In this sermon, Brother Denny discusses the importance of being an industrious and virtuous woman. He emphasizes the value of taking time to engage with and prioritize the needs of loved ones, particularly children. He encourages young mothers who may feel overwhelmed by their responsibilities, assuring them that their efforts will be rewarded in due time. Brother Denny also highlights the significance of a virtuous woman's testimony, emphasizing the importance of her actions, speech, and guidance in the home.

Hello, this is Brother Denny. Welcome to Charity Ministries. Our desire is that your life would be blessed and changed by this message. This message is not copyrighted and is not to be bought or sold. You are welcome to make copies for your friends and neighbors. If you would like additional messages, please go to our website for a complete listing at www.charityministries.org. If you would like a catalog of other sermons, please call 1-800-227-7902 or write to Charity Ministries, 400 West Main Street, Suite 1, AFPA, 17522. These messages are offered to all without charge by the freewill offerings of God's people. A special thank you to all who support this ministry. Greetings to each one. In the name of the Lord Jesus, what a joy to be gathered together this morning. My heart has been blessed and challenged enough already to go home and meditate for a week. I also want to give special greetings to our visitors this morning. I see several faces here that we've never seen before. God bless you. We're glad that you're here. I trust that God, in His own mysterious ways, will bless your lives for having been here with us this morning. We consider it an honor that you would come to visit here. Well, this morning, I feel impressed of the Lord to give the message that I should have given about three weeks ago. But because I hurt my back, I couldn't. I thought, well, we'll leave it at that. But God has not let me loose from the message that I wanted to preach three weeks ago. So, we're going to go by faith again this morning. I understand there was a message on the home last week. And it seems like there's been several messages on the home coming from different directions for the last month and a half. I think we need to trust God in that and say that this is what God is ordering for us. But this morning, I would like to preach to you mothers. So, it's not Mother's Day, but it's Mother's Day this morning. If we can do it that way. My desire is to encourage this side of the room over here. Many times, most of the time, you're the unsung heroes. You go about your work, your tasks. And many times, you wonder if anybody knows what you're going through. If anybody knows the battles you're facing. If anyone knows how you feel sometimes in the task that God has given you in motherhood. This morning, I would desire to encourage you. I have no heart at all to correct you this morning because I believe that most of the women that are sitting in this room this morning, your heart is to be a godly mother and to go in the right direction. And you have a glimpse of what God wants you to do and what God's plan is for you and what God's place is for you as wives and mothers. And I know that so. So, I'm not here this morning to give corrections to you in areas where you're failing, but rather to encourage you. This morning, I'd like to stir your hearts to believe God even stronger that the things that you're doing are the right things. And the sacrifices that you're making are the right sacrifices. And they are just as holy and pure and worthy and accountable and blessed as when these men over here go to Lancaster and go soul winning. I believe that this morning. The title of the message is called Motherhood, the Highest Place of Honor. And as I said, my purpose is to encourage you sisters, but I have to say I have a few other motivations also. I know there are a lot of young ladies in this room and there are a lot of girls that are growing up. And I would just encourage all of you young ladies and you girls to tune your heart into what God is saying this morning. Because motherhood is the highest place of honor. There is no higher goal that you could have than to be a mother and raise up some godly children. And be a wife and stay there and be there for your husband when he comes home. So I want to encourage you young sisters also that you get your priorities straightened out. And that you get them set right. That you see the right things. That your goals are set right. That you're spending your time on the right things in the right kind of preparation for the highest life that you can live. And then also, I'd have to say the word this morning is also a word of encouragement to all of us fathers. To encourage our wives and our daughters in these directions. And young men, when you go looking for a wife, you look for one like this. You look for one like what you're going to hear about this morning. Yea, the book of Proverbs and the last verse there, or the second to the last verse in the book of Proverbs is so true. Favor is deceitful and beauty is vain. And oh young men, if I could plead with you this morning. Don't go looking for a pretty girl. It won't come out right. Every now and then it might. But usually it doesn't come out right. You go looking for one of these. So having said all of that, I guess I have everybody tuned in here pretty well. And you all see the reason why you need to listen. We can't just say, ok, this is a mother's message, so I've got other things to think about this morning. I believe I've got everybody tuned in now here. I'd like us to open our Bibles to Proverbs chapter 31. And I'd like you to notice while we're reading here, I'll just give you a couple of things while you're turning to Proverbs 31. A couple of things of interest to you. We're going to be reading from verse 10. But I would like you to remember as we read through the text this morning. That the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31 is a mother. Remember that. Because we want to look at the context as it flows. And I believe it will help you to grasp that if you can remember as we're reading that the virtuous woman is a mother. Also, it's good for us to note this morning that Proverbs 31 was written by a mother. Or maybe not written, but it came out of the heart of a mother. If you'll turn over to chapter 31, verse 1, you'll find that out. It says, The words of King Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him. Now notice that it is called a prophecy. There was a prophecy that King Lemuel's mother taught him. There were some very important things that the mother of King Lemuel thought that he needed to learn. And it doesn't say, but I believe it's pretty clear for us as we look at this, is to picture a mother teaching her son a few of these things while he's growing up. I don't believe she sat him down when he was 25 years old and said, By the way, son, I want to tell you a few things now that you're a king. No, I believe that she taught him these things because he was a son of a king. And she knew that he was going to be a king. And she knew that there were some things that he needs to know. And thus we have the prophecy of Proverbs chapter 31. It came out of the heart of a mother. All right, now we'll read. Proverbs 31 and verse 10. She begins this portion by saying this to her son, who is a king. Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. She seeketh wool and flax and worketh willingly with her hands. She is like the merchant's ships. She bringeth her food from afar. She ariseth also while it is yet night and giveth meat to her household and a portion to her maidens. She considereth a field and buyeth it. With the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. She girdeth her loins with strength and strengtheneth her arms. She perceiveth that her merchandise is good. Her candle goeth not out by night. She layeth her hands to the spindle and her hands hold the distaff. She stretcheth out her hands to the poor, yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet. She maketh herself coverings of tapestry. Her clothing is silk and purple. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land. She maketh fine linen and selleth it and delivereth girdles unto the merchant. Strength and honor are her clothing and she shall rejoice in time to come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up and call her blessed, her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excelleth them all. Favor is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her the fruit of her hands and let her own works praise her in the gates." Proverbs chapter 31. The virtuous woman that we find described here is a mother. So, may I begin my words of encouragement in the first point of the message and tell you, sisters, that if you're a mother and you're settled in your responsibilities of motherhood, you just took the first step toward being a virtuous woman. Because the virtuous woman was a mother. Yes, she was a mother. That woman that is hard to find, that woman whose price is far above rubies, it would have been enough to say she's as valuable as a handful of rubies. But God didn't say that. God said her price is far above a handful of rubies. And if you, this morning, you sit in this room, you're a mother, you have four children, you've just taken your first step toward being a virtuous woman according to what the Bible says. And oh, blessed be God this morning, aren't we glad that we can just go by what the Bible says? Aren't we glad this morning that we can go by the definitions that are given to us in the Word of God? A virtuous woman is a woman who bears children. And all that that means. God bless you sisters this morning for your willingness to bear children. I don't think many of you realize it, but probably one of the greatest motivations in the world around us for not having children is simply what it does to your body. God bless you sisters this morning that you are willing to make the sacrifices in order to bear children. Because it's that love of vanity. It's that love of what I look like. It's that love of what my shape looks like, which is causing all of the women of the world out there, many, many of them, to abort their children because they don't want to gain a little extra weight. They don't want to change the shape of their body. And this morning, I want to salute you sisters this morning for your willingness to bear children and bring forth children into this world. May God bless you for your willingness to do that. The virtuous woman. Oh, sisters, hear this, hear this. The virtuous woman was a mother. She wasn't a career girl. She wasn't a vice president. She wasn't an executive secretary. Although, I'm not at all totally against those things, but I tell you what, she wasn't those things. She was a mother. That's what she is. And all that that means, she was willing to bear the children. She is willing to care for the children. A virtuous woman is the mother and she's willing to care for the children. And all that that means, she is willing to be a keeper at home. And all that that means, think about it, it's not that she doesn't have any talents. It's not that she doesn't have any abilities. It's not that she has no intellect. It's not that she's kind of dumb, you know, and she just stays home and has children. I'm sorry. That's a worldly philosophy. That's not what the Bible teaches. It's not that the women are not smart. It's not that they have no talents. And it isn't that they have no abilities. But simply this, they have made the choice to turn all of their talents, all of their abilities, all of their intellect in the direction of their little children. That's what they have done. Oh, and in light of eternity, as we heard already this morning, I don't know of a better place for you mothers to turn all of your abilities and all of your talents and all of your intellect, but in the direction of the children that God has given to you. Yes, she has chosen to turn the focus of all of these things on the most precious, the most influential and the most eternal thing that we have on this side of heaven. These little ones that God has given to us, the children that God has given to you, they are the most precious, they are the most influential, and they are the most eternal things that we have this side of glory. She who pours her time into the direction of these little ones does not waste her time. No, the virtuous woman is a mother. That's the first point of 12. Second of all, I'd like us to notice in verse 11 that the heart of her husband does safely trust in her. And I'd like to make the application of motherhood here this morning and just bring out the point simply this way that the virtuous woman who is a mother is one who carries out the goals and visions of her husband, of the Father in the home while He is away. And many times He is away. And even if He isn't away, He's out doing His work out in the shop or in the field or wherever it is. And there's no way that Father can be in the house all day long. But blessed be God this morning for a virtuous woman who is a mother, who has yielded her heart to the responsibilities of motherhood. And there, yes, also, the heart of her husband does safely trust in her. He can go out to the shop and work out there for four or five hours and know that everything goes on inside the house just like it would if He were there. Yes, because the heart of the husband safely trusts in the wife. And He knows that His goals and His vision and His heartbeat is being carried out while He's out in the shop providing a living for the family. Oh, blessed be God for mothers who stand behind Father, who stand behind Father and have His goals and have His dreams and carry them out during the day. I had this thought and wrote it down and it blessed my heart as I pondered it. What does mother do? What does this virtuous woman do? She discerns the heart of her husband and breaks it down into many everyday details and carries them out for him. Let me say it again. She discerns the heart of her husband. She doesn't even need to hear him say it. She discerns the heart of her husband and His goals and His dreams for the children. And then she, in the very detailed way that only a woman can do, she breaks that down into everyday details and carries them out throughout the day while he's in the shop or out in the farm or away at work somewhere. A virtuous woman is a mother. The third point we'd like to look at is that she honors her husband and we find that here in verse 12. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. And again, I'd like to make the application to motherhood this morning. If I may do that, she honors her husband. Mothers, you want your husband to be home? You wish your husband could be there with you more than he is? Let me give you a secret. Let me tell you a way that you can have your husband home even though he is not there. No, he won't be there. No, you won't be able to see him. No, you won't be able to hold his hand. But his influence, you can have his influence there at home with you even though he went away to work. You can have his influence there at home with you over the children even though he's out in the field plowing the field. How can you do that? Honor him. Honor your husband. Honor the father of your children. What do I mean by that? Talk about him all the time while he's gone. Talk about papa or daddy or whatever you call him in your house. Talk about him. Do things in his name. Carry out goals in his name. Make corrections in his name. Carry out the visions in his name. Give blessings in his name. Buy clothes in his name. Buy food in his name. Prepare food in his name. Honor your husband. Honor father, the father of those children. And your husband will be there. His influence will be there whether he is there or not, if you will do him good all the days of his life. And honor him even when he is not there. I'd have to say this morning that if there is any success that takes place in my house, part of it is because I have a wife who does this very well. I have a wife who does it very well. And I can count on it if I've been away all day long and I walk through the door, I can count on it that there'll be a bunch of children jumping up and down, waiting to see Papa when he walks through the door. Why? Why are they there doing that? Because there was a mama there who talked about him all day long while he was away. There was a mama there who honored him all day long while he was away. There was a mama there saying, Papa's going to come home soon. Oh, won't we be glad to see him? And by the time Papa walks through the door, the children are waiting with anticipation to jump up in his lap and give him a hug and give him a blessing because he's been away all day long. Oh, the influence of your husband. I know you mothers. I know your heart. I know your burden. I know you'd like to have him home more often. I know you'd like him to be there to give some of the correction. I know you'd like to have him there that his influence can be there, that his vision can be carried out. But, oh mothers, if you can learn the art of honoring your husband, the father of your children, while he is away, yea, though he is not there, he shall be there. Just like the Bible says, though he is dead, yet shall he live. Though he is gone, yet shall he be there. If you just learn the art of honoring the father of your children when he is away, you will not go wrong on that. And I trust that that's so. As I speak to this crowd, there may be some men in this room that are not worthy of honor, but for the most part, I believe you mothers, you won't do wrong to honor the fathers that are in this room. They are the ones that will sit the children down and read the Bible to them. The children will want to be like Father. The children will develop the convictions that Father has. The children will develop the direction that Father has. If they honor their father, they will emulate their father, because imitation is the highest form of admiration. Do not forget that. Imitation is the highest form of admiration. And if you train those children to admire, to honor their father, they will imitate him and he'll be there even though he's not there. Hallelujah. She honors him while he is away. Listen also to number four. Point number four. This motherhood, this virtuous woman that we're speaking about this morning, she's a keeper at home. And I know we already said that, but I want to make a point out of this one, because it's worthy. In a world where the women are leaving home in every direction, in a world where the women are restless and not satisfied to stay at home, it's right for us to make a point of this one right here. She's a keeper at home. If you'll just notice, it speaks about the home all the way through this chapter. We keep getting glimpses of where this woman lives. And she lives at home. And her area of influence is at home, basically. You'll find the word household in verse 15. Again, two times in verse 21. And also again in verse 27. We find the word household. She is a keeper at home. This virtuous woman. Oh, King Lemuel, when you go looking for a wife, make sure you find one that loves to keep the home. Amen? Not just that she'll do it, but one that loves to keep the home. Yes, you mothers are the unsung hero here again. You stay home. Some would say you're tied down. You're not very free. But the fact of the matter is, a mother who has a heart for her children, she flutters over her nest with earnestness. She is not forcing herself to be there, but flutters over that nest with earnest care because she senses her responsibilities there. Many a woman has left the workplace and come back home. Maybe there are some in this room this morning. How many of you married sisters in this room have left the workplace and come back home? Let me see your hands. Very good. I see them. We were down in Texas. We preached this message. Found out after the message was over there was a Marine in the room. It's a lovely, modest sister sitting in the room who used to be in the Marines. You'd have never known it. But God bless you sisters who have left the workplace and came back home. And God bless all you sisters that never went to the workplace, but saw as you were growing up the high responsibility, the awesome calling that you have to be a wife and a mother, and you never even went to the workplace. May God bless you even more abundantly than the ones that are here who left the workplace and came back. God bless you women who never even went out to look at the workplace, who never went out there to find out how exciting it was. God bless you abundantly for your willingness to just go by what the Bible says and trust God for the future. God bless you mothers for that. If you're one of those this morning and you're a keeper at home, you just took another step toward being a virtuous woman. You know, many times I think you wives and you mothers, you ponder in your own hearts and you think about your own lives and maybe you think, you know, I'm not a virtuous woman. Who can be that? And who can reach that goal? And who can reach that goal? Oh, I think, sisters, you're further along than you realize it. If we're going to go by the definitions that are given here in the Word of God, you're doing that which God calls a virtuous woman. You're willing to stay home. God bless you. You're going the right way. You're willing to bear children. God bless you. You're doing the right thing. You're willing to make the sacrifices and care for the children. God bless you. You're doing the right thing. That is a virtuous woman. And it's the highest place of honor. We shall see as we continue on here. The next point we'd like to look at is this virtuous mother is a hard worker. She's a hard worker. I'd like you to notice, and I like to do this when I study my Bible, but I marked in here the word hands. It comes up several times in the references here in Proverbs 31. And then there are several places where it doesn't mention the word hands, but it is inferred again that she's working with her hands. Eleven times it mentions references to this virtuous mother working with her hands. Well, that's not very popular in a day where people think you need to work with your mind. But it's still what the Bible says is virtue. A woman who knows how to work with her hands. Yes, with her hands. Yes, sisters, this morning, maybe you washed the dishes this morning with your hands. Maybe you changed the diaper this morning with your hands. And you may look at it sometimes as you stand there in all the toils of your home life, you may look at it sometimes and say, what good am I? All I can do is work with my hands. But the Bible says, ah, this is a virtuous woman who works with her hands. This is a virtuous woman whose hands are dry because she's been washing clothes and preparing food and washing dishes and scrubbing floors. Yes, those dry, cracked hands that you have maybe this morning, God calls them virtuous hands. Now, the world doesn't call that virtue. The world calls that stupidity. The world calls that a waste of time. The world calls that a waste of talent. But God, who is in heaven, who knoweth all things and sees all the way to the end, He calls it virtue of the highest honor. She's a hard worker. She washes dishes with her hands. She cooks food with her hands. She cleans the house with her hands. She changes diapers with her hands. She washes clothes with her hands. She keeps a garden with her hands. She sews the clothes with her hands. God bless those hands! And if you read down through the text here, which we already did, she strengtheneth her hands. She knows how to work. She can work hard. And there's nothing wrong with that. Away with this worldly attitude that girls aren't supposed to get dirty and they've got to get somebody else to lift everything, you know, because they're a lady. Away with that! That's a worldly philosophy. That's not in the Bible. I don't see that in here. This Proverbs chapter 31 lady, she's a hard worker. And I think it's honorable. Some of you sisters, if you've got a little strength in your arms, I think that's honorable and God bless you for that also. We're talking about the Bible woman, not the modern woman. The modern woman, she can hardly pick up anything. But that's not the Bible woman. She's a hard worker. Diligent! And may I say it again, you sisters, God bless you, if you're in this room this morning and you're one of those, you just are toiling away and you're working, and each day you think, I've got more work to do here. Don't forget, God calls it virtuous. God gives that as part of the definition of a virtuous woman. I'm afraid we've turned our minds around quite a bit on this. And we've accepted a lot of what the world has to say about what is virtuous. Let us go on. Notice point number six, that she's an industrious person. She's very industrious. We can see here, she makes things with her hands. And she buys a field and she plants a vineyard with her hands. And she's making this and giving it to a merchant. She's a very industrious person. And you may be sitting here this morning, some of you young mothers, and saying, hey, I don't have time for any of that stuff. Well, your day will come. Your day will come. Yes, that's probably right. If you have five children and they're ages seven down to one, you probably don't have much time to go buy a field or plant a vineyard or make something that you can sell or you probably shouldn't have any time. But the day will come when the children will be older and there will be some freedom in your life again and you'll be able to turn your energies into other directions. And I just love to picture a mother, a woman, a virtuous woman with an industrious heart who's looking for something that she can do or looking for something that she can also get the children involved in doing. Maybe planting a vineyard and selling the fruit thereof. Or whatever it may be, we see this virtuous woman, this mother being very industrious. Point number seven. We like to notice that she's a godly woman. She is a godly woman. She's not just a woman who works, but she is also a godly woman and we see that in verse 20 and verse 25 and verse 26 and verse 30. In verse 20, we see that she stretches out her hands to the poor and she reaches forth her hands to the needy. And we see there a heart, a burden to live for others. We see the compassion of her godly heart reaching out to the needs of those around us. In verse 25, we see that strength and honor are her clothing. And we see also in verse 26 that she opens her mouth with wisdom and in her tongue is the law of kindness. And again, we see here a spiritual life flowing out of her. I'm so glad that God puts everything in the right perspective. Yes, it's good to be a hard worker. Yes, it's good to be a mother. Yes, it's good to be industrious. But God puts it in the right perspective and says, yes, it's good to do all those things, but down inside of the heart that is doing those things, there should be that flow of the life of God. There should be a spiritual life which is moving from within to the without and flowing out with words of wisdom and kindness and looking out with compassion upon the needy ones that are around you. And yes, in verse 30, she is described as a woman that fears the Lord. And I guess that says it about all, doesn't it? A woman who fears the Lord. So, this godly mother, she fears the Lord. I'd like us to notice also point number 8. Her testimony is a crown to her husband. Point number 8. Her husband is known in the gates. And when he sitteth among the elders of the land. And I believe that here again, if we could just look at this thing in the context of a godly mother, because that is the context here. We see that this woman has a testimony. And her testimony is a crown to her husband. And her husband is known in the gates. Just like it says in Proverbs there a little bit earlier in one of the chapters, that a virtuous woman is a crown to her husband. Well, what is it? What about a virtuous woman? It's the testimony. Her testimony. The way she lives. The way she walks. The way she talks. The way she keeps her home. The way she guides the children. This is the testimony of the virtuous woman. And her testimony is a crown unto her husband. And her husband is known in the gates. Oh, sisters, you want your husband to be a man of influence? Let me tell you how you can help him be one. It's not by pushing him. It's not by telling him, come on, let's do this. You should be doing this. You should go here. Why don't you go do this? That isn't how you'll do it. Now, he may need to do those things, but that isn't how you'll do it. If you want your husband to be a man of influence, to be a man that is known, to be a man who sits at the gates, the best thing you can do for him is to carry out his dreams and his goals and his vision for those little ones that are at your feet every day in your household. For her testimony, her godly testimony is a crown to her husband. I'd like us to notice also point number nine. She has a vision. She has a vision. And we find it here. Let's see, where is it? In verse 25 it says, Strength and honor are her clothing and she shall rejoice in time to come. That means down the road. That means in the future. She's going to rejoice in the future. She's going to rejoice in the time to come. And the reason why is because she sees where she's going. She is a woman of vision. Yes, it's still true. The dishes have to be washed. The diapers have to be changed. The clothes have to be washed. The house has to be cleaned. All those things have to be done. But this virtuous woman who is a mother, she looks beyond those dishes. She sees past those clothes that need to be washed. She looks beyond that floor that needed to be scrubbed. She is a woman of vision. She looks down the road. She doesn't see those little children who need to be cared for. She sees a fine young man, 20 years old, walking in the fear of God. She sees a fine young lady, 20 years old, a chaste, lovely, virgin daughter. That's what she sees. And all my sisters, that is what God wants. While you're there, caring for those little ones, while you're there, and it seems like the load is so heavy, and you don't know how you're going to get all this done, and you begin to wonder if this is worth it all or not, lift your eyes up, sisters, and look down the road, and realize those little children someday shall be full-grown men and full-grown women. And oh, by the grace of God and your faithfulness, they'll be godly young men and godly young women. This woman, this virtuous woman, she sees beyond the little things that need to be done. I'll never forget the testimony that I read in a biography of Amy Carmichael, who was a missionary in India. We don't know her as a missionary. We know her as the mother of a couple thousand orphans. Amy Carmichael. But she went to India to be a missionary. I'm going to India. I'm going to win souls. I'm going to preach the Gospel. Well, God had other things in mind for Amy, and she didn't realize what they were, but she found herself changing dirty diapers and washing the clothes for a couple of little children. This is in the beginning when she only had two little orphans, and she didn't know she was going to have two thousand of them. She just had two then. But the two that she had, she was grumbling inside of her spirit as she was doing all these quote, menial tasks every day. And she thought in her mind, what am I doing this for? I'm a missionary. I'm supposed to be winning souls. There are people dying and going to hell. What am I doing washing these dirty diapers? And God spoke to her heart and said, Amy, you aren't washing dirty diapers. You are saving the souls of these little children. Changed her whole philosophy. My sisters, this morning, you are not washing those dirty diapers either. You are raising and training the souls of men and women. It just so happens that they have dirty diapers sometimes that need to be washed. But that's not the goal. That's only a means to a beautiful, honorable end. I'd like us to notice point number 10. And we'll just hurry right along here. Point number 10. I'd like us to notice the powerful words of a mother. The powerful words of a mother is found in verse 26. She openeth her mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue is the law of kindness. And if I could apply that also this morning to motherhood, I know that we can make many applications to this verse and say she's a wise woman, and when she talks, wisdom comes out. And when she talks, kindness comes out. But could I this morning, mothers, just make the application to you as mothers and help you and motivate you this morning to help you to get a vision of the power of this little tongue that you have inside of your mouth, the power that you have to influence your children? Yes, in her tongue is the law of kindness, the powerful words of a mother. I believe that you have the prime responsibility of molding the personality and shaping the disposition and planting the spirit of the child within the child. That is done by mothers, and it's done by the time the child is two years old. Usually, and I feel so many times that people don't have a vision for what I'm talking about here, and they think, well, when the child gets to be about two years old and they can understand things, then we'll start working with them. But the fact of the matter is that the personality of that child can be molded by the words of a mother as you hold that baby in your arm and nurse that baby. Don't read your special book when you're nursing that baby until the baby goes to sleep, but speak to that child. Mold the spirit of that child. Guide the personality of that child. You can change the personality of your child, of your little baby, with the words that come out of your mouth. Because the words that come out of our mouth are not just words. There's spirit behind those words. And we all know that if we think about it. If you have anger in your heart and you speak angry words, the spirit of anger comes out. And if you speak angry words and the spirit of anger comes out, then the spirit of anger will be put into your children. I'm sorry. But if you speak kind and gracious words to your children, then kind and a gracious spirit will come out of your heart and your children will be kind and gracious. The power. The powerful words of a mother. Oh, they may seem like little words. They may seem like little insignificant words as you hold the child in the morning time and speak those kind little words. Good morning, son. Oh, what a beautiful day we have. Oh, God's been so good to us. I love you this morning. Oh, what a nice boy you are. Can you smile for Mama today? Oh, those may seem like just little bitty nothings. They may seem like just little talk words. Just useless words. Just idle words. But I tell you, sisters, those are not idle words. Those are powerful words that if they're given right can be used to train and mold the spirit of your child and mold the personality of your child. Some of us believe the false philosophy that you just get them the way they come and there's nothing you can do about the personality of a child. I don't believe that. I believe that every child is unique and they will have their own distinctions, but we can mold the personality of a child. Otherwise, the children wouldn't have so much the personalities of their fathers and mothers, whether it be good or whether it be bad. We can do that. And, oh, sisters, I want to encourage you in this one. It's not wasted time to talk to that little baby while it's laying on the change table kicking its feet at you while you're changing the diaper. It's not wasted time to pour into that child, into the spirit of that child, words of love, words of kindness, words of God, words of blessing, words of vision, words of future. There are not wasted time when you pour words like that, sweet, gentle words, into the heart of your child as they're just a little baby. And many would look on and say, that baby doesn't understand English. What are you doing that for? Someone just told me yesterday, I have a child and they don't talk. I don't know what's wrong. He's slow. He don't talk, the lady said at the business. I said, do you talk to him? Well, no, I guess we don't too much. Well, that's how they talk. You have to talk to them. The powerful words of a mother. Nursing time, changing time, bathing time, feeding time. You know, I try to think of all the times that you mothers find yourself sitting there in a chair and there's a high chair in front of you and it seems like a menial task, you know, and it's just get a little food and get it in the mouth and hope you can get half of it down. And it may seem like you're just going through a bunch of motions. And it may seem like you're just wasting your time. But if you can get a glimpse of how you can mold the personality of your child, then that little time that you have to put that food in Junior's mouth becomes a very valuable time when you can mold that child. It's not a waste of time anymore. It's not something that you give to the four-year-old. You do it. I'm busy. I'm sorry. That's the most important thing you can do is mold the spirit of that child. Don't give some of those responsibilities away too much to the other children because God made you the mother. And there are things that you can put into that child that no daughter or son can do. Well, we have two more points here. The next one we find in verse 27. She's a household organizer. This virtuous woman, she's a household organizer. Household manager. Maybe that's another way to put it. But we find in verse 27, she looks well to the ways of her household. And the picture that you get as you look at these verses is one of an overseer. She oversees well the ways of her household. She's got her eye on this part. She's got her eye on the cleaning. She's got her eye on the cooking. She's got her eye on the dishes. She's got her eye on the children. She's got her eye on the garden. She's got her eye on how much food needs to be bought. She's got her eye on many things. She's a household organizer. We often say around our house, and oh, it's true, it's true, it's true, don't agonize, organize. Don't agonize, deputize. Mothers, there's nothing wrong with being a household manager. You don't have to do it all yourself. God never planned for you to do it all yourself. As the children begin to grow and get older, mother's role changes some, and she becomes a household executive, if I can use the term. And an executive has responsibility over this part of the business, and this part of the business, and the transportation of the business, and this part of the business, and the office of the business, and the storage of the business. That's what an executive is. He watches over several different things. But in motherhood, there comes a time and a stage in life when the children, some of them are getting a little older, but the children are still coming on, and you find yourself moving into a new area. And some of you mothers, you may feel funny in that you may think, oh, I've got to do it all. I've got to wash the dishes, and I need to do this, and I need to do that. But no, you don't. There comes a point in time when you become a household organizer, the manager, and you watch over this area, and this one, and this one. She looketh well to the ways of her household. She's an overseer of it all. And again, she's a mother who does this. And lastly, but not least, lastly, and most important, point number twelve, it is the highest place of honor. We want to read here in verse 28 and 29. Her children arise up and call her blessed, her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Who are the many daughters here in this verse? Who are the many daughters? It's very obvious here that a comparison is being made. The comparison is with this virtuous woman that we've been reading about and studying about, and many other daughters who did virtuous things. So there's being made a comparison here between other virtuous things and that which the virtuous woman has done. And may I just interject this morning for your meditation that maybe it's some of the many daughters of Israel, like Deborah, who delivered the children of Israel out of the hands of the enemy and judged Israel. Or Sarah, who became mother to Isaac, the promised seed. Or maybe Esther, who delivered the children of Israel because she was a woman who was not afraid of man, but rather a woman who feared God and she was willing to stand before the king and risk her life to save the children of Israel. Yes! God bless Esther! Let's give Esther some praise! Let's give her a blessing this morning that she was a virtuous woman, that she was willing to risk her life in order to stand before the king. But all the Bible says, many daughters have done virtuously, but thou, mother, thou, woman who bore the children, thou, woman who's willing to stay at home, thou, woman who's willing to work hard with your hands, thou, woman who's willing to care for the children, thou, excellest them all. That's what the text says here, if I understand it right. Many daughters have done virtuously. Yes, we think of Ruth who left her homeland and went back and served Naomi the rest of the days of her life. And truly, that is a virtuous thing that Ruth did. I think of the Shunammite woman who gave a place for Elijah to live. And truly, it is a virtuous thing that she did. And yea, we could lift up many different women in the Bible who have done virtuous things. But God says, the fact which we've been speaking about this morning, O thou, excellest them all, thou, excellest them all. Think about it. We think about Amy Carmichael this morning. And God bless Amy Carmichael for her willingness to be a mother to all those orphans over in India. But sometimes I think, we lift them up there too high. God doesn't put Amy Carmichael up there at the top of the list. She just went over there and was a mother to some orphans. God doesn't put Mary Sletcher at the top of the list of virtuous women. God puts godly mothers at the top of the list. And I think we need to change our theology a little bit. I think sometimes even you mothers, you think that way. Sometimes you young ladies, you think that way. Oh, I want to be a missionary and I want to go over to Africa or I want to go to China. Or I want to do this or I want to do that. Hey, many daughters have done virtuously. But thou, O virtuous woman, thou, excellest them all. Thou, excellest them all. Oh, listen sisters, this morning I believe that it is God's heart to honor you sisters for your willingness to take the path that you have taken. It is God's heart that you be given the highest place of honor for your willingness to do that. Yes, missionaries come and missionaries go and missionaries get great celebrations as they come home and they get beautiful send-off services when they go and all those things. But thou, excellest them all, the Bible says. And I think we need to put motherhood in its proper perspective this morning. I'm not saying that every girl in this room has to be a mother. I'm not saying that this morning. But I'm just saying according to the Word of God, let it be lifted up there to its highest place of honor where God puts it. And the Bible says here in closing, at the end it says in verse 31, Give her of the fruit of her hands and let her own works praise her in the gates. And as I meditated upon that, I thought, well, I believe that the fruit of her hands is her children. That's the fruit of her hands. That's what these hands have been doing all these years. Some of you mothers that have older children now, the fruit of your hands is your children. Yes! Yes, let your children. Let the fruit of your hands, which is your children, praise you in the gates. And they will. They will. And it will be worth it all. As your children grow up and become godly young men and godly young ladies, they, not by their words even, but their lives, shall praise you. Well, in closing, fathers, let us encourage our wives in these ways. Let us encourage them. They are under tremendous pressures. They are under temptations to get out of the house. Where can I go? I think I'll go here. I think I'll find this to do or that to do. Let us encourage our wives in these directions. And mothers, I've said enough to you. Young ladies, go this way. Set this for your goal. You're not married. Prepare. Prepare to be a virtuous mother. Learn the things that a virtuous mother will need to know. Spend your time practicing those things. Don't worry so much about how much money you'll have when you get married. You know, it says here that a virtuous woman, her price is far above rubies. So what if you have $10,000 in the bank when you get married and the young man says, oh, what a blessing! The girl I'm marrying has $10,000. Well, if she has $10,000, then she doesn't know how to be a wife and a mother. You don't have much. Did you get that? You don't have much. What's $10,000? Some of you young ladies, turn your focus on these things. Don't worry about how much money you'll have in a bank when you get married. God takes care of money. Oh, He can bless. He can do that. He can change all those things. Don't worry about the money at all. Learn how to be a virtuous woman. Excel in these areas that we see so clearly laid out here in Proverbs 31. And young men, again, may I say to you, when it's time to go looking and it's time when you feel that God is speaking to your heart and you need to find a wife, He that findeth a wife findeth a good thing and obtain a favor from the Lord, don't go looking for a pretty girl. Young men, don't do it. Don't be so dumb. Ask the older, wiser men before you do that. You go looking for a virtuous young lady and you try to discern does this young lady have godly character? Does this young lady, does she honor her father? Is she like her mother? Does she know how to cook? Some girls don't know how to cook. They're 19. They don't know how to cook. Can she sew? These are the things that are listed here in Proverbs 31. Young men, look for one like that. Don't go looking for the beauty. You may miss the beauty. Hallelujah. Shall we kneel together in prayer? Our Father in Heaven, God, we love You this morning as we said already in the beginning of the service, Lord, we love You. God, we want to serve You. Father, we ask You to speak to us this morning. We beg You. Father, we plead it with You to minister to our needs. God, I pray that You'll do that. Father, we thank You for this beautiful portrait in the Word of God. Such a beautiful lady we see here in the Word of God. You didn't make a picture, Lord. We don't know what color hair she had. We don't know what kind of a nose she had. We don't know what her face looked like. We don't know how tall she was. We don't know any of that, Lord. But what a beautiful portrait You put here in the Word of God. A portrait of a beautiful woman. Oh, Father, I pray in Jesus' name this morning You will make this room fill with beautiful women. Father, this morning I pray You'll bless all the mothers that are here. Dear God, encourage them this morning. Lord, by Your Spirit, just come to their hearts and bless them and help them to know that they go the right way and that it will be worth it all. God, I pray that You'll motivate some young ladies in this room to spend their time working on their beauty. Oh, God. Father, we do commit the message into Your hands and we do send it forth, Lord, that it may perform that which You plan for it to perform. And we ask it all in Jesus' name. Amen. I forgot to read it. So I'll read it. This is the little poem that Grant couldn't read. While he was stumbling around to read it, I was saying, Glory, I'm going to read that. My hands were busy through the day. I didn't have much time to play. The little games You asked to me, I didn't have much time for You. I'd washed Your clothes. I'd sewed and cooked. But when You'd bring Your picture book and ask me, please, to share Your fun, I'd say, a little later, son, I'd tuck You in all safe at night and hear Your prayers turn out the light. Then tiptoe softly to the door. I wish I'd stayed a minute more. For life is short. The years rush past. A little boy grows up so fast. No longer is he at Your side. His precious secrets too confide. The picture books are put away. There are no longer games to play. No goodnight kiss, no prayers to hear. That all belongs to yesteryear. My hands, once busy, now are still. The days are long and hard to fill. I wish I could go back and do the little things You asked me to. It's entitled to my grown-up son.