The Earth Trembles

Under three things the earth trembles,under four it cannot bear up:a servant who becomes king,a fool who is full of food,an unloved woman who is married,and a maidservant who displaces her mistress.

Proverbs 30:21-23 (NIV)

All four of these things, first of all, just shouldn’t happen. And when they do, there is trouble.

There is a tremble when a servant becomes a king. Through the ages people who rise to positions of leadership without training, experience, or wisdom often rule harshly. They rule with fear because of their own fears.

A fool doesn’t know you can have a full stomach but an empty head and an empty soul. Before the prodigal fell on hard times, he was full of himself. But when he became hungry, Jesus said, he came home (see Luke 15:11-32).

The next two things that make the earth tremble are an unloved married woman and the woman who replaces her. It makes me tremble too. This is both sad and wrong. Wives, be aware. Your husbands are bombarded everywhere they go with seductive and tempting images. There are women out there who are aggressive and dedicated to winning them. So, first of all, are you praying for him every day? Secondly, I don’t want to be unspiritual in this suggestion, but, girls, sometimes we need to keep up a little with the competition. Don’t let yourself look drab and unkempt. And, thirdly, love him. Make your husband’s home his castle.

Make It Personal . . . Live It Out!

God created a perfect world. It’s hard to imagine why Eve doubted God’s goodness and believed he withheld good from her. She had a perfect home, no wardrobe issues, and was married to a perfect husband (the last perfect husband). Adam was married to a perfect wife (the last one of those, too). But Eve took the bait and ate the fruit, and since that moment, our world has been full of things that shouldn’t be.

If your world feels like Humpty Dumpty, broken in a thousand pieces, Jesus came to fulfill the words spoken by Isaiah the prophet. “He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound . . . to comfort all who mourn . . . to give them beauty for ashes” (Isaiah 61:1-3, NKJV).

One Year Bible Reading

Zechariah 4:1–5:11; Revelation 14:1-20; Psalm 142:1-7; Proverbs 30:21-23