossible, a faith adventure. Not one thing where we are is of our own accord. Challenges and opposition from the enemy will undoubtedly come when we forgo our life in the boat. However, the safest place we can be is in the middle of the Lord's will even if that is on water.
I imagine that Proverbs 31 godly woman, confidently standing there looking at those waves and the wind- in strength, and dignity, and LAUGHING at them she knows who is before her. She knows who is calling her forward, and her hope is in Him. No sight of wind or wave could weaken what He has called unto her, and put so within her that caused her to step out in the first place. SHE KNOWS that He who promised is faithful and He will fulfill what He has spoken to her. Regardless of what is going on around her, her joy is not stolen, her peace is not stolen because her heart is FULL of another world, even though she is walking in this one.
I so desire to become more and more like this woman.
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