The Virtuous Wife- Lesson Fourteen

"Oh taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!"

Psalm 34:8

Good day, Ladies! Let's seek the Lord.........

Father, I praise Your holy name this day and thank You once again for being our eternal and perfect Savior. Those who seek You shall not lack any good thing.

I ask that You be with us this day and during our study today. I thank You for giving me the passages of Scripture and words to write to encourage these women who are joining me here today. I pray for them and their families. I pray for their marriages and for their relationship with You. I seek forgiveness of sin and pray that You will blot out my transgressions. Please deliver me out of my troubles and my bondage of sin.

In Jesus' name....Amen.

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Today's passage: Prov. 31:21 "She is not afraid of snow for her household, For all her household is clothed in scarlet."

Again in this verse we see that the Virtuous Wife lives in harmony with the covenant of God. She has no fear of the unknown...the elements...because she knows Who is her provider.

Covenant with God.

It is something that we Christians should be familiar with. We should live in harmony with the covenant of God daily because we know what it is and what it means.

The word "covenant" ( "beriyth" in Hebrew and "diatheke" in Greek...)according to scripture means a "compact or contract made by the passing between two pieces of flesh." If you have a concordance, I strongly recommend you look up the word and see how many times it is mentioned in the Bible and how. It is truly amazing.

Please read:

Gen 15:17-18

I remember Dr. R.C. Sproul talking about how if he ever were to be in prison for whatever reason and he had no Bible with him, the one verse he would write on the wall of his prison cell would be Gen 15:17. Many people often ask him why this particular verse and not, say Psalm 23, or Psalm 37:3-4...but his explanation is very important.

He explains that this verse tell us how God Himself made a covenant with Abram in a way that only God could do. God Himself was basically saying, "I am making a vow to you on my diety that if I do not do what I said I would do, then I am not God Almighty."

Whew! That is huge.

I used to work as a bailiff in superior court and saw many people sworn in to testify. They were asked by the clerk of the court something like: "Do you swear that the testimony you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help you God?" And the person would swear, "Yes."

We are familiar with oaths. We make them a lot in our lives.

But here in Gen. 15:17, Dr. Sproul goes on to explain that God Himself is swearing an oath on God Himself. And He made that oath, that vow, that contract with you and me.

God has sworn three basic principles of His covenant: provisions (blessings), protection (from evil) and presence (to be in His presence and He with us). Isn't that amazing??

Now you can see why Dr. R.C. Sproul would want that verse written on the wall of a prison cell in order to remember that THE God of the Universe has sworn an oath on His diety that He will do what He said He would do.

Please read:

Psalm 27:1

Psalm 37:3-6

Psalm 86:11

Psalm 111:9

God is faithful. The Virtuous Wife knew this. We should never forget it when times are good and when times are hard.

She had no fear of the elements that could hurt her family. She trusted in the Lord who had provided for her family: scarlet.

Scarlet: royalty.

If you and your household know the Lord and are in covenant with Him, then there is no worry. There is no fear of the unknown.

Ecc. 12:13-14

Matt 6:25-27

Matt 6:33

Matt 10:28-31

Heb 10:31

Fear the Lord and not the unknown. It is far better to fear The One who can destroy the soul and the body in hell that mere man or nature.

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Life Application

Please read;

Phil 4:6-7

Remember that we are not to be anxious for anything.....but in EVERYTHING we are to pray.

My husband and I are currently in training for our first marathon in January 2008. Are we crazy or what!!??

We have run together since we were dating, so a marathon has been something we both wanted to do for many years. Now that our son is older and we are done with school, we both feel this is the right time. I am also using the marathon as a fundraiser for a mission trip I feel called to take next summer to Slovakia to work with youth there.

So, there are many times I lie awake in bed wondering if I can really run this race and finish. The fear of injury or the fear of failure makes me toss and turn. But then I have to remember: Do not fear the world, but fear God!

1 Pet.2:17

As women of virtue, we are to fear the Lord and remember the covenant we have in Him. God has sworn a vow to provide for us, to protect us, and have presence with Him.

How are you honoring the covenant you have with the Lord today? Do you worry about not having enough food, clothing, etc. for your family?

What about protecting Him? Have you stood up for the Lord against those who are twisting His words around or using His name in vain? What about being in His presence? Have you spent time alone with the Lord each day this week?

God swore an oath to us but this contract is a two-way contract. We are also to honor our part of the covenant as well.

Remember the Jewish wedding ceremony? Remember your wedding ceremony? You also swore a vow to your husband here on earth.

Please read:

2 Tim 1:7

1 John 4:18

If you indeed have the Love of Christ in you, then you have no fear because there is no fear in love. You should live in harmony with the covenant and know no fear of the unknown just like the Virtuous Wife did. She knew the covenant of God. She knew the God whom she served.

Do you know the God whom you serve?

He is:

Holy

Just

Infinite

Love

Grace

Faithful

Truth

All powerful

Always present

All knowing

In all these attributes, He is eternal. He doesn't just have truth in Him....He IS TRUTH. He isn't only just...He IS JUSTICE. Start to see the pattern?

If you truly know who God is, then why fear the unknown? You and your household have been "clothed in scarlet" by Him.

It is only when we forget that we begin to fear and worry....and that is sin. If you have been in bondage of fear, then confess it now before the Lord and be set free!

Please read:

Ps. 19:9

Live in harmony with the covenant you have with God.

Don't fear this world....fear God!

Until next time...........

"To stay the course, I ask myself the following questions from time to time, and these questions may help you: Am I focusing my efforts toward the prize that awaits at the end or am I too content watching other people's efforts? Am I training regularly and, by working out in the daily disciplines of the Christian life, receiving God's grace and His strength for the race? Am I properly fueling my body with sleep, nutrition, and exercise for maximum results?

Running the race- living for Christ and growing into His image- requires focus and discipline."

-Elizabeth George, Loving God With All Your Mind, 1994, p. 89

Blessings,

Ruth