Worshiping God - Part V

On March 26, we studied the fifth lesson in our series about "Worshiping God."  We talked about the importance of attending the worship service regularly and not only when we have nothing better to do or whenever we believe it is necessary.  We also discussed the notion of coming back to God if one has gone astray.  The arms of God and always wide open, and He always welcomes everyone who comes back to Him.

Enjoy the notes from our discussion.

March 26, 2012

Worshiping God – Part V

Opening Question: Have you ever watched a movie or a TV show when you have missed a previous part or an episode?  Did you find it difficult to watch?  Did you wonder about some things?

It may be difficult to follow the storyline of a show if you have missed an episode or more episodes.  Some things may not make sense or you find yourself wondering about this or that characters.

Today, we are going to talk about the importance of attending the worship service regularly and coming back to God.

1.         The Importance of Attending Worship Service Regularly

What happens if we do not attend regularly the worship services?

If we miss one of our classes, we may find it difficult to understand the next lessons.  If we are trying to run a marathon and we are exercising and we miss a day or a few days, we might find it difficult to get back into the habit of training.

The same can and does happen when it comes to worshiping God.  God expects us to meet Him regularly, which means, every week, every first day of the week, which is every Sunday.  It may difficult for us to get into the habit of doing this every single week, but this is something that God expects from us.

We are used to regularity in our lives.  Our teachers expect us to be in class on certain days and certain hours.  So do our bosses.  Our family members also expect some regularity.  Our parents expect us to phone (or send them letters or e-mail) them within certain intervals.

What happens if we stop going to church?

To understand this, let us talk about what happens when we go to church.  We meet God, we worship Him, we sing to Him, learn about Him, fellowship and become friends with our brothers and sisters, encourage them and receive encouragement from them, enjoy spiritual food, which is the Word of God, the Bible.  If we stop going to church and not attend regularly, all these things are not going to happen.

In the Bible, we are warned not to stop worshiping God with the other Christians.  In Hebrews 10:25-27, we read: 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.  26 If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

These are some strong word, and except when we are sick on circumstanced beyond our control, we should make every effort to be at church each and every Sunday.  God is asking us to do that and it is not much.  We are required to give Him specifically four hours of our entire week.  We should definitely give Him more, but these four hours are specifically put in place for us to be with our brothers and sisters and to worship God at a specified location.

It may start slowly that you stop going to church.  Perhaps you missed only once or twice a year and then you find out that you enjoyed sleeping in that Sunday that you missed or enjoyed that money you made by working that time or the amount of schoolwork you did when not going to church.  Once you start missing many times, you may find it difficult to go back and reverse the tide.  Thus, it is important not to miss any time and to constantly be reminded of all the benefits that come by attending the worship service.

Jesus said in Matthew 18:20: For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”  This means that we should look forward to worshiping God on Sunday, because we are meeting with Jesus.  If we remember all the great things He has done for us, it is no wonder that we will feel only eagerness to be with Jesus and with God every single Sunday.

2.         Coming Back to God

It may happen that we wander from God, because we did not know what were the right things to do or even when we do, because we are sinners and imperfect.  Sometimes we know the right things to do, but we do not do them.  Still, God loves us and we can always come back to Him. 

John 3:16 tells us that: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  God gave Jesus, His son, to save the world and everyone in the world is important to him.  In 2 Peter 3:9 we read that: The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

With many things in life there is a point of no return.  We grow old, so we cannot play a child game any longer without attracting curious glances from people walking by.  We cannot attend university at all times, because there is a time and a place when our brains absorb knowledge easily and readily.  However, we can come back to God at any time.  Of course, it is much better never to leave God, but if we do, we have the assurance that we can always come back to Him.

The parable of the lost son illustrates this thought very well.  In Luke 15:11-24, Jesus tells this story.  The verse we are going to read today is verse 20: So he got up and went to his father.   “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.  Of course, the Father in this story is God, who is always willing to welcome back His sons and His daughters.

In the same way that falling out of worshiping God and leaving His way starts small and take some time before it becomes a big problem, coming back to God is also a process that takes some time.  However, like anything else, in order to be completed it has to start and anytime is the right time to start coming back to God.

In James 5:19-20, we read that: 19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.  It is our responsibility to help our brothers and sisters, to do everything we can to encourage them to come back, to study with them, to explain the importance of their souls and how much God loves them and what they are missing by not attending church and not worshiping God.

Conclusions

It is extremely important to worship God regularly and to always be present in the worship Service as long as we are able to do that.  If we have begun to go astray, go away from our walk with God, we can always make the right decision and come back to God.  He is always willing to except us with arms wide open.

Worshiping God - Part IV

Last Monday, we had our fourth lesson in our series about "Worshiping God."  We talked about the need to give God our best, not our leftovers, not our average worship, but the best effort we can offer Him.  We also spent some time discussing the need to worship God alone and no other human being or thing.  God it the only one who has created us, who has saved us and the only one who expects and deserves our worship.

Enjoy the notes from our discussion.

March 19, 2012

Worshiping God – Part IV

Opening Question: Has there ever been a time when you have been unprepared for an event, a supper, an exam, a visit?  How have you felt about it?

We should do our best in order to achieve our goals.  We know that we must study hard in order to get good grades in our studies.  We need to keep our houses clean, so that if a friend drops by we will not be embarrassed at them seeing our place a mess.

The same sentiment rings true when it comes to worshiping God.

1.         We need to give God our best

In Malachi 1:8, we read: When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?” says the LORD Almighty.

The Hebrews were commanded to give to God their best, to bring animals for sacrifices that were flawless, not something that they could not use.  If such a thing was not acceptable to human, important officials, like the governor, God of course would not be please by this gesture.

What were the Hebrews doing here?

They did not want to bear the cost of giving to God.  They were offering as sacrifices things that were useless to them.  A lame or a sick animal had no value.  It could not be sold in the market, it could not be used for food by the owner.  It had no worth.  But the whole concept of the sacrifice is that it should be a cost for us.  It means that when we give to God, it should not be our leftover effort, it should not be the time that we cannot use for anything else, it should not be a half-hearted effort.  God deserves and expects our best and we should give that to Him.

Why does God deserved our best?  What has He done for us?

God has given us everything we have and the ultimate sacrifice He did was giving us His son.  Jesus was perfect, in the sense that He had no sin.  He was not an evil man, a man that had no value to God.  He was His own son, so He had tremendous value to God.  But if God was able and willing to give up His own son for us, how much more should be give up our own time and effort to serve Him and to worship Him.

In Matthew 22:34-27, Jesus tells us: 34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

God expects us to love him with all our heart, soul and mind, not with just a fraction of our heart, but with no soul or the other way around.  God wants us entire being and we should give ourselves to Him.

Today, God expects no human sacrifices from us.  Instead, He wants us to offer our own bodies as a living sacrifice to Him.  In Romans 12:1, we read:  1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

What does this mean?

It means that our lives should reflect our efforts to please God, to give our best to Him, to try our best to live in a pure and holy way and to please God in everything we do.

2.         We need to worship God alone

Jesus tells us in Matthew 4:10: 10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”  Then, in Matthew 6:24, he says: 24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

One of the greatest faults of the Hebrews was that they strayed from worshiping God alone.  They forgot the commandment and added idols to God.  They worshiped images made of wood and metal, instead of the true and only living God.

Today, we can fall into the same trap.  We may not worship images, but we may create in our lives certain things that gain a lot of importance, things that take away our attention and our dedication from God.  These things could be work, school, husband, wife, sports, money, etc.  Anything that rules our lives, that takes away our attention, is an idol in a sense.  And we should never allow anything to take the place of God and to receive our best worship instead of God and God alone.

Conclusions

When we come to worship God we should give our best to Him.  We cannot do our worship service with barely the minimum effort, or with half the heart, or only half the time.  God deserves our best and He has give us His best.  Our worship should go to God and God alone and no other real or created being.

Worshiping God - Part III

Yesterday, we studied the third lesson in our series about "Worshiping God."  We saw how our worship service to God is different from the many forms of entertainment that exist today.  Our worship to God is not and should never be for our own glorification, enjoyment or entertainment.  We also discussed how our worship to God could be acceptable or unacceptable to Him, depending on whether we are following what He requires from us or not. 

Enjoy the notes from our discussion.

March 12, 2012

Worshiping God – Part III

Opening Question: What is the latest concert, show or movie you went to watch and how did you like it?

Relaxation is an important part of our lives and sometimes we chose to relax by seeking entertainment, in the form of watching a concert, a TV show, a movie, going to the opera, etc.  These are places where we usually sit and expect others to entertain us.  We are not going anything, other than enjoying the show.  We have paid a ticket and expect to get something for what we have paid.

What does the Bible tell us about the worship service and the church?

1.         Worshiping God is not entertainment

Many people complain that church is boring or that they do not get anything out of it.  It is important to remember what are the purposes and the reasons of one going to church. 

We do not go there to entertain ourselves.  We go there to worship God, to sing praises to him, to pray and talk to him, to learn more about how to be closer to him, to encourage our brothers and our sisters. 

Worshiping God does not mean sitting back and expecting others to do everything, to relax and to enjoy the show.  There are no spectators in the church.  There is no clapping and applauding in the church, cheering for the preacher or the person who leads the prayer.  The worship service is done to praise God, in an environment or reverence and solemnity toward our God.

We are at church to give to God, to be active, in listening, in participating, in singing, in giving, in encouraging.

In Galatians 1:10, we read: 10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

In our worship service, we are trying to please God and we should carry out our worship service in the way that is pleasing to Him.  As we have studied in our previous lessons, there is a certain way of doing things right, in accordance with the word of God and that is what we should always try to do.

This doesn’t mean that what we do in the worship service does not matter.  The lesson should be understandable and relevant to the members.  It should be Biblical and have a value for them.  The singing should be on key, so that everyone can follow, and of a song that people know or can learn.  The prayer should be loud so everyone can hear and they can say ‘Amen’ at the end of it.  However, everything is done to praise God and to worship Him and Him alone, not to entertain or please men.

Why can’t worshiping God be entertaining to men?

2.         Worshiping God could be acceptable or unacceptable

As we have seen in other lessons, Cain and Abel both worshipped God, but one of them did it in a way that was not acceptable.  This means that there is a right way and a wrong way of worshipping God.

Unless we want to be rejected like Cain, we should try to learn the right way and to worship God in the way in which He has commanded us.  Otherwise, regardless of how much effort we put in our worship service, it will in vain and unacceptable to God.

Jesus himself said that people worshiped him in vain.  What do we read in Mark 7:7: 7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’

What were this people doing that was wrong?  They were not teaching what God had taught, but were replacing His word with their own rules.  This was not acceptable to God and Jesus said that the worship of these people was in vain or useless.

This verse underlines the importance of always following the word of God and the word of God alone.  Regardless of what people teach and say, regardless of how beautiful their ideas may sound, regardless of what we think can be better or more beautiful or more meaningful or more entertaining, God has set up in place a model for our worship.  If we are to worship God so that He can accept our worship, then we should worship Him in the right, correct way that He has shown us.

What is this correct way God has shown us?  How and when did He show it to us?  This is something we are going to discuss in our next lessons.

Conclusions

Worshiping God is not for our entertaining.  When we come together to worship God, there are no spectators.  We are not in church to be entertained, to relax and to enjoy ourselves.  We are in church to worship God in spirit and in truth, in the right way He was shown us, so that our worship service will be pleasing and acceptable to Him.

Worshiping God - Part II

On Monday, March 5, we continued our discussion on "Worshiping God."  We focused on the meaning of worshiping God in spirit and in truth.  We looked at the Scriptures to understand these two aspects of our worship service that God expects from us.  Then we discussed how our worship service should be pure and holy.

Enjoy the notes from our discussion.

March 5, 2012

Worshiping God – Part II

Opening Question: What is your favorite easy-to-make food or drink and how do you make it?

Regardless of whether you are a chef or a novice in the kitchen, there is a certain way of preparing a good meal or a drink, whether it is very elaborate and from scratch or as simple as opening and heating a ready meal.

Today, we are going to look at the Bible, to see how we go about worshiping our God.

In our previous lesson, we talked a bit about the need to worship God in spirit and in truth.  Today, we are going to expand on the concept of worshiping God in spirit.

Worshiping God in Spirit

In John 4:23-24, we read: 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

What does it mean to worship God in spirit?

1.         Worshiping God in spirit means that it involved our spirit. 

It is not something we do mechanically, without any emotion or passion, something we are forced to do or embarrassed if other people realize we do not do it.

In Hebrews 12:28-29, we read: Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”

We know that God is a spirit, so worshiping him in spirit means offering Him those things that are spiritual and that are appreciated and accepted by Him.  Our worship service should come with reverence, respect, honor and glory that goes toward God, not the people who are simply vessels in serving God.  In the same way that when enjoying a good meal the gratitude goes to the chef, not the spoon or the fork, our respect, honor and glory in our worship should go to God, not to men.

2.         Worshipping God in spirit means that your spirit should be right with God and with men.  

Being right with God means that we should strive to do our best not to have or to allow any sin to come between us and god.  Have you ever been in a situation when you are invited to someone’s birthday but you have had a fight with someone you know it is going to be at the party?  What do you do?  What is your attitude toward that person during the party?

The same is true about worship.  We cannot worship God in spirit if our spirit is not right with God.  We need to confess our sins, repent and try to do better next time, as much as we can to leave in peace with God and everyone else and as pure as we can.

Being in peace with men is similar.  We cannot love God and hate men.  1 John 4:20 teaches us that 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.  We need to do right by our brothers and sisters.  In Mathew 5:23-24, Jesus himself teaches us: 23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

3.         Worshiping God in spirit means that our worship should be pure and holy

What does this mean?

Let’s see it from the other side.  What is a worship that is not pure and not holy?  What qualities it would have?

During our worship service we should remember why we are there.  We have come to bow before our God, to meet with Him, to give Him our love and to show Him how much we love us and how much we want to please Him.  If we want to do all these things, what should our attitude be?

How should we act before worship, in terms of arrival, rushing, hurrying up to get to church?  What about during service?

We need to control our minds, our thoughts and focus on what we have come to do, worship our God.  Talking, whispering, passing notes, any anything else that distracts you or others from worshiping God should have no place in our worship toward Him.  Think about if you are meeting the Queen or the Prime Minister or someone else important or whom you hold in high esteem.  Would you be doing any of those things?  Well, then you should not do those when you are in the presence of God.

Conclusions

Worshiping God in spirit means that we need to be humble, considerate, and reverent in our worship toward Him.  We need to be right in our hearts and minds with God and with men.  And we need to focus our minds and our thoughts, so that our worship is pure and holy and acceptable unto God.

Worshiping God

"Worshiping God" was our topic last Monday.  We saw how God has specified a certain pattern in which we must worship Him.  It is crucial for us to seek and to find this unique pattern, in order to please God through our efforts to worship Him.  Finally, we talked about the notions of worshiping God in spirit and in truth.

Enjoy the notes from our discussion.

February 27, 2012

The Purpose of Worship

Opening Question: What is the purpose of someone attending a university and what is expected of them?

While one may strive toward many goals while attending the university, the main purpose is to learn on the area of your studies, to obtain a degree that will help you in your career later on in life.

Today, we are going to study the purpose of worship toward our God.

What does it mean to worship?

To worship means to glorify, honor, praise, exalt, and please God.

What does the Bible says about this worship?

1.         God has set a certain pattern on how we must worship Him

In John 4:23-24, we read: 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

Note that Jesus used the word ‘must’.  God has determined how we must worship Him.  We are not at liberty of change, modify, add or take away from what God has asked us, from the way in which he wants us to worship Him.

Why should we not do these – changing, adding, modifying?  What happens if we do those things?

If change starts, no one knows when it will end.  If one person suggests something, the door is open for other suggestions and everyone has an idea or a thought on how to do things, how to improve or enhance them.  But God alone is the one whose pattern we should follow.

In Genesis 4:3-5, we read: 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

Abel and Cain were trying to worship God.  While Cain’s worship was not accepted, Abel’s was.  This tells us that for Cain’s worship to be wrong, it had to be a right way, the way which Abel had followed.  And of course God would have made it clear to Abel and Cain the way to worship Him.  God would not hold us responsible for something we did not know.

This example illustrates once again the importance of us knowing what is the right pattern in which we must worship our God.

2.         We should learn this specific pattern

If it is important for us to worship God only in the pattern which He commanded us, then it is equally important to learn what that pattern is.  And how do we do that?  How do we find out how God wants us to worship Him?

Hebrews 1:1:  1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.

We learn about God by listening to the one through whom He has spoken to us.  Jesus Christ is the only one God used to communicate His will to us in these last days.  We learn the words of God and how we can worship God in the pages of the Bible, which is the Word of God.

Like learning other things, learning how to worship God properly takes some times.  We can make mistakes, but we are expected to keep learning and to fix those things once we realize the errors of our ways.  God expects us to come to Him in a certain way and we must do that.

3.         We must worship God in Spirit and in Truth

Worship is directed toward God, not the people who participate in the worship, the people who lead the worship from the front or the people who are sitting in the pews of the building.  The object of our worship is God and God alone.

The way in which we worship God should be in spirit and in truth.  We will study these two elements in details later on, but for now let us mention that in spirit means that our worship to God should come from our heart.

What does this mean?

It means that our will is there, that we are not forced to worship God, we do not attend church on Sunday morning because we are obligated by someone or by something, or there is nothing better to do, but because we want to do that, our heart is in what we are doing, i.e. worshiping God.

In truth means worshiping God in the right way, in accordance with the Bible.  That means that we accept nothing else as the guidance in our worship toward God but what is written in the pages of the Bible.

Marriage

Last evening, we talked about "Marriage".  We looked at Genesis and the story of creating, how God made the man and the woman and what he intended for them.  We discussed the story of Abraham looking for a wife for his son from Genesis 24 and what qualities Abraham's servant had in mind when praying to the God of Abraham.  Then, we studied Proverbs 31 and the qualities one should be looking for when searching for wife, and, of course, a husband. 

Enjoy the notes from our discussion.

Marriage

Opening question: What is a quality you admire in a spouse and why?

Perhaps we like honesty in a person who would like to choose as a spouse.  And maybe it is hard work and dedication to accomplishing a goal.  Maybe it is good financial administration skills, meaning providing for the family needs, food on the table and a roof overhead.

Today, we’ll look at the Bible and see a few of the principles about marriage.

In Genesis 1:19-24, we read: 19 Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.  20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.  But for Adam no suitable helper was found.  21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.  23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” 24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

What do we learn here?

The man (and also the woman) cannot find a suitable helper, verse 20.  What is a suitable helper?  What does the Bible mean?

A suitable helper means someone who can truly understand the man or the woman.  Someone with whom they can talk, discuss their issues and their problems, seek their opinions and receive advice, receive help in building things and also have children in their family.

In verse 24 we read that one the purpose of the woman was as such that a man would leave his family of birth (his father and his mother) and be united to his wife.  This union is more than just the physical.  It means that the husband and the one become one unit, one team, that works together at all times, with the same goal, the same purpose, the same mind.

How is this possible?  What should be in place in order for two different human beings to have the same purpose, the same goal, the same mind?  What is this goal, this purpose?

Here is where the qualities or the personalities of the spouses come into place.  In order for two human beings to live as one, there needs to be some compatibility.  Both the man and the woman, the husband and the wife, need to share common beliefs, common ideas, common purposes.

And the purpose is for them to serve God, to do His will in their lives, to raise children that would serve God too and fulfill His will in their lives as well. 

What is the process by which one selects a spouse in the Bible?

In Genesis 24, we read about the way in which Isaac found his wife.  His father, Abraham was very old (verse 1) and he wanted to find a wife for his son.  He sent the senior servant in his house to seek a wife, but not among the people of the area where he was living (verse 4). Why?

The area in which Abraham was living, Canaan, did not believe in God, as Abraham did.  Abraham did not want his son to be led away by his love for his wife and fall away from following and serving God.

What can we learn from this today?

Sometime, the people we are living amongst are not the best people to become our spouses.  We may have to live with them because of our work or our other activities of life, but this does not mean that we are necessarily to find a spouse from the people that have different beliefs that we do. 

What is the danger if we are joined to someone who believes different things that we do?

It is important to find someone that shares the same beliefs and the same values that you do, whether it is about money, relationship, food, hobbies, etc.  Your married life would be much better if you and your spouse have the same goals, the same tastes, the same point of view about life and its purpose.

Back to Genesis 24, in verses 10-14, we read: 10 Then the servant left, taking with him ten of his master’s camels loaded with all kinds of good things from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim and made his way to the town of Nahor.  11 He had the camels kneel down near the well outside the town; it was toward evening, the time the women go out to draw water.  12 Then he prayed, “LORD, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show kindness to my master Abraham.  13 See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.  14 May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.”

Why did the servant want the woman to respond like that – to be willing to give a drink to the servant’s camels?  How much do camels drink?

The servant was looking for a sign from God, but he was not looking for beauty.  He was not looking for wealth, perhaps because Abraham was very wealth.  What he was looking for was hard work and generosity.  He wanted Isaac’s wife to be a hard working person and a generous person toward a complete stranger.  These were two qualities that have not lost their value since that time.  Even today, hard work is what makes most people advance in their lives.  And generosity is what keeps a hard working man human.

In Proverbs 19:14, we read: Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.

God is the one directing our steps when we are looking for a wife or a husband and we should take into account what God wants us when we make this important decision.

Further, in Proverbs 31, we find many qualities that we can appreciate and which are very valuable in our search for a spouse for life.  We’ll read this chapter and identify these values:

^{10 [b]}A wife of noble character who can find?
   She is worth far more than rubies.
¹¹ Her husband has full confidence in her
   and lacks nothing of value. (trust)
¹² She brings him good, not harm,
   all the days of her life. (goodness)
¹³ She selects wool and flax
   and works with eager hands. (working wife)
¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships,
   bringing her food from afar.
¹⁵ She gets up while it is still night;
   she provides food for her family
   and portions for her female servants. (hard worker)
¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
   out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. (planning wife)
¹⁷ She sets about her work vigorously;
   her arms are strong for her tasks.
¹⁸ She sees that her trading is profitable,
   and her lamp does not go out at night. (smart)
¹⁹ In her hand she holds the distaff
   and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
²⁰ She opens her arms to the poor
   and extends her hands to the needy. (generous)
²¹ When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
   for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
²² She makes coverings for her bed;
   she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
²³ Her husband is respected at the city gate,
   where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them,
   and supplies the merchants with sashes.
²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity;
   she can laugh at the days to come. (respectable)
²⁶ She speaks with wisdom,
   and faithful instruction is on her tongue. (wise)
²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household
   and does not eat the bread of idleness.
²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed;
   her husband also, and he praises her: (loved)
²⁹ “Many women do noble things,
   but you surpass them all.”
³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
   but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
³¹ Honor her for all that her hands have done, (honorable)
   and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Conclusions

Finding a compatible spouse may be a daunting task.  However, as we are in the process of making this decision, we should consider what God expects from us and what we should be looking for in a spouse.  If we follow God and his process, we will be blessed with a suitable helper for life.