BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

The Bible states in 1 Kings 21:25 that King Ahab sold himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, which Jezebel his wife stirred up or inspired him to do. From the world’s perspective this woman had power and influence, but it was not the power of God. This selfish, evil power was rooted in the devil. God’s power is far greater, and rooted and grounded in love, which never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8). Women like Jezebel—and there are plenty of them around, even today—feel they must dominate, control and manipulate. These women are driven by fear and insecurity, which only makes them weaker. There is no “happily ever after” for women who pursue this kind of selfish behavior. The truth is that strength stems from faith in God, and courage is derived from trusting in Him. In 2 Kings 9 we read of Jezebel’s unhappy demise. She was thrown out of a window and her body eaten by dogs, just as Elijah had prophesied. All that was left of her was her skull, her feet and the palms of her hands. It was not a pretty ending for Jezebel to become dog food. Her life was an example of what Proverbs 14:12 says: “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of [destruction].” She followed a path that was not right unto God, but right to her. And she paid for it with her life. Contentious, nagging women like Jezebel are repulsive. Twice, in Proverbs 21:9 and 25:24, the Bible says it is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house. Instead of trusting God and believing in Him to move and supply for them, fear forces some women into continually nagging to get things accomplished or to get their way. Unfortunately, fear only opens the door to the enemy or the devil. Foolish women pluck their houses down (Proverbs 14:1). What constitutes a fool? Psalm 53:1 says, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’” ("New King James Version"). A fool acts like God is not real, not alive. A fool disregards God in her life. A fool acts like the Word of God is not true. If you remove the italicized words in Psalm 53:1 that were added at the liberty of the translators, it actually reads “The fool has said...no God.” A fool will say no to God, no to His Word, no to His instruction, no to His plan. But when we set our love upon our heavenly Father, we become established in Him and shall not be moved. We are unshakable when we trust in the living God—rock solid. As we trust in Him, we become strong in the Lord and in the power of His might that cannot be defeated (Ephesians 6:10). Where does this power come from and where is it to be used? Acts 1:8 states, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me.” Jesus said, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19). And in Acts 10:38 we read, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” God desires women to be powerful in Him. He doesn’t want weak daughters. He said, “Let the weak say, I am strong” (Joel 3:10). He is a mighty God, and He wants mighty children. It’s time for us to acknowledge every good thing in us, so that we may become effective (Philemon 1:6). When God instructed Abram to leave his country and his father’s house, He promised, “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing” (Genesis 12:2, "NKJV"). Years later, when God made a second covenant with Abram, He changed Abram’s name to Abraham, and his wife’s name from Sarai to Sarah. God promised He would bless her and give Abraham a son by her, and “then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her” (Genesis 17:16, "NKJV"). After dealing with Abraham, the Lord came to him again when Sarah was near and confirmed the promise that she would indeed bear him a son within the year. In 1 Peter 3:6, God refers to all of us as her daughters. You see, the Bible doesn’t just talk about Father Abraham, but also about Mother Sarah. A name change signifies that a covenant was established between God and all mankind—men and women. For that very reason, God’s mighty covenant of prosperity is for women as well as men. Galatians 3 says that Christ became a curse for us, that the blessing of Abraham might come on the gentiles. He said that in Christ there is neither Jew nor gentile, bond nor free, male nor female. We are all in Christ, and we are all heirs according to the promise. Women who know they have a covenant of prosperity can activate the covenant themselves and step right on over into a place of abundance. As the Holy Spirit reveals His purposes for women, we discover how simple it is to operate in this same fashion. Women of all ages can join the prestigious ranks of virtuous women. Proverbs 31:29 says, “Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.” Of all the women in the Old Testament who did mighty exploits for God—including Sarah, Deborah, Abigail, Ruth, Esther and Hannah, to name a few—God said this virtuous woman “excellest” them all. Wow, what mighty power she possessed and because she was not named, you can put your name in there and become the virtuous woman. I pray as you read the Bible in light of the virtuous woman, you also will begin to comprehend God’s profound love for women, and His intense desire to empower His daughters. Most of all, I pray that God will reveal to you how very powerful you are in Christ Jesus. V BVOV : 21

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