House

The many proverbs that deal with life in the home are well summarized in the words, “the Lord blesses the house of the righteous“. But the righteous people are practical people, and if this promise is to be realized fully, something is required of all who live in the house.

First of all, husband and wife must make a special effort to be lovingly considerate of each other, if not, the house that was intended to be a place of calm and peace can degenerate into one of tension and quarrelling. Parents must discipline their children firmly but lovingly; if not, the children may grow up to be spoilt and to have no respect for their parents. All who live in the house must learn to be thoughtful and forgiving; if not, they will find that, by insisting on having their way, they bring unending discontent.

From the outside, some houses appear to lack nothing. They look as if they provide every comfort for the occupants, and may even provide lavish meals for family and guests. But no fruit of wealth can compensate for the absence of harmony in the house. It is better to live simply amid peace than to live extravagantly amid conflict; better to eat a little food with quiet than to have a house full of feasting with strife; better to have simple food where love is than to have rich food amid hatred.

When the Lord Jesus went into people’s homes, he brought the sorts of blessings reflected in Proverbs. He brought peace where there was distress, calm where there was turmoil, healing where there was sickness, forgiveness where there was sin, joy where there was sadness, life where there was death. He did not promise a trouble-free home for the future, and neither does he give such a promise today. Nevertheless, if the presence of Christ is there, those in the house will be blessed and those outside will notice.

Victorian Home