“A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.” (Proverbs 31:10)
This month’s theme is “Pierce my heart for marriage,” and it’s remarkable how much of our reading for this month is related to it.
Luke 23–24 focuses on Jesus’ death and resurrection. Many times in Scripture, Jesus is referred to as our Bridegroom (Matthew 9:15). As we see at the end of Luke, He made the ultimate sacrifice to show His love for us––He gave His life for us. He commands all husbands to sacrificially love their wives, just as He loved the church (Ephesians 5:25).
Just “as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will [our] God rejoice[s] over [us]” (Isaiah 62:5). How awesome to have Someone Who loves us so much and rejoices over us!
However, we do not always respond to God with such appreciation for this sacrificial love. The book of Hosea compares Israel’s love for God to that of a harlot, as Israel is constantly unfaithful to Him, never valuing what He has done for her. And yet, God does not ultimately abandon Israel, regardless of her desire for other loves.
In this month’s reading of the gospel of John, we encounter several occasions when Jesus dealt with weddings and marriages. In John 2, He performs His first miracle, changing water into wine at a wedding feast. In chapter 4, He speaks to a Samaritan woman at a well––not acceptable for a Jewish man to do––confronting her about her sinful behavior regarding men and marriage. Whether in marriage or not, we are commanded in God’s Word to be sexually pure (1 Thessalonians 4:3, 7), avoiding sexual immorality.
Proverbs not only addresses women and wives, but it also gives wisdom that, while pertaining to all relationships, applies to marriages entirely. It tells us that a wise woman builds up her house (Proverbs 14:1). Proverbs 15:1 gives wisdom from which every person could profit: “A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.” It is often easy to use harsh words toward our spouses, stirring up anger and resentment. These harsh words often result from impatience and keeping track of past wrongs, which Scripture tells us is not a characteristic of godly love (1 Corinthians 13).
As women and wives, we have the power––and responsibility––to control the environment in our homes. And it is a big responsibility. Our attitudes can affect those of our husbands and children. Proverbs 17:1 tells us: “Better is a dry morsel with quietness, Than a house full of feasting with strife.” As wealthy as we may be, or as many things as we may have, it is only strife if the home does not put God first.
As many wonderful books as there are available on marriage, there is one we should go to first in order to find out what makes a godly, successful marriage––God’s Word. The Bible is filled with His commands for marriage, and His example of sacrificial love. Whether we are married or not, we only have to go so far as to His Word to discover what makes a wife who is pleasing to God.
By Lisa Grimenstein
Suggested Reading for August
AUG 1 Luke 23-24
AUG 2 1 Thes 4-5
AUG 3 Lev 22-24
AUG 4 2 Kings 21-25
AUG 5 Ps 90-92
AUG 6 Prov 14-15
AUG 7 Ezek 43-48
AUG 8 John 1-2
AUG 9 2 Thes
AUG 10 Lev 25-27
AUG 11 1 Chr 1-4
AUG 12 Ps 93-95
AUG 13 Prov 16
AUG 14 Dan 1-6
AUG 15 John 3-4
AUG 16 1 Tim 1-3
AUG 17 Num 1-4
AUG 18 1 Chr 5-9
AUG 19 Ps 96-98
AUG 20 Prov 17-18
AUG 21 Dan 7-12
AUG 22 John 5-6
AUG 23 1 Tim 4-6
AUG 24 Num 5-8
AUG 25 1 Chr 10-14
AUG 26 Ps 99-101
AUG 27 Prov 19
AUG 28 Hosea 1-7
AUG 29 John 7-9
AUG 30 2 Tim 1-2
AUG 31 Num 9-12
This year’s Bible reading plan was borrowed from BibleReading.com. (To correspond with the 2009 year, we have included actual dates for your referral. You may choose to use the above site, instead.)
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