We Will Survive
Strength and honor are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to come.
Proverbs 31:25
Whew! That Proverbs 31 woman has big shoes to fill. She’s a savvy business woman. She dresses her family well. She works long hard days. Her kindness helps the needy. Her wisdom is displayed in the management of her home.
I don’t know about you, but when I read Proverbs 31, I feel I fall way short Compared to her. I am weak and vulnerable. I have problems. I have struggles, and I can almost guarentee you have your share of trials too.
At age eighteen, my only daughter became the prodigal. Not knowing where she was or how she was would have been impossible if not for God. Clinging to Him and worshipping Him became my only means of surviving. Eight years passed before she came back into my life. Eight years of teary-eyed Thanksgivings. Eight years of quiet Christmases. Eight years of Mothers Days when I tried to escape the world, refusing to attend church on that dreadful day.
After my daughter and I reconnected, I realized the reason I missed church was out of shame, not as a form of pain prevention. The enemy had shamed me, because I thought I had failed as a mom. I also tried dodging the stigma of depression that is widespread in many churches.
Many of us wear shame, and we wear it well. Ashamed of our grief. Ashamed of the abuse someone put us through. Ashamed that we don’t fit into society’s mold.
God doesn’t want us dressing in those shameful garments any longer. He has given us a prayer closet filled with garments of strength and honor, but like any other clothing, we must make the decision to wear it.
That Proverbs 31 woman had problems. She had her share of heartache, but she made a choice every day to walk to her closet, open the door, and grab the hangers bearing strength and honor.
My friend, that’s exactly what we need to do. God has provided strength and honor, but sometimes, we get accustomed to dressing in the comfort of shame and weakness.
No matter what is going on in your life: illness, marital struggles, relationship problems, fear, anxiety, abandonment, or weariness. Go to your prayer closet and talk to your Father. Try on those new clothes and haul that old junk off to the thrift shop.
We aren’t victims of anything or anyone, because we are survivors. Honor abides in surviving. We have undergone a multitude of difficulties and disappointments, but we have survived.
Do you know why the Proverbs 31 woman will rejoice in times to come? She is not only a survivor. She has surpassed surviving, and now she is thriving. That’s where we are heading. We have overcome the overwhelming. We have survived the incredibly horrific. Now, we will rejoice because we will thrive!
Lord Jesus, thank You for enabling us to survive. You have clothed us in strength and honor. Today, we discard our weakness and shame to dress in Your glorious garments, through the blood of Jesus Christ. Amen.
DIG DEEPER
Read Proverbs 31:10-31
HIKING THE TRAIL
Identify the areas that create weakness and shame for you. Ask God to remove those old garments for new ones.
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Originally posted on September 20, 2020 @ 1:19 pm