Wisdom for the Ages: Find a Good Spouse. Message Magazine’s Online Devotional for Monday, April 16, 2018
Listen to “Thoughts in Worship 04.16.2018” on Spreaker.
“Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, And obtaineth favour of the Lord” (Proverbs 18:22).
Woman: A Key Motif
In our final devotional thought in this series, I would like to highlight one of the chief features of Scripture, next to Jesus, of course—a good woman. Unfortunately, just as God predicted for Eve after she ate the forbidden fruit, our beloved mothers, sisters, and daughters are being subjugated by evil men around the world. Systemic misogyny and abuse have taken firm hold in most cultures, and we must do all we can to reverse the tide.
God highly esteems women, and thus we must too. God personifies love, wisdom, His tender compassion towards us, and all that is virtuous as a woman. The apple of His eye, the one upon whom He places supreme regard is a beautiful woman. She’s the daughter of Zion, the church. Jesus will return for a woman whose character is all arrayed in bright splendor and has chosen absolute love above all things.
Creation of Another Self
Today’s focus is in this context. In the creation story, we see that all God created and did was good, good, and very good. Yet, in the world of perfection, God broke into the narrative and said that one thing was not good. That thing was that man should be alone. It was not good for Adam to be without an other self; one who was like him and would complement and supplement his essence.
And so Adam, who named all of God’s creatures, also named the one whom God carefully molded and presented to him to love. He called her woman. She was like man, but had a womb and all that blessing entails. She came from man, but she had a womb. The womb-man, whom God made for him and to be a blessing to all generations was already a wife when God united them.
Adam did not need to manufacture, contrive, settle for, or otherwise worry about generating a random woman. God prepared the right woman, and with love made her a wife, and presented her to him. This is why the Bible says that when a man finds a wife, he finds favor, that which is good, and that which is desirable. I am going to allow the pen of inspiration to describe the perfect wife and let you go. If you are a woman who wishes to be married, let the following Scriptures be your guidebook. If you are a believer and wish to learn better submission to God, whether you are a man or woman, ask God to help you glean from the following verses of Scripture:
Proverbs 31:10–31 (NET)
10 Who can find a wife of noble character? For her value is far more than rubies.
11 The heart of her husband has confidence in her, and he has no lack of gain.
12 She brings him good and not evil all the days of her life.
13 She obtains wool and flax, and she is pleased to work with her hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships; she brings her food from afar.
15 She also gets up while it is still night, and provides food for her household and a portion to her female servants.
16 She considers a field and buys it; from her own income she plants a vineyard.
17 She begins her work vigorously, and she strengthens her arms.
18 She knows that her merchandise is good, and her lamp does not go out in the night.
19 Her hands take hold of the distaff, and her hands grasp the spindle.
20 She extends her hand to the poor, and reaches out her hand to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all of her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She makes for herself coverlets; her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is well-known in the city gate when he sits with 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 honor, and she can laugh at the time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, and loving instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed, her husband also praises her:
29 “Many daughters have done valiantly, but you surpass them all!”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised.
31 Give her credit for what she has accomplished, and let her works praise her in the city gates.
A word to the foolish is wasteful. A word to the wise is sufficient.
