He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD. Proverbs 18:22

Back when I was in the parish I loved doing pre-marital interviews.

For me, one of the high points of the time together was the selection of Bible verses for the service. Most of the time the couple would ask for suggestions and among the passages I offered was the one from Proverbs 18: That verse is the theme for this devotion.

I can tell you, almost without fail, the bride would come unglued when she heard those words. “Finds a good thing. What am I, some sort of lost set of keys that I have to be found? And since when am I a thing? I’m not a thing. I’m a person. I’m a bride. Nope, we’re not going to use that passage. Pastor, don’t you dare read that passage at our wedding.”

I generally didn’t use it. There are some things worth dying for and some which aren’t. Me, I didn’t want to meet my Maker at the hands of a furious, fire-breathing bride.

Even so, Salary.Com, a Massachusetts firm which studies workplace compensation agrees that a wife is a pretty good deal, at least financially. They calculate if moms were compensated in dollars, they would, for a 94.4 hour work week, bring in $117,000 a year.

From what I’ve seen, mom’s are worth every penny of that none-too-generous salary.

Of course, moms, like teachers and garbage collectors generally don’t get the recognition they’ve got coming. Which is a shame.

Just as it is a shame that the Lord Jesus Christ never gets the credit or thanks which ought to come to Him for all that He has done.

Think for a moment. What could you pay Someone to leave heaven and walk around earth for 33 years, unappreciated, unapplauded and unloved? What would it be worth to you to have Someone give His life so you so all those you loved could be moved from hell to a mansion in heaven? What compensation can you offer to Someone Who died so you might live?

To paraphrase the passage of Proverbs… “Whoever is found by the Savior has been found by a unique Redeemer and has been given grace by the Lord.”

Now this devotion may motivate some men to give thanks for their spouses or moms. If so, wonderful! Most of all I pray it will help everyone give thanks for the Savior Who has done all, so we might have all.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, there are no words, no cash, no thanks which I can offer which would begin to show the appreciation You should be given for saving me. All I can do is, in word and deed, live a life of gratitude. Send Your Holy Spirit me so I show my gratefulness. In Your Name. Amen.

Pastor Ken Klaus Lutheran Hour Ministries http://www.lhm.org/ all rights reserved; not to be duplicated without permission.