"A Bridal Shower Message"
Stephanie’s Bridal Shower Devotion by Robin Dziuba
Used by Permission
Thank you for the honor of speaking with a brief devotion on behalf of Stephanie and Eric. The two scripture verses we will explore are from Proverbs 31, and Genesis 2; the themes are, being a helpmeet to our husbands and being a wife that our husbands can safely trust in.
Stephanie and Eric will have an unseen guest at their dinner table, they will have the comfort of the Holy Spirit guiding them through the peaks and valleys they encounter, a Guidebook, the Holy Bible, written by God Himself; who is best to counsel them, since He designed the first marriage beginning with Adam and Eve, and sustains by His grace all marriages today.
Please understand that this devotion is not only for Stephanie, but I hope this helps all of us, in our relationships to seek a better, spiritual and deeper understanding of our unique role as women before the Lord.
We will also look at what it means to be a helpmeet as godly wives and how to implement this knowledge in a dutiful, yet perhaps an unconventional manner as we grow closer to the Lord and our husbands.
“The Heart of Her Husband Trusts in Her”
Let’s look at Proverbs 31:11-12
“The heart of her husband safely trusts in her; so, he will have no lack of gain”
If our husbands are to safely trust in us, we need to understand what it is they need to trust us with. Most likely it will be something they do not have time for, or are not that good at, or they may feel we may be better at it (although they may not admit it). Let’s talk about this in the aspect of being a helpmeet. The Lord has put you, Stephanie, together with Eric, specifically as He knows you will fill in what he is lacking, and he will help you with what you need.
You may be called to help him or support him in areas you have little or no knowledge in. Some examples may be budgeting and finance, home improvement, working with contractors, investment management, or anything by way of support. We may be tempted to only be willing to do those tasks we are most comfortable with. You could even give him a look that says, uh, uh, I don’t know how. You are indicating that you are not interested in helping him with the task he is requesting. There is a better way!
By keeping an open mind as to what is required of you, the Lord will give you the grace to understand what you need to know through prayer and education. You could also ask your husband to teach you how to be good at the task he needs of you. This is a much more productive way and honors the Lord, as opposed to being closed. In this way, even if you are not able to perform it perfectly, you at least attempted to help and you are a work in progress. If you refuse, you are missing an opportunity to learn something new and truly live out what the Lord intended, giving Him the glory for it.
The second part of the verse is also noteworthy, “so he will have no lack of gain.” When you succeed at assisting or performing a responsibility you didn’t think possible, you feel a wonderful sense of accomplishment, through the grace of God and you are building the trust of your husband. On the other hand, if you refuse to do something because it is uncomfortable or unfamiliar to you, are you causing him to lack “gain”? I would say yes.
“Helpmeet and Submission”
In Genesis 2:18-20 NKJV “And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” The KJV version, “And the Lord God said, it is not good that a man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him.”
According to biblical scholars, the original Hebrew phrase "help meet" comes from two Hebrew words, Ezer and Kenegdo:
Ezer: Means "help" in a distinct way. It describes strength and suggests that the individual has power to rescue others.
From Mark Chanski, “Womanly Dominion”. https://a.co/d/iQHX2JU “The designation “helper suitable” or “help meet” gives her a distinct manward focus. The Hebrew expression is ezer kenegdo. Neged means “corresponding to” or “answering to.” Literally, therefore, the expression means” a help answering to him.” The words imply that the woman compliments him, supplements him, completes him, is strong where he may be weak, supplies his deficiencies and fills his needs”
Therefore, the concept of "helpmeet" in Hebrew is not about one person being subordinate to another, but rather about a complementary relationship where two individuals, through their strengths and differences, can help each other and create a stronger whole.
The way the Lord created Eve was especially suited to Adam, having the qualities they both needed to complete each other and to help with his deficiencies. Helpmeet does not simply mean submission. Being a helper and being submissive are two true, biblical directives to us as Christian wives, although they are different from each other. I mentioned in the beginning of this talk that we may need to use unconventional ways to be a true “helpmeet” to our husbands. Each of them, like we, are distinct and have had various life experiences, attitudes, capabilities and expectations. What makes us think that we should just be quiet, submissive and let the Lord work with them when trouble occurs, without attempting to point them to applicable scripture, pray with them and for them, to work with him as a team together under God’s banner, to understand a better and more godly way.
There is a well-known account of Martin Luther's wife, Katharina von Bora, coming to him dressed in black.
The story goes that Martin Luther was in a deep period of depression or melancholy. To prompt him out of it, Katharina decided to dress herself and their children in black mourning clothes. When Luther finally noticed and asked who had died, she famously replied, "No one, but since you act as though God is dead, I wanted to join you in the mourning."
This act reportedly shocked Luther out of his despair, as it made him realize how his mood was reflecting a lack of faith in God's sovereignty. It's often cited as an example of Katharina's wisdom, strength, and unique way of supporting her husband.
Katharina, of course is a great example, one of many proving that being insightful, practical, and forward-thinking in wisdom is being a true helpmeet our husbands can safely trust in.
We should remember to pray for Stephanie and Eric and thank God that they both know the Lord who will be their great helper in their marriage. This matter of their knowing the Lord means what? It means that by God’s grace they came to experience salvation, which simply means that they, experienced deliverance from the penalty of their sins due them because of their rebellion against God. This happened the day they turned from their sins and put their trust in Christ who in love gave Himself as a sacrifice for their sins and for the sins of all who put their trust in Him. Now Stephanie and Eric know God and have the forgiveness of all their sins, and my prayer is that everyone in this room today, if they haven’t already, would come to experience the same. Stephanie, may the Lord bless your marriage, let’s pray.
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