Oh that I had wings like a dove....

God's Word is such a precious thing.

He brings scriptures to mind, and then uses them to speak to us.

I have had a tough few days - struggles of different types, and trials a-plenty.

This morning, this verse has been on my mind.

"Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest." 

Psalm 55:6

Oh, how this verse jumped out to me! The picture that David paints, of a bird - flying high, away from dangers or troubles below.  Soaring high, away from distress.

I would have so very much loved to have flown away, this last couple of days.  Not from my family - they have been a blessing... but from circumstances - from the fiery darts of the evil one.

I decided that I needed to read the whole Psalm, to get the full context, and how blessed I was to read it.

These 2 verses struck my heart...


"Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. "

(Verse 17)

"Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

(Verse 22) 

What a blessed assurance! - I can cry aloud to the Lord - ANY time - and He will hear my cry.  He will hear my sorrows and struggles.  He will incline His ear unto my cry. He cares about my struggles.  He cares about my trials.

And then, the promise....I can throw all those burdens upon my Saviour - cast them all upon Him.  He has the shoulders to carry them, because He is GOD.  He is the Almighty One - the one who knows when a sparrow falls. 

He WILL sustain me.  He WILL give me the strength to carry on, because He IS my strength.

My strength and my song.

He will not even allow me to be moved.  To slip.  To fall. To be knocked off course.

Thank you Lord.

Thank you for lifting me up above my struggles - I don't need wings, I just need THEE.

Matriarchs on a Monday....The book of Ruth - Part 1

Ohhhhhhhh yes!  Part 1.  How can I deal with Ruth in one little blog post!? How can I deal with Naomi, without it dealing with Ruth as well?   There is just so much to think about, and to learn from, that I want to deal with it as a book, whilst dealing with both ladies, and divide it up into however many parts it becomes!!

The first chapter of the book of Ruth is a heart-rending one.  Emotion runs from despair, to disappointment, to delight.

First of all, we learn that there is a famine.  That alone is a trial.  However, the way in which Elimelech deals with it, is one of these "would I or wouldn't I" questions.  Our desire, as parents, is to care for our family.  In the face of extreme famine, and when food is scarce with a risk of starvation, would *I* be tempted to run off to a land of plenty?....even if that land was not a good place to be.  A place associated with sin, and those who did not love God.

I CAN understand his plight, but I think it indicates a lack of faith and trust, that he didn't stay where God wanted His people to be, and look to the Lord for provision.  Look at the widow of Zarapheth. Well, we will, whenever we get to that part of the Bible on Mondays! *smiles*

So, he takes his wife,and his two sons, and goes to the land of Moab, which the famine has not touched.  However, things go from bad to worse. First of all, Elimelech dies.  Naomi and her sons, Mahlon and Chilion, are left without a father, in a strange land.

Then, the sons take Moabitish women as their wives - Orpah, and Ruth. They took wives of a nation which the Lord had told the Israelites NOT to take wives from.  In direct disobedience to His command.

Interestingly, it doesn't mention which man married which woman.  I suppose it doesn't really matter.  Because, ten years later, they also die.  We don't know how or why, but they die. So, Naomi is left with no husband, and no sons - only two foreign daughter-in-laws.   She decided to go back to Israel, where word was heard that

"the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread"

Ruth 1:6

Had they stayed in Israel, God would have provided for their needs.   Those who had stayed, were provided for.  Oh, how easy it is to go our own way, thinking that it is better than God's way!  That we can provide for ourselves, better than God can! Life must have been tough for those left in Israel, but they were still provided for, whilst living in the knowledge that they were in the place God wanted them to be.

Better to be struggling, humanly speaking, whilst following God's way, than have plenty whilst living your own way.

So, Naomi makes the decision to go back home. Back to the land of her birth.  Back to where the Lord was blessing His people.   She made the choice to turn away from the place of sorrow, and return to the blessing of the Lord.

Do we find ourselves in a time of struggle, due to the unwise choices we have made?  It could be something as simple as taking on a commitment that we couldn't fully give our time to, and it's messed up our whole schedule and flow in the family.  It could be that you have made a purchase that you didn't think about carefully, and it's been a disaster.  It could be that you have spent money you didn't even have, and debt has been a struggle ever since.  Curriculum choices.  Friend choices.  Marital choices.

All because we read scripture our own way....or didn't choose to heed it....or plain just didn't check to see what God said about it first at ALL?

Maybe you thought it was even too small a thing to matter, and SURELY God did have a point of view on it? I think you will find, if you look hard enough, that the Bible has answer, or certainly wisdom relating to, pretty much everything....IF you look hard enough.

Look at the sorrow experienced by Naomi, because of the choice made by Elimelech.  We don't know if she went along willingly or not, but it certainly was Naomi left, at the end of the day, to bear the most heartache over the matter!  She was left husband-less, childless and with 2 daughters-in-law for which she could not even give the promise of another son to give to them as a husband in place of the one they lost.

So much sorrow, in fact, that we see her request at the end of chapter 1

"Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me."

Naomi means pleasant - Mara means bitter.   

What a declaration, and what a sad situation to be in. One that may have been avoided, by staying in the place that God wanted His people to be. 

Oh, what a warning.  A warning that we should be careful to take heed.  

Are we walking and living in the way the Lord wants you to?  

Are we obeying His leading?  

Are we following His purposes for your life?

Are we making choices that correspond with the Word of God, or the wisdom of man?

Let us guard our hearts and lives, so that we should never have occasion to change our names, even if only by thought, to Mara.

Just Do It (On cleaning toilets....)

Are there things in your life that you just plain don't like to do?

One of these jobs that you tend to, well, procrastinate doing, simply because it isn't something you like to do?

I do NOT *like* cleaning toilets.

It's a fairly well known fact amongst those that know me well.

If someone could invent a self-cleaning toilet, I may be first in line to purchase one...

I have been much better at cleaning them since we moved house.  It's something that I had noticed more and more - that my dear, wonderful husband kept resorting to doing it himself, as he was fed up with it being left undone.

*blushes....with great mortification and shame*

So, I decided that I needed to turn over a new, ermmmm, toilet seat?....

And, I have set my heart and mind on the matter, and determined to "just do it".

Did you know that the instruction to "do it" is mentioned 51 times in the Bible.

Nike were NOT the ones to come up with the concept.

Over and over there were commandments given from the Lord, with the instruction tagged along, by no means un-importantly, at the end - to "do it".

In Exodus 36, when Moses is giving instruction about the building of the tabernacle, those that were helping were told to "do it".  Not just think about helping...."do it".

The children of Israel, in Deuteronomy chapter 5, purposed to not only hear the words of the Lord, but to "do it".  Not being hearers of the word only, but doers.

In I Chronicles 28, David was given instruction to orchestrate the gathering together of the materials to build the temple...he was encouraged to be strong and "do it".  And when Solomon was then handed the huge task of overseeing the actual construction, his father, David, implored him, also, to be strong, courageous and "do it".

And then, the same instruction is given to us, in essence, two times - once in Ecclesiastes 9:10

"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, DO IT with thy might;"

And, then again in Colossians 3:23


"And whatsoever ye do, DO IT heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;" 

And there lies the crux of the matter.

Are all my efforts in all that I do in life....cleaning toilets, or whatever else it may be....done with every ounce of energy and enthusiasm I can muster? Am I doing it well?

And, who am I doing it for?  True, I wanted to please my husband.  That's not a bad thing!  But, really, it's not even the ultimate motivation.  See...in the verse above?...

*WHATSOEVER* ye do....anything...everything....

do it heartily - with effort....with energy..with enthusiasm....

TO        THE       LORD!

That should be my motivating factor.  If it needs to be done, and it's my job to do it, I need to do it for the Lord.  That knowledge alone should be sufficient motivation for doing it all!

The little hymn came into my mind, as I cleaned today.

"There’s a work for Jesus, ready at your hand,
’Tis a task the Master just for you has planned.
Haste to do His bidding, yield Him service true;
There’s a work for Jesus none but you can do.

• Refrain:
  Work for Jesus, day by day,
  Serve Him ever, falter never; Christ obey.
  Yield Him service loyal, true,
  There’s a work for Jesus none but you can do."

Okay, so I am sure it was written with evangelism in mind.  But, this home of mine is my field of service! It's where God has called me to labour for HIM!   And, that includes cleaning toilets.  It's not a job for the children ( what KIND of mother would I be to expect them to do that! ), and my husband shouldn't have to resort to doing it, simply because I haven't got on and done it.  So, in essence, it is a work that "only *I* can do", as the hymn suggests!!!

And, as the first part of verse 2 says...

"There’s a work for Jesus, humble though it be,"

Humbler than cleaning toilets?....it must come in a fairly high classification on the "humble" stakes!

So, my lesson for today?....

well, just "do it"!

My friend Justin, and my husband's friend, Al'

We have two friends in our home.

They appear often, but don't reside here permanently.

Lurkers...that's who they are....LURKERS!

Their name crops up every so often, but we are pretty selective whose friend is who's.

My friend is Justin.  I have MANY female friends who are friends with Justin as well.  VERY good friends.

Robert's friend is Al'. He gets a mention on a fairly regular basis, and many men I know seem to be on good terms with him.

They have a full name...

"Justin Case"

and

"It'll be Al' Right"

You've heard of them before??!!

YOU are friends with Justin as WELL!?!?

Well, you know what I am referring to, then?!

"we need to get the swinging crib up so on...I will be 36 weeks in about 10 days...you just never know, I could be early and it would be good to have it up 'Justin Case'.."

You SEE...there he is....my friend "Justin".

What would my lovely husband say?

"you know, 'It will be Al' Right'...."

The number of times I have been befriending "Justin" whilst he rubs shoulders with "Al'"....I couldn't number them. Really, I couldn't.

It used to frustrate me, that HE couldn't be friends with Justin, like me.  Isn't Justin a better friend to have than Al'? Justin is more dependable, and helps you makes sure you have all bases covered.  But Al'?....surely he can't be relied on for anything? That can't be the best friend to accompany you through thick and thin.

But, do you know what I realised?  God, in His wisdom, made women and men differently.  He created us womenfolk in such a way, that we think things through, think ahead, plan, make provision and organise.  So, we are friends with Justin.  HE is the friend who makes sure that we have thought through every possible scenario and are ready for ANYTHING.

Sick child in the house?...

..sick bowls ready everywhere a child may roam

...towels on pillows to catch any mess and make clearing up easier

....cleaning materials at the ready

....spare bed linen in the master bedroom, ready to grab in the night

...all because we like to have our friend Justin in action!

Husbands?...."It'll be Al' Right....."

They go with the flow...tend to be more laid back...live in the moment.  And, we need that balance.  If our husbands were running around, akin to a headless chicken, making sure everything was as prepared and ready for every little scenario, at the same time as us, chaos COULD ensue!!!

We need their laid back and calming approach, alongside our more "thinking of every detail" approach, to have marriage that has balance and harmony.

We wouldn't really want it any other way, would we?  As frustrating as it can be, when sometimes we want to plan, plan, plan...and they tell us to slow down and calm down "It will be Al' right", and Justin keeps trying to push in.  We NEED to sometimes listen, and slow down.  If it's something that REALLY doesn't matter, it's ok to just relax, and embrace the principles of Al'.

The rest of the time?..keep friendly with Justin, and even when your husband says to you, after your efforts have been unnecessary, "SEE, I told you it would be Al' Right", you can rest in the knowledge that YOU know the number of times that Justin was all too useful, in order for his friend Al' to be there at all!

Matriarchs on a Monday.....Delilah

Ok.  So, she is hardly the greatest example of womanhood that you will find.  No, indeedy, she is far, FAR from it.

I wasn't going to deal with her at all, as she didn't seem very "matriarchal".

But, I didn't want to leave out an example of how we SHOULDN'T be as wives.  It's too glaring.  Too easily done.  Too easily copied, to miss out.

However, she could be classified as a matriarch, as one definition states

"A woman who dominates a group or an activity"

Sadly, the group that she dominated was a group of two - her, and her husband.

Samson.  Such a mighty, mighty man.  So strong.  So influential.  A man who was blessed by the Lord.

But, do you know how many wives he had that were a poor choice?....it was a bit of a problem that he had.  And the first one even inflicted him in the same way that we will learn about Delilah.

So, what do we know about her?  She married Samson, and she was used by the Philistines to find out the secret of his strength.  She asked, he deflected.  She asked again, he deflected again.  So it goes on, until he share his secret with her, and so he is captured.  We know the story well.  We know that the Lord still used him for His glory, even in his death.

But, the truth that glares out at me, and that I need to learn?.....

Don't manipulate your husband, especially by being  a nag, or argumentative.

There is scripture to back me up, here.

"and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping."
Proverbs 19:13

"A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike."
Proverbs 27:15  

If there is one way to start an argument, or disagreement with your husband, it's to go on and on and on about something.  To constantly complain, or moan, when something isn't quite how you would like it to be.

Men just plain don't like it.

"would you fix that curtain.....

* a few days later*

"have you not fixed that curtain yet?"

*the next day*

"is that curtain STILL not fixed?"

I'll tell you something for nothing....your husband will NOT like you nagging, and it's not going to end well.

Maybe he's REALLY patient, and rather exceptional, and just doesn't respond at all.

Maybe....maybe not.

More likely scenario is that you will provoke him into responding in a less than gracious manner, and there you are....you have become that contentious woman.

That woman that the book of Proverbs speaks of.  Like the sound I can hear as I type this post....the drip, drip, dripping of water on a rainy day.

Not the gentle pitter, patter, but that drop, drop, drop from the gutter, that beats above all the others sounds of rain.

We are told in the description of a woman, in I Peter 3

 "Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 
  But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even 


the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. 


 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: 
  Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement." 

I Peter 3 :3-6

THAT is how we need to be.  Meek...and quiet.

If there are things in our life that we see should be done by our husband, you speak to them about it, and you leave it.

It's HARD.  It's HARD to leave something when we think it is important.

But, let's just let our husband be the head of the home, and just leave it.  Maybe YOU can do the job you have been nagging him about instead, so long as your husband is happy for you to do it?! Maybe you nagging your husband is just a way to get out of doing it yourself?! 

This is one way that we can look at Delilah, but worse still is to actually MANIPULATE our husband to get our own way.

Now, I will stand right up there, and unashamedly say, that there is a RIGHT way to approach your husband. If you know that he will not respond well too something when he is tired and just in from work, then you don't go and speak to him about it then.  You go and talk to him when you know you have his undivided attention, and the response will be more favourable.  THAT is not being manipulative.  THAT is being wise.

Manipulative is going about asking for something in a devious, underhanded and less than honest way, JUST to get your own selfish way in a matter.  THAT is Delilah behaviour.  That insidious, devious use of words and ways, to fulfil a selfish desire.

It's not pleasant.  It's not nice.  It's just, well, WRONG!

A wife that manipulates in order to get her own way, is not desiring a marriage that is honouring to God. A selfish heart is one of the most destructive things in life, and especially in a marriage.  Marriage should be about giving - giving up your own desires and motives, in order to have unity and love.

I could really digress here, into the realms of "what is  a godly marriage"....but, I shouldn't!

Let's just take this one part, and make sure that we live it out.

Don't use the wiles of womanhood to get your own way in your marriage.  Don't nag and moan at your husband to the point of causing contention in your marriage.

Don't be a Delilah.

Linking up with Darlene at Time Warp Wife...

Hard thanks....

I have been challenged by a thought this last week or so, that has now recently come up in conversation with some lovely ladies online.

How do we give thanks in the hard times?  How can we be thankful for things that are

tough...trying...challenging.


A little context goes a long way, so I will tell you what lies behind the verses first of all.

Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, was speaking of a revelation that he had received from the Lord.  He was glorying and rejoicing in it, presumably due to the fact that it was a pretty amazing experience, humanly speaking.


But, the Lord sent him a lesson in it all.  He allowed Paul to have a "thorn in the flesh", following this experience.  We don't know what it was - we are not told.  We just know that it was an unpleasant thing, that was bad enough to implore with the Lord that it should be taken away.

3 times he pleaded with the Lord.

As far as we read, his prayer wasn't answered.  Instead, he came to learn a valuable and insightful lesson about trials.

And, so we read the following verses.



"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. 


Most gladly therefore will I rather

glory in my infirmities,

 that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 

Therefore I 

take pleasure 

in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: 

for when I am weak, 

then am I strong."

II Corinthians 12:9-10

So. Utterly. Humbling.

So. Utterly. Amazing.

So. Utterly. Challenging.






Do we have trials and struggles that we are going through?

Do we have days where we just want to crawl into a hole and die?

Do we have days where we just think we can't take any more?



Ohhhhhhhhhh yes.

Yes, yes, and YES again.




But, do you SEE?.....do you SEE how Paul responded?

"OK Lord....I guess I need to just endure these trials....with a sour face...with a gloomy countenance....with a "why me" sort of response....."


Sorry, I got confused for a moment...I confused MY response with the one I *should* have to my trials.

The one that Paul had.

Look...just look at those adjectives....those words that describe how Paul responded.

GLADLY

GLORY

TAKE PLEASURE

Really, Lord?

You want me to be GLAD that I have struggles?   To be GLAD when pain racks my body?  To be GLAD when my children drive me close to insanity with their squabbling and disobedience?

You want me to consider it a GLORY when my house looks a wreck because my strength is gone and I can't do a single more thing?  You want me to GLORY in my pain and distress when friends and family mock, argue and disagree?

You want me to TAKE PLEASURE in the days and hours when I just cannot seem to find the strength to carry on? In the torments and difficulties of my life?

But, OH, the beauty of the realisation.  Of the understanding of WHY....


"My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness...


...that the power of Christ may rest upon me...



...for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong"

Our weakness shows Christ's strength.  

Our trials allow us to experience Christ's power resting upon us.

Our pains remind us that ALL of what we experience, do and say, is for Christ's sake.

That HIS glory would be made known.  That HIS goodness would be recognised.  That HIS grace would be sufficient.

Us all nothing.

Him everything.

Ladies, let us embrace the thorns.  Let us grasp them, with two willing hands.  Let us REJOICE in them.  Because by His grace, we see HIM through the trials.  The casting away of our own plans, our own designs, our own perfections - replacing them with the plans, designs and perfections of our perfect Father.

May we run to Him, rejoicing, and find strength in our weakness.

Proverbs 31 Ponderings - The virtuous woman

We have just been reading Proverbs 31 in our family devotions, as we finish our reading and learning of the book of God's wisdom.

This is a chapter with sooooooo much to learn for us woman folk. It is jam packed with detail and description, from which we can learn many, many valuable lessons about how to take on the role of being a godly woman.

We are privileged, dear ladies.  Is there a chapter that gives such special and specific guidelines for men? Do they get the help that we do, such as in this chapter? Well, no, they don't - nothing like this at all!  We are blessed to have an little instruction book, from God himself, with guidelines about how we can best busy ourselves as women.

I KNOW there have been umpteen books/sermons/lessons shared about this book.  I will most likely repeat, time and time again, what others have said before me.  I am no great mind of the modern day.  I am, however, a wife and mother who longs to live a life that honours the Lord, and to share with others how they can do the same.

So, what's my plan?

I want to work my way through this chapter, drawing practical lessons from it, as the Lord gives me help.  I am not promising a time frame.  Not. At. All.  No promises about 31 days, or even 31 weeks.  But, as and when I am able, I will go through different practical lessons from this chapter.

So, where can I start, except at the beginning!?

"The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him. "

Proverbs 31:1

This portion is written by King Lemuel, but they are the words that a mother taught to a son.  I think that is interesting for a start.

"So, this passage is not just for women, then?"

NO!!!  We need to teach our daughters how to BE this women, and our sons what they need to LOOK for in a good wife!

I reckon this mother, of King Lemuel's, must have firstly been a  good example.  If there is one thing I have learnt VERY quickly as a mother, a child can spot a hypocrite from a thousand paces.  If we can not demonstrate these qualities in our own life, in a practical and sincere way, then our children are not going to take a blind button's notice of them for themselves.

Teaching is always best if you can DO something alongside the person you are teaching.  Not just giving them a list of instructions, and HOPING that they can put them into action on their own.  We need to SHOW them how they need to be done.

A son will recognise these qualities in a young woman, if he has not only read and understood what they are, but has SEEN them being carried out by a faithful mother.  THEN he will spot them in a potential wife! He will know what to look for.

I think also, as well as his mother being an example, I am sure she was also a GOOD example. There is a vast difference between doing a job and doing a job WELL.  I think this is demonstated in 2 different ways.

1. - The Quality of the Example

How well we do a job, is vital.  We can cook for our family.  We can open a tin of beans, toast a couple pieces of bread, and stick them together.  Or, we can find new recipes, make a meal that is hearty, tasty and shows care and consideration, and do our very best.

I am NOT knocking beans on toast as a dinner.  I  AM saying that basic and instant dinners ALL the time, may reflect that we are not doing our best.

Let me choose another example. We can clean the windows.  ("really?...the windows need cleaning?"....if you have children, you MUST see this as a job that needs to be done!?!).  We can get a duster, and quickly wipe away any little streaks and spots in the middle, and leave the bits that are hidden behind the curtain.  Or, we can get the cleaning fluid, a cloth for wiping and a cloth for buffing and a cloth for cleaning the edges of the frame, and do a thorough and GOOD job.

I KNOW that some of these examples may be subjective.  But, you get the idea.  We need to do our BEST in all that we do.  Not just "enough to get by", or so that it is done really basically.

***I do also realise that there are times in our life, where we can physically only manage the basics, but we are talking about a principle here, not the exceptions.***


2. - The Attitude behind the Example

I think this is more the crux of the matter.  WHY do we do what we do? lol What is our motivation for what and how we do something?

First of all, above all else, we can look back to the first part of the first of the Shorter Catechism.

"What is the chief end of man?

A. Man's chief end is to glorify God..."


All that we do, should be to please and glorify God.  That should be our primary motivation.  



 "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 

1Corinthians 10:31

I think that about covers it. ALL to the glory of God.

Cleaning toilets (yep, I jumped straight to a job I hate!...), cleaning up vomit, wiping dirty faces, sorting odd socks, crawling on the floor cleaning odd places....you get the idea.   We have to do it all in a way that reflects that we are glorifying God.

We try and train our children to do things with the right attitude, but the same still applies to us!  We are being watched, and we need to lead by example.  

If we neglect to do something when it obviously needs to be done, children will spot that and conclude that we don't want to do it, hence the procrastination. And, they will copy! Yikes!

"A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance:"

Proverbs 15:13  

This, too, is something that reflects our attitude.  If our heart rejoices in doing right, then our face will reflect it! If we go moping about... face strained, shoulders hunched, frowny face...to do a job, then that reflects that we are not doing it in a manner that glorifies God.  If our heart is right, it will be reflected on our face. And, a cheerful countenance is infectious.  If we are light-hearted and cheerful as we go about our chores and duties, then our children will be far more likely to do the same, making life in a busy household far more pleasant.

"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might;"

Ecclesiastes 9:10

I think this is part of our attitude as well. If we are doing something with the right attitude, we will put all of our effort into it - all that we can give.   We are given the ants as an example of a diligent worker, and we should be just like them, busying ourselves with whatever needs to be done.  All of our available energy being put into it.

If we do that, then the result is inevitably going to be better!

I hear what you are going to say "but I HAVE no energy so much of the time....a busy life saps your strength".

So long as you are doing it with all of the might that you HAVE, then THAT is what the Lord expects of us.  And, if we seek Him for the strength we need, He will provide us with it! God is able!

I do want to also mention, before concluding, that another motivation behind our desire to do a good job as a wife, is to please our husband! Which husband does not like having his household cared for in the very best way possible?  Which husband will not appreciate the efforts that his wife has put into what she does?  Which husband will not appreciate his wife asking "how can I do a better job of caring for the home"?

I know that men are not perfect, and maybe some just don't care, but once again I believe these are an exception, not a rule!

You just ask your husband, and then tell me if I am wrong! *grin*

On another quick note....don't you find it interesting that these instructions and guidelines were given to a KING?  When I looked into it, I found that most commentators believe this to BE Solomon, who of course was the author of the book of Proverbs.  But, no matter WHO it is, his mother still considered it to be important to find a wife who was like the Proverbs 31 women!!! Even a king needs to choose his wife wisely..and so in this regard, our sons are to be like a king.  Thinking who he wants to rule his home, as he rules his kingdom.

So, much to think about to get started in this study.  Am *I* honouring the Lord and being a good example to my children, so they know, without a doubt, which kind of wife they want when their time comes to choose one?  May the Lord give me the strength and wisdom to BE that example to my children!

Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below, or link up with up with my Proverbs 31 Ponderings and grab my button to share on you blog!

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