Never assume to limit the ways that God will affirm you, to lead you in your purpose. Over several weeks between December 2022 and January 2023 I was given eight pieces of beautiful jewelry. They are from three different women pastors who lead three different ministries alongside their husbands—also pastors. Each gift package contained a progressively greater number of pieces.

After the third unexpected gift package arrived, I began to wonder what was going on… All are the first gifts I’ve ever received from these women, and all included earrings! I was pleasantly surprised but became increasingly more curious—especially after the third package contained three pairs of earrings. I’ve known this pastor for over 20 years, and although I’ve blessed her many times over the years, she’d never given me anything until now. Ergo, ‘the plot thickened’ . . .

I inquired of several friends, brainstorming, but nothing really hit my spirit as to why all the earrings—and seemingly out of the blue? I thought, “Am I not hearing you properly, Lord, and these pastors have prayed over the earrings to help me to hear you better?” I know, it sounds hysterical—but that’s how my mind works! I truly sensed that God would reveal something of significance to me. Then, last week I inquired of my own pastor’s wife, who pastors alongside him. She responded matter-of-factly, “Adornment. Royalty. You’re being adorned as royalty.” My mind immediately jumped to “Queen,” an endearment often used by the pastor that I’ve known for 20 years, when she addresses me. Then, almost as quickly, I thought of Queen Esther.

Sometime between the last gift package and my pastor’s declaration, I’d read a devotional about Queen Esther’s faith, desperately needed to save her entire family from destruction—an entire Jewish tribe. Having heard my pastor’s prophetic response, my curiosity was satisfied. But God wasn’t done revealing the fullness of his message to me. The last package also contained a symbol of longstanding significance to me—butterflies. Also included were two beautiful lapel pins, so five pieces in all with the three pairs of butterfly earrings. One of the pins, a colorfully bejeweled dragonfly, came with a note saying, “This one is just because it’s so beautiful, like you are to me.” How sweet!

Was I delighted to be thought of so favorably by these beautiful women of God? Yes, absolutely; but something was nagging me. While taking a lunch break on Monday, I began to think about how the enemy has fought to silence me, even to kill me, from the time that I was born. My husband and I discussed it on the way home from church, lunch, and some shopping this past Sunday. The next day, as I reminisced, I was nudged by Holy Spirit to revisit the passage of scripture about Esther. As I opened the Bible, my eyes fell right on the verse below:

“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14, NIV

From the minute I began to read, my spirit leapt! As my heart burned, revelation dawned upon me like the rising sun. There it was, right there in the Bible! Both the words “silent” and “royal”—in the same verse. Thoughts of my battle over the past two weeks rushed to mind. I had felt harassed and provoked, the devil using people against me that I barely know. God was exposing him and his plan to hamstring my ministry. Not only had the devil been trying to silence me, but he was trying to destroy my ministry completely. Abuse survivors like me often battle with trust issues. He tried to turn my curiosity to suspicion, having sent a spirit of offense.

Abuse survivors can also self-sabotage key relationships aligned with our destinies. But God wasn’t having it. He warned me that my entire family, like Esther’s, can perish if I give up my faith. That he can use another minister to write for him, to spread the Good News, but that my portion would be forfeited. That my purpose would go unfulfilled.

Queens are envied and even despised; but, for as many people that there are who are hateful, there are even more who are loving, kind, and supportive. They are those who will obey God to bless you, for no reason other than to lovingly support and encourage you. Those who’ve been forged in the fire of the Potter’s wheel.

I had been in a mental battle, not regarding the three women pastors, necessarily; but I had been allowing offense to linger regarding other Christian sisters who were being nothing less than immature and competitive, targeting me like a bunch of mean girls. I began to take on their unwarranted offenses against me (for simply breathing in their presence). Eventually, I’d become indignant and offended by their inexcusable behaviors. And thus, the cycle began…

So over the entire situation, I inquired of God, “What do I do?” He emphatically responded, “Keep going. Keep going. KEEP going!” The he said, “Don’t stop!” Suddenly, it was all becoming clear.

I am an inspirational author; it is a large part of my purpose in ministry. Winston Churchill said, “If you are going through hell, keep going.” The signs were all around me daily—literally. Even a wooden plaque of that quote sits atop an antique organ in my office. I’ve had it for years. Moreover, butterflies are everywhere throughout my office and home, representing my transformations from faith to faith and from glory to glory. Many other symbols of the warrior woman that I’ve become are throughout my home as well.

Lately, I’ve been tested by people—women especially. I now recognize the demons of offense and jealousy, and I refuse to succumb to their attempts to silence me. I refuse to dim my shine to appease them. God has affirmed his sentiment that I should shine, by all the jewelry that he’s adorned me with. I will be a light amid the darkness in this world, and I will share his truth, lovingly, despite pesky church bullies. I refuse to retaliate to foolishness. It would lead to my retreating, as I’ve done in the past, intimidated and confused, but this is the YEAR OF THE CHURCH and there’s simply no time for distractions and delays. I’ve prayed, commanded, and released a bunch of people, submitting to God and resisting the devil—therefore he’s had to flee! The blood of Jesus is against him. I’m now soaring again, as the butterflies represent.

I’ve found that God speaks loudest to you when the devil is trying to silence you. Many say they don’t hear from God. Perhaps those who don’t hear have limited their minds to how they think God should speak? Or maybe their spirits haven’t been regenerated to recognize His voice? God spoke loudly when he called me royalty, adorning me with symbolic jewelry—loud and clear in his intent. Heard.

Jesus says, “He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice” (John 10:3b-4, NLT, emphases mine).

Jesus is the Good Shepherd of his own. Accepting him as your Lord and Savior is what makes you his own. Don’t be fooled, as many have been, falling away from the truth. God is greater than ‘the universe,’ He’s the God of the universe and everything else that humans can imagine, over and beyond anything humans can describe. He’s the everlasting Father of Jesus Christ, his Son, and he wants to be your Father too. He’s ineffable yet approachable. He’s powerful yet merciful. He’s fearsome yet loving. He’s the believer’s portion for a rich and satisfying life—abundancy. And he calls you royal.

Jesus says, “I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:9-10, NLT)

I’ve shown you that even a woman who gave her life to Jesus at 5 years old can be harassed, boggled of mind, and dejected of soul, in her 60s, via the thief’s attacks, working his modus operandi through people. But be encouraged, Jesus prepares a table in your honor—right in the thief’s face (Psalm 23:5a)!

How do you hear God speak? He speaks through meaningful jewelry from pastors, “random” devotionals at just the right time, encounters on your lunch break, nature and magnificent displays of his creative power throughout the universe. He speaks affirmations to you, such as prophetic words like “royalty” and “adornment.” Words declared over you by your pastors. “Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God” (Hebrews 13:17, NLT). If that’s not what you’re getting, you’re in the wrong church. Been there done that.

Please don’t limit how you’ll hear from God, and don’t ever heed the voice of strangers carrying strange or false doctrines that don’t line up with God’s word. The Bible is the most inerrant way that God speaks.

My revelations about the earrings I’ve depicted:

The feather earrings represent quills, aka, the writer’s quill. How awesome is that! The flowers embedded in the clear resin earrings represent that as I bloom, although tender of heart, I must be immovable (“Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves” [Matthew 10:16, NLT]). The trim: I am framed in gold, the emblem of God and royalty. As Christ has fixed the fight against me, the devil can’t win. I have crowns laid up for me in heaven.

The bling-bling earrings from the first pastor? Well, your girl loves diamonds, gold, and anything sparkly that catches light! I had to sell quite a lot of my diamonds, gold, and sparkly things both during and after my divorce, to keep up with my bills. Selling diamonds and gold was also my job as an associate at a popular diamond chain in Colorado. I’ve given lots of jewelry, including diamonds, over the years. The blingy earrings represent God’s promise of restoration of all that was lost and stolen due to betrayals against me in the past (“The LORD says, ‘I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts, the hopping locusts, the stripping locusts, and the cutting locusts'” [Joel 2:25a, NLT]).

The sets of butterfly earrings, their coloring, the materials used, both hard and soft, all represent kingdom virtues. Purity, femininity, the finished work, righteousness, endurance, and perfecting. New beginnings—springtime smack in the middle of winter—the total number of pieces being 8. (“God has made everything beautiful for its own time” [Ecclesiastes 3:11a, NLT]).

Therefore, all the gifts that I received serve as meaningful reminders. Primarily, to hear God no matter how he speaks. All the gifts speak of God’s love for me and my royal positioning in him, despite people’s opinions. I pray that you receive his love for you from my testimony. You, too, are his queens and kings. And the King of kings will avenge you of whatever the devil does to you.

“For I will contend with him who contends with you,” says God (Isaiah 49:25, NKJV). He is both your vindicator and your recompense.

Holy Spirit revelation makes your heart burn, your spirit leap, and your purpose sound. It overrides the thief’s purpose to silence you, giving way to Jesus’ purpose, to give you a “rich and satisfying life.” It takes discipline on the part of the believer and sensitivity to Holy Spirit’s leading. What God says, he backs up by his acts of love, guidance, and protection. If no one else affirms you, affirm yourself by his Word, knowing that God LOVES you so much.

He even blessed me with these expensive earrings at a mere fraction of their cost, perhaps to say, “You’ve passed the test, my warrior queen.”

If you’re not a believer, say the following prayer aloud:

Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner, and that you are the Son of God. I believe that you died in my place for my sins. Please forgive me for my transgressions and make your home in my heart today. I accept you now as my Lord and Savior. Teach me the ways of God and help me to stand strong amid the temptations in this world. I especially ask for deliverance from (name your struggles/vice/s). Thank you, Jesus. Amen.

If you’ve prayed the prayer above, please let me know. You’re saved! Welcome to the family of Christ! Heaven’s angels are partying right now on your behalf! Hallelujah!!!

Royal Positioning first appeared here at http://www.mjeanettesmith.com, Falcon’s Vision LLC, by M. J. Smith

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