What I'm not...

"An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels."                                                 -Proverbs 31:10

Ahhh, the Proverbs 31 Woman.  She's elusive.  I can almost never find myself in her.  I have striven to attain her status for years, with much failings.  God has granted me the greatest grace in showing me that when I read Proverbs 31 I was almost always looking to her physical characteristics; the reason of my failings is that I don't sew my family clothes, I don't consider a field and purchase it and sell it for a profit, I don't get up while it's still dark to cook, and the list goes on.  Although the text never states it as a requirement- but many people do in their own preferences, I was also dooming myself to fail because I have a job outside the home.  I don't do ANYTHING that she does, am I even  Christian? Ugh.  


But I have to share something big with you, and I mean huge!  I am not the Proverbs 31 woman because I fail at the spiritual side of things; my heart fails and my flesh well, it's the reason I clamor for her physical aspects.  The Lord showed me this in how I battle with my temper and harsh speech towards my children. Proverbs 31:26 says that "She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue."  I have not been doing that much at all. He convicted me so greatly on this.  I generally feel rotten about the way I tend to talk to my children when they anger me, and I tell myself I'll do better next time.  But God has shown me that if the teaching of kindness is to be on my tongue, that must mean how I teach my children about Christ will be in my gracious speech.  They will learn about the tender mercies of Christ from Jim and I.  I can teach them biblical principles all day long, require them to memorize Scriptures on how to treat others, but they will learn about the love of Christ in my dealings with them.  Lord, please give me the patience and tender mercies you have shown me, in my relationship with my children.  


It would be much easier for me to cross off the list of physical qualities in Ms. 31 than to be quiet before the Lord and examine my heart; to listen to what His Word says about what it means to be a woman who fears the Lord.  I am undone. I am broken and I need fixin'!  But praise be unto His holy name!  He gives more grace!  He shows me I can strive all day long but without His Spirit's enabling, I will be nothing.  I don't want my kids and my husband to look back at our life together and say,"Wow, my Mom kept a really clean house, she learned to be crafty, and I think I remember her getting up at 4 a.m. so she could say she cooked us a hearty breakfast from scratch!"  No, I want them to look back on this life, this temporary home and see that it was a place where love was spoken; wisdom was shared and above all it was a place where Christ was head and their mother failed daily but she looked to her God for strength, she prayed fervently and they saw God answer many prayers, she had a gentle and quiet spirit before the Lord, she dealt with them in meekness and tenderness, and where they were taught the Scriptures upon every rising and every setting sun.  


If you don't mind,  I think I will dedicate a few blog entries to these spiritual aspects of Ms. 31 and maybe together we can find a way to look to the eternal and the difficult and maybe, just maybe when we seek the Kingdom of God first, all those other things will be added unto us.  Matthew 6:33  By the way,  there is no maybe,  It's a command from God and what he says, he will do!  


The next entry will focus on verses 11-12 "The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack in gain.  She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life."

Her price is far above rubies, and all the rich ornaments with which vain women adorn themselves. The more rare such good wives are the more they are to be valued.

-Matthew Henry

The Glory of God

I caught a little glimpse of the glory of God while the snow softly fell on us our last full day in Colorado just before the New Year.   That snowflake was no bigger than a single stitch on my winter coat, but ponder the detail-the God that knows and created every detail of that very snowflake-  and thousands upon millions just like that most assuredly knows your every need and every longing in your heart.  When you trust in him and seek to know him more and delight in him fully- you can reflect his glory just like that snowflake.  And  people will more easily notice his glory in you because you are much bigger and more noticable that a tiny snowflake.  He is worthy to be praised.

"In the same way, let your light shine before others,

so that they may see your good works

and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

 Matthew 5:16

Worth saying again: Ten Reasons I Love my church...

I originally posted this in December of 2008, but it is worth saying again!  Too many times is the bride of Christ slandered and spat upon, but she is beautiful because she is loved by God.  Though the Universal Church is filled with imperfect sinners, it is being led and perfected by a most glorious, most perfect Savior.  He will complete His work, and she must strive to live for Him, no matter what comes against her. 

10. Godly Examples: I have so many examples of godly wives and mothers around me; women doing what they are called to do in Titus 2. My husband has a great group of godly men to surround himself with that strive to fulfill their roles as husbands in Ephesians 5.

9. My daughter has a wonderful group of children that I know and love to play with. I don't have to wonder about their parent's beliefs, question their home-lives and hope she is surrounded by at least a mediocre example of a biblical family. I know their home lives, I know their values and I know that they don't separate Sunday morning from the rest of their lives.

8. My pastor's wife: I love her, she's a great friend and dear sister to me, and I have never known a more godly example of biblical submission and meekness (controlled strength) in a woman as young as her. The beauty of the love for her husband makes me want to be a better wife to mine.

7. Fellowship: I know that lots of churches get together to "fellowship" and never speak of their Lord. Well, I have had more rewarding conversations in the last year with my dear brothers and sisters in Christ than I have had in a long time. And though we joke around are get silly, we do glory our in Redeemer and can't help but speak of Him.

6. A Desire for Holiness: For the most part there is a large group in our church that has decidedly began to strive for holiness. Through our own personal studies and through the teaching of our pastor, we have grown to know the Lord in such a way that we long to know Him more and long to do what pleases Him; Men who desire to be holy in all their conduct, mortifying the deeds of the flesh, loving their wives as Christ loves the church, and being both prophet and priest in their homes. Women who desire to submit to their husbands as unto the Lord and children who would strive to honor their father and mother.

5. My Pastor: He loves the Lord and you can see it in his life. You could come by his home unannounced and see that what he preaches on Sundays is what he strives to live out for the glory of God the rest of the week. He is a dear friend and loves to have fun, and is out to prove that Christianity isn't boring. He desires to rightly divide the Word of God and pours over the Scripture each week to ensure that he is able to do so. He loves the church and does his best to protect her from all ungodliness and understands the weight of his calling to keep guard over our souls. (Plug: Pray for your Pastor!)

4. Teaching and Application: Not only does our Pastor do a great job of teaching and urging the body of believers to learn and apply all that is in Scripture, but we have other men who use their gifts of teaching to do the same. We have women in our church that strive to teach the younger women in all godliness. We have fathers that do what they are called to do in teaching and raising their children up in the fear and admonition of the Lord. I am thankful that teaching is held in such high regard in this body.

3. Balance: We understand that we are to be ever-reforming. We understand that God is sanctifying Himself a people. But it is our greatest challenge in holding doctrine so highly that we do not go off into idolatry of doctrine and practices. I pray that we would continue to have balance and to remember the first things first: "Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness. And all these things shall be added unto You. Matt. 6:33"

2. Truth: It is held in high regard here. We know who provides absolute truth and we understand the inerrancy of the Word and we do our best to apply these truths to our lives and pray that the Spirit would teach us all things. In a world where truth is relative, it is a wonderful solace to find a place that regards highly a word of Truth.

And the number 1 reason I love my church:

1. She's the bride of Christ and He holds her more precious to Himself than the apple of His eye, how could I not love her if I desire to be like my Lord?

Being washed by the Word...

"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish." Ephesians 5:25-27

I just had to devote an entry in this blog to my husband. I am so thankful to God for providing me with this man that takes seriously his high calling by God. When I see Jim's love for service and devotion to the Lord, it stirs my heart to love and serve my Lord more. I know I would not be where I am today apart from God's sovereign hand bringing Jim and I together. He desires righteousness and seeks humility, two things a man would never seek apart from the Spirit's miraculous work in resurrecting dead flesh.

He seeks to wash his wife with the water of the Word. I can glory in the fact that the Word of God is spoken in our home. I am thankful to the Lord for Jim's willingness to teach both myself and Dylan the precepts of God. Prayers are uttered in our home, always together as a family, and I know countless ones are petitioned for us by our leader before we even arise from slumber. For that, I am thankful.

Jim serves me when I don't ever deserve to be served. He loves me when I am unlovable and he makes me want to be a better Christian, a better wife, and a better mother, by never even speaking a word. But, when he needs to firmly, but lovingly reprove me, he does, and for that I am thankful.

He is a man of integrity; a man of his word. Psalm 1 comes to mind as I make this point.

"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day an night" Psalm 1:1-2

I have seen Jim grow so much over the years of our marriage that I could not now or ever deny the power of God. He seeks to be true and good because he loves Jesus and would never want to defame his name by bearing it. I pray that if God grants us sons, this is what they will learn from him. ("A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches..." Proverbs 22:1) He is a man of action, if you want something to get done, all you have to do is set Jim loose on it! I so value his work ethic and his servant's heart. I pray that my sanctification would continue in this area, I would desire for Proverbs 31:12 & 23 to be true of me towards my husband:

"She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life...Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land." Proverbs 31:12 * 23

Jim didn't like people so much before God redeemed him. Not at all, really. But, God saved him and now he is a deacon, which is a completely different role than he would have ever wanted to be in prior to conversion! Serving people? Jim loves his Lord's bride and seeks to honor her, protect her and build her up. His heart's desire is to serve the body of Christ. Now, I can tell you Jim was born to be a deacon. I am thankful that he takes his role in the church seriously and that he loves to do what he does.

I know wholeheartedly that God supplies our every need, and I see how true it is in the husband He ordained me to be with before the foundation of the world. I also know that by Jim teaching Dylan by Scripture and by his life what a godly man is like and by God's hand moving in her life, if it be His will, she will seek to honor her Lord by marrying a man with the same qualities as her father.

Gracious Lord, may you continue to sanctify my husband and all the men of your church to be examples of who real men are, what they do and whom they serve. May the men of the church of this age rise up and lead their wives and families and wash them with the water of the Word. And may we as women, humbly submit to the authority of our husbands, and be more precious than jewels to them, and may our submission and obedience cause our men to be known at the gates. Amen.

Part 1: By Faith: Moses an excerpt from J.C. Ryle's book: Holiness

"Faith was a telescope to Moses. It made him seet he goodly land afar off-rest, peace, and victory, when dim-sighted reason could only see trial, barreness, storm andt empst, weariness and pain.
Faith was an interpreter to Moses. It made him pick out a comfortable meaning in the dark commands of God's handwriting, while ignorant sense could see nothing in it but mystery and foolishness.
Faith told Moses that all this rank and greatness was of the earth, earthy, a poor, vain, emty thign, frail, fleeting, and passing away; and that there was no true greatness like that of serving God. He was the king, he the true nobleman who belonged to the family of God. It was better to be last in heaven, than first in hell.
Faith told Moses that worldly pleasures were "pleasures of sin". They were mingled with sin, they led to sin, they were ruinous to the soul, and displeasing to God. It would be small comfort to have pleasure while God was against him. Better suffer and obey God, than be at ease and sin.
Faith told Moses that affliction and suffering were not real evils. They were the school of God, in which He trains the children of grace for the glory; the medicines which are needful to purify our corrupt wills; the furnace which must burn away our dross; the knife which must cut the ties that bind us to the world.

Marvel not that he refused greatness, riches, and pleasure. He looked far forward. he saw with the eye of faith kingdoms crumbling into dust, riches making to themselves wings and fleeing away... and only Christ and his little flock enduring forever.
Wonder not that he chose affliction, a despised people and reproach. He beheld thigns below the surface. he saw with the eye of faith affliction lasting but for a moment, reproach rolled away, and ending in everlasting honor, and the despised people of God reigning as kings with Christ in glory.
Was he not right? Does he not speak to us though dead, this very day? the name of Pharaoh's daughter has perished, or at any rate it extremely doubtful. The city where Pharaoh reigned is not known. The treasures of Egypt are gone. But the name of Moses is known wherever the Bible is read, and is still standing a witness that "whoso liveth by faith, happy is he." " - J.C. Ryle's chapter: "Moses" in Holiness

So what is Ryle trying to tell us by looking to Moses' example? He goes on to say...
"For one thing, if you would ever be saved, you must make the choice that Moses made- you must choose God before the world."

Noooo, he's not saying that in the anti-electionary statement! The theme of this book is holiness. God has not called us to impurity but holiness, says Paul in the 1st letter to the Thessalonians: "For this is the will of God, your sanctifcation...For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore, whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you." (1Thess. 4:3,7-8)

What then?
So, where does this leave me as a woman, a wife, and a mother? It leaves me to meditate on God's Word and examine my own life, my own heart, to see the parts of the world in which remain in my grasp. I have to seek out where society has warped my worldview, and bend it back towards the Scriptures. I must look at my heart and see if it is inclined to any evil, any worldiness, any thing that would set my affections away from Christ, and strip them away to be able to fully follow Him. I must examine my thoughts and goals and let them go if they are not honoring to my Lord, honoring to my husband, and beneficial to my family, and food for my soul. I must look to the unseen by faith as Moses did to behold the true prize and the true beauty and the true King of my life.

May you read this excerpt from Ryle today and strive to live by faith in obedience as Moses did. Amen.

My next post will be another excerpt from Ryle's book and it is a look at Lot and the fact that "he lingered".