Who is this proverbs 31 virtuous woman?  Is it even possible to reach such status?  When becoming a wife, I was determined to make it my business to be this woman.  She is valuable and her husband trusts her! She is strong, she helps needy and gives to the poor.  She works, staying up late and rising early. She buys land, sews, cooks, and cleans all while raising children! She is wise and kind.  Her husband praises her and her children raise up and calls her blessed.  How is this possible?  This frustrated me for so, so long.  I was doing everything I knew how to do, but it never seemed to be enough to meet these standards.  Until one day I was reading Proverbs 31 and got revelation from one verse.

Prov.31:15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t have any maidens in my house.  This freed my thought process so much. Of course if I had a nanny, housekeeper, secretary, sue chef, etc. things would run a lot smoother in my household.  I have a responsibility to build my house and set a comfortable atmosphere for my family.  I have to do my best at utilizing all of my gifts to help my family prosper.  I must be strong and kind.  The good news is that I don’t have to feel condemned and I don’t need to do it alone in my own strength!  First God’s strength is made perfect in my weakness. Second it’s okay to ask for help.  As believers, we should be able to humbly reach out to other believers and people in our circle/community and ask for help when needed.  If you are blessed enough financially, it is okay to hire help.  Just think of how much easier it would be if we could all focus on our own personal strengths and had help in areas we were struggle.  I have finally learned that I can’t please everyone, but I am thankful for the Husband and children God has given me.  I do my best and depend on God to do the rest!

Father, we thank you for our households and the work that you have trusted us with.  Help us to be strong, kind, and diligent in everything we do.  Help us be valuable and trusted by our husbands.  Give us wisdom to accomplish everything we set our hands to.  Give us a heart to give to those in need.  Help us not be ashamed to ask for help. We thank you for your grace in Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen!

Before my husband and I got married, my daughter had a dream.  In part of the dream, my husband and I, along with her and her sister were standing before a long road. At the end of the road was something good that we desired.  As we looked at the path, we saw shoots of flames coming down on the road from the sky.  My husband looked at the kids and said maybe we should go another way.  Then I prayed and said no, God wants us to go this way.  As I reflected on the dream, I knew that these were the fiery darts of the wicked.  In Ephesians 6:16 our shield of faith is what quenches these fiery darts. Almost five years later, I can say that we have faced many fiery darts coming against us. They’ve tried to hit or relationships, health, finances, attitudes, and the list can go on and on.  The thing that has kept us growing stronger together instead of pulling us apart has been our shield of faith (of course by the grace of God). We have stood on God’s word and promise. We have remained prayerful and at times sought wise counsel.  No relationship is perfect, not even our relationship with God, due to our own flesh. As we continue to submit ourselves to Jesus, the word, and one another.  The Lord will continue to grow us in Faith going from faith to faith and glory to glory.  We can then use this faith as a powerful weapon against the plans of the enemy.

 

Father, we thank you that you have equipped us with weapons to defeat every evil plan against our homes, our relationships, and our purpose.  Help us to identify the fiery darts so that we may lift up our shield of faith to quench them before they come to destroy us.  Help us to communicate with one another clearly and be open with each other, especially at times when we feel our faith begin to weaken.  Let us lift one another up in love and encourage each other’s spirit with the Word of God so that we may build a strong foundation.  Give us strength to overcome every trial.  Help us to never give up and to never give in.  In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen!

 

The  truth is that there is no secret.  God knows all and sees all.  Before I got married, while my now husband was courting me, God told me to come clean.  He even gave me a specific deadline that I had to meet in order to be in His timing.  This was very challenging for me.  God wanted me to share all of my secrets.  Every failure, every fear, every mistake, every hurting place, all the things that make me vulnerable needed to be exposed.  Why?  So that the enemy would have no place in our marriage.  I needed to give him access to all the doors in my life so that the devil couldn't come in and use them against me later.  I gave my husband a choice to make in whether or not he wanted to deal with those doors.  I also shared my dreams, aspirations, and things that I believe God has called me to.  It was up to him to choose if he wanted to be in agreement with them and cover me.  God knows our heart and our motives.  He sees our attitudes and our actions.  When Adam and Eve sinned, God called them and asked about what they did.  Not because He did not know, but because He was giving them a chance to be honest and come clean.  But instead, they chose to place blame and got banished from the garden.  God wants us to be honest in our relationship with Him and our spouse.  He wants us to be intimate with our hearts by giving it all.  When we do this, it strengthens our covenant and fortifies those doors that the enemy would try to creep in.  So there are no secrets hidden from God and there shouldn't be anything hidden from your spouse, but there is a secret place with God.  A place where He will hear every prayer, heal every hurt and comfort every cry.  When we dwell in this secret place, God covers us and protects us from harm.  We should abide in this secret place with our spouse and receive all of the promises in Psalms 91.

Psalms91:1
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the almighty.

Father I thank you for my spouse.  I thank you that you have given me a gift and a partner.  Show me how to honor, love, and respect the way you instruct in Your Word.  Help me not to leave any open door for the enemy to come and plant seeds of destruction into my marriage.  Help us to be more diligent about coming before you in Your secret place, so that we have greater intimacy with You and with each other.  In Jesus' name I pray.  Amen!