You Surpass Them All

Scripture:
Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also praises her:
"Many women have done noble deeds,
but you surpass them all!"
Proverbs 31:28-29

Observation: This entire chapter is about the good and noble wife. Over and over, wisdom tells us how great it is for a man to find a good woman, and to avoid the bad woman who is nothing but a temptress. Here now is what that woman does, and it can all be summarized in one word ... kind. The good woman takes care of more than her family, caring for strangers and other villagers and market workers all the same. She is doubly prepared to care for her home and family. In all of this, others view her husband as wise and he is recognized as a peer to the other wise men of the village, because he was indeed wise enough to marry a wife such as her.

Application: My mother in-law has the first part of verse 28 embroidered on a pillow. However, all of this actually applies to my wife, especially verse 29.

My wife is an amazing person. She is a person who set aside a very successful career in finance to become the best possible mom, then years later returned to work as a wonderful pastor. She is good at everything she tries, and to the extent she has flaws, those flaws are never a matter of her heart and her caring for others, especially her family.

Sure, many women are good and have "done noble deeds", but my wife truly surpasses them all. And every other element of proverbs is true because of this fact ... I am a blessed man. Yes, I can be foolish and flawed and arrogant and proud. Oh yes, I can be proud. However, I am richly blessed because of how wonderful my wife is, and I know it.

Prayer: Lord, in my darkest times, when I was such a fool I didn't even know what wisdom was, you provided me with your love and the richest blessing of my life. I thank you. I give praise to you as my Lord and God, but I praise her with this compliment, she surpasses them all. Again I say thank you, Lord. Amen.