By PASTOR MATTHEW ALLEN KJV: Proverbs 14:1 - "Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands." NLT: Proverbs 14:1 - "A wise woman builds her house; a foolish woman tears hers down with her own hands." There are some very simple, but yet powerful dynamics that we are overlooking in the body of Christ as it relates to the stability of the home. Whether this oversight is intentional or not, I don't know, but the negative results of the oversight will make a serious impact upon the lives of those that dwell in such homes. The enemy (Satan), knows that the chief influencer in every home is the woman, no matter how boastful or strong the man might be. Despite the size and strength of a man and the level of anointment with which he walks, the woman, in her unique way, has the ability to bring such a man down to his knees. Therefore the enemy seizes every opportunity to deceive the woman. Watch this! The man Adam was given a direct command from God/Yahweh: Genesis 2: 16-17 - "And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." In spite of Adam receiving a direct command from God, here's the woman's power of influence at work - Genesis 3: 6 - "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat." Today the woman's power of influence over the man is just as strong as it was back then in the Garden of Eden and the enemy is using the very same tricks to lure and deceive the woman into snares and traps which will eventually cause the man to compromise his God-ordained position and authority. There's just something special about a godly, wise woman, no matter the negative forces that would seek to come against her and her household; the wisdom of such a woman will always summon God's favour upon everything she sets out to do. This wise woman represents what is told in Proverbs 31, The Sayings of King Lemuel (NLT): : 10. Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is worth more than precious rubies. : 11. Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. : 12. She will not hinder him but help him all her life. : 13. She finds wool and flax and busily spins it. : 14. She is like a merchant's ship; she brings her food from afar. : 15. She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day's work for her servant girls. : 16. She goes out to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard. : 17. She is energetic and strong, a hard worker. : 18. She watches for bargains; her lights burn late into the night. : 19. Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fibre. : 20. She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy. : 21. She has no fear of winter for her household because all of them have warm clothes. : 22. She quilts her own bedspreads. She dresses like royalty in gowns of finest cloth. : 23. Her husband is well known, for he sits in the council meeting with the other civic leaders. : 24. She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants. : 25. She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs with no fear of the future. : 26. When she speaks, her words are wise, and kindness is the rule when she gives instructions. : 27. She carefully watches all that goes on in her household and does not have to bear the consequences of laziness. : 28. Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: : 29. "There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!" The opposite of the wise woman is the foolish woman, and contrary to popular belief, there are such women within and outside the church; women who create ways and means not to yield to the spirit of wisdom and will say and do any foolishness. Here a classic example: Job.2:9-10 - "Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh." Thank God for the godly women who are being examples for others to follow as they build their houses. * For questions and comments contact us via e-mail:pastormallen@yahoo.com or kmfci@live.comor; or at telephone number 441-2023. Pastors Matthew and Brendalee Allen Kingdom Minded Fellowship Center International