SEPTEMBER THEME — LOVE THAT GROWS:
Growing Together in Love, Wisdom and Grace

WEEK 1
GROWING IN UNDERSTANDING
Learning to See Your Spouse Through the Eyes of Love

SEPTEMBER DAY 1 - Morning

Reflection
UNDERSTANDING BEFORE JUDGING

Good Morning!
One of the greatest gifts you can give your spouse is the gift of being understood.
Sometimes we are quick to judge because we see the behaviour but don't know the story behind it.
Your husband may come home unusually quiet.
Your wife may seem distant.
One of you may become impatient over something that normally wouldn't matter.
The easy response is:
"What's wrong with you?"
But love asks a better question:
"What is happening with you?"
There is a difference.
Perhaps your spouse had a difficult day at work.
Perhaps something happened that they haven't found the courage to discuss.
Perhaps they are simply tired.
Understanding doesn't mean agreeing with everything your spouse does.
It means taking time to understand the person before passing judgment on the behaviour.
Imagine a husband returning home from work in Accra after battling traffic for hours, frustrated and exhausted. His wife notices his silence and immediately assumes, "He's angry with me."
But instead of reacting, she asks:
"Honey, you've been quiet. Is everything okay?"
That simple question may open a door that criticism would have closed.

God's Word
"Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry."
— James 1:19

Today's Love Action
Before making an assumption about your spouse today, ask one gentle question and listen carefully to the answer.

Let's Talk
Do I usually try to understand my spouse before I react to their behaviour?

Prayer
Heavenly Father, teach us to listen with patience and understand with compassion. Help us not to judge quickly or assume the worst about one another. Give us hearts that are willing to listen before speaking and understand before reacting. In Jesus' name, Amen.

From The Counselor's Chair
Many marital conflicts grow because couples respond to assumptions instead of information.
Before you conclude, ask.
Before you react, listen.
Before you judge, understand.

Marriage Nugget
"Understanding often begins with one simple decision: listen before you judge."

Remember
In marriage, it is not about winning the argument; it is about winning each other's hearts.

Me and my wife

Our Redeemer Never Fails

Scripture

Ruth 4:14 (NKJV)

Then the women said to Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel!

The Faithfulness of Our Redeemer

Ruth 4 brings the beautiful story of redemption to its joyful conclusion. Boaz went to the city gate, where legal matters were settled, and met the closer relative who had the first right to redeem Naomi's property. Although the man was willing to redeem the land, he refused when he learned that he must also marry Ruth in order to preserve the family line. Rather than obeying God's provision for redemption, he chose to protect his own inheritance.

Boaz, however, willingly accepted the responsibility. Before the elders and the people of Bethlehem, he redeemed the property, took Ruth as his wife, and publicly fulfilled the role of the kinsman-redeemer. His actions demonstrated both obedience to God's law and genuine love for Ruth and Naomi.

The Lord blessed their marriage, and Ruth gave birth to a son named Obed. The women of Bethlehem rejoiced with Naomi, who had once returned to Bethlehem saying that she was empty and bitter. Now they declared that God had not left her without a redeemer. The Lord had turned her sorrow into joy and her emptiness into fullness.

The chapter concludes by revealing that Obed became the father of Jesse, the father of King David. Through this family line, God would later bring Jesus Christ into the world—the ultimate Redeemer of all who believe in Him.

Ruth 4 points us directly to Jesus. Like Boaz, Christ willingly paid the price to redeem those who could not redeem themselves. He did not act out of obligation but out of love. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus purchased our salvation and gave us an eternal inheritance that can never be taken away.

This chapter also reminds us that God is always working, even when we cannot see the ending. Naomi's story began with famine, loss, and grief, but God was quietly writing a greater story of redemption. The same God is faithfully working in the lives of His people today.

No matter how painful your present circumstances may seem, your Redeemer is still at work. God's faithfulness often becomes most visible when we look back and see how He has been guiding every step all along.

Reflection Questions

1. Am I trusting Jesus as my Redeemer in every area of my life?

2. Have I thanked God for the ways He has brought redemption from difficult seasons?

3. How can my life reflect the love, faithfulness, and generosity of Christ toward others?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Jesus Christ to be my perfect Redeemer. Thank You for paying the price that I could never pay and for giving me new life through Your grace. Help me to trust Your faithfulness, especially when I cannot yet see the outcome of my circumstances. Teach me to walk in obedience, to love others sacrificially, and to rest in the assurance that You are always working for Your glory and my good. In Jesus' name, Amen.

This is A Christian Tee Shirt I Created for My Wife. (Her Idea)

Hello, I would like to share with you the message from 1 septembre 2026 from “The Good Seed” daily calendar.


In the day of my trouble I sought the Lᴏʀᴅ. (Psalm 77:2)

Abandoned by all?
The incarcerated man stands before the prison chaplain. He holds a letter in his hand and says, “Reverend, I wanted to see you one last time today.” – “What’s wrong? Are you sick?” – “For eight years, I’ve only been able to see the sky through these bars. So far, I’ve endured it. There was someone who thought of me, wrote to me, and waited for me. – But here is the last letter. My wife has left me. Now my life has no meaning.”
 The chaplain knew the man. He was not one of those who talked about suicide to gain an advantage. So he replied, “I’m so sorry to hear that everyone has given up on you. But remember: God hasn’t given up on you! He’s seeking you. He’s waiting for you. And I believe now is the time for you to turn to Him. I’ll pray for you. But I also have a request for you: read the Gospel of Luke which I’m giving you here.”
 Two days later – on a Sunday morning – the man was in the prison chapel, where the pastor spoke about the saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The face of the prisoner shone. In the solitude of his cell, God had met him in his despair and had given him more than his longed-for freedom: eternal salvation.
 The man had found peace with God and had become a beloved child of God.

Today’s reading: Judges 3:12-31 – 2 Corinthians 3:7-18

ARE YOU REALLY FIGHTING PORNOGRAPHY—OR NEGOTIATING WITH IT?
A Christian Call to Declare War on Sexual Sin
Pastor Joseph Clark

There comes a point in every Christian’s battle with pornography when we need to stop asking, “How can I manage this temptation?”

And start asking:

“How badly do I want to be free?”

Because pornography is not harmless entertainment.

It is not merely a private weakness.

It is not something Christians should simply learn to “live with.”

It is a temptation that can become an enslaving pattern of lust, fantasy, secrecy and sin. It can consume the imagination, corrupt the way we see other people, damage marriages and relationships, steal time, weaken prayer, and draw the heart away from the purity to which Christ has called His people.

And if you are a Christian who is fighting pornography, you need to understand something:

You are in a fight.

The question is whether you are actually fighting.

Or whether you are negotiating.

⸻

STOP NEGOTIATING WITH TEMPTATION

One of the greatest mistakes we make with temptation is giving it a conversation.

“I’ll just look for a minute.”

“I won’t go any further.”

“I’ve been good for two weeks.”

“This isn’t really pornography.”

“Nobody knows.”

“God will forgive me.”

That isn’t resistance.

That’s negotiation.

And Scripture doesn’t tell us to negotiate with sexual temptation.

It tells us to flee.

“Flee fornication.”

— 1 Corinthians 6:18

Paul told Timothy:

“Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”

— 2 Timothy 2:22

Notice the word:

FLEE.

Not debate.

Not analyze.

Not negotiate.

Not see how close you can get without crossing the line.

Run.

Joseph understood this.

When Potiphar’s wife attempted to seduce him, Joseph didn’t stay around to see how strong his resistance would be.

When she grabbed him, Scripture says:

“And he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.”

— Genesis 39:12

Joseph ran.

Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is close the laptop.

Sometimes it’s putting the phone down.

Sometimes it’s getting out of bed.

Sometimes it’s leaving the room.

Sometimes it’s calling your accountability partner.

Sometimes it’s getting on your knees.

FLEE.

⸻

JESUS DIDN’T NEGOTIATE WITH SATAN

Look at Jesus in the wilderness.

Satan came when Jesus was physically weakened after fasting forty days and forty nights.

The devil tempted Him.

And what did Jesus do?

He didn’t engage Satan in a philosophical debate.

He didn’t entertain the temptation.

He didn’t say, “Let me think about that.”

He said:

“It is written.”

When Satan tempted Him to turn stones into bread, Jesus answered:

“It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”

— Matthew 4:4

When Satan twisted Scripture to tempt Him again, Jesus answered:

“It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”

— Matthew 4:7

And when Satan offered Him the kingdoms of the world:

“Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

— Matthew 4:10

Three temptations.

Three answers rooted in Scripture.

“It is written.”

That’s your model.

When pornography comes knocking, you need something stronger than emotion.

Something stronger than willpower.

Something stronger than the promise that “this will make you feel good.”

You need the Word of God.

David said:

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”

— Psalm 119:11

Don’t wait until you’re already looking at pornography to start thinking about holiness.

Put the Word in your heart now.

⸻

DECLARE WAR

Let’s be blunt.

If pornography has become a recurring sin in your life, declare war on it.

Don’t declare war on it tomorrow.

Don’t declare war on it after one more failure.

Declare war today.

Jesus used deliberately shocking language when describing how seriously we must treat sin:

“And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee…”

— Matthew 5:29

And:

“And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee…”

— Matthew 5:30

Jesus is not commanding literal self-mutilation.

He is teaching us that we must deal with sin radically and decisively.

If your smartphone repeatedly becomes the doorway to pornography, change how you use your smartphone.

If being alone late at night repeatedly leads you into sin, change your nighttime routine.

If particular websites, social-media accounts, or applications trigger lust, eliminate them.

If unrestricted internet access is destroying your purity, install safeguards.

If secrecy is feeding the problem, bring it into the light.

Stop protecting your access to the sin you claim you want to defeat.

⸻

ARE YOU REALLY STRUGGLING?

This is where the question gets uncomfortable.

A Christian can struggle with sin.

Paul describes the conflict between flesh and Spirit:

“For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other…”

— Galatians 5:17

There is a battle.

There is resistance.

There is conflict.

But ask yourself:

Are you actually resisting?

Are you praying?

Are you fasting?

Are you reading Scripture?

Do you have an accountability partner?

Have you told another mature Christian about the problem?

Have you installed accountability software?

Have you removed private access to pornography?

Have you changed your routines?

Have you identified your triggers?

Have you stopped following accounts that stimulate lust?

Have you changed the environment in which you repeatedly fall?

Are you seeking pastoral help?

Are you willing to seek professional Christian counseling when appropriate?

Are you willing to seek a biblically grounded deliverance ministry if you believe you are dealing with entrenched spiritual bondage?

Or are you simply saying:

“I really want to stop”

while keeping every door open?

That’s not war.

That’s a weak attempt to negotiate a ceasefire with your own sin.

Commit.

⸻

MAKE PORNOGRAPHY YOUR ENEMY

Paul says:

“Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God…”

— Romans 6:13

You have a choice about what you present yourself to.

What are you yielding?

Your eyes?

Your imagination?

Your phone?

Your computer?

Your time?

Your sexuality?

Your mind?

Your body?

Who gets them?

Pornography wants them.

Christ wants them.

Choose.

⸻

DON’T BE IDLE

Idleness can become an open door.

If you are constantly alone, bored, scrolling, lying in bed, wandering through the internet, and allowing your mind to drift wherever it wants, don’t be surprised when temptation finds you.

Get busy.

Work.

Exercise.

Study.

Read.

Serve.

Pray.

Go outside.

Spend time with people.

Serve the church.

Build something.

Learn something.

Pursue your calling.

Paul instructed believers:

“And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands…”

— 1 Thessalonians 4:11

Don’t give temptation an empty house to occupy.

⸻

BRING THE BATTLE INTO THE LIGHT

Pornography thrives in secrecy.

That is why accountability matters.

James says:

“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.”

— James 5:16

Find someone trustworthy.

A mature Christian man.

A pastor.

A mentor.

An accountability partner.

Someone who will actually ask you the hard questions.

Not:

“Everything okay?”

But:

“Have you looked at pornography?”

“Have you intentionally searched for sexually explicit material?”

“Are there apps on your phone that you are hiding?”

“Have you been honest with me?”

You don’t need someone who merely makes you feel better.

You need someone who loves you enough to tell you the truth.

⸻

SAFEGUARD YOUR DEVICES

Let’s stop pretending that technology is neutral when we know how we are using it.

If your phone is the primary gateway to your sin, safeguard your phone.

If your laptop is the gateway, safeguard your laptop.

Use reputable filtering and accountability tools.

Remove applications that repeatedly lead you into temptation.

Don’t sleep with an unrestricted device beside your bed if nighttime is when you repeatedly fall.

Don’t keep secret browsers.

Don’t create hidden accounts.

Don’t maintain a private digital world that nobody else knows exists.

Jesus said:

“And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee…”

— Matthew 5:29

The principle is clear:

Remove the access point.

⸻

FAST AND PRAY

There are battles that should drive us to our knees.

Jesus Himself fasted when He entered the wilderness.

Matthew records:

“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.”

— Matthew 4:1

And:

“And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.”

— Matthew 4:2

Fasting isn’t a magic formula.

It doesn’t purchase God’s favor.

But it can become a powerful expression of humility and dependence upon God.

Tell the Lord:

“Jesus, I cannot conquer this in my own strength. I need You.”

Pray when the temptation comes.

Pray before it comes.

Pray when you are strong.

Pray when you are weak.

And believe God.

Paul says:

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful…”

— 1 Corinthians 10:13

And then comes one of the greatest promises in Scripture:

“…but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

— 1 Corinthians 10:13

Look for the escape route.

And when God provides it—

TAKE IT.

⸻

PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD

You are not merely fighting a website.

You are fighting temptation.

You are fighting lust.

You are fighting deception.

And Scripture describes the Christian life as spiritual warfare.

Paul says:

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

— Ephesians 6:10–12

Then he tells us to take:

The belt of truth.

The breastplate of righteousness.

The Gospel of peace.

The shield of faith.

The helmet of salvation.

The sword of the Spirit—which is the Word of God.

And:

Prayer.

Pornography can become a powerful instrument of temptation and enslavement.

Don’t underestimate it.

Peter says:

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Whom resist stedfast in the faith…”

— 1 Peter 5:8–9

Be sober.

Be vigilant.

Resist.

⸻

SEEK DELIVERANCE IF YOU NEED IT

Some Christians experience pornography as an entrenched pattern of bondage that requires more intensive spiritual intervention.

If you believe that describes you, seek a mature, biblically grounded deliverance minister who understands Scripture, repentance, spiritual warfare, accountability, and the finished work of Christ.

One resource used in some Christian settings is Neil Anderson’s Bondage Breaking material.

But understand this carefully:

Your deliverer is not a minister.

Your deliverer is Jesus Christ.

No technique saves you.

No program saves you.

No deliverance minister saves you.

No accountability application saves you.

Jesus saves.

Jesus said:

“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

— John 8:36

⸻

FILL YOURSELF WITH CHRIST

Here’s the part many people miss.

The Christian life isn’t merely about removing pornography.

It’s about filling your life with Christ.

Paul says:

“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.”

— Ephesians 5:18

Fill your mind with Scripture.

Fill your home with worship.

Fill your day with prayer.

Fill your time with service.

Fill your life with godly relationships.

Fill your heart with the things of God.

Paul tells us:

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report… think on these things.”

— Philippians 4:8

The goal isn’t simply:

“I must stop thinking about pornography.”

The goal is:

“I want to think more about Christ.”

⸻

TAKE IT ONE DAY AT A TIME

You don’t have to promise God that you’ll never be tempted again.

You don’t have to figure out how you’re going to remain pure for the next thirty years.

Win today.

When tomorrow comes, win tomorrow.

Jesus said:

“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.”

— Matthew 6:34

Take today seriously.

Today, don’t look.

Today, don’t search.

Today, don’t indulge.

Today, pray.

Today, read the Word.

Today, walk in the Spirit.

Today, keep your eyes on Jesus.

One day at a time.

⸻

AND IF YOU FALL—GET BACK UP

This is crucial.

If you fall, Satan will whisper:

“You failed again.”

Then:

“You’re a hypocrite.”

Then:

“You might as well keep going.”

Don’t listen.

Repent.

Confess it.

Get honest.

Tell your accountability partner.

Identify what led to the fall.

Close the door you left open.

And get back up.

“For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again…”

— Proverbs 24:16

One failure does not mean you should surrender.

A person who falls off a wagon doesn’t say:

“Well, I fell off, so I might as well lie in the road forever.”

Get back on.

Repentance means turning back toward God.

Don’t allow shame to become an excuse for continued sin.

⸻

DON’T USE GRACE AS AN EXCUSE

Never say:

“God forgives me, so it doesn’t matter.”

Paul asks:

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

God forbid.”

— Romans 6:1–2

Grace is not permission to remain enslaved.

Grace teaches us:

“…denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.”

— Titus 2:12

Christ did not die to make you comfortable in your chains.

He came to set you free.

⸻

SO—ARE YOU REALLY FIGHTING?

Here is the question I want you to answer honestly.

Are you really fighting pornography?

Or are you negotiating with it?

Are you praying?

Are you fasting?

Are you in the Word?

Are you accountable?

Are your devices protected?

Are you eliminating your triggers?

Are you fleeing immediately?

Are you seeking help?

Are you willing to confess?

Are you willing to change your habits?

Are you willing to sacrifice convenience for purity?

Are you treating pornography like the serious spiritual threat that it is?

Because you cannot declare war on pornography while secretly maintaining a supply line to it.

You must choose.

You cannot serve Christ and willingly cultivate the sin that is destroying your fellowship with Him.

Jesus said:

“No man can serve two masters…”

— Matthew 6:24

So declare war.

Not against yourself.

Not against your sexuality.

Not against God’s good design for sexual intimacy.

Declare war against lust.

Declare war against pornography.

Declare war against secrecy.

Declare war against compromise.

Declare war against the lies that tell you that you cannot change.

And then—

LOOK TO JESUS.

“…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…”

— Hebrews 12:1–2

Your hope isn’t your willpower.

Your hope isn’t your perfect record.

Your hope isn’t an accountability application.

Your hope isn’t a deliverance minister.

YOUR HOPE IS JESUS CHRIST.

Submit to God.

Resist the devil.

Flee temptation.

Take the escape route.

Get back up when you fall.

Stay in the Word.

Put on the armour.

And keep your eyes on Jesus.

James gives us the battle cry:

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”

— James 4:7–8

SUBMIT.

RESIST.

DRAW NEAR.

And keep fighting.

⸻

A PRAYER FOR FREEDOM FROM PORNOGRAPHY AND SIN

Heavenly Father,

I come before You in the name of Jesus Christ.

I plead the blood of Jesus over all sin, sickness, temptation, evil, suffering, sexual sin, lust, and pornography.

I reject Satan and all his evil works.

I reject every lie, deception, temptation, bondage, and stronghold that would draw me away from Jesus Christ.

I renounce pornography and sexual impurity.

I repent of every time I have willingly entertained lust, fantasy, pornography, or sexual sin.

Lord Jesus, forgive me.

Cleanse me.

Purify my heart.

Renew my mind.

Strengthen my spirit.

Give me the power to flee temptation rather than negotiate with it.

Give me discernment to recognize temptation before it takes hold.

Give me the courage to close the door, put down the phone, turn away from the screen, and run from whatever would lead me into sin.

I receive Jesus Christ with all my heart and soul as my Lord and Savior.

I surrender my body, my mind, my eyes, my imagination, my sexuality, my desires, my relationships, my future, and my entire life to Jesus Christ.

Holy Spirit, fill me.

Teach me.

Guide me.

Strengthen me.

Convict me when I begin to wander.

Give me hatred for sin and a greater love for righteousness.

Help me to walk in purity.

Help me to walk in holiness.

Help me to walk in obedience.

Give me strength to fast.

Give me strength to pray.

Give me strength to stay in Your Word.

Give me wisdom to establish safeguards and accountability.

Give me humility to ask for help when I need it.

When temptation comes, remind me that You have provided a way of escape.

When I am weak, remind me that Your grace is sufficient.

When I fall, give me the humility to repent and the courage to rise again.

I declare that pornography will not be my master.

Lust will not be my master.

Sin will not be my master.

Jesus Christ is my Lord and my Master.

I submit myself to God.

I resist the devil.

I draw near to Jesus Christ.

And I place my complete faith and trust in Him.

In the mighty name of Jesus Christ,

Amen.

"There's only ONE Author in your story"


When people saw Job's condition, they assumed there was no bouncing back, even his own wife suggested that he should curse GOD and die cos his situation seemed hopeless and his pain seemed endless. 


But when You know, that You know without a shadow of doubt that your Redeemer lives-

There's absolutely nothing that can dictate your end but CHRIST JESUS. 


1 Cor 15:57

But thanks be to GOD, who gives us the victory through our Lord JESUS CHRIST.


(HalleluYah, Glory be to Our GOD)


James K 

PROVERB OF THE DAY

(PROVERBS 31)

1. The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him:

2. What, my son?
And what, son of my womb?
And what, son of my vows?

3. Do not give your strength to women,
Nor your ways to that which destroys kings.

4. It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
It is not for kings to drink wine,
Nor for princes intoxicating drink;

5. Lest they drink and forget the law,
And pervert the justice of all the afflicted.

6. Give strong drink to him who is perishing,
And wine to those who are bitter of heart.

7. Let him drink and forget his poverty,
And remember his misery no more.

8. Open your mouth for the speechless,
In the cause of all who are appointed to die.

9. Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And plead the cause of the poor and needy.

10. Who can find a virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above rubies.

11. The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of gain.

12. She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.

13. She seeks wool and flax,
And willingly works with her hands.

14. She is like the merchant ships,
She brings her food from afar.

15. She also rises while it is yet night,
And provides food for her household,
And a portion for her maidservants.

16. She considers a field and buys it;
From her profits she plants a vineyard.

17. She girds herself with strength,
And strengthens her arms.

18. She perceives that her merchandise is good,
And her lamp does not go out by night.

19. She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hand holds the spindle.

20. She extends her hand to the poor,
Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.

21. She is not afraid of snow for her household,
For all her household is clothed with scarlet.

22. She makes tapestry for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

23. Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.

24. She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies sashes for the merchants.

25. Strength and honor are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to come.

26. She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness.

27. She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.

28. Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her:

29“Many daughters have done well,
But you excel them all.”

30. Charm is
deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who
fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

31. Give her of the fruit of her hands,
And let her own works praise her in the gates.

PROVERB OF THE DAY

(PROVERBS 31)

1. The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him:

2. What, my son?
And what, son of my womb?
And what, son of my vows?

3. Do not give your strength to women,
Nor your ways to that which destroys kings.

4. It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
It is not for kings to drink wine,
Nor for princes intoxicating drink;

5. Lest they drink and forget the law,
And pervert the justice of all the afflicted.

6. Give strong drink to him who is perishing,
And wine to those who are bitter of heart.

7. Let him drink and forget his poverty,
And remember his misery no more.

8. Open your mouth for the speechless,
In the cause of all who are appointed to die.

9. Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And plead the cause of the poor and needy.

10. Who can find a virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above rubies.

11. The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of gain.

12. She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.

13. She seeks wool and flax,
And willingly works with her hands.

14. She is like the merchant ships,
She brings her food from afar.

15. She also rises while it is yet night,
And provides food for her household,
And a portion for her maidservants.

16. She considers a field and buys it;
From her profits she plants a vineyard.

17. She girds herself with strength,
And strengthens her arms.

18. She perceives that her merchandise is good,
And her lamp does not go out by night.

19. She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hand holds the spindle.

20. She extends her hand to the poor,
Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.

21. She is not afraid of snow for her household,
For all her household is clothed with scarlet.

22. She makes tapestry for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

23. Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.

24. She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies sashes for the merchants.

25. Strength and honor are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to come.

26. She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness.

27. She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.

28. Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her:

29“Many daughters have done well,
But you excel them all.”

30. Charm is
deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who
fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

31. Give her of the fruit of her hands,
And let her own works praise her in the gates.