While packed with punch there are so many nuggets of wisdom in the Proverbs that I have a hard time reading them this quickly. I want to stop and ponder each of them. Yet pondering doesn't move the knowledge into application. As a whole when I read the Proverbs I gain the contrast between good an evil. Sometimes good is referred to as prudent, wise, honorable, honest, diligent... and sometimes evil is referred to as dishonest, foolish, wicked, mockery, etc... yet it is the contrast between good and evil that exists. So what defines "good" and "evil?" Simply speaking it is the reliance on God and his Laws that defines good... and conversely anything other than this defines evil. So the application for you and I is this? How reliant are we on God and His laws? Are we trying to earn our way into goodness? Or are we relying on Him to change us into good? Otherwise we're just evil.
Secondly, as I read the Proverbs the ones that really speak to me are those that have to do with family, husbands or wives. Probably because I've not been living up to the standard God has set for me in this area. He is speaking to me through these proverbs to convict me of the many blessings He has given me and my responsibility in stewarding them. I wrapped up the reading yesterday with this conviction...
Proverbs 19:14... "Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord."
I certainly have a prudent wife. She completes our family and sacrificially makes our house a home. It is worth every penny in income we've given up to have her taking care of our family full time and cementing us together with her love. While I've inherited many things from my parents... I can truly say that my wife is a gift from the Lord. I don't deserve her and yet God knew exactly what I needed. This Proverb brought me conviction because while I'm telling you this on my blog, I've not expressed it directly to my wife yet. I often overlook the "small stuff" for the sake of the "big stuff" Yet the challenge is that I define the "small stuff" as these words of encouragement and acts of service... and yet this is what she defines as the "big stuff" Take time today to tell those around you the blessings they are to your life. Hopefully by the time my wife reads this, she will have already heard it from me directly!
And as I concluded today's reading, I received further conviction from Proverbs 31... as I truly have a Proverbs 31 wife...
- vs 11: Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value...
- vs 12: She brings him good and not harm, all the days of her life...
- vs 13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. (OK, so this is a little different for our day and age, but she still diligently and economically clothes and feeds our family and make the most of our budget... and she is a tremendous cook to boot!)
- vs 15: She gets up while it is still dark she provides food for the family and portions for her servant girls.... (this morning as I was taking a shower, the first thing she did was start pre-treating the laundry for wash... so she could multi-task through her day and accomplish all of the tasks at hand)
- vs 17: she sets about her work vigorously her arms are strong for her tasks... (she never complains and long after I've tired of an evening she is still preparing food for the next day or cleaning the house... her job and commitment to our family never ends)
- vs 18: She sees that her trading is profitable and her lamp does not go out at night. (Whether it be on "EBay" or "Craig's List" she is always swapping used things we don't want for used things we need saving us money. Also, clipping and using coupons and only buying food that is on sale makes our grocery budget go farther... sometimes saving over $100 per shopping trip! These small things enable us to enjoy other blessings we wouldn't otherwise be able to such as our upcoming vacation next week... )
- vs. 27: She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
So with that, I want to close this blog posting with a tribute to my wife... also from Proverbs 31: 29-30
"Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all. Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."
-- Thank you sweetie, for making our house a home and for Loving the Lord with all your heart.
