A Wise Woman
I was recently at a Women of Faith Conference here in Portland and was blessed to hear Lysa Terkurst speak. The theme of this conference was "Believe God Can do Anything." I already know, and believe He can, goodness I think my life is enough witness right there! She spoke from 2 Samuel 20:16-22 about 'the wise woman' who saved her city. The week leading up to this weekend I had been praying...and still do continue to pray for Portland. That God would do a mighty work, and give us eyes to see Him work, and to know that He can change the people of Portland. It's so interesting, when I tell people I'm a missionary their response always is, "Portland definitely needs it." Don't get me wrong Portland does need a lot of exposure to Jesus, but the past several days I've been in huge crowds of people who claim Christ. It's going to take every Jesus believing person in Portland to be the hands and feet of Jesus. I can't do it all just because God's called me to be a missionary. Sure it's my job, but it's not just my job it's every child of God's job! Anyway, enough of that tangent. I believe God can change Portland, and I was so encouraged by Lysa's message because the hero of the story was a woman who saved her city because she believed God. I may not be able to "save" Portland single handedly, but I sure do know that God has called me here for a reason and will use me to impact the the peoples lives that I come into contact with. That is our blessed assurance!
King David sent his general, Joab, to capture a traitor named Sheba who had taken refuge in a small city in northern Israel. Joab set his army around the city, built siegeworks against it, and was ready to knock down its walls and capture it when a wise woman called out to him from the walls and suggested that the leaders of the city throw the traitor's head out to Joab. They did so and thus saved the city.
When God calls us, and saves us, He anoints and appoints us to a certain mission. How we approach this mission is vital. The wise woman's approach was that of a servant(v.17), some versions read a "handmadien" I love that picture. We are the handmadien of Christ's bride, what an honor to serve the ones who know they are His bride and those who have yet to know that.
It's also important to measure the advice we give. As children of God serving in His ministry are we daily a walking and establishing a pattern of wisdom. We do this by making one good God honoring choices on top of another. It is a wisdom that saves, and frees. Real wisdom is the application of the knowledge and freedom contained in God's Word. It may not be popular but it is a wisdom that delivers. Wisdom is to act upon the revelation of reality that the scriptures give us; wisdom refers to actions that are controlled by the Revelation of God. Ecclesiastes 9:13-18 says:
"I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me: There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siege works against it. Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man. So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded.I don't know about you but I pray to be this woman of faith, and wisdom that God can do anything if we are just available to Him. God bless you as you seek Him.
The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded
than the shouts of a ruler of fools.
Wisdom is better than weapons of war,
but one sinner destroys much good."
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