Devotional – January 26, 2021

As a child growing up, I remember always being conscious that there was a Being higher than myself. For the beauty and splendor that my eyes could see, and my young mind could understand, the Being deserved to be honoured. My parents raised me to attend church where I learned the importance of reading the bible and praying. The schools I attended made devotion and prayer an integral part of the educational experience. I would say that these experiences made my heart tender towards God. At the age of 12, on a Good Friday morning I was baptized; for all I knew at that time, Jesus was coming back soon, and I needed to be ready. What that meant for me was that I needed to give my life to Christ, and be baptized to wash away my sins. Does this sound familiar?

So I did what I believed would save me from spending eternity in a fiery furnace; at least that’s how I understood the message of the Bible at the time. How was that part of my journey? I would say: not too bad; as far as I know, I lived the Christian life as best as I knew how, and the rest is history. I will share a bit more of this history as we explore this week’s Theme: The Journey with God.

This theme is the final phase of laying the foundation of our Daily Devotionals so we can experience more of God together as the year progresses.

So far we have explored:

• Week 1 – The Call of God
• Week 2 – Answering the Call of God
• Week 3 – The Promises of God
• Week 4 – The Journey with God

The reality of writing this devotional is the product of my Journey with God. Yesterday my mother Elaine shared her Journey of Faith and Obedience; today I will share my: Journey to Discovering Purpose. For the remainder of the week, other women will be sharing their Faith Journeys. I truly believe that to hear the testimonies of different women’s encounters with God is a great way for us all to be encouraged and inspired to continue to press toward the mark of the higher calling in Christ Jesus.

I paused at living the Christian life as best as I knew how. The journey continued for the next fifteen (15) years with mis-steps, mistakes and consequences which I affectionately call the mess to get to my message. Honestly I did not have a clear idea what exactly God required of me; as it was, life was moving and I just went with the flow; wherever the tide went, it took me.

I can now say: “But God”!!! It was Easter in the year 2005 when the next phase of my Journey with God would begin; I remember it like it was yesterday. In the Journey of Faith and Obedience, my mother shared the story of the journey on which she was led after her dream, praying and fasting. That trip took her to visit me at my home in New York City; the next day was when it all started. What happened is that God had set an appointment for me; it would be the day I would be “Recalled to Life“; what was exceptional about the encounter was that it was the same time, during Easter when I was baptized in 1989. How deliberate and calculating; God never forgets a covenant.

Since that day in April 2005, the Journey with God has continued uninterrupted; and only because on this leg of the journey I have submitted to the guidance of God’s Holy Spirit to direct my path. Has it been an easy ride? By no means, but a ride that is interesting and fulfilling. I know now the reason God called me, and I am eternally grateful for His expressed unconditional love to forgive me of all my mis-steps and rebellion.

The result of my Journey with God is sharing a close relationship with the Triune God, and being privileged to discover the reason I was born- my PURPOSE. The discovery was made after making earnest and fervent prayers asking God to reveal to me: Why am I Here. This was during the time when the book: The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren was first published. This was seemingly the question of the times, and I was sincerely curious to know the answer.

After a period of Prayer and Fasting, the revelation came; the Scripture was: Proverbs 31:10-31; it spoke of The Virtuous Woman whose worth was far more precious than rubies. This was the first time I had read the passage, but what I knew then and there, it was the answer to my prayer. Over the next fifteen (15) years I spent time seeking God for clarity about how the Scripture related to me, and what I was born to do. At every stage it has become clearer and clearer.

Today what is undeniably clear to me is that: the woman described in Proverbs 31 exudes the essence of God. Her character traits are in fact godly virtues which equip her to live a life that is pleasing to God, beneficial to her husband, children, community and fulfilling for herself.

She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her…

Proverbs 31:27-28

The Virtuous Woman in Proverbs 31, is to every woman who desires to honour God with her entire being, a role model. She humbly exhibits qualities which make her stand out; she is described to be “more precious than rubies. I’ve learned that God values women; He desires to see us living at our optimum potential, exuding His essence, and attracting His blessings in every area of our lives. The woman who embraces “virtue’ as her standard is:

• Priceless; more precious than rubies – Verse 10
• Trusted by her husband – Verses 11-12
• Talented and Skilled – Verses 13-14
• A Great Homemaker and Employer – Verses 15-16
• A Real Estate Agent – Verses 17-19
• Charitable – Verse 20
• Great planner, fashionable
• An Efficient Business Woman – Verses 21-22,24
• Uses wisdom in choosing her spouse – Verse 23
• Set SMART Goals and is confident in her ability to be successful – Verse 25
• A great teacher and friend – Verse 26
• Manages her time wisely and leads a honourable life – Verse 27
• Called blessed by her children; praised and honoured by her husband – Verse 28-29
• Has a reverential fear of God; prioritizes her relationship with him – Verse 30
• Fulfills her purpose and is rewarded – Verse 31

I know now that the PURPOSE of every woman is enveloped within the admirable Queen described in Proverbs 31. She is you; you are her. Now you understand the mission of The Virtuous Woman Project. The vision exists to support and encourage women to DISCOVER, PURSUE AND FULFILL PURPOSE. We can be confident that when we Journey with God, He will guide us to live life on purpose so that it will be said of us:

Many women have done noble things, but you surpass them all…

Proverbs 31:29

This is the story of how my mess became my message, all for the glory of God. I know that every person is special to God; a destiny awaits each of us; it leaves only for us to listen for the Call of God, to Answer to God’s Call, to know and believe His Promises and to Journey with God. This is the recipe for success, fulfillment and receiving the gift of Eternal Life. I will be bold enough to say that “Nothing can go wrong on a Journey with God. For it is written: that:

... in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”.

Romans 8:28

Be confident as you Journey with God; know with all your heart that your success is GUARANTEED.