The Nugget:
Pro 18:22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD. (KJV)
Pro 18:22 He that has found a good wife has found favours, and has received gladness from God. [He that puts away a good wife, puts away a good thing, and he that keeps an adulteress is foolish and ungodly.] (LXX, Brenton)
Pro 18:22 Whoever finds a wife finds something good and has obtained favor from the LORD. (GW)
Pro 18:22 A man’s greatest treasure is his wife– she is a gift from the LORD. (CEV)
My Comment:
I re-shared the following “meme” today. I share this again because this wisdom is still much needed. I would add that Bible believing Christians need to be sure to marry a Bible believing Christian! And don’t presume that you can convert your mate after marriage. God may intervene and bless in that regard, but usually it is the wiser course to follow the advice found in the Bible. That may be a good subject for me to explore with a new post on my Real Bible Study site.
The Meme:
“The pain of marrying the wrong person is worse than your present fear of not getting married. Marriage is not a competition. Take your time—fall in love—nurse your ambitions—groom your relationship; because forever is too long to be unhappy. And always, always remember that it is better to wait long than to marry wrong.”
My Suggestions and Further Comment:
Proverbs 18:22
22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD. (King James Version)
In my experience over many years of teaching young adult Sunday school classes at various churches I have attended, I have observed that Christian young women are eager to meet genuinely Christian young men, but Christian young men are a very scarce commodity. That reminds me of Isaiah 24:6, which speaks of “and few men left.”
Young men need to develop their maturity in Christ (Hebrews 5:12, 13). The Bible tells us how to develop that maturity (study 2 Timothy 3:14, 15, 16, 17; see also 2 Peter 1:1-10).
Notice what Peter stresses in 2 Peter 1:3, 4,
2Pe 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (KJV)
2Pe 1:3 We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God’s own power, when we learned that he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness.
2Pe 1:4 God made great and marvelous promises, so that his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world. (CEV)
We must grow in grace (2 Peter 3:18), and by God’s power by means of the new nature He has given us as we abide and grow in Christ, we will “escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world.”
In terms of “finding a wife,” let me stress most emphatically that young men must search in the right places. It is very highly unlikely that you will ever find a young woman that will make a good wife in a bar, a club, or other such venue. Genuine, solid, Bible-believing young women will be found in Bible-believing, Bible-teaching churches and young people’s groups. You will find the genuine article in evening services, and most especially, prayer meetings and Bible studies.
Let me also stress that age is just a number. If a young man desires to raise a family, it will be necessary to find a young woman of the proper age.
And to do that, a young man must be established, with a viable and dependable income. Now it may be possible that a young woman will have a dependable income, and that could be a real financial blessing to the marriage.
More to follow.
excellent comments and insight on very important topic! thank you ken sagely