Part 8 - Godly Wives Series

The Home as God Intended

Part 8 – Godly Wives

First Baptist Church of Tawas City Michigan

Rev. Bruce A. Shields

www.TawasBaptist.org

Welcome

Proverbs 31:10-31

10 [c] A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.11 Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. 12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. 13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.

14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.15 She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.16 She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.17 She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.18 She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. 19 In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.20 She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.22 She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.23 Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes. 25 She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.26 She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.28 Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 29 "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." 30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. 31 Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Prayer

We see wives who are building their households, serving their families and ensuring their obedience to the Lord.

We see mothers who work outside of the home and in.

This chapter in Proverbs is usually used on Mother’s Day, because it causes us to appreciate our own mothers and to urge young women to develop the noble qualities described here.

Although I was not raised in a Christian home, I still recall some of the lessons my mother taught me as a child.

My mother taught me RELIGION:

When I spilled grape juice on the carpet, she instructed, "You better pray the stain will come out of the carpet."

Of course I’m sure that having me for a child taught her a few things as well.

She learned that when you are in another room, and you hear the toilet flush with the words, “oh, no” immediately following, you have learned that it is already too late.

She learned from letting me make my own breakfast that eggs need to be removed from the shell before cooking them in a microwave.

She learned that the Flint Township Fire Department had a twelve minute response time.

She learned from leaving us teenagers alone for the weekend that no matter how high you turn the dryer, it will only rotate a few times with your younger brother in it.

And I’m sure there’s plenty more I’m not remembering or have not admitted to yet.

We see here in proverbs a wife of noble character.

These verses give a beautiful picture of the marriage relationship.

God wants husbands and wives to enjoy a relationship infused with trust, sharing everything, transparent honesty, and the giving and receiving of good will throughout all their days.

Unfortunately, all marriages don’t look that way. But that doesn’t mean marriage as an institution is flawed. It just means that Satan does all he can to drive a wedge between husbands and wives. Satan likes nothing more than to pervert the relationship God wanted for a man and his wife.

In this same way, a marriage reflects our relationship as a church with Jesus. We are his bride.

God had a plan from the beginning for fellowship between Jesus Christ and the church.

Our connection and relationship to Christ is to be so close that we are called His bride.

Looking again at verses 11 & 12, her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

This is the kind of wife who deserved complete trust because she was a woman of INTEGRITY. Her husband could put his full confidence in her.