I want to start off by saying that I love my friends. One of my close friends sent this to me the other night via text. It isn't unusual for my friends to text me words of encouragement or scriptures that they have been meditating on. I am so grateful for friendships that strengthen and not tear down or judge. This devotion was a great reminder for me. Sometimes as a wife I wonder if I was put here on earth just to help my spouse. Its sounds crazy but I swear I would struggle with that from time to time. I found myself on his agenda all the time and felt like his personal assistant. It has become a joke around our house. Not that I minded too much (well I did mind a lot) but I always wondered,"why did God specifically send woman to be a "helper" to man. I was really offended when I thought of myself as just a "helper" to my husband. Who did God send to help woman? I felt like being labeled as "man's helper" was a huge responsibility and kind of a burden. Over time I realized that I was putting too much focus on that and not enough focus on the big picture, The Kingdom of God. I've always been a wife constantly in prayer over my husband but not until I changed my mind about what being a wife or "helper " in The Kingdom of God really meant only then was I able to really be thankful for the blessed privilege it is to be a woman of God. It signifies so much more than I ever imagined and I'm so thankful that God chose to use me in such an important role.
I hope this devotion speaks to your heart like it did to mine.
xo,
jessica ann
The Lord God said, "It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him (Genesis 2:18, NIV).
And yet, when God created Adam and placed him in the Garden, only to determine that "It is not good for man to be alone", He did not create a dog to be his loyal companion. God created a woman to fill the void in his life. She was called a "helper". The Hebrew word that is translated " helper" is "ezer". And while you may have one definition in mind when you read the word "helper", "ezer" is packed with so much more. Ezer appears twenty-one times in the Old Testament. Twice in Genesis it describes the woman (Genesis 2:18, 20) but the majority of references (sixteen to be exact) refers to God, or Yahweh, as the helper of his people. The remaining three references appear in the books of the prophets, who use it to refer to military aid. So being an ezer is quite an honor. It is a word denoting great strength. We would be very remiss if we looked at the word ezer as a helper only in domestic terms. Adam didn't need someone to cook for him, clean up after him, or care for him. That was not the problem. The void in Adam's life was that he did not have a companion to work with him, love with him, procreate with him, and after the fall- struggle with him. A dog might have been an easier adjustment for Adam, but God decided that Adam needed someone with WORDS! As a ezer or a strong helper, how will we use our words? Will we use them to fortify or flatten, defend or defeat, complete or compete? The choice begins in our minds, runs through our hearts, and responds with our lips. And one of the best ways we can use our words is in prayer. WE ARE EZER!!!
-unknown
No comments:
Post a Comment