Proverbs 31:10-31 ~ A Wife of Noble Character!

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. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants. She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. In her hand she holds the short staff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.

When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes. She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Are you a wife of noble character? Do you raise your daughter to be one? We must not be confused as to what a noble wife does. She may have to work outside the home to 'earn' money for her family and household but she is not 'of the world'. And, though in it from time to time conducting business she does not bring the world home and into her house. All she does while in the world she does for God and her family for they belong to Him as well as she does. "We live, move and have our being in Him" ~ Acts 17:28. "He is before all things and He holds all things together" ~ COL 1:17.

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Dead to Sin, Alive with Christ... The Good News!

Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ ~ Galatians 3:22.

That is why, you will not find His Peace by engaging in excessive planning, attempting to control what will happen to you in the future [Sadly, we start off our children in this direction, "what do you want to be/do, or...you better think about what you will do"]. This attempt to plan our future is a form of unbelief; we doubt God's plan for us.

When your mind spins with multiple plans, His Peace eludes you. Why/How? Because even though you thought you had it all worked out, unexpected things pop up throwing your plans out the window. God did not design the human mind to figure out the future.That is beyond our capability. He created us to be in continual communication with Him. Bring Him all your needs, your hopes and fears. Commit everything to His care. Turn from the path of planning to the path of Peace. ~ Jesus is Calling.

His plan for us is that we were made alive with Christ... Yes, this is the Good News! His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ, even when we were dead in our trespasses/sin. It is by grace you have been saved! And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:4-6). Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of God – far above all wicked spiritual rulers (Ephesians 1:20-21).

The church is also seated “with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:5-6). What is the church doing up there in the heavenlies? Positionally, we are seated in heavenly places because Christ is there, we are in Christ, and wherever He is, we are.

However, despite the fact that we live natural lives down here, we must view our battles from up there. In other words, we must have a heavenly perspective. We must have God’s perspective – an eternal perspective. This is the Good News, this is how we are alive in Christ, free indeed!

God’s goal for you is that you will not sin....

The Apostle John does not say “when you sin,” but if. Yes, we all fall short, and yes, while we were still sinners God saved us, but that does not mean the realm of sin is where we stay. 

In this fallen world, we live with a sin consciousness but that is not the same as ‘living in sin’. As we live according to the revelation of grace, our hearts are focused on a right standing with God consciousness. As a believer, you may still sin in the flesh, but as a child of God made alive in Christ by the Holy Spirit you are not a sinner in the sense of being a condemned man/woman without hope.

Reading from 1 John 3: 6-8…No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous. The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.…

1 John 3:6 this way: “No one who [habitually] sins has either seen or known Him….” The new covenant of grace empowers us to be free of both the penalty and power of sin so that we no longer habitually ‘consciously’ practice ungodliness. Having a sin consciousness will not steer us right back into sin unless we allow Satan to condemn us with shame and guilt to hinder us from ruling in life. God wants you to succeed; it’s the enemy who wants you to fail. Condemnation and correction both hurt – are painful! But there is a significant difference.

 

Condemnation comes from the enemy and leaves us feeling like there is no way out. We feel that we are forever judged. Correction, on the other hand, offers a way out: repentance. God corrects us to restore our fellowship with Him and to make us more like Him. He always wants to pull us closer, not push us away. Having sin consciousness [conscious of sinful world and what we were in it] allows for correction from presence of the Holy Spirit.

Being in Christ leads to freedom from the power of sin, We should always ask, “How close can I get to my Father?” By getting close to God we get close to His grace, which empowers us to live righteously.

If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. (1 John 1:9)

Faithful means God will forgive you every time you repent. Just means He will do it no matter who you are or what you’ve done. He will cleanse you from any wrong and make it as if you’ve never sinned.

Having a sin consciousness does not mean we have the right to sin because Christ is on our side now… having a sin consciousness is rather than the empowerment to be holy, it’s the gift of the Holy Spirit, when we do sin, we feel the pain of that sin and its that pain that corrects and cleanses. 

So, Repent before God and ask Him to give you a passion for righteousness. For He alone is mighty to save!

Never forget… reading 1 John 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.

And never forget that we, as those who are called to be saints, should have a fear of the Lord, “Fear the Lord, you His saints – Psalm 34:9… lest we forget His mighty power to save! For once we were sinners without a savior – Ephesians 2:3. Thank God we have an advocate before the Father… Jesus Christ! 1 John 2:1.

 

So, for those loved by God are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 1:7.

*some material above was shared directly from writings by John Bevere

A Call to Fear God...

Fear the LORD, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. Psalm 34:9

Reading from Isaiah 8: 11-17 ~

For this is what the LORD spoke to me with a strong hand, instructing me not to walk in the way of this people: “Do not call conspiracy everything these people regard as conspiracy. Do not fear what they fear; do not live in dread. The LORD of Hosts is the One you shall regard as holy.

Only He should be feared; only He should be dreaded. And He will be a sanctuary— but to both houses of Israel a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, to the dwellers of Jerusalem a trap and a snare. Many will stumble over these; they will fall and be broken; they will be ensnared and captured.” Bind up the testimony and seal the law among my disciples. I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob. I will put my trust in Him.

Job 28:28
And He said to man, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.'"

Psalm 111:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have a rich understanding. His praise endures forever!

Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Proverbs 30:3
I have not learned wisdom, and I have no knowledge of the Holy One.