Whoever Finds a Wife 

Prayer: Father, help me find a pearl of wisdom in the center of this proverb. Amen.  

Reading: Proverbs 18 key: vs. 22
²² Whoever finds a wife finds good,
and receives favor from Adonai.

Attention: This proverb is a man-to-man conversation, from Solomon to his sons, from the Holy Spirit to each of us men. Can we agree that if we embrace and apply the wisdom which Solomon serves to us, that we will be a different man today than we were yesterday? If we embrace this wisdom, we might save ourselves much unnecessary grief.  

I will acknowledge this to be true in my life. If you are willing to be mentored in God’s word as a lifetime process of daily engagement, you will observe the difference and others will take notice. You will see that you think differently, you act differently. The things you used to think were important begin to pale and lose interest. You begin to understand the wisdom of Paul, “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put away childish things (1 Corinthians 13:11).”  

Have you attained that understanding? As a young man, I did not have it. I heard the words. I did not fully understand. Now I understand.  

One of the insights about Inductive Bible Study, is to use the Bible to interpret the Bible. What that means is use the entire Genesis to Revelation Word of God. Pastors like to preach only from the New Testament, or they promote a verse which stands alone as representing the Biblical world view.  

We are approaching a study of Proverbs 31 in which Solomon tackles the challenge of defining a woman, and in particular a wife. This woman possesses many fabulous character traits. I wonder how he was able to draw this picture and come to the conclusions he makes. Were his words of wisdom created from watching his mother? I ask this because one would think that all of his many wives were kept women and they did not need to provide for their children and husband as Solomon pictures. They had servants and slaves to tend to their needs. So, Solomon was speaking to the more common among us.  

I make the point of using Scripture to interpret Scripture because Peter paints another picture of a wife.  

“Don’t let your beauty be external—braiding the hair and wearing gold jewelry or fine clothes. 

Instead let it be in the hidden person of the heart, with the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. 

For this is the way the holy women, who put their hope in God, used to beautify themselves long ago—being submitted to their own husbands (1 Peter 3:3-5).”  

What does God want from us as His followers? What does He require of us? Do we want to please people or God? If you are not married, which kind of wife do you want to attract? What kind of husband do you want to be? If you are married, do you want to be the wife or husband of a biblical spouse? Are you willing to be the spouse who you want from your spouse?  

Action: I desire to be a biblical spouse to my spouse! Transform me, Lord!  

Yield: Intentional yielding to the Holy Spirit creates transformation.  

Engage: Am I engaging with the Holy Spirit in the process of becoming like Jesus? 

Relationship: I am in relationship with the Holy Spirit when I am engaging every day! 

Prayer: Father, I ask Your Holy Spirit to transform the old man into the new man You want me to be. Amen.  

Memory Verse: 1 Corinthians 13:11
¹¹ When I was a child,
    I spoke like a child,
    I thought like a child,
    I reasoned like a child.
When I became a man,
    I put away childish things.

Music Video: Hillsong, New Wine https://youtu.be/QbJaM_EneMw 

Remember, “Abide in Yeshua, today!”