(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)
(Proverbs 31:10-31)
10 An excellent wife, who can find her?
For her worth is far above jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
13 She looks for wool and linen,
And works with her hands in delight.
14 She is like merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
15 And she rises while it is still night
And gives food to her household,
And portions to her attendants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
From her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She surrounds her waist with strength
And makes her arms strong.
18 She senses that her profit is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hands grasp the spindle.
20 She extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies belts to the tradesmen.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the future.
26 She opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the activities of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
29 “Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her the product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
For her worth is far above jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
13 She looks for wool and linen,
And works with her hands in delight.
14 She is like merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
15 And she rises while it is still night
And gives food to her household,
And portions to her attendants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
From her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She surrounds her waist with strength
And makes her arms strong.
18 She senses that her profit is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hands grasp the spindle.
20 She extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies belts to the tradesmen.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the future.
26 She opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the activities of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
29 “Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her the product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
After yesterday's devotion about not being controlled by wealth, power... and in particular, "women" (sex and/or relationships), today we see a perfect example of a spouse and relationship Just as Jesus is our example to follow, He is perfect because He is God (part of the trinity). Now, we know, and obviously God knows, that we cannot be perfect (yet), but it helps to get a visual on the things we SHOULD seek and strive towards.
Most times we notice the attributes of this perfect wife: God-fearing, loving, joyful, generous, supportive, wise, confident, strong, ready to help, hardworking... she even is entrepreneurial and works outside of the home (buying and selling). Let's also not neglect to look at the children and the husband. The children are well-behaved and respectful, although this will have a lot to do with both parents pouring into them love, instruction and discipline.
The husband, meanwhile, trusts his wife to manage money and have a healthy balance between work and family life. He encourages her and praises her and allows her to enjoy the fruit of her labor. As well, we can see that this household has servants. Well, most of us do not!!! This is where teamwork steps up!!! Just as it's okay for a woman to work outside of the home, it's more than okay for a man and the children to help out around the house.
It actually all comes down to a very simple thing. While the rest of society is centered around "me" and "myself" and "what do I get?"... as believers, just as Jesus came to serve, we all should be striving to do just that - serve! Serve God and serve each other! And in our service, use God's strength and guidance, and have God's love as our motive in all that we say and do.
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