As I celebrate my beloved wife’s birthday …
Today, as I celebrate my beloved wife’s birthday, I meditate on Proverbs 15 and apply and reflect on it to my wife and I:
1. In a relationship between a couple, a gentle answer dispels anger, but harsh words stir up anger (see Proverbs 15:1).
2. A wise husband seeks the knowledge of God and the knowledge of His will, and his lips speak of that knowledge kindly to his beloved wife, but a foolish husband does not do so; he enjoys foolishness and pours out foolishness (see Proverbs 15:2, 7, 14).
3. In a marital relationship, gentle words are like a tree of life, but cruel words break a person's heart (see Proverbs 15:4).
4. God delights in the prayers of an honest couple and loves a couple who pursues righteousness (see Proverbs 15:8, 9).
5. A wise couple knows that they may be able to hide their thoughts from each other, but they cannot hide them from God (see Proverbs 15:11).
6. A proud husband hates to be rebuked by his wife and does not seek out a wise wife (see Proverbs 15:12).
7. A wife's cheerful heart brightens her face, but a husband's anxious heart hurts his spirit (see Proverbs 15:13).
8. A couple who suffers is miserable, but a couple who has joy in their hearts is always happy (see Proverbs 15:15).
9. A couple who is poor but fears God and serves Him together is better than a couple who is rich but always lives in worry (see Proverbs 15:17).
10. A quick-tempered husband will cause quarrels, but a wife who is slow to get angry will calm them down (see Proverbs 15:18).
11. The path of a lazy couple is like a field of thorns, while the path of an honest couple is like a highway (see Proverbs 15:19).
12. . A wise wife makes her husband happy, but a foolish husband despises her (see Proverbs 15:20).
13. An ignorant couple enjoys foolishness, but a wise couple walks the right path together (see Proverbs 15:21).
14. A husband who gives wise advice makes a wife successful in her plans (see Proverbs 15:22).
15. A wise couple gives each other timely words and answers, giving each other joy (see Proverbs 15:23).
16. The thoughts of a pure-hearted couple please God (see Proverbs 15:26).
17. A wise and honest couple who fear God do not seek ill-gotten gain and harm their family (see Proverbs 15:27).
18. A righteous couple thinks carefully about what to say to each other, but a wicked couple spews out evil words to each other (see Proverbs 15:28).
19. . A wise couple not only knows how to listen to each other’s good rebuke, but they also receive the rebuke with joy, and so they gain enlightenment (see Proverbs 15:31, 32).
20. A couple who fears God gains wisdom, and so they are humble (see Proverbs 15:33).