Good day, Ladies! Welcome to Lesson Three of our study.
Let's pray:
Father, I come before You this day and ask that You bless this study of Your word. I pray for each woman participating here that You would speak to her heart and change her heart through the reading of Your word.
I ask forgiveness of sin, release from the bondage of sin, and a cleansing through the reading of Your word this day. I also ask that you fill me with the Holy Spirit to overflowing. Guard my speech, restrain my tongue that I might not cause pain to those around me today. I also pray that you would fill my home with the Holy Spirit and be welcome here, O Lord.
I pray these things in Your mighty name, Amen.
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Today's passage: Proverbs 31:11
The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain.
TRUST. That is a powerful word. Not many of us can fully trust someone. Can all who know us fully trust in us?
Please read:
Gen 2:16
Ah, yes, our old friend Eve. How can we discuss our husbands trusting us without looking at the Garden of Eden?
Please read:
Gen 2:22-23 Gen 3:1-13
By God's design, we women are emotional. Therefore, we are easily deceived. We are naturally deceptive.
Please read:
2 Tim 3:1-7
How do you define "gullible"?
What do you think Paul meant when he wrote: "always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." ?
What comes to mind when you read: "For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives..."??
Eve saw "that the tree was good" . She was deceived by her senses, wasn't she?
Please read:
1 John 2:16-17
Titus 2:1-5
What sort of warnings come from these passages?
How does that apply to you?
We, as wives, are to be good, discreet, chast homemakers- obedient to our husbands. Remember how Ruth was obedient? That's how we are to be obedient to our husbands.
So their hearts can safely trust us.
Why? So the Word of God may not be blasphemed.
I have shared this story with some of you before, but I will repeat it here because it paints a perfect picture of what blaspheming God's Word looks like:
My husband, Scott, once took our son to Taco Bell one afternoon for lunch. While in the restaurant, he noticed a bunch of teenage boys had come in to eat. One was wearing a black t-shirt with large white letters on the front that read: "Jesus is a C*NT" except it wasn't disguised as I've written here. Can you imagine seeing such a thing??
Scott wasn't sure how to react. He was as shocked as you are reading those hateful words. He thought maybe he should go complain to the manager, but he didn't. What would you have done?
That is a perfect example of blasphemy of God's name, character, and word. Paul is warning us through God's Word that if we are NOT teaching what is good to younger women, being chaste, and being discreet homemakers...we risk blaspheming God's Word. Just like that t-shirt.
Harsh? I know, but it is how we all should view our sin. Disgusting and harsh.
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Life application:
Please read:
Prov. 18:22
Our husbands should be able to trust us with everything from their deepest heartfelt secrets to the money they earn. They should never have to feel concerned about what we are doing at home when they are not there.
Feeling convicted? I know I am.....
Please read:
Eccl. 7:26
What does it mean by "snares and nets"?
Please read:
Gen 2:18
What is our position to our husbands?
1 Cor 11:8,9
Why were we created?
Are you your husband's helper? Or do you hinder him?
As I wrote in an earlier lesson, I can be contentious at times. I used to be a feminist who felt that I was equal to my husband and at times above him.
I never submitted because I saw that as archaic and no longer relevant to the times. Since I was a more mature believer in Christ, my husband looked to me for spiritual things and never took control as spiritual leader of our home. I often used sex as a way of manipulating him to get my way and he willingly went along since he dreds confrontation.
After reading the above, I bet you can guess what our marriage was like for the first 10-12 years! A mess.
We were heading straight toward divorce. I thought having all the control over everything would make me happy. Isn't that what they tell us in the magazines? I should've been so happy with my life, but I was miserable.
I know so many women who are in this position now and they think they are happy because they have all the control over their husbands, children, and household. But I can see that they are not happy at all. They have fallen for the lie of feminism that men cannot be trusted with anything and that women have all the answers. They think that having all the control over finances, child-rearing, and spiritual issues will make them happy. But I can tell you from personal experience: It doesn't
Even though I knew what the truth was and was suppressing it (Rom 1:18) for my own gain, the Lord still was working in me.
I prayed, attended women's Bible studies, heard the word of God, and my heart of stone began to soften. I also prayed for about 4 years for an older woman to mentor me. Finally, the Lord brought her into my life for a short time, but during that time she helped me learn to let go of self and submit to the Lord....and to my husband. She showed me verse after verse of Scripture that supported this FACT and the Lord concivted me of my sins.
I confessed and I repented, but there was much healing to be done. Scott and I sought strong Christian counsel and the Lord healed our broken marriage before the divorce.
He saved us from ourselves.
So, how can you apply these verses to your life?
Allow God to form in you a heart that your husband can trust with his whole heart. Make your house your husband's castle. Make sure it is a place where he feels welcomed. Make sure there are things in the home that he enjoys. Let go of self and control and let your husband be the leader of his home. Your biblical role is to be his helper, not his leader.
Make sure you put him far above yourself and your children. Your house should be his castle...not yours or your children's.
We'll get into "women and money" for our next study. I ask you, can your husband safely trust you with money?
In the meantime, I leave you with this:
"And, as we run that race, many voices call us to abandon the effort. The world woos us away from following Christ and offers tempting rewards for choosing its way to what it deems success. We feel pressure to be like people in the neighborhood or at the office, and we aren't always affirmed in our efforts toward excellence. The past would hold us prisoner, chained and bound to darker days and deeds, and the flesh calls us to have some fun, take it easy, don't worry, and take care of it tomorrow.
The world doesn't understand the Christian's race and prize that awaits. The world doesn't acknowledge the cause of Christ or value the commitment His cause requires."
-Elizabeth George (Loving God With All Your Mind, 1994, p.98)
God bless you!
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