AS IRON SHARPENS IRON, SO ONE WOMAN SHARPENS ANOTHER
ironwifey MAGAZINE
WOMEN INTHE BIBLE
PROVERBS 31:30 NLT
CHARM IS DECEPTIVE, AND BEAUTY DOES NOT LAST; BUT A WOMAN WHO FEARS THE LORD WILL BE GREATLY PRAISED.
Q2 Issue www.ironwifey.com
As Iron Sharpens Iron, So One Woman Sharpens Another
CEO : Jesus Founder & Editor-In-Christ: Micayla Robertson Contributing Writers: Adebosoye Olabegi Bria McPhee Veranique Parker Denise Dandridge Ncediwe Mdlulwa
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Hi love! Thank you for reading the Q2 issue of IronWifey Magazine! As we continue through the year seeking the kingdom of God above all else, it is imperative that we take the time to appreciate the women who paved the way for us. Each and every one of us have learned from, imitated, and share qualities and characteristics from our mothers, grandmother's, aunts, and teachers. Without reason or doubt, they passed down advice, wisdom, and the most valuable lessons that they have received throughout their lifetime. Dating all the way back to lessons from Eve, women have shaped the way we love, communicate, respond, and mother. This issue contains lessons learned from the biblical women that came before us and their impact on the women we are today. I pray that this issue reveals to you the love that Jesus has for women, the strength and courage that we have inherited from our biblical mothers, and the beauty, purpose, and authority that God has given you. You were created for such a time as this sis! Be About Your Father’s Business! With Love, Micayla Founder & Editor-In-Christ, IronWifey Magazine
© 2020 IronWifey
ABOUT MY FATHER'S BUSINESS SERIES
CONT ENTS Esther 07 Such A Time As This Adebosoye Olagbegi Ruth 10 Purposefully Thriving Bria McPhee
Hannah 13 The Anxious Wife Ncediwe Mdlulwa 14 Lord If You Will, Then I Will Denise Dandridge
The Sinful Woman 18 The Sinful Woman Veranique Parker
Joanna 22 Choosing Christ Over The World Denise Dandridge
WISDOM FROM
Esther
ESTHER 4:14 NLT
"WHO KNOWS IF PERHAPS YOU WERE MADE QUEEN FOR JUST SUCH A TIME AS THIS?"
BY: ADEBOSOYE OLAGBEGI
Such A Time As This “..Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” Esther 4:14 NLT
Esther! What a queen! One of my favorite lines in the bible is the one seen above. Many of us know there’s something we need to do or accomplish, but we’re always putting it off or attaching it to a later part of our lives. We tell ourselves.. maybe I’ll do it when I’m at this point in my career, or maybe when I have kids. But, what if it is for such a time as this? The problem with putting things off, is that we think it’s just about us. We think we can step into our purpose or calling when we please, or sometime in the future. We think the current blessings we are experiencing are just for ourselves and when we finally do step into what God has called us to do, it will be us achieving our God given dream. But ladies, what if God called you for such a time as this? And what if it wasn’t about you but the people who will be helped through what God is using you to do? Esther was given the blessing of being queen. When her uncle first mentioned to her that she could use her position to change people’s lives her response was all the bad things that could happen if she went before the king to intercede on behalf of the Israelites.
“All the king’s officials and even the people in the provinces know that anyone who appears before the king in his inner court without being invited is doomed to die unless the king holds out his gold scepter. And the king has not called for me to come to him for thirty days.” Esther 4:11-12 NLT
But when her uncle spoke to her about her being queen for such a time as this, and her being put in place to save her people, she took up her crown and did what she had to do. Her posture changed from seeing how what she was being asked to do affected her, to seeing the impact it could have on others. But she did not run off and go before the king on her own. She first went to God and then moved.
“If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die.” Esther 4:14-16 NLT When we put off what God has called us to do, it’s not just us missing out, but the people depending on what God has deposited inside of us for such a time as this. So what is it that you are uniquely created and crafted to do? How long will you keep putting it off? What excuses are you making about all the things that could go wrong and the timing not being right? My fellow Queen, take up your crown, and boldly step into what God has called you to do, because it’s not just about you. This is your time and there are people depending on your obedience!
We can’t fulfill God’s plans for our lives without God Himself. 07 | IRONWIFEY MAGAZINE
AS IRON SHARPENS IRON
WISDOM FROM
Ruth
RUTH 1:16 NLT
"WHEREVER YOU GO, I WILL GO; WHEREVER YOU LIVE, I WILL LIVE.YOUR PEOPLE WILL BE MY PEOPLE, AND YOUR GOD WILL BE MY GOD"
BY: BRIA MCPHEE
I want to introduce you to a woman who’s often overlooked. When mentioned, her character is overshadowed by her companion. Oftentimes we miss that in her grief, she reminds women to serve and shows us that through commitment to God she positions herself to receive His redeeming grace. Her name is Ruth and as you read through the lessons she teaches us I hope you’ll have a better understanding of who Ruth was and what her purpose was. Boaz & Ruth have a beautiful love story, but let’s shift our focus to Ruth. Before meeting Boaz Ruth shows us a few things we can do as women who are single. Firstly, Ruth was a woman who was pursuing purpose. She wasn’t on the hunt for a husband, in fact, she has just lost her previous husband. She was more focused on serving others during this time instead of searching for a significant other. In fact, it was while she was focusing on her purpose that Boaz noticed her. During your time of singleness are you so focused on the wait that you are neglecting what you could be doing to serve and honor God now?
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Secondly, Ruth was a woman of commitment. If you’ve ever experienced the loss of a loved one you know how hard it is to stay committed to certain things in your life without them. As a woman who understands grief I understand how hard it may be to commit to your purpose while simultaneously trying to take your eyes off your circumstances and place them on God.
Finally, Ruth shows us that her story was redeemed because of her commitment to Christ. “But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God” (Ruth 1:16 NLT). Such a noble and tear dropping statement from Ruth to her mother-in-law Naomi. Her level of commitment to her mother-in-law is the deep level of commitment we often wish we had from others whether that be in family relations, friendships, or even romantic relationships. However, if we move past the surface of her words to Naomi we see that Ruth didn’t just commit herself to her motherin-law she committed herself to God, “and your God will be my God.”
Talk about taking a leap of faith. Ruth leaves everything she has ever known. She left her own traditions, family, land, and beliefs to follow and serve a God she originally knew nothing about.
Ruth is a woman of commitment. Even in her grief, she committed herself to knowing God and was focused on purpose. During this time in her life, Ruth’s main purpose was to serve. In the midst of losing her husband and navigating life as a widow, she actively chooses service to others. Instead of going back to her homeland, or finding another spouse, Ruth chose to serve her mother-in-law and stay by her side. She understood that her purpose to serve was far more important than returning to her old ways or pursuing a new relationship. What is your focus on? Are you focusing more of the promise instead of building a relationship with the promise Keeper? Are you moving forward or allowing pain and grief to push you back to who you were? Are you idolizing marriage more than you’re honoring and serving God? Repent. Turn to God. And fix your focus on Him. In doing so, you will thrive in the purpose He has for you and serve in the capacity that he has called you to commit.
Ruth wholeheartedly pledged her dedication and loyalty to not only her mother-in-law, but to God as well. Ruth laid down her will and desires and chose to follow God. Her story was redeemed because of who she committed herself to. Think about it? If she would have never committed to Naomi, thus committing herself to God, she would have never met Boaz. If she never would have met Boaz she would have never been redeemed from grieving widow to flourishing wife. So who is Ruth? A woman who not only was committed and purpose driven, but one who allowed service to lead her to redemption. Maybe, like me, you’ve been in one two many bad relationships. Maybe, like me, your purity was taken away from you before you even understood the importance of it. Who are you committed to? It’s time to hold your head up and commit yourself to God - the ultimate Redeemer. Did you know that one definition of commitment is to be in a long-term emotional relationship with someone. So when you commit to God you are not making a decision to be with Him for two weeks, two months, or two decades, you are staying with Him for the long-term - for eternity. Your relationship with Him isn’t to be bland or pretend. It’s okay to be authentically yourself with God. It’s okay to trust God with your heart and emotions. It’s okay to openly display who you are to God, flaws and all, trusting that His love for you will never change. During this time you may be single, but choose to purposely thrive in your singleness while God sends the man He has for you in pursuit of you.
THRIVING ONE WOMAN SHARPENS ANOTHER
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WISDOM FROM
Hannah
THE ANXIOUS WIFE BY: NCEDIWE MDLULWA
H
annah was a childless wife, who was loved dearly by her husband Elkanah. Elkanah’s second wife was Peninnah and she had children. As years passed, Hannah’s grief toward infertility deepened. She visited the temple at Shiloh (where Israel had kept the ark of the covenant) and prayed to God that if He were to grant her a son, she would dedicate him to God’s service. Eli the priest had noticed that Hannah was muttering aloud and had suspected that she was drunk. Hannah explained that she was deeply troubled, and Eli sent her away with God’s blessing. Later, she conceived and had given birth to a son, whom she named Samuel meaning “God has heard”. In her expression of gratitude Hannah had fulfilled her vow to the Lord and had presented Samuel to Eli to serve at the temple. Hannah’s story is that of grace, mercy and favor from the Lord simply because her prayers were answered. God heard her cries and misery about her barrenness. The book of Psalms 56:8 NIV says “Record my misery, list my tears on your scroll – are they not in your record”. This means we should turn to God in all of our moments of misery and despair. This may include: infertility, healing in our bodies, desiring success in our careers, or fear of failure in life. In these moments, it is in our greatest benefit to pray!
In light of the current global crisis of COVID-19, my personal prayer is that all who are anxious become prayer warriors. May we unite in prayer for healing and peace for the different nations that lost their loved ones due to this virus. May the spreading of this virus come to an end and may there be no more records of deaths in Jesus name. Amen
ATTRIBUTES OF HANNAH FAITHFUL
CHILDLESS
TROUBLED
LOVED
Implement prayer into your daily routine. Pray confidently and willingly because as sons and daughters of the Most High God, every setback is a set up for a comeback..
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Lord if you will...then I promise I will… I can recall as a teenager being unprepared for a final exam and pleading, “God if only you would help me pass this exam, I promise I will not procrastinate with studying anymore.” Only to find myself later procrastinating on another exam, or class assignment, or chore that I know I needed to complete. How many of these empty promises can you remember making in your life, and how many times were you guilty of disappointing God? How many times throughout life have you heard someone say these words, or even recall saying them yourself: Lord if you will...Then I promise I will… Pleading with the Heavenly Father in times of angst and despair to fulfill a desired want or need. Making promises to God that if He would answer your prayer/s, then you would do exactly what you vowed to do in return; only to find yourself being rewarded by God, and then failing to follow through on what you promised Him or suggesting a compromise instead. I would like to introduce you to a woman in the Bible that you may or may not be familiar with. This particular woman prayed to God for something wonderful, a child, and attached to that prayer an unfathomable promise. Unlike many of us however, she delivered on her promise.
By: Denise Dandridge
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Her name is Hannah.
AS IRON SHARPENS IRON
“O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime.” -1 Samuel 1:11 NLT During biblical times, a woman's success was often measured by her ability to produce children, and more specifically boys. These sons would grow up and inherit the family’s estate and continue the family’s lineage. Hannah unfortunately was infertile. In prayer at a local worship center in Shiloh she prayed to God pleading with him to give her a son. Hannah even promised to give the boy back to God for a lifetime of service IF He answered her prayers. A priest by the name of Eli witnessed her prayer and responded to her, “Go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.” -1 Samuel 1:17 Within the year Hannah is blessed with a son and she names him Samuel, which means “name of God” in Hebrew. But now she is confronted with her promise to God. She raises Samuel to the point where he is weaned from her and without hesitation or regret, staying true to her vow, she walks him back to the worship center in Shiloh and turns him over to Eli the Priest consecrating him to the Lord. Hannah visited her son often knowing that God had special plans for this baby boy that was gifted to an infertile woman. For her faithfulness, and dedication God gave Hannah 5 more children in return. Her son Samuel grew to become a prophet, a judge and under God’s instruction, he anointed the first two kings of Israel.
Hannah’s story while not often told is monumental. It speaks volumes to the true meaning of a human “making a promise” to God. Far too often, we hear promises being made on a sliding scale where bigger promises may not be acceptable to break, but smaller ones can be forgiven. What would our lives be like if God operated on these principles and displayed the same lack of untrustworthiness that mankind has shown throughout our existence. The greatest promise and sacrifice of all that our Heavenly Father has given us is that of eternal life. “And this is the promise God has promised us, even ETERNAL LIFE!” (1 John 2:25 NKJV) For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NIV) Our words are very powerful, and as illustrated in Hannah’s story, if we are trusting in the Heavenly Father to hear our prayers and grant our requests, then He expects us to keep our vows as well. God will not be mocked and life is too short to not take your spiritual well being serious. If you are going to stand on God’s promises to you, there is nothing that can justify or substantiate making empty promises to Him. “When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.” -Ecclesiastes 5:4 KJV
.*“A promise from God is a statement we can depend on with absolute confidence.” Our Daily Bread, a devotional guide written in 1985, refers to 12 promises found in the Bible for all of God’s children who believe to claim: God’s presence: “I will never leave thee” (Heb. 13:5) God’s protection: “I am thy shield” (Gen. 15:1) God’s power: “I will strengthen thee” (Isa. 41:10) God’s provision: “I will help thee” (Isa. 41:10) God’s leading: “And when He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them” (John 10:4) God’s purposes: “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil” (Jer. 20:11) God’s rest: “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28) God’s cleansing: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9) God’s goodness: “No good thing will He withhold from them that work uprightly” (Psalm 84:11) God’s faithfulness: “The Lord will not forsake His people for His great name’s sake” (1 Sam. 12:22) God’s guidance: “The meek will He guide” (Psalm 25:9) God’s wise plan: “All things work together for good to them that love God” (Rom. 8:28) *Bread, Our Daily. “Twelve Promises.” TwelvePromisesBible.org, bible.org/illustration/twelve-promises.
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WISDOM FROM A
Sinful woman
PSALM 46:5 NLT
GOD IS IN THE MIDST OF HER; SHE SHALL NOT BE MOVED; GOD SHALL HELP HER, JUST AT THE BREAK OF DAWN."
THE SINFUL WOMAN
By: Veranique Parker
This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner." Luke 7:39 (NKJV) I wonder how many times we are defined by our choices or the horrible things that may have happened to us that were out of our control. The Pharisees sure knew how to bring a woman down and show the Lord what type of woman "this is" so He could see the filth she was made of and just how she was portrayed to the world: a sinner who was unworthy of being seen as beautiful. Though the Pharisees were quick to give her an identity based off of her mistakes, the Lord is willing to forgive her mistakes and give her a new identity.
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Too often, most people cannot see past the mistakes one has made. They struggle to extend grace and compassion and judge them not based on who they are, but what they do. Personally, I viewed myself the exact same way the Pharisees viewed this sinful woman. From my past experiences of being sold into prostitution, I remember telling the Lord, "This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman "this is" who is touching Him, for she is a sinner." A woman who, I believe, was so lost and broken that she allowed the enemy to swallow her up in despair, pushing her to believe there was no good in the world, or that there was even a possibility that someone could love her with a pure heart. A pure heart with eyes that looked at her as if her pain was a masterpiece, a collection of the most magnificent artwork one has ever gazed their eyes upon. From what I have learned about this woman, she too was a prostitute, and during this time the Pharisees showed nothing but contempt for sinners.Yet, here she stood, with Jesus, at the house of a Pharisee. In a place where it seems like none of the Pharisee's expected a woman of such low reputation to attend their dinner, she gave herself to the only man who matters. "And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought and alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. - Luke 7:37-38 NKJV
The bible verse I motioned above reads, "God shall help her, just at the break of dawn." The break of dawn meaning, a time for the enemy to attack and at this time he was attacking her character through the Pharisee. Pharisees during that time were those who identified themselves as religious leaders. With ease, the enemy used trusted leaders to attack God’s people and strip them of their worthiness through their mistakes. The enemy wants us to see ourselves as "not forgiven" while God wants to show us that we are forgiven. In 1 Samuel 16:7 the Lord specifically tells us that He does not see as man sees. There is so much rest in knowing that regardless of how others may view a "sinful woman", the Lord sees her heart; the beautiful creation He interwoven with His love the moment He created us in our mother's womb. He loved us then, and He loves us now! The world may portray us as a modified version of unworthiness, but what other people think about us does not define us nor qualify us to live in the enemy's camp.
We are excelled in status as daughters of the King to shine in this world because there is absolutely no truth to the lies the enemy tries to speak into our lives. Our mistakes do not define us and will not be used as daunting triggers to cripple us with fear. This woman approached Jesus, at a dinner she was not even invited to, weeping at His feet in front of her enemies with a desperation to be forgiven. Before that night, her name was “sinful woman” because she allowed other people to determine her identity, not realizing her identity in Christ. But imagine if we owned our worth in Christ and did not allow the enemy to choose our worth for us. You see, later on in Luke chapter 7, God told this woman, "Your sins are forgiven… Your faith has saved you. Go in peace." From sinful woman, to forgiven, she did not let what the Pharisee's thought of her effect how she knew God saw her. You see, God tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. God tells us that we are Chosen! So why do some of us not believe it? Maybe.. we should start.
God tells us in Psalm 46 that He is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. This chapter also goes on to say, in verse 5, "God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn." The courage this woman had to attend the Pharisee's dinner despite caring a single ounce about the devouring lions surrounding her, trying to get the Lord to see her for who she was "a sinner”, reveals to me, the desperation this woman must have had to seek Jesus no matter the cost, nor extent, to receive forgiveness. What a great example of how "we" as women must put on her armor of bravery and surrender absolutely everything to the Lord, regardless of what anyone thinks about us. One must gear up and face those devouring lions because the only thing that matters is what the Lord thinks. He is our judge, He is our redeemer, He is our confidant, He is the almighty God who forgives!
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WISDOM FROM
Joanne
STEPPING DOWN TO STEP UP: CHOOSING CHRIST OVER THE WORLD By: Denise Dandridge
If faced with the choice of following Christ or the World, which one would you choose? Joanna is the wife of Chuza, who served as a steward in the house of Herod Antipas, the Roman appointed ruler of Galilee. The mere affiliation to this household afforded Joanna luxuries that most were not exposed to. So when posed with the question: what influential, astute, aristocratic Galilean woman, would voluntarily step down from her socially elevated status and choose to become a follower of Christ? The answer is none other than Joanna. Joanna, although not mentioned much in the Bible, makes her cameo appearances by name on two occasions. It is inferred however that she may have been present at other times because she traveled with Jesus and the disciples. The first time she is mentioned is in the Gospel of Luke (8:1-3 NLT) where she is medically healed of her infirmities by Jesus. It is at this point in Joanna’s life that she witnesses Christ’s power first hand and needs no other convincing that he is truly the Son of God. She commits her life to serving him and supporting his ministry with all that she has. The second time she is mentioned is in Luke (24:10). Where she is one of three women to witness the resurrection of Christ when they arrive at the tomb and find it empty. Joanna’s story is important because instead of returning to her seemingly lavish lifestyle after she was healed by Christ, she chose to take a pivotal role in His ministry. She advocated for Christ and consistently supported him with her time, resources, finances, testimonies and service. Joanna was the epitome of a “cheerful giver” (Corinthians 9:6-7) and gave freely, without reluctance, of everything she had been blessed with. She knew that true wealth was a gift from God and her reverence and faithfulness toward Jesus was not just during his life, but continued for him even after his death. While in the eyes of man she may be stepping down, in her heart, mind and soul she was stepping up and positioning herself to receive the highest status imaginable: an everlasting life with our Heavenly Father filled with unconditional love, peace, grace, favor, and salvation. “What shall it profit a man or woman if he gains the whole world but loses his/her soul.” -Mark 8:36
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AS IRON SHARPENS IRON
BUT VERY EARLY ON SUNDAY MORNING THE WOMEN WENT TO THE TOMB, TAKING THE SPICES THEY HAD PREPARED. THEY FOUND THAT THE STONE HAD BEEN ROLLED AWAY FROM THE ENTRANCE. SO THEY WENT IN, BUT THEY DIDN’T FIND THE BODY OF THE LORD JESUS.” - LUKE 24:1-3 NLT
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