WEEKLY
DEVOTIONS
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more devotionals!! "THE
VIRTUOUS WOMAN" "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. She seeks wool, and flax, and works willingly with her hands. She rises also while it is yet night, and gives meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. She considers a field, and buys it: with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. She stretches out her hand to the poor; yea, she reaches forth her hands to the needy. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land. Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looks well to the ways of her household, and eats not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman that 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." Someone once said, "Behind every great man is his mother." I believe that's true. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 22:6= "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." That verse is often applied to spiritual growth and teaching...but it's also true in every area of life. Many Olympic Champions started their training at a very young age... the same is true of many successful musicians, singers, athletes and the list goes on. If you train your children when they are young--especially during the formative years-- they will never forget it! That is why Satan is launching such a fierce attack against our families and against the youth of this nation. As parents, we have a duty to instruct our children in the ways of God. By doing so, we are literally changing the course of the future and turning our nation back to God! The moral decay of our society is a direct result of the breakdown of the family unit and the church's failure to minister to those families! Show me a church that has a plan to reach the families in its community and I'll show you a church that's being blessed by God!! God bless our mothers! Being a mother is tougher today than ever before. There are more problems, more expectations, more joys, and more heartaches. And I believe that God has given mothers a heart that is close to His own. Thomas Edison wrote this tribute to his mother: "I did not have my mother long, but she cast over me a good influence that lasted all my life. The good effects of her early training I can never lose. If it had not been for her appreciation and her faith in me at a critical time in my experience, I would never have likely become an inventor. I was always a careless boy, and with a mother of different mental caliber, I would have turned out badly. But her firmness, her sweetness, and her goodness, were potent powers to keep me on the right path. My mother was the making of me. The memory of her will always be a blessing to me." Mothers have a way of shaping the future by the influence they have over their children. Harriet Freezer once said, "Men want to improve only the world, but mothers want to improve their whole family...that's a much harder task." We can look down through history and see the mighty influence that mothers played in the lives of many famous men. The mother of George Washington taught her son the biblical ideals of political and social morality which Washington kept before the nation throughout his life. Family prayers were held twice a day with regular readings from the Scriptures. James A. Garfield's mother was an earnest Christian who taught her children that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." She was a widow with four children, and not only managed her farm but built with her own hands a log house which was also used as a church. There she taught her own children as well as others the Scriptures. Oliver Cromwell's mother taught him the simple truths of Scripture and he chose as his favorite verse, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." The mother of Dwight L. Moody struggled against poverty on a New England farm. A widow with many problems, she taught her son the importance of eternal values. At age 17, Moody accepted Christ and a few years later dedicated his life for ministry. The mother of William Penn so impressed him with the importance of faith in Christ that he took as his life text, "This is the victory, even our faith which overcometh the world." Sir Isaac Newton's mother prayed with and for her son everyday of her life. It was the grief of her deathbed that she was leaving a son only 7 years old at the mercy of a cruel world. But Newton said, "I was born in a home of godliness and was dedicated to God in my infancy." Over and over again, we can see the important role that mothers play in the lives of us all. I believe that one godly mother is worth a hundred clergy! I remember my childhood, growing up in Fredericksburg, VA. I was only about 7 years old when I started asking questions about God and how to be saved. And when I was ready to make the decision for Christ, my mom was right there leading me in the sinner's prayer. Little did she know that, many years later, God would call me to travel all over the country preaching His Word! In fact, I remember many Sundays going to church with mom and my brother while dad would stay behind...watching television. You see, my dad wasn't saved so mom took on the responsibility of being the spiritual leader of our home. It was tough at times, but mom was always right there for us...training us up in the way we should go! Now, I'm preaching the Gospel...my brother and his wife have taken several trips to the Mission field... and after many years of praying, dad came back to the Lord and is now safe in the arms of Jesus! In addition to a godly mother, the Lord has given me a second blessing: a great Mother-in-law! Now I know alot of husbands that always complain about their Mothers-in-law...but I don't have to. In fact, I thank God for her! Not only has she been a blessing to me, but I appreciate the godly influence she had on my wife. You see, before Crystal and I ever met...she had already been taught about God and had accepted Him as her personal Savior. The seeds of faith that her mother had planted in her when she was young had taken root and grown into maturity by the time I met her. Little did her mother know that God had a calling on her life and she was going to marry a minister. I thank God for my mom and my mother-in-law...they are also vital parts of this Ministry! You can see how important it is train up your children
in the ways of God because you never know what plans He
has for them! Even Jesus, while dying on the cross,
turned his attention to his mother. John 19:26,27 tell
us, "when Jesus therefore saw his
mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he
saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith
he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour
that disciple took her unto his own home.
Even while dying, Jesus made sure that his mother would
be taken care of by one of his disciples. On Mother's
Day, I pray that all mothers will be honored by their
family for all of the things they have done over the
years. And that mothers will remember the responsibility
God has placed upon them to teach their children how to
love Him with all their heart, soul, mind and strength.
Marian Anderson said, "Not once can I recall from my
earliest recollections hearing mother lift her voice in
anger. She did not deliver lectures but guided us by her
example. Mother gave balance to the home and led us into
a rich spiritual life." May all mothers and fathers
alike join together and say, "As for me
and my house we will serve the Lord!" To find out more information about the Virtuous Woman, simply use the Bible Study Tools at the bottom of this page!
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