I pray that you will find encouragement and challenge here as we journey the path of biblical womanhood.
Friday, January 23, 2009
mr song millinery
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
They're Singing our Song
Song of Solomon 2:2-3
But Solomon replied, Like the lily among thorns, so are you my love, among daughters. Like an apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved (shepherd) among the sons [cried the girl]! Under his shadow I delighted to sit, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
I did the boy-girl thing with the colors, pink & blue, so you'd know what gender was talking, it's important.
Taking this with a view of the marriage relationship and submission
The woman:
- soft among the sharpness
- a joy to look upon
- stands out from the rest as totally a different sort
- provides a sweet fragrance rather than sharpness and pain
The man:
- stands out among men as being different
- is fruitful
- is a source of delight
- is strong
- is manly, but also, in that role, he is a provider
- is known for the fruit he bares in life
The woman's relationship to the man:
She delights to be in his shadow because
- he is at the forefront
- she stays in his protection
- he is the one in the light although she is right there with him
- this is her place, a place she is secure and can find rest
She delights in his fruit
- she acknowledges his accomplishments
- she rejoices and delights in the fruit of his labor
- she simply enjoys ~ she doesn't brag or sell or save up, she simply remains with him delighting in him, in the fruit that is evident in his life.
Now, I know there are all kinds of more intimate connotations in this book, but these are the verses that my eyes fell upon, and I was immediately struck by the picture drawn of the marriage relationship, of the wife's submission. This is an incredible picture to me!! I can so see my hubby as an apple tree, seemingly indifferent to the little details happening around him (that's my job as I sit in his shadow) but protecting and providing and being a strong presence. And as I said, as I sit in the shadow of him, I can tend to the little things that come up. I love this!!!!
Thank You, Abba, for this beautiful picture of submission and the marriage relationship! Thank You for my dear, sweet husband, that he is strong and manly and a wonderful provider and protector. Help me to truly find delight in him all the days of our life together. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN!
I thought I posted this!
I just went back in my journals to find a specific entry that God reminded me of (about took my breath away, is more like it) yesterday(that would be Jan. 3). The entry is from August of 2002, and I was studying in 1 Timothy about women. Here it is:
Referring to wives of bishops and deacons:
1 Timothy 3:11 “In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.”
· Wives are in tandem with husbands
· We should not wait until our husbands are in prominent positions before we change.
· If this is the way we (as wives) try to live every day, then we are not in any way hindering our husbands but rather supporting them and living as if they are in prominent positions
And I didn’t write it down then, but I remember thinking that by living in this way, I was leaving God room to do whatever He wanted to do in my husband’s life. At this time, DH was still a diesel mechanic, we were in our first year of his migraines so we didn’t know what was happening (didn’t know they were migraines) and he was very sick and irritable. When I read that verse, I actually kind of scoffed. Hubby was NOT the type to be getting that involved in church
Now we fast forward to yesterday...a few days ago Hubby was asked to be on the governing board. We didn’t know exactly what that entailed, but DH said yes, he would be willing to help out like that. Then yesterday as we were sitting in church, after the Pastor had introduced the new governing board members, he said that with lots of prayer, he had selected the elders…..and MY DH WAS ONE OF THEM!!!! (He later said he was just as shocked as I was, he just thought he’d be on the governing board) I sat there in my seat rather in shocked and it was then that God called to mind that verse and the study I had done of it so many years ago, and in my heart I knew that God had begun a work in DH way back then!