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In 2 Samuel 7 we see David wanting to build a place of honor for the ark of God. But God tells David it is not necessary. As God explains it, His ark has been in a tent since the day the Israelites left Egypt. God is not concerned with the things of this world. He does not need the same physical things we think we need. He is concerned with the hearts of men and their obedience to His commands. We should remember this when we think we need fancy buildings and creative worship “experiences” in our churches. God doesn’t need or want any of those things. If we are available to Him with open and obedient lives, God will use us more than any cathedral ever could.
Daily Devotion 
So I learned something very interesting about Proverbs 31. For Christian women, we see this as a ‘to-do’ list, as the apex of the perfect woman of God. It causes a lot of angst, shame, guilt, fatigue…well, you get the idea. It creates a lot of feelings that are not godly…hmmmm…should be the first sign something is wrong here. Anyway… I was listening to a Christian woman speak specifically about this passage, and she decided to speak to a Rabbi’s wife about this passage to see if it was just as stressful to Jewish women. And lo and behold, not at all! Apparently, this is an acrostic poem in Hebrew to teach the men how to praise their wives! It has nothing to do with what women are “supposed” to do. It has everything to do with teaching men how to verbally honor us and show us their love!
Let’s start sharing this with other Christians. We are putting a lot of guilt and shame on women, and that has to stop.
This is interesting, Sarah. I’m glad you brought your perspective of how a woman sees Proverbs 31. I can see how you could feel the angst from what is said in this chapter. However, every time I read it, I actually read it as a praise to women. I have always read it in a way that tells me to see what women bring to the table (no pun). It makes me remember to honor my wife and respect who God made her and why.
The truth is I may be in the minority in my thoughts as a man and I’m glad I got to hear your perspective. It reminds me that I should praise my wife out loud more often. She deserves honor and my respect more than she could ever know.
Love it! Nancy is a lucky lady!
You may not be in the minority of men who think their wives are awesome, but you may be in the minority in your expression of it. Figuring out your spouse’s love language and then showing them the love, honor and respect in a way that they hear it best is a challenge, but oh so worth it!
Agreed!!