Are my Fig Trees Bearing Berries?

After Adam and Eve ate of the fruit that God told them not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings."

I have been known to sew fig leaves together.  I have not literally sewed fig leaves together but I have tried to make my own coverings when I feel "naked".
As I ponder what makes the virtuous wife worthy. I am reminded that her worth is far above rubies because she is a child/daughter of King Jesus. She is worthy because of His sacrifice on the cross in laying His life down for her. He died while we were yet sinners. She is not worthy because of what she does but of Who He is and what He has done.

Out of the worth as a child of Jesus in her heart, the good she does overflows. She has reverence and thanksgiving for the God who made her. Her worth does not depend on:
-  how great her marriage
- how "her ministry" as church is going
- how many friends she has
- how many people she brought to Christ
- how well behaved her children are
- how "successful" she is
- how clean her house is

Her eyes are on the Lord and the cross He carried for her. She just keeps working willingly with her hands and does everything onto the Lord for Him. She is faithful to what God has called her to do. Her confidence is in him and not her accomplishments.

Many times, we as women feel great and are joyful when are marriages seem ideal and going well, our children are well behaved, our house is clean, we have a good friend to talk to and listen to...etc. When marriage issues come up, children are misbehaving we feel miserable. Our worth goes up and down based on the circumstances and responses around us. 

How do we stay on level ground?  Each day I need to be reminded that the ground at the cross is level. It is not my good works that earn favor with God. I have favor with God because of Jesus' sacrifice for me. Out of the free gift, I can sing, praise and worship my King. Each act out of love and whole hearted obedience is my living sacrifice of praise. God does not delight in burnt sacrifices but a broken and contrite heart.

Fig leaves will not last. They are just leaves. We continue to try to hide our "nakedness" before God and others. God had to clothe us with the first sacrifice - an animal. Blood had to be shed so we had adequate clothing. Sin did bring death. Eventually the ultimate death was Jesus on the Cross so that we could be covered with His righteousness.

Adam and Eve were not just covering their physical nakedness. They were covering their shame and guilt. They were hiding from each other and God. Hiding brings aloneness which we know God already says is not good.

Scriptures For Proverbs 31 Study:
~Luke 6:45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
~Prov 4:23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
... ~Prov 10:19 Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.

Observations:
1. The mouth speaks what is stored in the heart. If heart is full of good things, good comes out of the mouth. If heart is full of evil, evil things come out of the heart.

2. Guarding our heart is essential for right living and right talking. I am thankful God guards our heart with His Righteousness.

3. We are not to speak everything we think or feel

Application: 
I love how Jesus spoke in parables. He spoke in "mysteries". He spoke in everyday lessons about gardening, trees, and fishing. There were times Jesus called people whitewashed  tombs clean on the outside but filthy inside with bones of dead and every unclean thing. He called people broods of vipers, snakes,and  hypocrites.  Jesus talked to the Pharisees who put burdens on people but did nothing to help them.  Jesus, as God, could see through this hypocrisy. He knew their "right words" were not "right living". Eventually what they believed and their motives would come out. They did things to be seen by others.  They did not have Jesus' breastplate of righteousness but their own right doing.  Lord, you are pure. My figs cannot bear berries.

Matthew 7:16 says "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?" When I see figs on my grape vine then I know I have tried to be something on the outside that I am not on the inside. We should not be blessing our Lord and Father and cursing our fellow man. This is inconsistent. I am reminded of  James 3:7-10 which says "for every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed and hath been tamed of mankind: but the tongue can NO MAN TAME; it is an unruly evil full of deadly poison. Therewith bless God, the Father and curse men which are made in the image of God. Out of the same mouth comes blessing and cursing. My brethren these things ought not so to be.Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh."

Prayer: I have been beautiful on the outside only to be full of dead things on the inside. I thank you that you took this dying creature and made me alive in Christ. Thank you that I can lay all my dead bones at your feet because you care for me. Thank you that you have been faithful to show me my dead bones. Thank you that right words and right living are only in You.


Application Questions:
1. What fig leaves do you try to sew together for covering?
2.  What is God's covering for us?
3. How can we stand free before others and God?
4. Do you feel great when your marriage is going well, house is clean and children are behaving? How do you feel when they are not? Do you feel it is your fault and you are exposed? What is the remedy?

Trust and Obey

Many times, in our culture and in our own life, we think that we are to read scripture and think of ways to apply it. Sometimes, we try to come up with crafty ideas and methods. I am starting to see in my life all I have to do is trust and obey. The first part of the song is
"Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey."

The Christian life really is that simple - TRUST AND OBEY. When we trust and obey His Word, we will be women who areself controlled and trustworthy. We will speak wholesome talk and have gentle answers upon our lips.

SCRIPTURE:~Eph 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
~1 Ti 3:11 In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.
... ~Prov 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

OBSERVATION:
1. unwholesome as I observe it in context seems to say not whole. Merriam Webster defines unwholesome as: detrimental to physical, mental, or moral well-being : unhealthy  or corrupt, unsound.
2. We should speak what is: 1. helpful for building others up and 2. be a benefit to those listening.
3. We should be self controlled in what we speak and do.
4. We are to speak in a gentle manner even when we disagree with what others are saying.

APPLICATION: 
There area of unwholsome talk I struggle with is being critical of my house. I constantly say " I just cleaned that.", "It is messy" and "I am tired of cleaning". If my house is messy, I feel organized and "out of control." At times, I have trouble concentrating if my house is a mess. There are times, I am trying to put away things as I use them, play with my son and do work around the house and things still get messy. Therefore there is no condemnation to those of us in Christ Jesus. However, there are times where my messy house reflects my "unwholesome" heart. There are times where my mind and heart are scattered in many directions. I make up lists (in my head and in writing) that I think I have to accomplish.  If my motive is anything other than faith in Jesus Christ and his sufficiency, things start to unravel.  When I start thinking "oh I didn't get enough time in the WORD", then I know I have started to believe a suble lie. The lie is that I am having time in the WORD because I want my day to go well. I want my son to behave well and grow up to be like Jesus. I want a "perfect" marriage. I want to learn, share, grow and pass on the blessings. Whatever it is, the focus gets on myself rather than SEEKING HIM FIRST AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. The breastplate of righteousness I wear is not what I do that covers and guards my heart. The breastplate of righteousness  is that what Christ did on the cross make me right before God. Jesus is our mediator and His righteousness guards my heart. When our heart is covered by his righteousness, then we can be self controlled in the way we behave and the words we speak. Our heart is whole when protected by Jesus not our own doing. Obedience is different than doing.

PRAYER:  Father God, many times what you want most if for us to rest and trust in you. When I need to rest and trust in you is when I want to do the most. My inadequacies make me want to "sew fig leaves" to put on rather than rest and trust in you. Please forgive me for applying the word to MY life rather than just listen to your WORDS and doing what you say. Lord, you are life. Thank you for guarding my heart in Christ Jesus and that I am right based on what you did. I love you Lord and may the words of my heart be pleasing to you.