This is the law in cases of jealousy, when a wife, though under her husband’s authority, goes astray and defiles herself, or when the spirit of jealousy comes over a man and he is jealous of his wife. Then he shall set the woman before the LORD, and the priest shall carry out for her all this law.

Numbers 5:11-31

This is the law in cases of jealousy, when a wife, though under her husband’s authority, goes astray and defiles herself, or when the spirit of jealousy comes over a man and he is jealous of his wife. Then he shall set the woman before the LORD, and the priest shall carry out for her all this law. Numbers 5:29-30

I continue my study of Numbers, and in the text today, 5:11-31, the Lord spoke to Moses and gave him instructions for how adultery is to be treated.  Here are my observations using the Sword Bible Study Method.

• What do we learn from the text about God?: God designed and created both man and woman and designed marriage as a lifelong commitment to both God and to each other.  Among the ten commandments, the seventh states "[y]ou shall not commit adultery."  The text here today provides instructions for how to treat a wife's adultery - Leviticus 20:10, Deuteronomy 22:22 describe the harsh penalty (death) that also applies to husbands.  The New Testament redefines - appropriately so - adultery to be a matter of the heart (see Matthew 5:27-28).  
• What do we learn from the text about people?: Sexual sin is the broad category that includes adultery - like anything else this brief post from DesiringGod.com points out how all such sin is the result of our (believers and non-believers alike) lack of satisfaction in God, so we seek satisfaction in earthly, flesh satisfying sin. God is always the answer to how we treat sin, repent and turn to Him.
• Is there anything from the text God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): Avoid growing comfortable with the world and gaining too much satisfaction from it.  Claim the promise that God is all we need.  Follow the example of many who lost everything - Joseph, Paul, etc. - yet with God were content in all things. Love God above all else.   

Comment and discuss this post

My Prayer: Father God, You designed marriage and I am blessed in my marriage - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of my marriage nor any blessing You pour out for me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me turn from such sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking?Godly offspring.

Malachi 2:10-16

Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking?Godly offspring. Malachi 2:14-15

I continue my study of the last four books of the OT using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book as my focus remains Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament. Today my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Malachi 2:10-16.  Commentary outlines this text with the following divisions:

1. Covenant Infidelity Manifested by Israel’s Faithlessness to One Another (2:10): God first admonishes Israel for its poor treatment of one another - disobedience to the 2nd greatest commandment to love others (as God has loved us - John 13:34).
   
2. Covenant Infidelity Manifested by Israel’s Faithlessness to the Precepts of God (2:11-12): Next, God calls us Israel for their specific sins relating to their relationship with Him, including how "they have profaned the Lord through theft, murder, adultery, and deceit. Worst of all, they have chased after false gods—the ultimate betrayal of their covenantal relationship with Him.... They apparently ignored the precepts of God for personal profit and intermarried with pagan women after divorcing the wives of their youth. God strictly forbade these actions in the OT, but not because He discriminated against ethnic groups. The issue is not racial exclusivity. It is an issue of inclusivity and protection of His covenant people from idolatry (see also Deuteronomy 7:3)....The problem with marrying someone who is an unbeliever isn’t merely that they belong to a different religious organization. The problem with marrying an unbeliever is the different worldview through which they view all things. They perceive the world differently than a believer does. Christians have a certain system, a lens through which they view the world. An unbeliever does not look through that same lens."  We are reminded that God does not seek watered down obedience - or partial obedience.
   
3. Covenant Infidelity Manifested by Israel’s Faithlessness to Their Marriage Partners (2:13-14): We are referred to multiple texts on God's design for marriage, including Mark 10:6-9 (where Jesus refers to Genesis 2).  God clearly was disappointed in Israel towards the husbands who divorced their wives and married pagan women. We are reminded that the marriage covenant is reflection of the covenant between God and His children.  God hates divorce.
   
4. Covenant Renewal Begins with Faithfulness to the Covenant of Marriage (2:15-16): We are exhorted to follow the precepts of God - to make God the most important relationship then to love others as God loved us.  Through our vertical relationship to the Father we can maintain healthy horizontal relationships with others. See also this post from John Piper on DesiringGod.com.
   

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who gives me the example of love and how You love me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You love me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking?Godly offspring.

Malachi 2:10-16

Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking?Godly offspring. Malachi 2:14-15

I continue my study of the last four books of the OT using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary volume for this book as my focus remains Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament. Today my focus is an unassisted review of Malachi 2:10-16.  Here, God's message delivered through Malachi is directed towards God's people who have aligned themselves with those who worship foreign gods, and in particular the husbands who have been unfaithful to their wives, of course leading to offspring who are not trained in the ways of the Lord.  Vv10-12 describe Judah's faithlessness towards one another by marrying those who worship foreign gods.  Of course such deeds are prone to lead to adopting the worship of foreign gods, which then leads to faithlessness within the marriage and faithless children in such marriages.  VV14-15 share how God sought His people to be faithful to the marriage covenant He created (see also this post from DesiringGod.com).  V16a then describes how these marriages play out, more likely than not in divorce which the text describes as "cover[ing] garment[s] with violence."  V16b offers an antidote: "guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless."  We can of course guard ourselves in our spirit through practices of spiritual disciplines such as study of God's Word, prayer, worship, etc. Ephesians 6:10-20 also shares the "whole armor of God."

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who guards my heart and Spirit - thank You Father God for providing Your Son, the Holy Spirit, Your Word, and so much more that offers not just salvation, but protection, refuge, direction, provision, etc.  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me turn from and overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife.

1 Corinthians 7

To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife. 1 Corinthians 7:10-11

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians.  I am assisted in my study by the Christ-Centered Exposition Series commentary for this book.  Today my focus is a review - aided by the commentary - of 1 Corinthians 7:1-16. The main idea provided by the commentary*: "[s]ingles and married couples must follow God’s design and pursue faithfulness according to their gift.  The introduction to the commentary* describes how Paul admonishes the church in Corinth and how they were making a "mess" with some pursuing sexual immorality and others following a belief that God seeks that all people to abstain from sex (ascetics).  Both wrong and not according to God's design.  Paul addresses these concerns head-on as the commentary* shares that this chapter "is one of, if not the most, helpful chapters in the Bible on marriage. Its instructions are as relevant in the twenty-first century as they were in the first."  The following divisions* unpack the text:

1. God Has Helpful Principles for Those Who Are Married (7:1-5): God created marriage in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2) but Adam and Eve fell prey to sin and since then the institution of marriage has been plagued by sin.  Paul rebuts the ascetics and at the same time emphasizes God's design for sex to be within marriage.  Paul then describe the marriage relationship as a partnership where both husband and wife serve one another. 
   
2. God Gifts All of Us according to His will (7:7-9): Paul shares how some are gifted with marriage and some with singleness (including the latter for himself). 
   
3. God’s Ideal Is for Marriage to Last Until Death Parts (7:10-16): Paul refers to Jesus' own words from Matthew 5:31-32, 19:3-12, Mark 10:1-12, and Luke 16:18 to emphasize* several key points: (a) God desires for marriage to be permanent. God allows for separation in a troubled marriage; (b) God always desires for reconciliation to take place, if at all possible, in troubled marriages; (c) divorce and remarriage among believers, except for sexual unfaithfulness (see Matt 5:32; 19:9), are wrong and sinful. and, even when there is sexual unfaithfulness in a believing marriage, God’s desire is for reconciliation and restoration. Paul then moves to discuss how God seeks "mixed" marriages (one believes, other does not) to remain married despite the potential for conflict and disagreement stemming from differences in faith.  The commentary* also explains how Paul's text here on v14 where unbelieving spouses and children are "made holy" is not to be interpreted as being saved. Instead the believer's influence on the unbelieving spouse and children is seen as a "holy" influence. 

The commentary concludes by referring us to Paul Tripp's article 10 Things You Should Know about Marriage.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion - providing me with Your Word as means to know You and Your design for me and for marriage.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

*Akin, Dr. Daniel L.; Merritt, James. Exalting Jesus in 1 Corinthians (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?

Hebrews 13

The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me? Hebrews 13:6, Psalm 27:1, Psalm 118:6, and Isaiah 51:12

I continue my study of Hebrews, and today my focus is Hebrews 13:1-6, and my unaided observations of the text. As the concluding chapter of Hebrews - where the primary focus of the book overall is to encourage Jewish believers, familiar with the Old Testament and the heroes of the faith as described in chapter 11 (aka the "hall of faith") - the author of Hebrews pivots to encourage readers with practical ways to lead a Godly life, one pleasing to Christ.  We are encouraged to: 

• love our brothers and sisters in Christ (v1)
• show hospitality to strangers (v2) 
• support and encourage the persecuted (v3)
• hold up marriage as honorable and that it be "undefiled by sexual immoral[ity] and adulter[y]" (v4)
• avoid love of money and envy (v5)

The text for today concludes (v6) by exhorting readers to heed words similarly spoken in Psalm 27:1, Psalm 118:6, and Isaiah 51:12.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord, You are a great God full of amazing grace and compassion for me - thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of Your amazing grace and compassion.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

Ephesians 5

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. Ephesians 5:31-32

I continue my study of Ephesians via my participation in a Discipleship (D) Group that is part of my church. For this morning, I stay in Ephesians 5, examining v22-33 because its message focuses on marriage - a distinct topic from yesterday which was directed more broadly to the church. This text is often controversial as it describes the role of husbands and wives inside the context of a Godly marriage. I subscribe to John's Piper's complementarian view of men and women that each are uniquely different by God's design and scripture provides clarity on roles for men and women both in the context of the church and marriage.  The linked post does a great job delving into this question so I am not going to call out anything specific in the post but simply to refer to it as an encouragement to read it for a complete view on the subject. Go to the section where he lays out four observations from Ephesians 5:22-33. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who gave me Lisa - my wife - and Zach and Dustin.  Thank You Jesus!  Incredible blessings.  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues.  Help me turn from and overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.

Proverbs 17-22:16

House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord. Proverbs 19:14

As I continue with my study of Proverbs, remaining in chapters 17-22:16, I continue with a review of these chapters (week 7) from my study workbook by focus on the themes as depicted in my workbook, moving on to the themes of marriage, the poor, judgement, and wrath (God's vs those of an earthly king).  For today, my focus will be marriage, and tomorrow it will be judgement. On marriage, without a doubt I recognize that my wife Lisa is a gift from God and how God predestined our marital relationship. My study points out how a Christian marriage is to serve "as a reflection of the covenant relationship between God and His people....Israel [in the OT] is frequently depicted as God's 'bride' (see Isaiah 62:4, Jeremiah 2:2, and Hosea 2:16-20)...[as does the NT with one example from John 3:29)] which identifies Jesus as Israel's long-awaited King and Messiah."  The study also points to Ephesians 5:22-23 as "the fullest picture of human marriage as a picture of the union of Christ and believers." I am grateful for how Lisa faithful devotion of a loving wife, even during those times when I have not been a Godly husband.  She has sharpened me, been patient with me, and undoubtedly a gift in the sense that I am not deserving but nonetheless grateful.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - You provide Jesus as my wife and I am grateful for this gift!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving.  My sin is great and it continues - I should be more patient and more of a reflection of Jesus to Lisa.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me turn from and overcome my sin and turn towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. 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.

Leviticus 21-22

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. 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 5:22-27

This afternoon, I continued my study of Leviticus using the Christ-Centered Exposition series commentary for this book - starting chapter nineteen - Holiness and Leadership - covering Leviticus 21-22, looking specifically at the third theme for the chapter - God Calls Us to Represent His Design in Our Marriages.  Here, the commentary calls out Leviticus 21:7-9 and 13-15 as the basis to encourage us to demonstrate holiness within our marriages. While the intent of Leviticus was directed towards the Old Testament priesthood, believers in Christ should see how, in the New Testament, we are called to "represent His design in marriage."  The commentary calls out three scripture examples for us to see this at work:

• 2 Corinthians 6:14: we are to marry those with whom we are "equally yoked"
  
• Ephesians 5:22-25: husbands are to love their wives and wives are to submit to their husbands as the church submits to Christ
  
• 1 Timothy 3:2, 12: leadership in the church must have exemplary marriage

The commentary wraps by stating that "[i]n the old covenant, God held a high standard for the marriages of priests.  In the new covenant, God continues to hold a high standard for the marriages of all followers of Jesus."

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who blessed me with a wonderful wife, marriage and family.  I am undeserving.  My sin continues as I often fall down in my role as a both a husband and father - please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you.

Song of Songs 1-8

You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you. Song of Songs 4:7

Day 145 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues with a study of Solomon's contributions to scripture as I move into the Song of Solomon or the Song of Songs.  My commentary* indicates "[u]nlike most of the preceding literature, the “Song of Songs” deals more with love than with wisdom, prayer, or praise" and that "it is a beautiful and striking statement about human love. It suggests that all life, including human sexuality, is holy because God has created it."

*Smith, F. LaGard. The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) . Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition. 

Building on my posts from Wednesday and Thursday of this week, I once again find myself treasuring Lisa as my wife, friend and partner for 22 years.  Thank You God for the blessing of Lisa.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has blessed me with Lisa and I am deeply grateful.  I am undeserving not just of Lisa but also all the ways You bless me.  I continue in my worry - please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Psalm 127

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

Day 144 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues with a study of Solomon's contributions to scripture.  Solomon authored both Psalm 72 and Psalm 127 and this latter psalm is my focus today.  With this psalm, the focus is praise for God as the Giver of all things.  John Piper provides this great video and encourages parents to rest in God as the Builder, Watchman, and Protector of our family, and he further point us to Matthew 11:28-30 as parents often need the rest that only He can provide.

I am grateful for Psalm 127 and for John Piper's encouragement based on this psalm - I needed this today.

My Prayer: Heavenly Father, I am so thankful for how You build, watch over and protect me as a father and husband.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving for the blessings of marriage and fatherhood You provide.  I often fall down in these roles.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sins in these areas.  Help me overcome and turn from my sins towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind, and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.

Various Proverbs

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. Proverbs 31:10-11

Day 143 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues with a study of the Proverbs - primarily of Solomon, but including the Proverbs of other authors as well. This morning my focus includes proverbs that cover various observations (joy and grief, good news, and curiosity), and sayings of Agur and King Lemuel.

This morning my focus once again is on Lisa.  I am blessed to have a wife who truly is worth far more than rubies - I lack nothing of value.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who blesses me with Lisa, Zach and Dustin and so much more.  My cup overflows.  I am not deserving for how You bless me.  I sin...daily and often, including my sin of discouraging words that I use to tear others down.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones....Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.

Various Proverbs

A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones....Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm. Proverbs 12:4, 13:20

Day 142 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues with a study of the Proverbs - primarily of Solomon, but including the Proverbs of other authors as well. This morning my focus includes proverbs that cover persons and attributes (parents and children, the elderly, women and wives, kings and rulers, messengers, and companions), and various concerns (caution, reputation, courage, and hope).

My focus today is on my wife Lisa (of 22 years).  Lisa without a doubt is a blessing from God for me and for Zach and Dustin.  She is also of noble character.  She is also wise and has helped me become more level headed - less rash.  She is wise in ways that have blessed me enormously.  As you can tell from posts from the past few days, I've struggled in this area.  Thank You God for the blessing of Lisa in my life.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and You have blessed me beyond what I deserve - particularly with Lisa!  I am undeserving of such blessings.  I continue to place my own comfort above that of my relationship with You Jesus - sinful indeed - please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies.

Ephesians 5

In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. v28

I am challenged to treasure my wife Lisa as Paul encourages us to in this letter to the church in Ephesus. I am too often selfish or lazy.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has blessed me with a wife and family that loves me and supports me and brings me many other blessings - too numerous to even mention!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and blessings.  I sin...and am often lazy or selfish to love others as Jesus loves me.  Forgive me Jesus and help me turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

Ephesians 1

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. v18-21

Building on my post yesterday, this morning Paul reminds us of our identity in Christ, including:
- our hope 
- our inheritance as children of God
- the power in and for our lives and for the the lives of others through us

See also previous posts via tags: .

One of the implications I see is that God desires us to seek big things in our lives (and in our families) so that others can see the power of God in and through us so that others are drawn to Him.  We have an identity, we are Christ's ambassadors, and as His ambassadors we are to represent Him and His kingdom appropriately.  Implications for fathers are great here.  Check out this great podcast on this topic of "Casting a Vision for Your Family".  

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has done great things in me, for me, and through me - I am SO blessed by Your Spirit in my heart and life - thank You Jesus!  I am of course undeserving as my sin is great...and daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you.

Song of Songs 4

You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you. v7

In Genesis 2 God says "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him. (v18)”.  God provided to me my wife Lisa and God has helped me see no flaw in her just as she hopefully sees no flaw in me.  I love You Lisa.

We are called to bear with each other (see post from a couple of days ago) and Lisa has done this in spades for me.  This morning I am grateful for Lisa as I should be every day.

As of April 3rd, we've been married 20 years.  Thank you God for finding me a perfect helper.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who has provided me with a perfect helper - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love and such a blessing.  I worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all your paths.

Proverbs 5

For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all your paths. v21

This Proverb focuses on the 7th commandment, "[y]ou shall not commit adultery",  and it provides several warnings, including: ruin comes to the adulterer and how nothing is hidden from God.

For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Luke 8:17

 

This Proverb also provides an encouragement to maintain passion for your wife:

 

Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers. May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer—may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love. Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife? Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman? v15-20 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God, who loves me, is always with me, protects me, guides me, etc. and so much more - that You love me is amazing.  Thank You Jesus.  I am not worth such love as I worry and I fall down - broken.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Proverbs 31

Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. v31

No doubt I have a noble wife as described by Solomon in Proverbs 31.  

I must honor Lisa as I am commanded to in Ephesians:

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. Ephesians 5:25-30

My Prayer: Jesus, You are a great God and You have blessed me with a wife of noble character.  I am blessed beyond what I deserve.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such a blessing because I am broken and my sin persists.  I am often not at peace with others - even this morning!  Please forgive me and help me overcome such sin and turn towards You instead.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind.  Help me love others as You do. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself strength and wisdom.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help me point Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, the church and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.

Proverbs 5

May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. v18

Solomon warns husbands to avoid the lure of adulterous women.  He expands on the treasure of wives in both Proverbs 18 and 31.

The New Living Translation is particularly helpful to emphasize the treasure wives are to their husbands: 

The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord. Proverbs 18:22 

Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. Proverbs 31:10

The remaining verses in Proverbs 31 are devoted to the treasure of a virtuous and capable wife:

Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. She finds wool and flax and busily spins it. She is like a merchant’s ship, bringing her food from afar.  She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day’s work for her servant girls.  She goes to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard.  She is energetic and strong, a hard worker.  She makes sure her dealings are profitable; her lamp burns late into the night. Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber. She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy.

 
She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm clothes.She makes her own bedspreads. She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.  Her husband is well known at the city gates where he sits with the other civic leaders.  She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants. She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness.  She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness. Her children stand and bless her.  Her husband praises her:“There are many virtuous and capable women in the world but you surpass them all!”Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise. Proverbs 31:11-31

My Prayer: Lord You are an awesome God and You have blessed me with a wife that is TRULY a blessing and a treasure!  Thank You Jesus for Lisa.  What a great blessing and great God You are.  I am not worth such blessing...I often am not the husband You desire for me.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin...and serve You. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him.

Psalm 128

Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to him. v1

I am already blessed! And what a promise!

You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Yes, this will be the blessing for the man who fears the Lord. v2-4

I desire to be blessed in such a man but I know I am a work in progress - my focus must not be on the blessing but on glorifying God and serving Him.  I must endure and persist.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Hebrews 12:1-2

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God, You created all things, are in all things, and hold all things together.  You love me and are so full of patience, compassion, and mercy for me.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love and blessing.  I am harsh with my words and actions and impatient.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin, and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But as for me, I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; you are my God, do not delay.

Psalm 40

But as for me, I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer;  you are my God, do not delay. v17

I often think I know what what I need...that someone else be a certain way.  Yet, first and foremost, I need Jesus.  I cannot control others nor my circumstances.  God is in control.  

See also posts here and here.

In particular, this one penetrates my heart today:

As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. James 4:17

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You created the heavens, the earth, the universe, and all of its inhabitants.  You are all knowing, all powerful, yet full of love, mercy, patience, compassion, etc. for Your children, including myself - in spite of my sin.  Thank You Jesus!  Please forgive me for my lack of compassion and patience for others and for my worry.  Help me overcome such sin and turn towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo and radiation.  Please give her an "all clear mammogram".  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.