I feel very sad when I see wives and mothers with a sour face. Down in the mouth. Always a frown. This is not God's picture of a mother. In Psalm 128:3 God paints a picture of the wife in a home that is blessed of the Lord. It tells us that she is a "fruitful vine" in the heart of her home. Not only does she find joy in her home, but she is fruitful, bringing forth luscious sweet fruit.
The grapes of a wild, unpruned vine are usually bitter. The fruit of a cultivated vine is sweet. Sweetness doesn’t often come naturally to us. It’s the opposite to our fleshly nature. It takes learning to submit. It often takes hardship, trials, and pressure in our lives to refine us.
The vineyards that the settlers are growing on the West Bank of Israel are brining forth sweet wine and winning world competitions. They don’t grow in luscious soil, but grow on the stony mountains of Samaria, growing up out of stones. They say that the pressure to grow up through the stones causes the grapes to become sweet.
Just as God promises that "the mountains will drip sweet wine" (Amos 9:13) which is being fulfilled today on the hills of Samaria, so we wives should drip sweet wine in our homes. A sweet attitude toward our husband. Sweet words coming forth from our lips.
The husband in Song of Solomon 4:11 (NET) says to his wife, "Your lips drip sweetness like the honeycomb, my bride, honey and milk are under your tongue." Dripping sweetness! Can your husband say these words to you?
Are you a "sour grapes" or sweet aroma?
Blessings to you today from Nancy Campbell