Isaiah 54:4 (NKJV): "Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore."
Recently, I heard the Lord say, "Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame. The enemy may try to bring shame to you and cause your name to be smeared, but fear not for I have given you an assurance in Isaiah 54:4. Never let the enemy shake you no matter what, and because My light has come, I am also visiting you in a very special way this year, and put My anointing and enabling on you."
This word 'widowhood' in Isaiah 54:4 comes from the Hebrew word 'al-maw-naw', which also means 'a desolate place, or a desolate house'. 'To be desolate' is 'to be deserted, miserable, lonely, sad, or incomplete'. So, this word 'widowhood' here figuratively speaks of being 'deserted, miserable, lonely, sad, or incomplete'.
Never mind if you have been a 'widow' in the past. Because Isaiah 54:5 then says, "For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is His name; and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth." In other words, your Maker is your 'husband' who completes you, or makes you complete in Him! No more will you be alone in facing the fiery darts of the enemy, and no more will you be put to shame, because your Redeemer, Jesus Christ has already carried all your shame when He was nailed on the cross! In fact, His face was even 'smeared', 'disfigured', and 'disgraced', so that you will not be disgraced anymore! Isaiah 52:14 says, "So His visage (appearance) was marred more than any man, and His form (was marred) more than the sons of men." Isaiah 53:2 then says, "He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him."
And you know what? He suffered all these so that you will have Isaiah 54:4!
This year, because His light has come (Isaiah 60:1-2), know that He is also visiting you, the way Jesus came on Simon Peter's boat (Luke 5:1-6). The Bible says Jesus is the Light (John 1:7-9).
'Boat' here speaks of one's vehicle, livelihood, vocation, or even life itself. Simon Peter was a downcast figure then, a picture of dejection, and in rather low spirits. He had toiled all night but caught no fish. And if there's not going to be any fish in his net, it means there'd also be no food on his family's dining table!
But God! And He came! And out of the many boats by the Lake of Gennesaret, Jesus (Yeshua, meaning 'salvation, rescue, aid, deliverer, restorer') chose to come on his boat!
Today, He wants to come onto your 'boat' as well! Will you allow Him? Blessed are you if you do.
You see, Simon Peter could really have said, "Sorry, but I'm about to finish washing my net, and I'm too exhausted to entertain anyone today. Maybe next time? Or you can choose another boat to use instead?" But he did not, and it marked the beginning of a great and tremendous blessing in his (Simon Peter's) life!
When Jesus comes on board, He also brings with Him great and tremendous blessing to you!
Religious people may turn Him into an obligation, or a duty to fulfil. Some others may turn Him into a religion of many steps in order to (hopefully) reach Him. But that's not what the Word of God says! In the New Covenant, what you need to do is simply just let Him come in, just as Simon Peter did!
When Jesus visited Simon Peter, it wasn't an obligation for him, but instead a blessing to him! In other words, God is not an obligation (or burdensome), but a blessing to you! (see also Matthew 11:28-30)
Jesus then said to Simon Peter, "Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a catch." And indeed, blessing did come, even 'exceedingly abundantly above all that he could ask or think' (Ephesians 3:20). In fact, his life was also about to change forever! (see Luke 5:6-11)
People of God, the Lord is also calling you to 'launch out into the deep' this year, where the abundance of fishes are! 'Fishes' here speaks of 'His great blessing and providence'. May your spirit be sensitized to listen to the leading and instructions of the Holy Spirit as He tells you to launch out. Amen.
This is also the time to receive and meditate on Isaiah 54.
Isaiah 54:1 says, "Sing, O barren, you who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, you who have not labored with child! For more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married woman."
Isaiah 54:2-3 follows, "Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; do not spare; lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes, for you shall expand to the right and to the left, and your descendants will inherit the nations, and make the desolate cities inhabited."
And as you 'launch out into the deep' or 'enlarge the place of your tent', Isaiah 54:4 then says, "Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore."
In cross-reference to 'widowhood' here, a widow's life was greatly blessed and tremendously changed when Elijah came into her life! (see 1 Kings 17:8-24) Similarly, another widow's life was also greatly blessed and tremendously changed when this time, Elisha came! (see 2 Kings 4:1-7) By the way, 'Elijah' means 'God of Yahweh, or God your Redeemer', and 'Elisha' means 'God of salvation, God of supplication, or God who is rich toward you'. Praise God!
People of God, no matter what may have happened in your past, or what shame you have had to endure in the past, will you give and entrust every area of your life to Him again? When Simon Peter allowed Jesus onto his boat, something great happened because it was given and entrusted to Jesus.
Psalm 34:8-10 says, "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing."
'To trust Him' is to give and entrust your entire life and future to Him, like a child throwing himself/herself into the arms of his/her loving daddy. Today, know that your Abba Father loves you and is always (and will always be) here for you, and He is also assuring you that His arms are big and strong enough to carry you through, no matter what the enemy may try to conjure up against you (see Isaiah 54:14-15, Isaiah 54:17). Amen.
