For who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies. (Proverbs 31:10)
I was talking to my sister in Christ about marital abuse. It was such a deep conversation due to us either being or having someone we know that have been abused by their husbands. It took me back to my abusive marriage that almost destroyed me. We were speaking about one of our sisters’ daughter who is in her twenties, with everything going for her, but married a controlling and to our suspicion, an abusive man. He will not allow her to even go to a women’s conference to Long Island with the Co-Pastor and the rest of her sisters. I became so upset when hearing it and all I could think of, “Lord, if it was my daughter…”
Both of us started thinking about what we would do if our daughters were in the same situation. What would we say? How would we react and would it be as far as inflicting bodily harm? We didn’t know, but I knew that deep down, I would probably end up hurting him, physically, due to my own experiences with marital abuse.
I can remember, after our nights of partying, my husband, at the time, would find some reason to hurt me physically, spiritually and mentally. His intent was entirely evil induced by drugs, alcohol, and insecurities.
I remember the day when it happened. He started shouting obscenities at me because I wouldn’t do what he wanted me to do and that was to go and sell my body for drugs. I was tired of “the life” and wanted out. I even wanted out of the marriage. He pushed me on the couch, but what he didn’t know was that I had a knife hidden underneath the cushions. I fell backward, and as I started to get up, I discreetly reached underneath the cushion, pulled out the knife and with the opposite hand I reached around his neck, as if to hug him and with the other hand, that held the knife, stabbed him in the back. I was tired of being his punching bag. As he fell to the floor, I remember saying, “You will never put your hands on me again!” This was a drastic move, but in my mind, it was all I can do, and I wasn’t saved then.
Why did it take me so long to leave? Why did it take me so long to stand up for myself? I’ll tell you why, because I loved him and tried everything to make the marriage work. I wanted my marriage to be the first and only marriage. I didn’t want to be a part of the divorce rate statistics. Eventually, enough was enough.
Women, we must realize that God made us with purpose. We are the help meet (Genesis 2:20). When God made Eve, he created her with the ability to carry life. In the Hebrew, the name, Eve (chawwāh), means life (Genesis 3:20). We are much a part of the original plan as man. We are not second class citizens nor is our worth less than man.
I heard a man say that women aren’t interested in prophecy. How do you know? Did you ask or did you come to this conclusion because of how you see women? Women are just as significant in prophecy as well as in God’s plan. Consider, Mary, the mother of Jesus, Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, Deborah, who ruled Israel for 12 years. Deborah had political authority and it was said that she governed with a mother’s heart and a soldier’s strength. God also used women to prophecy or bring a message.
I am reminded of a wise mother who was teaching her son about finding a virtuous woman. The word virtuous from its original tongue means wealth. The wealth is that she cares for not only her family, but for others. She is resourceful and a noble woman of excellence. I read that this woman does not work to get rich, but to give to her family and to the poor. Her husband is appreciative of her and she brings him no shame. She compliments him, which assists in bringing him status in the community. She is a woman of wisdom, and many speak well of her.
King Lemuel’s mother reminded him not to give his strength to women. In those days, it was not uncommon for kings to have harems or sexually indulge with many women. She reminded him that this destroys men. These types of women destroy nations and kings. She also warned not to give into strong drink or become intoxicated. Lemuel’s mother was a virtuous woman, herself.
In my study, I found out that Lemuel means, belonging to God. So, women, make sure that the man you want to spend the rest of your life with is a God fearing, bible believing, gentleman, raised by a virtuous mother, and most important, he belongs to God.
Posted by Sharon Harmon
On the necessity of being vigilant in the weeks and months ahead
June 26, 2010If there is one thing the intelligence-media-education-infotainment complex is trying to convince us through the “talking trays”, is that all aspects of our society are vulnerable to any arbitrary disruption/crisis, etc. Just look at how many “crises” we have had since 9/11. First, every few years, then every year, then an oil rig blows up April 20, then May 6 the DJIA drops almost 1,000 points. Don’t think Goldman Sachs can’t drop it 2,000 points if they straddle enough puts and calls (a virtual “naked short”) or hold all buy orders, creating a selling panic. Then the Federal Reserve’s “Plunge Protection Team” will print enough digital money to stabilize the markets. And that’s just money. The banks want everyone to know who the boss is, no Fed audit, no re-enacting Glass-Steagall or the uptick rule on short-selling.
The importance of who is responsible for these manufactured crises pales in comparison to how the government responds, what prepackaged solutions/legislative agenda is first suggested, second they try to sell it to you. Third time’s the charm, it gets RAMMED THROUGH. Usually right before Congress recesses, then you have the distraction of election propaganda when they get back, then it’s “Christmas”(Yule/Saturnalia). You have to hand it to the media, they know how to distract the public. It is also important how and what type of propaganda is reported. Is it a new disease hoax/billion-dollar vaccine sales pitch? The media is trying to elicit the emotion of fear so that you will beg the government to protect you rather than just PROTECT YOURSELF.
Maybe some mineral-rich Third World country has nukes and won’t let inspectors in so will it be World War III? Maybe there will be another “flash crash”? Where is Bin Laden? Oh another terrorist got through TSA so they have to spend hundreds of millions on new scanners? It goes on and on.
Now the BP gusher is still playing out and there is a renewed push for a “carbon tax”/cap-and-trade scheme, which is supposed to raise gasoline and utility prices. A peaceful way of protesting this would be to UNPLUG EVERYTHING in your house. It would be nice if everyone unplugged their TV’s for one week if this happens so that every single cable channel got ZERO Nielsen ratings, a good message to send. People have to be prepared to unite and take action by protesting this way. How better to send the message to the media that we are sick of the lies and disinformation, we are sick of hearing about celebrities, we won’t pay carbon taxes if we don’t use electricity. They might not listen to you, but they will listen to a utility company if residential demand falls off a cliff.
The bottom line is that we need to be prepared to live without technology and the creature comforts if need be. If the government tries to take over the Internet, we need to be courageous and unplug our computers until they get the message. Big Brother can’t watch you if the computer is unplugged. We need to strive to be self-sufficient and help each other out. As you can plainly see, you can’t depend on the federal alphabet agencies.
So what is going to happen next or will it be a new distraction every day? As long as we don’t pay attention to what is happening to our money, it doesn’t matter. Foreign banks can steal as much money as they want. Government can steal as much money as it wants, but we’ll feel better if they explain how they really didn’t want to steal it but had to. Crises, you know, there is honor among thieves. We should be willing to pay anything (including our souls) to have our loving government protect us from outside evil. Isn’t government trying to subvert the position of God? Well are you going to PRAY or beg your goverment?
Same thing, you want something and a higher authority decides if you can have it. Who that higher authority is up to you, but my money is on God, because God loves you, the government doesn’t.
As I said, people need to start uniting against all this, not take the consumer fetal position.