The Heart of A Woman Bible study, based off of the promises found in Isaiah 54, is for every woman who has a place of barrenness, emptiness, lack of faith, or fear keeping her from experiencing fruitfulness in her life. If this is you, won’t you join us as we journey to a deeper more abundant life of faith together? The Heart of a Woman is all about finding the heart of the Father towards the daughters He lovingly calls His own.
©dawnboyer 2014 Journeys In Grace www.journeysingrace.com
Originally published on Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood www.solideogloriasisterhood.com.
The Righteousness of God Restores our Security and Peace
We are coming to some power packed verses this week in our Heart of the Woman Bible Study based on Isaiah 54. I am so thankful you have joined me this far and journeyed towards a deeper understanding of God’s passionate heart towards your own. We are in week 10 of the study and we will be looking at the next 2 verses in this chapter, 13 and 14, which speak to a place many women can agree they may struggle with, being secure.
I have to admit, this week is a bit of a challenge for me to write on because there are so many directions to go, but what I love about God’s Word is that it is clear and direct revealing Truth with every syllable we read. I also know that deep in my heart, as He speaks to each one of you, that you will hear that still small voice calling out to you in your questions and answering you. Psalm 42:7 reminds us of the power of His voice speaking into our hearts. Deep calls to deep, roaring waves roll over me.
This week as you take time to study the promises in His Word I pray you will allow the wave of His love to roll over you refreshing you and filling you with a sense of security and hope that is drawn in the promise of peace He offers to us.
My prayer for you comes from 1 Corinthians 2:9-10:
But as it is written, eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him. But god has revealed them unto us by His Spirit: For the Spirit searches all things, yes the deep things of God.
It is by His Spirit that we know Truth revealed to our hearts and we can know, by that relationship of deep calling unto deep, that He is speaking to our hearts. We can trust that he is concerned with the state of where we are headed. He has a plan, he has a purpose, he has a destiny just for you; and He will secure your heart so that you can be assured of that completion.
Restored Beauty leads us to Righteousness
Last week as we discussed the method by which He builds up the walls of our habitation with beauty, I hope you began to see things surrounding you a little differently. I hope your vision was warped when it came to how you view yourself in light of His love for you. As I have spent time studying this chapter of Isaiah, God has spoken to the depths of my heart about what He sees in me. It is so easy for us, as women, to see what we call flaws but he calls special and beautiful. For years, when I looked in the mirror all I saw were the things I didn’t like; I rarely saw what I thought was lovely. Looking in the mirror was not a joyous time for me and I would find ways to ‘change’ what I saw, until one day He spoke so clear in my heart that it nearly broke it.
You see, we hurt His heart when we choose to believe that the way He made us is incomplete and unlovely. When my tears fell, so did His. He looks at you and calls you His own, His precious daughter who has been hand-crafted on purpose, with a purpose, for a purpose. Do you realize that when He looks at you , it is as if He is looking with the finished product in mind? He sees what you WILL BE long before your days were known to anyone else. He is looking at that perfected YOU,the one He planned long before you ever drew breath.
This is why the 54th chapter of Isaiah speaks to our hearts, ladies. He is meeting us in all those places that we struggle, assuring us that He is here, calming our hearts, rescuing us from the pits we easily fall into, redeeming us from the brokenness that barrenness reveals, and leading us to the beauty that a restored life exemplifies.
Our Scripture Focus this week will be Isaiah 54:13-14:
And your [spiritual children] children shall be disciples [taught by the Lord and obedient to His will], and great shall be the peace and undisturbed composure of your children. You shall establish yourself in righteousness: you shall be far from even the thought of oppression or destruction for you shall not fear, and from terror, for it shall not come near you. – Isaiah 54:13-14(Amplified Version)
In verses 11 and 12 we were led from affliction to hope through the rebuilding of our walls by the hand of God. In the next 2 verses we will see that established in Christ, our fruit is the handiwork of God. When we are established in the security that His righteousness affords then fear has no ability to gain a foothold in our hearts.
His sovereignty validates His ability to protect us.
When we read through the verses above we can be assured of the fullness of His ability to protect us. They specifically speak of His sovereignty, validating His power through the Holy Spirit in our lives. (Zeph. 4:6) God is fully able to care for those whom He calls His own. He has not fallen asleep on the job, even though sometimes we may question it. It is through His Holy Spirit, who reveals all things, speaking, directing, and teaching our hearts we see the truth in the promises above.
As we establish ourselves in Him, He becomes the bulwark that hedges us in and keeps the floodgates closed. It is easy to fear when we look to the world, but when we trust in God, we are fully capable to rest in His Truth. Philippians 4:6-7 give us another example of our ability to look fear directly in the face and win.
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Wisdom is to beauty as Righteousness is to Safety
Drawing from last week’s discussion of beauty, wisdom is an area that radiates the splendor of a life lived with God. The precious gems mentioned in verses 11 and 12 are indicative of the gifts of the Holy Spirit with regards to the value of wisdom. Wisdom is an adorning grace that never lacks luster.
As a transparent jewel, etched by the fingerprint of God, we are established in righteousness. We are secured when we know Who He is, then we also know WHO we are. James Oswalt wrote about this type of confidence in his Commentary on Isaiah saying, “If Israel is restored to right relationship, then she will be secure.” Likewise, a woman bound in righteousness to Christ will find no room to fear.
Let’s look at a few key words to understand how to apply the text we are studying:
- We are built on the Righteousness of the Name of God
In Hebrew culture, the process of raising children was like building, specifically to establish a heritage, or a name. The Children of God are building up the Kingdom of God by carrying His name, building on the solid cornerstone of all that implies.
The word for children, in verse 13 is bannayi, which comes from the primitive root bana (to build). We learned this last week when we studied verses 11 and 12, so hopefully you will catch the significance of how it ties together.
The children (banayi) are being built up (bana) in the family name which all names of God are derived from, YHWH,(self-existent and eternal, Jehova, the Lord).
Therefore, the security of being righted, the Hebrew word here is sedaqa, which is right or virtue, combined with the verb form of, kun, which is to set up and establish, reveals the way we are built up. We are built up fully in Christ, bearing His name, and erecting a dwelling that will house abundance.
- We are taught by God Himself as we are being discipled and built up in Him.
The next word is limmud, which means taught or disciple. This word specifically refers to the discipleship which is exclusive to God through His Spirit in our heart. It is also reflective of how we are changed and restored.
We need to remember that what was necessary for Jesus, to be the image of the Father, is also required of those seek to build their lives upon Christ. It is important to focus on this idea of being firmly rooted and grounded in Christ. Our habitation, our dwelling, and our hope for blessing are not tied to worldly wealth, status, or even getting our prayers answered. It lies solely in the relationship that leads to righteousness and produces spirit-led living. It’s in the heart where he starts, it starts with discipline.
The ultimate goal that each of us must seek after is the consistent and intentional journey to the Cross. Make the habit of seeking Christ so much a part of your day that your very breath depends upon that daily ritual. It is here that you are built and formed securely in His grip.
Righteousness is a characteristic of God’s ruling influence in our lives.
The righteousness by which they are justified, and the grace by which they are sanctified, are the gift of God and the effect of His special love.- Matthew Henry
By replicating His character we show we are connected to the power source. We are related to the main source of love, and by this, our hearts reformed and molded to serve. We are built up so that we can embrace the gifts placed within and operated in generosity towards others without fear.
God’s goodness towards us is inexhaustible and gives the background for the faith to fear not because we can be assured He will always meet us and fill us in whatever capacity we need.
We are not absorbed into him, losing our identity; rather, he fills us with himself, cleansing us from the impurity of sin and allowing us to be seen in all our truest individuality. The result (of this one-on-one teaching) is peace. – James Oswalt (Commentaries on Isaiah)
Being full of His spirit we walk in the light and are no longer warring with the Lord, people, ourselves, or our situations. We can have peace. True HEART peace.
Get this friend: The consequences for becoming a disciplined (built up and taught of God) follower of Christ brings peace, wholeness and righteousness.( the very definition security)
The Promise of God is that he will establish his people in righteousness. Cities rise and fall, but the righteousness of God is infinite, eternal, outlasting the hills; and those in whom he settles it will share that eternity becoming the stones of a city whose name is Salvation and whose walls will never fall. -James Oswalt ~Commentaries on Isaiah
Discipleship leads to security.
If discipleship leads to the one thing we all want, security, then consider this:
- Security brings righteousness because His love holds us up while all around us is falling down.
This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord’s mercies hat we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeks him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. – Lamentations 3:21-26
2. Security brings safety from terror, fear, and oppression, literally distancing us from its location.
But if you suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye; and be not afraid of terror, neither be troubled. – 1 Peter 3:14
A thousand will fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes will you look and see the reward of the wicked. – Psalm 91:7-8
The beauty of the teaching and the fruit of the knowing is that we have freedom in the process.
If I were able to sit with you today I would ask you a simple but deep question: Are you secure?
It’s simplicity implies so much, so let me change it a bit.
What are you insecure about?
Where do you have doubts?
What are your fears and your concerns?
You see, when we KNOW the truth, we are free,(John 8:32) and there is profound security in knowing that. The Truth is this. You are loved beyond your wildest dreams. He reveals himself to us over and over in His Word, beautifully weaving the images together confirming and reaffirming each one so that we can see the truth.
He is diligently teaching us about this hope that is our inheritance. He is teaching us of faith and His faithfulness to our hearts. He is speaking in a language that we can know because He fashioned us and knit us together. (Psalm 139)
He is discipling you out of love and the belief that you are worth it, but you need to trust that He is going to work it all out for your good and His glory. (Romans 8:28)
He is revealing new levels of understanding each and every day that you seek Him in His Word and prayer. He is filling you and leading you to that Salvation that has long been established as your inheritance.
Once we get perspective on the purpose and meaning of the trials and the barren places of our lives, then we can run like calves released from the stall in the morning, free to bask in the Son’s righteousness.(Malachi 4:2) We can face fear boldly; we can trust fully that we are still on the right track.
Proverbs 13:12 talks of an insecure heart. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick: but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.” But I want to paint a different picture for you that is sketched from a canvas where faith is built in the daily journey to the cross. Faith in the face of fear gives wings to hope that cannot be deferred.
You see, faith rises when we spend time with the Father. Hope is the ever present result of those daily visits. He wants to meet you, singing deeply into the depths of your soul, and fill you for each moment. Each visit to the Cross is purposed with destiny, and we are to walk away changed. We can face each situation, even the ones that seem bleak and barren, with a different perspective because we can know that hope is laced through it all. We can trust that we are securely held in the grip of grace and nothing will remove us from that place of favor. Remember this promise from 1 John 2:20:
You have been anointed by the Holy One [you hold a sacred appointment from, you have been given an unction from Him] and you know the truth.
That sacred appointment is the security your heart needs to remember on those days when the world falls and peace eludes your grip, but you have not slipped through His hands because you have been built on a solid foundation that is immovable.
Praying for you to be bathed in the hope and promise of His Word this week.
Blessings In Christ,
Author, writer and speaker, Dawn is passionate about many things: God, Family, Prayer, Food, and the Word. You can find her writing about those hard questions, reasoning and rejoicing in God’s grace and mercy for those who are walking this journey to grace on her website, Journeys In Grace.(www.journeysingrace.com)
Download this week’s worksheet here:
Week 10 Worksheet Restored to Righteousness
Originally posted on Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood.
