She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Proverbs 31:27
Usually when I do a Watchmen Wednesday, I post about Israel, as we are called to be "watchmen on the walls" for Israel. However, today I was reading a transcript of the Revive Our Hearts radio program, and realized something else: We, as women, are called to the be the "watchwomen" of our homes.
So many people have asked me the question: "Why in a Jewish wedding does the bride circle the groom?" And honestly, it's easy to explain if that person understands the basic concepts of the Jewish family, that the wife is considered the "bayis", the home. However, most of the time, that question comes from someone that isn't familiar with that line of thinking, and I've found myself at a loss for the correct verbage. But today as I was reading Nancy Leigh DeMoss's teaching, I suddenly exclaimed (in my head, because the baby was napping), "What a perfect explanation of the Jewish wedding ceremony! She explained it perfectly!"
So here is an excerpt of that teaching:
We’ve been camping out in Proverbs 31, and particularly on verse 27, where we’re told that the virtuous woman is a woman who watches over the ways of her household. We’ve talked about watching, in practical ways, to make sure that the needs of our families are met. But there’s another very important way that you watch over the ways of your household—that’s in prayer.
In the New Testament, we often find watching and praying linked together. Jesus said, “Watch and pray, so that you don’t fall into temptation” (Matthew 26:41, Mark 14:38). It’s a protection for you to watch and pray over the ways of your household, but it’s also a wonderful means that you provide a protection for your husband.
Your husbands, if they are in almost any work environment that you can think of, are being faced with temptations and with pressures. The enemy, Satan himself, is working to pull them down, especially if your husband is a believer and wanting to walk with God. There are lots and lots and lots of opportunities for him to fail spiritually, morally, and in other ways.Yes, this is exactly what she is doing when the bride circles the groom. Usually when I say, "She is building a protection around him", people look at me funny and say, "Isn't HE supposed to protect HER?" And I think in many ways, yes, of course the husband protects the wife, definitely physcially. But as a wife, it is her high calling to protect him spiritually, by praying for him and watching over the affairs of their household.
What a blessing it is for a man to know that back home there’s a wife who’s watching and praying on his behalf, and praying that as he goes out into that world, God will protect him and God will keep his heart pure.
Ladies, if you’re not going to pray that for your husband, who do you think is going to pray that for him? Who’s going to watch and pray for his soul? You can protect him in that way, and you protect your children as you watch and pray. Ask the Lord to show you things that you need to be alert to, in their lives.
I can't tell you how much I am learning from Nancy Leigh DeMoss as I've signed up for the True Woman Makeover to read Proverbs 31 every day for 30 days. I highly recommend it for ANY woman, single, married, children, no children, whatever your current status.
So ladies, I'd like to hear from you! In what ways are you a watchwoman over your household? Anything specific you want to share?
Photo available at AllPosters.com.
