When I thought about what I would share tonight I felt sad … ‘cause I
thought about
how much I would miss our summer time taco salad’s;
how I would miss “hearing” our love language of “sarcasm” with one another
and how I would miss our hug’s and check-in’s at the front desk
But then I thought about
how happy I am for you Holly. How happy I am that you met Chris, that you love
one another well and that you plan to be a farmer’s wife for the rest of your
life ….
A farmer’s wife must be
strong … not just strong enough to pail hay, drive the John Deer tractor, or
bring in the crops but …
1. strong in who you are
2. strong in your
ability to study the Bible and pass it on to others
3. strong in your prayer
life
4. strong in your
relationships
5. strong in your love
for others
6. strong in your joy
1.
A Christian Woman Should Be Strong in Who They Are
We've all heard those age-old questions, like, "Who am I?"
"Where did I come from?" "Where am I going?" Isn’t it great
Holly that as a Christian woman you know who you are? I love that you know you
are a child of the King. You know who your creator is. And it is my hope that
knowing who you are in Christ will give you satisfaction and strength.
In the scriptures in Ephesians 1:4-6 The Lord
says:
even
as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be
holy and blameless before him. In love He predestined us
for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the
Beloved.
2. A Christian Woman Should Be
Strong in Bible study, Bible knowledge, and passing that knowledge on to others
Staying in the Word daily builds up our bodies. It's like those exercises that
you have to do so many repetitions every day in order for it to do any good.
We've just got to keep reading, studying, and memorizing God's Word to keep fit
and strong. When questions and things come up, we need to know what the Bible
says about it. If we're grounded in God's Word, we are better able to be strong
and resist temptations too. We need to have the answers and Bible knowledge right
there to grab and use as things come at us. In Psalm 119:11 the Lord says: I have stored up your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you. And in 2 Timothy 2:1-6 You then, my child, be
strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have
heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who
will be able to teach others also. Share in suffering as a good soldier of
Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian
pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not
crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hard-working farmer who ought
to have the first share of the crops. Think over what I say, for the Lord will
give you understanding in everything. Because I would love to encourage you to be strong Christian woman of the
word I have this gift for you (Give the gift of the Bible Study)
3. A Christian Woman Should Be
Strong in their prayer Life.
Making prayer a vital part of our lives gives us such strength. It uplifts and
strengthens us as we go on our way. Prayer is such a powerful thing. We have
loved one another well by praying for one another. Thank you Holly, for praying
for me and it has been an honor to pray for you! I believe that to be a praying
wife is the most powerful way you can encourage your husband Chris.
In Psalm 55:17
the Lord says Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he
shall hear my voice.
And in 1 Thessalonians 7:17 He
says that we are to Pray without
ceasing.
Because I would love to encourage you to be a praying wife I have this
gift for you (Give the gift of The Power of the Praying Wife and for
Chris The Power of the Praying Husband)
4. A Christian Woman Should Be
Strong in their relationship with their husband.
We are gathered here tonight to honor you Holly and your marriage to Chris. The
strong Christian women I've known over the years have all had a strong and good
relationship with their husbands. I think that's so important. When you marry
Chris, he will become your husband and he will be the second most important
person in your life. How you interact with him is going to affect how strong
you are. Always remember to be building him up and you will be strong.
In Proverbs 31:28 the Lord says: Her children rise up, and call her
blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.
And in Ephesians 5:22-24: Wives,
submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is
the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior
of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives
be to their own husbands in everything.
Because I would love to encourage you to be strong in your relationship
with Chris I want to give you this calendar. On it is marked every 15th of the
month because you will be married on the 15th of June. I believe that
if you intentionally set aside that day each month to date one another for the
rest of your lives that you will remain in love with one another just as if it
were the very first day you were married. (Give the gift of the calendar)
5. A Christian Woman Should Be
Strong in their love for others. There's nothing like concentrating on others to
give us a boost. They say having a genuine love for others is like drinking one
of those sports drinks. It will restore all those minerals you've been missing!
Think about how love was a big part of Christ's life. It definitely should be a
big part of yours Holly. I am confident it will be and as you continue to care,
reach out, encourage, and pray for others you will be strong.
John 13: 34-35 states: A new
commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you,
you also are to love one another. By this all people will
know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
Because I would love to encourage you to be a strong in your love for
others I want to give you this package of note cards so you may encourage
others as you have encouraged me. (Give the gift of note cards)
Finally,
6. A Christian Woman Should Be
Strong in their joy.
Holly, maybe at some point you have memorized the last part of Nehemiah 8:10, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
It's such a simple
phrase but so powerful. We can tap into His strength daily by having His joy.
We don't need the latest outfits, a membership to the gym, a really nice home,
a new John Deer tractor or financial security. We just need to find the joy of
the Lord in our lives and we'll find our strength.
Let’s Pray ….
