The Virtuous Wife

The Virtuous Wife

Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life. She seeks wool and flax, and willingly works with her hands. She is like the merchant ships, she brings her food from afar. She also rises while it is yet night, and provides food for her household, and a portion for her maidservants. She considers a field and buys it; from her profits she plants a vineyard. She girds herself with strength, and strengthens her arms. She perceives that her merchandise is good, and her lamp does not go out by night. She stretches out her hands to the distaff, and her hand holds the spindle. She extends her hand to the poor, yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household is clothed with scarlet. She makes tapestry for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies sashes for the merchants. Strength and honor are her clothing; she shall rejoice in time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness. She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all.” Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Are We Spiritual Murderers?

Gossip, prayer, using God's name in vane

LIZ -- (enters with Peg) Wasn't this a great workshop?
PEG -- Best one I've ever been to.
LIZ -- I really like the format of this workshop. I've never gotten to know so many people so well and so fast.
AMY -- (follows with Sue) I know. I think it was a good idea to pair us up with so many different people.
SUE -- I agree. I didn't know anyone here. I was kind of apprehensive about going to a workshop with strangers.
LIZ -- Well, before we go our separate ways, would you mind if we pray?
PEG -- (pause, looks at others) Oh, ah, sure.
AMY -- Okay.
SUE -- Yeah. I'd like that.
(all form semicircle facing audience, hold hands, bow heads)
LIZ -- Lord God Almighty, we praise you for this very successful and useful workshop. And we thank you for the new friends we've made. Lord, I ask for your healing and mercy on Peggy, who recently fell off the wagon and started drinking again.
PEG -- (bursts into tears, exits) I asked her not to tell anyone.
LIZ -- Lord, I pray also for Amy who went off of her diet recently and who ate a half gallon of Ben and Jerry's chocolate fudge moca ice cream.
AMY -- (bursts into tears, exits) I told her that in confidence.
LIZ -- Finally, Lord, I pray for self-control for Sue, who had her credit card confiscated after her shopping spree.
SUE -- (gasps)
LIZ -- Well, Lord thanks again for a great workshop. And bless these women as they return home. (lifts head, looks left and right) Isn't anybody going to say AMEN?
SUE -- I think one of us would have said AMEN, if what you were doing was praying.
LIZ -- I WAS praying!
SUE -- No. What you were doing was breaking two of the ten commandments.
LIZ -- What two commandments?!
SUE -- First of all, you were not praying, you were gossiping in the name of the Lord. That's using the Lord's name in vane.
LIZ -- Gossiping?!
SUE -- All of us told you our secrets in private supposing that you would keep them private. But you dangled our secrets in front of everyone without any remorse for hurting our feelings.
LIZ -- I was praying for healing and mercy.
SUE -- You were gossiping using spiritual sounding language.
LIZ -- How is that the breaking of a commandment?
SUE -- Gossip is character assassination. It's a kind of spiritual murder. And you were doing it using God's name as a disguise so no one could fault you for it. (exiting) I'm just sorry that spiritual murder doesn't carry a prison sentence.
LIZ -- Well! I never! You try to point out people's flaws and what thanks do you get?! (exits)


The Ten Commandments
Exodus 20:1-17 (NKJV)
1 And God spoke all these words, saying:
2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days you shall labour and do all your work,
10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates.
11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
12 “Honour your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
13 “You shall not murder.
14 “You shall not commit adultery.
15 “You shall not steal.
16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
17 “You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbour’s.”
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