Proverbs 12:4

"An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones." Proverbs 12:4

Everyone wants quality. Most men, if they have to wear a suit, would love to own a custom tailored suit. A suit from the best tailor in town cut to our own body shape would feel wonderful. Unfortunately, most of us can't afford such a garment. Most of us would love to drive a Mercedes Benz or luxury car or sports machine. The feel of fine tooled leather; the power available at the touch of foot to pedal; the exhilaration of such precision machinery must be "out of this world." Unfortunately, most of us drive our old clunkers until they are beyond repair and then buy someone else's cast-off and do it all again.

Most women would love to have the finest jewelry, perhaps a $100,000 diamond ring to go with her luxurious furs and designer clothing. Unfortunately, most of them live on a very small budget. All of life is a trade-off. We desire the best. We settle for the best our money can buy.

Solomon tells his son that the best wife in the world is a treasure worth clinging to. Whatever a man does, wherever he goes, his wife makes him look good. It may not be that she is the most beautiful woman, physically, in the room. It is that she is smooth and secure. Her role is to support her husband. She makes sure he looks good in his clothing. She sees to it that he knows what is happening (after all, we all know that most men are clueless!) and what is soon to happen. She makes her home a palace to be enjoyed by her family. She is frugal in her extravagance. (See finds a way to furnish her home and clothe her family with products that look like they cost a million, and she does it on pennies.)

Yes, we all desire the best our money can buy, and we are proud of what we own.

God is the same way. He has chosen us because He sees in us the excellence He created in us. He sees beyond the zits and flaws and sins. He sees deep into the soul, and He sees not the filth, but the perfection He created and will recreate. God does not make mistakes. Never has. Never will. His desire is that we become His showpiece. Oh, He knows our limitations, he did create us. He knows our flaws. He wept over each one as we inflicted them upon ourselves. But He knows what is yet to come. In many ways He is like a diamond cutter. What I see as a pretty rock, He sees as a brilliant cut diamond. What I see as a flaw, He sees as raw material ready for the Craftsman. What I see as failure, He sees as an opportunity to witness His power and love and grace and mercy.

To God, we are like an "excellent wife." He desires for us to make Him "proud." And, what's more, He gives us the tools, the opportunities, and the experiences to do just that. Are you allowing Him to make you into a "crown jewel"? Amen and Amen.