Holy Bible, Woman Thou Art Loosed Edition New King James Version Copyright 1998 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. New King James Version 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Supplemental articles, Soul Secrets, Leading Ladies, Gospel Pearls, and Welcome 1998 by T.D. Jakes Index to Articles, A Victorious Woman’s Guide to Bible Reading, and Where to Find Her 1998 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Materials from Naked and Not Ashamed. T.D. Jakes, 1995. Used by permission of Destiny Image Publishers, 167 Walnut Bottom Road, Shippensburg, PA 17257. All rights reserved. Printed in Colombia
Excerpts and quotations from the Holy Bible, Woman Thou Art Loosed Edition may be used in articles, newsletters, bulletins, and reviews without the written permission of the publisher. Each such use must be accompanied by the following credit line: From the Holy Bible, Woman Thou Art Loosed Edition, 1998 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. Any other use of materials in the Holy Bible, Woman Thou Art Loosed Edition, including the use of complete articles or other features, must be upon written permission from Thomas Nelson Publishers, Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000. The text of the New King James Version (NKJV) may be quoted or reprinted without prior permission with the following qualifications: (1) up to and including 1,000 verses may be quoted in printed form as long as the verses quoted amount to less than 50 percent of a complete book of the Bible and make up less than 50 percent of the total work in which they are quoted; (2) all NKJV quotations must conform accurately to the NKJV text. Any use of the NKJV text must include proper acknowledgment as follows: Scripture taken from the New King James Version. 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. However, when quotations from the NKJV text are used in church bulletins, orders of service, Sunday school lessons, church newsletters, and similar works in the course of religious instruction or services at a place of worship or other religious assembly, the notice ‘‘NKJV’’ may be used at the end of each quotation. For quotation requests not covered by the above guidelines, write to Thomas Nelson Publishers, Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.
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Leading Ladies
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he Bible is full of wonderful women! I have written and preached about many of them and have learned powerful lessons for my life from their lives. This “Leading Ladies” section is a sort of written portrait gallery of some of the key women in God’s Word and in the history of our faith. The ten women on the following pages represent many of the trials and triumphs that women today can identify with and understand. In these articles, I have tried to offer pieces of hope for every woman who reads this book. You’ll find something for older women, something for abused women, something for desperate women, something for women with health problems, and something for those who are broken and bitter. I hope you’ll gain strength and encouragement as you read about these women of God. I pray that you will see yourself as you wander through this gallery of leading ladies.
Naomi Ruth 1-4
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ome women never find their reason for living until their latter years. Until she found her purpose, Naomi was a bitter woman. In fact, she said, “Do not call me Naomi [which means “my joy”]; call me Mara [which means “bitterness”]. I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty” (see Ruth 1:20). When Naomi started out as a young wife, she had everything. But at the end, she had nothing. She lost her husband and two sons, but she rediscovered her purpose and recycled her life. And look what happened! As she began to nurse her grandchild, Obed, and teach him her faith, she planted the seed of faith for future generations. Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of King David! How could Naomi have known that Obed would be an ancestor of the Messiah? How could she have known that Ruth, the daughter-in-law who refused to leave her, was placed by God in the family tree of Jesus, His Son? How could this winter woman have known that her legacy would outlive her by thousands of years? No doubt Naomi knew discouragement well. No doubt there were times she wanted to roll over and xvii
die. But if she had given in to the temptation to give up, she would have stopped short of God’s restoration. She would have gone to her grave never knowing what blessing God was about to pour out for her. She would have died in bitterness without having tasted His joy. My sister, the timing of the Lord defies human reason. To those of you whose dreams have been denied thus far in your life, hang on. To those whose past seems unredeemable, keep standing strong. To those for whom the future looks blank and empty, do not roll over and die. Stand against thoughts that whisper,“You’re too old for this. God can’t do anything else with you. You’re all used up and all worn out.”Whoever you are, whatever your situation, do not give up. Do not stop short of the Lord’s plan for your life. You may be stuck in a rut today, but one touch of God in your life can bring unspeakable joy. You may look like a little old lady to some people, but they just can’t see your might. They don’t know that little old ladies can move heaven and earth by the power of prayer. They don’t know that some of God’s toughest warriors are elderly women. They don’t know that wrinkled hands can be lifted in powerful praise and feeble knees can march! You are never too old for God. You are never too used up to be of service in His kingdom. A life’s worth of lessons are yours. You have learned faith and practiced patience. You know how to listen. You have developed a friendship with God that can only exist because you have walked with Him day after day, year after year. You have stored the treasures of mercy and compassion in your heart and you possess the secrets of seasoned wisdom that only comes with time. Like Naomi, perhaps the Lord has saved the best for last in your life. You must endure and not give in. God has more in store for you than you know. Life must go full-circle. God’s plan must be worked out in God’s time. Older women, you are jewels in the crown of heaven. You offer gifts that no one else can. Keep the light in your eyes and the fire in your hearts burning brightly. God isn’t finished with you yet.
Michal 2 Samuel 3:14; 6:16
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ery few men would have been able to live with her. She was one of those women who can’t get along with a man—any man. xviii
Slam the Door! Song of Solomon 8:9
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rom the foundations of the world, God chose you. In order to move people from eternity to time, God has only one method—birth through a woman. He is so serious about this law of creation that when He got ready to pour Himself into human flesh and live on this earth, He didn’t violate it; rather, He was born of a woman. Women are the only legal entryway to the earthly realm. If something is going to be born, it is going to be born of a woman. If it is going to come from the realm of eternity into the realm of time, it is going to come through the door of a woman’s womb. This fact is what puts women on the devil’s hit list. The enemy is opposed to life. He deals in sickness, destruction, denial, devastation, thievery, and death. The enemy knows that if he is going to be successful, he must conquer the legal entrance to life. So he is waiting at that door! But, woman, there are other doors in your life. Guard them and lock them. Slam your fence gates shut and chain them tight. Be very careful what you allow to enter you, what you allow to come through you, what you allow to affect you. Be careful what spirit you let loose in your mind, in your emotions, in your family. Shut the door! Shut the door on that confusion, that depression, that temptation, that evil spirit. When you do, you are shutting the door in the devil’s face! In the Song of Solomon 8:8, 9, the writer was describing an immature sister. He said that if she were “swinging loose,” he would teach her how to “keep herself.” He would close her in so she didn’t give entrance to just any old thing or any old person who happened to come along. But if she proved to be a wall—if she were found to be solid in what she believed and how she behaved—then he would build on her. Guard the doors of your life, your soul, your spirit. Inside you is precious treasure that needs to be protected. You have the capacity to bear life in many forms. Don’t let the enemy steal it from you. Slam the door on the devil today!
Soul Secrets of a woman who needs a Father
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ord, I am feeling lonely and vulnerable and scared and confused. There is nothing I need more right now than a Daddy. I need strength and wisdom and direction. I
need a Protector and a Provider. I have tried to control my own life and I have ended up in a mess. I need help. I have wandered long. And I am ready to come home to You. It is so good to know that I have a Father, even if I’ve never had one before. It is so good to know that You are a Father who will love me, nurture me, bring me peace. It is so good to know that the Creator of the universe is the Father of my heart. Make me like clay in Your hands. Make me a woman You can easily mold into exactly the person You want me to be— pure, strong, gracious, whole, faithful, steadfast. Thank You that I can never be too old to become Your daughter.