This Week's Focal Passage:
"Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil All the days of her life." (Proverbs 31:10-12)
Strong's:
Virtuous #02428 - chayil = speaks of excellence, moral worth, ability, and nobility, not just marital fidelity…the ideal of wisdom in action (Nelson Study Bible, p. 1076)
Worth #04377 - meker = value
Heart #03820 - leb = inner man, mind, will
Trust #0982 - batach = to have confidence, be confident
Does (do in KJV) #01580 = to deal bountifully with
Good #02896 - towb = (n.) a good thing, benefit, welfare
Life # 02416 - chay = sustenance
"To be a believer in God early in life--is to be saved from a thousand regrets! Such a man will never have to say that he carries in his bones--the sins of his youth" (Charles Spurgeon). My testimony is not one of early piety or obedience to the Lord and I know all too well the pain of a thousand regrets. Although I am not proud of my past, I can rejoice in portions of my testimony because they reflect God's incredible grace, mercy, unconditional love, forgiveness, healing, and restoration. "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; HE has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound…That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that HE may be glorified" (Isaiah 61:1&3b).
The prophet Isaiah spoke of the coming Messiah and what HE would offer to a world drowning in sin. My Friend, the Messiah did come and when HE did HE brought healing in His wings (Malachi 4:2)!!! His grace changes lives and it truly sets the captives free. There is nothing in this world that even begins to compare to His greatness. There is no possession that we can ever obtain that will satisfy to the very depths of our soul. In Him, there is nothing missing!! HE is completion! Praise You, Jesus.
I have shared portions of my testimony many times and I have shared how God began to change my heart toward my husband, Glen, about two years after we relocated to Kansas. Over the past eight years, our marriage has grown and developed into a wonderful, loving, joyful friendship. I can assure you it is not perfect, but it is a wonderful example of how God's power transforms lives, hearts, and attitudes.
My journey began with submission. In my rebellion, I had rejected God's design that commands a wife to be submissive toward her husband. I am truly ashamed to say that in our wedding vows, I asked the pastor to remove the "obedience" portion and he agreed. When our children watch our wedding video each year on our anniversary, my heart aches. Over the years, the Lord has blessed me with a church home where the women love and honor their husband in ways that glorify the Lord. I have learned that real joy is rooted and established within the pages of Scripture and through obedience that joy is released and experienced in every aspect of my life.
Although my journey began with submission, I am happy to say that it has not ended there. The Lord has begun impressing upon me that my next step is to focus on loving my husband in a way that honors him and the Lord. I will admit that I am in the first steps of this journey so I have nothing to offer except an invitation to join me along the way. I have entitled this portion of my spiritual walk as "Love Lesson with My Lord."
Proverbs 31:10-12 says, "Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil All the days of her life." What does this mean for us today? The Nelson Study Bible defines this as "wisdom in action." Let's pause here a moment. I realize that not all who may be reading this are wives. In fact, there may be some men reading this today. May we each keep in mind what God's Word promises us…"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Within our two focal verses, God is speaking to the heart, the character, the person of this woman. God's Word is directing the heart in the way in which it should go. When we are completely obedient to the roles, responsibilities and callings that the Lord ordained for each of us before the foundations of the world, we bring honor and glory to Him and in that obedience, we are blessed beyond measure.
For me, I pray that I will learn to love Glen in a way that truly honors him, encourages him, uplifts him, and helps him to become all that God has ordained for him to be. I do not want to be a weight around his neck that constantly drags him down or causes him to doubt or question himself. I am learning that my words, my actions, and my body language send very loud messages to him and he absorbs those very deeply. The Lord has allowed for us to have two boys and two girls in which to train and teach. My Friend, I can assure you children learn more from what they see us do than what they hear us say. As I stated earlier, I know too well the pains of a thousand regrets, I do not have a desire to add a thousand more to those!!
God has given each of us a specific role in this life and HE has ordained how we are to minister/serve within those roles. Spending time with Him daily in His Word will give us valuable insight into how HE desires for us to fill those roles. May each of us come before Him with a willing heart that desires to serve Him fully and without reservation. May we each be willing to learn love lessons from our Lord and to exemplify those lessons in our daily lives as we interact with those around us. May we each be examples of wisdom in action so that the Lord God will be glorified among the nations.
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