1999-12-03 - Some Words for Wives

The Family Series, Part 4

Genesis 3:16b ...thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

Ephesians 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

Father, I pray in advance that You would speak to the woman whose eyes are reading this. I pray for her heart. I ask that You would soften it, and reveal to her that Your plan is right. It is always right. I pray that for the man whose eyes are reading this. I am going to say some things that have been shouted from the pulpits ever since I can remember, and that have been used wrongly to the hurt of all humankind. Father, I ask that the man who has used Your word in a manner to subdue a woman that You would speak to him, that he would search Your face and find truth. Speak through me. Thank You Father.

It seems to me that in the beginning, the man and the woman worked side by side in harmony. God created him to work in His garden and then created her from his flesh in order to be a perfect helper for him.

Unfortunately, this harmony ended rather abruptly. We don't know if man told woman not to eat off the tree, but it seems that he did. Not only did she tell her adversary that she wasn't to eat from the tree; she added to that commandment by saying, "We can't even TOUCH it!"

In one act of self-desire, she disobeyed her husband, and then convinced him to disobey God. It seems to me as if that part of the curse -- the part that says "You are going to want to do your own thing" was a perpetuation of what she played out in the reaching forth of her hand.

In order to have harmony restored, it is our duty before God to submit to our husbands. Not the obeisant cowering of a frightened kitten, but with the grace of a woman free to serve before the living and loving God. Sometimes our husbands can demand things that seem to be unjust, and maybe they are, but if we truly believe that all things ultimately come from the hands of God who loves us and seeks our good for His glory, if we know that we know all things are to build us up in Him, we will gladly serve Him through the submission of ourselves to our husbands.

Offering ourselves as a living sacrifice to Him. Joyfully.

Thank You Father, for all You do through us. Help us women to live within all that You have designed us for. Wash from us our sin of pride. Some of us have children who see our rebelliousness to our husbands, and act in their own rebellion. Father, some of that rebellion is what we have taught them. Forgive us. Give us the courage and strength to live rightly before Your eyes. Help us to love You more than our own selves. Thank You for Your washing of regeneration and Your renewing of Your Holy Spirit. Amen

Sandi

cfdevsandi@yahoo.com
http://www.cfdevotionals.org