January 31, 2017
Proverbs 31:29
“Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all.”
CONSIDER THIS
To Our Daughters,
There are some things I want you to know about yourselves, and I want you to know them so deeply that they become you. These are not sentimental feelings but solid facts. They are the bedrock truths of who you are and who you are becoming.
Let’s begin with a hard truth, one that may first offend but later will relieve.
You are weak.
This is not the weakness of some far fetched notion of your being inferior to men. No, this is the weakness common to the human race. Until this truth can be whole-heartedly embraced it will never be overcome. In fact, to the extent you deny this truth, you will spend all of your strength trying to disprove it, and in the process you will deny your true self and become someone completely other than who you most truly are.
In fact, the greatest sign of a resisted weakness is the way a person’s life ironically screams, “I am insecure!” through their endless efforts to prove they are strong. And the greatest sign of true strength is the way a person’s life quietly declares, “I am loved,” precisely because of and in the midst of their weakness. It’s why Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” And that brings me to the second thing I want you to know. In the midst of your weakness. . . .
You are loved.
Insanely loved. You are the beloved daughter of a Perfect Father, and I’m not talking about myself being perfect, though I love you profoundly. I’m talking about God. He adores you, period; not because of who you are, though he loves who you are. He loves you because of who He is. And through his love for you, he is teaching you to love others as he loves; not because of who they are but because of who you are. I want you to know that because you are loved. . . .
You are strong.
Yes, I know. I said you were weak, and you are, but because you know you are weak and yet unwaveringly loved, you possess an unshakable strength. It’s unshakable because it is not rooted in power but in love and not in your ability to love but in your capacity to be loved. Yes, your growing capacity to be loved, which comes from accepting your love-ability, is what makes you strong. I want you to know that because you are strong in this unshakable way. . . . .
You are beautiful.
Radiantly, ravishingly beautiful. This beauty of yours, far from some cosmetic illusion, comes from a place so deep in your soul it can only be known by the One who abides there, the One who first made you and who is ever making you new, Jesus. Seeing you brings gladness to people because they are invited to see past the glamour of your appearance straight into the glory of God shining in your soul. I want you to know that because you know that your beauty comes from beyond you. . . .
You are humble.
This humility of yours grants you a greatness visible to others yet hidden from yourself. This greatness finds its deepest source not in appearances of grandeur but in the hidden goodness of a holy generosity. It’s this kind of humble greatness that inspires others to discard their grandiosity and discover their deeper goodness. I want you to know that because your greatness is bound up in the humility of your ordinary humanity . . . .
You are courageous.
You are becoming a woman of valor. Eshet Chayil! Your courage gives others the ability to believe the impossible because it comes not from a projected strength but from the deep wisdom of an embraced weakness. Because this wisdom of weakness finds its strength in the foolishness of the Cross, your confidence finds its source in God. Your courage comes not from the will of self-confidence but from the well of being strong in the Lord and in the power of his Spirit. Others trust you because you trust God. I want you to know that others have confidence in your courage because it is anchored in your confidence in God, and because your courage is tempered by respect and restraint . . . .
You are noble.
Because you are human, you are weak, and because you are weak, you are loved, and because you are loved, you are strong, and because you are strong, you are beautiful, and because you are beautiful, you are humble, and because you are humble, you are courageous, and because you are courageous you are noble. All of this is your wisdom.
The wisdom writer said it best,
“Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all.”
THE PRAYER
Abba Father, thank you for our daughters. Thank you for the way you grace the world with their wisdom and build your Kingdom on their sanctified strength. Raise them up and raise up more and more of them in our midst. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
THE QUESTIONS
1. Are there daughters you need to pass these words along to today? Yours or others?
2. If you are a daughter, how do these words challenge you? Encourage you? Offend You?
3. If you are a daughter, which of these affirmations do you struggle most to believe?
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J.D. Walt, is a Bond Slave of the Lord Jesus Christ. jd.walt@seedbed.com.