Yet More on Diamonds

I am back to diamonds again.  I promise, I will only post one or two more entries on the subject.  Somehow this taxi keeps returning to the jewelry store. And that is funny, because I only own one diamond, no two, no three, and two of those I never wear.  I am not a glittery diamonds kind of woman! (Give me chocolate.)

 

The value of a gem is not only determined by its shine, but also by its rarity. You know what is really rare? “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her PRICE is FAR ABOVE rubies,” Proverbs 31:10. That means there aren’t very many of us women who are truly virtuous in God’s sight.  Another rare woman is the one who has “the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of GREAT PRICE,” 1 Peter 2. And isn’t it true that a virtuous woman with a meek and quiet spirit is a real gem?

 

 I think meekness is one of those words that people don’t really understand.  You don’t practice meekness by lying down and being a doormat.  Moses was called the meekest man on the face of the earth.  He was a great man, a great leader, and that wasn't because he was a doormat.  Meekness is simply control of your emotions, and the Bible tells us that is one of the most beautiful things a woman can put on. How can you adorn yourself with control over your anger or worry or grief or even excitement? Our emotions are part of our flesh.  The way to control the flesh is by fasting and getting up early to have fellowship with the Lord, that is, by denying the flesh it what it wants, and making it do what does not want to do.  About ten years ago I was a horrible ogre. In addition to some pretty stressful things going on in my life, I had post-partum depression. Although I could not control my rages on my own, I can personally testify that fasting did wonders!  The Lord worked in my heart and even in my body to control my spirit. Fasting and praying strengthen the new man, so that you can be stronger in your spirit than you are in your flesh.  That is so hard for us who have grown up in an age when most of what we do is determined by how we feel!  Whatever we feel like doing is what we do, and how we feel like acting is how we act. We justify it, too, by saying "I didn’t feel like it,” or “I wanted to.” That is wrong! I often tell my girls, “Don’t do what you feel like doing.  Do what is RIGHT to do.”  

 

God is looking for some rare women, women who are filled with purity of heart and who are so trusting of the Lord that they don’t get ruffled by circumstances. Yes, I’d say that kind of woman is valuable. And rare.  I’m not one of those yet… but working on it one millimeter at a time!