Isaiah 4:4

God led me to an odd verse the other day, Isaiah 4:4, which in part says "The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion...".

Filth? What filth? What filth did the women have that the men of Zion didn't? And God, do I have any of that filth on me?

I wasn't sure what that "filth" meant, so I looked at the verse it cross-referenced in Isaiah 3:24..."Instead of fragrance there will be a stench; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of fine clothing, sackcloth; instead of beauty, branding." Further research painted a picture of women who were being led away as captives by the enemy and it made me wonder what kinds of things cause us, as women, to become prey to the enemy? I'm sure there are all kinds of things, but in this case, pride, focusing on outward appearance, and enticement seemed to have a lot to do with being led away, captive to the enemy. Things haven't changed much. That's something we, as women, can fall victim to today, as well, if we're not careful. We can easily fall prey to the idea that what makes us attractive is on the outside. We can become prideful in our appearance and want to attract others to us in order to "prove" our worth.

So what makes us attractive and of worth to God? What releases us from that kind of captivity? 1 Samuel 7 tells us, "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

Proverbs 31 tells of the wife of noble character. Verse 31 says "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

Father, teach us to look at what you look at...the heart. Help us to stand in awe of You.