The other night, some very special friends celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. My bride of near 24 years and I stopped by to enjoy the festivities and to rejoice in the Lord with them for what He has done in their lives.
Late in the evening, that’s about 10:15 for me anymore, I glanced around the room. Six couples mingled and chatted in various groups, some sitting some standing. Most of us were within five years of one another. All of us had been married for at least a decade, most two.
I was stunned by the caliber of women in that room. It wasn’t their attire. It wasn’t their makeup or their ‘do. These women were 100% invested in Christ and thereby were 100% invested in their men. They were beautiful ladies.
They were Proverbs 31 ladies.
Gents, I’m not going to read the chapter to you (I’ll link it here if you don’t have a Bible handy), but I’d like you to read it. Notice something. It’s not written by a woman about women. It’s written by a man. I don’t know if it continues what King Lemuel began in verse 1, stuff his momma taught him that has hung with him. I don’t know if it’s Solomon’s postscript to his book of wisdom. I suspect that one of these kings began to ponder his bride and simply wrote an ode to the glory of the woman at his side (that would leave Solomon’s authorship suspect).
Imagine how our wives would glow if we praised them as Lemuel praises his wife. This man has examined every nook and cranny of her life and adored her in each of these aspects. When’s the last time our woman has heard such consistent and sincere appreciation as this from our lips? Do our souls stir when praised for our labors at work? So, too, do our wives’.
You see, as a man, I don’t look at Proverbs 31 as being for the woman. Gents, how would you like to live up to that ideal? I see this as a passage for men on how they are to recognize and praise their brides. As my eyes circled the room, each of the women was a Proverbs 31 woman. I only hope they knew it. I hope my bride knows it.
Does yours?
Monday, April 20, 2009
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1 comment:
as one of those women, I was honored and teary as I read your devo for today, prompted by my mate, who does encourage, bless and adore me...what a wonderful comment on us all and what wonderful thoughts on such a proverb that yes we women interpret differently at times...thank you, and we too were blessed to be in such company that evening, we commented on it as we left, and so enjoyed the fellowship of like-minded believers..the feelings and musings were mutual
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