An Excellent Wife

An excellent wife is the crown of her husband,But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones.

Proverbs 12:4 (NKJV)

I’m always interested to hear what men have to say about a verse like this. Matthew Henry said, “He that is blessed with a good wife is as happy as if he were upon the throne; for she is no less than a crown to him. . . . He that is plagued with a bad wife is as miserable as if he were upon the dunghill; for she is no better than rottenness in his bones; . . . she makes him ashamed.”

Pretty strong language, but if we’re honest, we know it is true.

Let’s take a look at a good example.

Just before George Bush left office, I saw a program with Laura Bush. She was giving a tour of the White House. As she walked around, she was gentle and gracious—not just polite, but truly humble. She had an amazing respect for the history of the different rooms. But one of the things that was especially sweet was that she mentioned several times that she and George had gathered with their friends in certain rooms for little dinner parties. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to live with the pressures they had for eight years in Washington. She clearly was not his vice president, but she was the kind of wife who knew how to create a personal oasis for her husband where wars and politics, even if for just a few hours, were secondary to what was on the menu for dessert. Good job, Laura Bush. You knew how to make even the president feel like a king!

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

An excellent wife is a praying wife. Sometimes our hearts get hard or cold or just distracted in our marriages. Stormie Omartian writes, in The Power of a Praying Wife, “When we pray, . . . our hearts become soft toward God, and we gain a renewed vision. We see there is hope. We have faith that He will restore all that has been devoured, destroyed, and eaten away.” Will you kneel today and lift your husband up to God in prayer?

One Year Bible Reading

Deuteronomy 11:1–12:32; Luke 8:22-39; Psalm 70:1-5; Proverbs 12:4