WHAT A LOVELY HOME
Part 5

“Well done, thou good and faithful servant:
thou hast been faithful over a few things,
I will make thee ruler over many things:
enter thou into the joy of thy lord”
(Matthew 25:21-25). Read also Luke 16:10.

We continue the characteristics of a faithful and enduring marriage.

d) Cedars Resist Decay and Repel Pests

This is another wonderful feature of the cedar. This quality is an important part of our marriage too. Perhaps you are having a self-pity trip and dreaming that you deserve someone better than your husband. Resist this evil thought in the name of Jesus! Perhaps you think you could do better on your own. Repel this deceiving thought in Jesus name! Resist and repel all resentment and all negative thoughts about your union. The devil roams about seeking to devour your marriage. Don’t be deceived by his seducing temptations.

A true marriage resists all evil. Hebrews 13:4 (NET) says: “Marriage must be honored among all and the marriage bed kept undefiled.” Refuse all flirtations with other men. Refuse all kinky sex. Keep the marriage bed pure and holy. 

e) Cedars are Fragrant

The cedar exudes a gum which gives off fragrance. Does your marriage exude fragrance like the cedar? Fruitfulness and fragrance are the theme of each description God paints of our homes.

FAITHFUL MOTHERING

God also wants your mothering to be like the cedar tree. What does the word “faithfulness” really mean? The Hebrew for “faithfulness” in the Bible is aman which means “to stand firm, to be enduring, of long continuance, to be reliable, trusty.”

Faithfulness is not a flashy thing. It is not always exciting. It’s part of the drudgery of life. As we mother in our homes, we often to do the same thing day after day. Life may feel boring compared to the exciting life that others are leading outside the home. But dear mother, you are fulfilling the most far-reaching and influential career in the nation!

Can I encourage you to be faithful? Even in the drudgery? Even doing the menial tasks? Yes, even when you do the same old thing every day. Hang in there. Endure. This is where God has placed you. You are in His very perfect will. Rejoice in it. And remember, your daily moments of faithfulness add up. They add up to a life of faithfulness. They add up to the reward of those wonderful words: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Matthew 25:21).

I think of the most beloved men of the Bible—Abraham, Moses, David, and Daniel. God chose each one of these men because of one special character trait–faithfulness.

            God blessed Abraham because “he found his heart faithful before Him” (Nehemiah 9:8).

            Moses was faithful serving the Lord in God’s house (Numbers 12:7).

            David was faithful and honorable as he served in Saul’s house” (1 Samuel 22:14)

            Daniel’s enemies could find no fault in him because he was faithful (Daniel 6:4).

Catherine Booth (wife of William Booth who founded the Salvation Army) challenged me as a young mother when she wrote: “I intend to make myself fit to be a mother, and being that in every sense, I shall be ready for any destiny God has for me.” Be faithful to your career as a mother first. Before everything else. Be faithful in the little things. Be faithful in the daily grind of life. This is your greatest training for life and eternity.

Paul wrote to his dear friend, Gaius, and said: “Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for the strangers” (3 John 5) Could these words be written of you? “Whatever you do in your home, you do faithfully.”

What do you have to do today, dear mother? Laundry, cleaning, teaching and training the children, etc.? Do each task faithfully. Do it as unto the Lord. Do it to the best of your ability. Do it with a good attitude.

I received an email recently from an Above Rubies reader. She wrote: “Since reading your magazine I have begun to establish several new life-mottos (which have been replacing my old sub-conscious thoughts like ‘I’m so stressed,’ “I can’t do this,’ and ‘I’ve had enough’ all because I was trying to be a whirlwind perfectionist.) Now, when it all seems out of control, I to say to myself: ‘Plod on. One step at a time. Keep going, and you will get there.’”

That’s the way to go, dear mother. Often people say to me, “How do you do everything, Nancy?”

“I just keep plodding on!” I answer. I’m not a great efficiency person. I have many weak points. But I have a vision, I am faithful to it, and I keep plodding on.

BESIDE THE WATERS

Let’s also remember the rest of our Scripture in Numbers 24:6: “As cedar trees beside the waters.” All these beautiful attributes in our lives that are likened to the cedar can only happen when we live beside the waters. It’s the cedar that is by the waters that grows tall and strong.

We notice the emphasis on the water as we read the allegory of the cedar tree in Ezekiel 31:3-7 (ESV): “Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches and forest shade . . . The waters nourished it; the deep made it grow tall, making its rivers flow around the place of its planting, sending forth its streams to all the trees of the field . . . its boughs grew large and its branches long from abundant water in its shoots . . . It was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches; for its roots went down to abundant waters.”

Let’s wash ourselves daily with the water of God’s Word (Psalm 1:1-3; Jeremiah 217:8; and Ephesians 5:26).

PRAYER:

“Oh God, I thank You that You are a faithful God. I can depend upon you totally. Help me to be faithful in my home and even in the mundane things I need to do each day. May my children be able to depend on me as I am able to depend on You. Amen.”

AFFIRMATION: 

In the face of monotony, hardship, and sacrifice, I will be faithful to my high calling of motherhood!