Daily Devotionals
Daily Devotional: Proverbs 31:21-25
Prov 31:21-25
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet. 22 She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. 23 Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. 24 She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant. 25 Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.
Phil 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
I have heard people say that the woman described in this Proverb has caused a lot of stress for women today. She is pictured as nearly perfect in every way and is presented as the model for wives to imitate. Then, when this goal is not met, it causes stress for the one not able to attain it. This kind of thinking is filled with fallacies. She is virtuous and she is worthy of women imitating her.
Jesus was perfect in every way, and we are told to imitate him. God is perfect and we are told to be just like him. But Paul says the plight of all mankind is that we fall short of the glory of God, therefore, we all sin. The problem is not the perfection of Jesus nor is it that of God. The problem is us and our imperfection.
The stress on our part and that of women who are trying to be perfect is that too many have been taught that this perfection on our part is the only way we can have the assurance of salvation. The stress is caused by incorrect teaching, no matter how well-meaning or sincere the teacher may be. Our assurance is based on Jesus Christ and what he did for us on the cross. Our joy in the Lord is not because we are perfect but because we are forgiven! We rejoice because we trust God for our salvation and to take care of us in every facet of our lives. We don’t worry about anything, but we pray and trust in everything. Praise the Lord!
O God, my heavenly Father, I am so thankful for your love that gave Jesus to die for my sin so I can be forgiven and live every day knowing that I am right with you. Not because of my perfection, but because of your continued forgiveness. Thank you for the assurance you give in Jesus Christ. Help me keep my eyes on Jesus as the perfect example and the goal for my life. Give your peace to those who are hurting and who put their trust in you, whatever the cause of their hurt may be. Use me to help them where I can do so. I pray in the name of Jesus.
Robert
