Broken + Rubies

Sin had us broken, cut-off from our Creator. Once we came to Him, we were required to subdue our own will and seek His will first. Out of our brokenness, He makes us beautiful.

He treasures us. We are precious; priceless and unique; rubies. He grants us His wisdom if we only seek it and follow Him. We are broken rubies.

Rubies

Rubies are precious stones, dark red in color.

Precious = of great value or high price*

Precious = highly esteemed of cherished*

I would like to think that the deep red color of the ruby represents the color of the blood that Jesus poured out for me and for you.

Each of us is a ruby. We are precious in His sight. We are bought with the high price of Christ's blood, and we are most valuable to Him. He esteems us highly and cherishes us as His own.

If you had a 3carat, flawless ruby, how would you treat it? Would you carelessly toss it around? Would you expose it to thieves? Or would you polish it every day and keep it under lock and key? How much more precious are you? You are so much more valuable to God than a ruby.

Proverbs tells us that a wife with good character is more valuable than rubies. Is also teaches us that wisdom is more precious than rubies. The Bible refers to wisdom as "her". Wisdom is using good judgment. It is uncompromising is its standards. We are all different shapes and sizes. We differ in hue. But we are all precious rubies, nonetheless.

God takes us in our raw, uncut form. He polishes us and shapes us, revealing our true beauty within.

"Wisdom is more precious than rubies;

nothing you desire can compare with her." Proverbs 3:15

Do our lives reflect our "ruby" status?

*Definitions from Webster's Dictionary

** Image 1 from www.gdphoto.com

Image 2 from www.ramaura.com

Broken

Broken = cut-off or disconnected.*

Since Eve took and ate the forbidden fruit, she was cut-off from perfect communion with God. As her daughters, we suffer the same fate. God sent His only son, Jesus to rectify this disconnection. If we accept Him as the sacrifice for our sins, He becomes our bridge back to God, His Father. In order to live for Him, we must be broken.

Broken = subdued completely.*

We have to put our will aside and seek God's will first. Our will must be subdued. As we learn to submit to His will, turning away from our sin, all else will fall into place. Everything will work together for our good if we love and serve Him. We put our lives into His capable hands and allow His will to govern our thoughts and rule our hearts.

"The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.

You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God."

Psalm 51:17

Are you broken?

*Definitions from Webster's Dictionary

Everyday, With Thanksgiving

It is often difficult to praise God in the middle of hard times. When I miscarried, I had a hard time seeing God's hand. When I lost my job, I wondered what would happen next. When my nephew got cancer, I thought it was a cruel prank. The Bible reminds us that we will have troubles in this world, not might. So why are we so surprised when things don't go our way? Why do we begin to worry and doubt God? I am reminding myself today that I can not add any time to my life by worrying about the tomorrows that aren't promised to me. I will subtract time if I take this approach. I am reminding myself to give thanks to the Lord in spite of the tough fiscal times we are facing right now. God promised to supply all of our needs, and I am doing my best to trust Him to do just that. He promised that all things would ultimately work together for my good, and that's pretty amazing. Be encouraged, dear sisters.

Gender Stereotypes

My sister by marriage posted this story on Facebook, and I'm dying to know what all of you think about it. I will reserve my opinions for a later time.

Dead Terrorist Parade

By now we have all gotten the news of Bin Laden's demise. There have been various responses to the news. Shock. Doubt. Elation.

The other day I saw people marching and cheering and chanting with glee over the death of the this creepy terrorist. Though I thought it odd, it never occurred to me that it might be wrong.

That's when I saw a post on Facebook from one of my favorite authors, Liz Curtis Higgs. She posted Proverbs 24:17. It says: " Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice." Ouch!

Kudos to her for her willingness to take this very unpopular stance. I, for one, appreciated the reminder. Following God's will for us is often unpopular, but He calls us to be set apart.

President Obama has also declined to release the graphic photos of the body and the site. I have heard people asking for them, but he too has taken a stand. He stated, "That's not who we are. We don't trot out this stuff as trophies." I can remember being disturbed by images of Saddam Hussein hanging while crowds jeered, and I am grateful we were spared this time.

I Hate Weddings

My heart is full this morning. As many of you may know, I hate weddings. It may seem odd that a woman hates weddings, but it's true. I hate them passionately. Here's why...

Once upon a time a wedding was a representation of something sacred. It was a symbol of the commitment before God and each other to work at a holy marriage together, forever. With a 50% divorce rate, we've clearly strayed away from that idea. Divorce is an acceptable option now, and it's expected. Few work at staying married, each too concerned with his own happiness over God's holiness. The ceremony is filled with false promises.

The other reason I hate weddings is the white dress and the veil covering the bride's face. Why is this done? A white dress is a symbol of virginity, and the veil signifies modesty and purity. Do I really need to elaborate? Well, I don't mind if I do.

Today Prince William married Kate Middleton. I saw her "lovely" white dress and virginal veil splashed over Yahoo, and I shook my head. They were away on vacation together when he proposed. They moved in together before the wedding, and with the blessing of the Archbishop! He justified giving his blessing because "modern" couples want to "try out the milk before buying the cow"! Click here for the complete article.

Why the veil? What are you covering when the groom has already sampled everything? Why the white? Are we to believe they've been sleeping alone? Instead of setting an example for all of the young girls watching, they bowed to modernity like so many others before. It's so sad that an archbishop would forsake the Bible and bless their choice.

I want my daughters and son to aspire to wear white honestly. Our society has taken away the meaning. Brides are secretly scoffed at when they choose to do so and haven't earned it. Others simply wear creme or champagne since savvy designers have declared white "outdated" and off white colors "chic". Weddings are about more than "tradition", and we should treat them as such. They should not be a show. One should not say vows before a God that they do not honor with their lives. It's not a requirement, is it?

I am not trying to be harsh, and I welcome your thoughts. I am not trying to be judgmental, as it is my intention to edify. But I do not apologize for speaking truth from God's word. We are commanded to do nothing less.

While fashion trends change, God word doesn't. Sex is to be reserved for marriage. Teaching anything less is to rob ourselves and our children of what married love is meant to be. We can not teach a gospel that follows trends and modern thought. That is faulty at the core. Our lives should conform to the Bible. It is time that Christians stand up and be an example. Let the white of our wedding attire represent the purity in our lives.

Photo from Charliesbridal.com