I'm going to ask you to take your Bibles and turn with me to Proverbs chapter 31. Proverbs 31. I'd like to look at verses 19 and 20 this evening, but just as a note of reminder of what we looked at last time leading up to this verse. We considered the wisdom of Almighty God in the person of our precious Savior.

And in verses 17 and 18, looking at these verses, remember, is a picture of the bride of Christ, the bride of the Lord Jesus, and her being prepared. Her being perceptive of the fruits that the Lord is producing through her. And then finally, the faithfulness that we find written in the Word of God concerning the bride.

She's prepared. She knows she's being prepared. And she's faithful because the Lord keeps her that way. This is what those verses said. Chapter 31, verses 17 and 18 said, she girdeth her loins with strength and strengtheneth her arms. She perceiveth that her merchandise is good. Her candle goeth not out by night. She's prepared for the work of the ministry.

Now this is a woman, I know, But it's a picture, it's a type of all God's sheep. And they're being prepared, they're prepared. They've got a calling and God prepares them for the calling of each of the members of his church. He prepares them. And the bride knows, she perceives that the Lord is producing fruit.

Through her. It's not her fruit, it's the Lord's fruit. But she knows it. And then she stays where she is. She's faithful where God called her. She's kept by the power of God through faith. The scripture says in those two verses I just looked at from last week, she girdeth her loins with strength. strengtheneth her own, and perceiveth that her merchandise is good, and her candle goeth not out by night.

She knows that she's girded with strength, and that spiritual language doesn't mean that she has anything to do with the preparation The Lord is her strength, and she knows it. She knows in herself that there's nothing that is produced by her. It's nothing. She knows that. We are vessels of his mercy, vessels used of the Lord. And God's people are thankful for that. They don't want any glory to be brought to themselves. Now, listen, I know this. We struggle. Oh, how we struggle.

I can tell you from experience, and I know you'll say, you that know him, you're going to say the same thing. You're going to see something that the Lord is pleased to do, or you're going to think of something that the Lord has done for you, you're going to perceive some work or some blessing or something, you're going to think about it, and immediately there's going to be a war. It's going to jump up right in the middle of your thought of something that the Lord was pleased to do through you or by you. And that old man is going to say, good job, good man. Wow, that was something good that you came up with. Man, you thought a great thought. And then immediately the believer is going to say, Lord, forgive me for that.

Oh, what do I have that you didn't give me? I don't have anything glory in. It's just it's just a constant battle. And we know this is so from this Scripture, John 15, four and five, let me read this to you. Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine, no more can ye except ye abide in me. The Lord said, I am the vine and you're the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit. For without me ye can do nothing. Ye do nothing.

And I'm telling you, a believer knows that. He knows it in his heart, and he believes it. And he still struggles with the flesh. That old enemy, this wretched man that is within us, Paul said, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I hate the things I think, the things I give myself honor for. Well, you know, I've been studying. I put in X amount of hours on this.

What do you have that wasn't given to you? You don't have anything. If the Lord had withheld, the Lord could take our mind and it'd be gone. Ask Nebuchadnezzar or ask Marvin, whichever one you can get to first. I'm telling you, it can be over just like that. It's gone. It's just, what do you have that you didn't receive? And if you received it, why'd you glory in it?

It's a battle. But nonetheless, God's people are thankful. They're thankful for what the Lord has been pleased to do in them and through them. She, the bride, is the sheep of his pasture, and the church loves That truth. They love, he's the shepherd, I'm the sheep.

And they don't want, they don't want in their new man, they don't want any glory. And she's still struggling with herself. That old man, she's still struggling with it, telling her, you have reason to glory. And the new man says, no you don't. No, you don't.

Bride says, Psalm 115, verse one, not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name's sake, unto thy name, I'm sorry, give glory for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake, Psalm 115, one. So knowing that there's nothing, physically speaking, spiritually speaking, there's nothing that is done outwardly, inwardly, for good, spiritually speaking, by the bride that is praiseworthy. There's nothing done. It doesn't originate with us.

We're vessels of his mercy. So with that thought in mind, I want us to consider the spirit, the spirit of the heart of the bride. the spirit of the heart of the bride in her work as she goes about in this world. I want us to consider it. Like I said, I've already laid this down.

It's a battle and you know, it's a battle. You know, you know it is, but I want us to look at the next two verses and just for a few minutes, consider that what, what is actually going on. not only in the individual heart of a believer, but in the midst of God's people. This is a body, but this is a body, a spiritual body. And this body has got functions. It does stuff. I'll read about it in a minute.

This body's got different elements about it that does different things that's needful for the well-being of this body. But this body's got different elements, too, that's needful for this body, for God's glory, and the good of His people. And we know that the bride is in this world, and she's seen to be, spiritually speaking, she's seen to be There's some activity that goes on. There's some individual activities, not just in this body right here or in this body right here. There's some individual things that's going on for the good of this body.

You know, if my shoulder's hurting, you know, my body will say, well, just kind of roll it over a little bit and it'll maybe loosen it up a little bit, you know. Well, my foot can't do that. Only my shoulder can use it, because that's what's hurting right there. So there's some activity that goes on, but there's some activity that goes on here too.

And it's for the good of this body. And the particular activity that's done within this body or this body is of the Lord. That's the way He's ordered it. Now, when she's doing, when the bride of Christ is doing, going about whatever she has been called to do, she goes about it with an attitude, a certain attitude about her. That's what I've entitled this message. I entitled it The Attitude of a Believer, The Attitude of a Believer. I want to read a couple of verses, 19 and 20. And I'll just kind of try to make a few comments on that.

She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor, yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. Now, I looked at that passage of scripture And I'll tell you this, that there's so many things that went through my mind, how many messages I could have, or what direction I could have gone. I could have, I mean, different, different ways to deal with this passage of scripture. Just looking at those words, you know, she layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff, and she stretches out her hand to the poor, I thought about the poor in this world, the poor spiritually in this world.

Her hands reaches forth, her hands to the needy, the needy, you know, the needy and just my mind was just everywhere. But here's where my mind settled on this message tonight. We read these passages of scripture And we understand it when we're reading it.

It's having to do with a woman doing something. She's doing something. What is she doing? Well, she's laying her hands to the spindle. She holds the disc staff. She stretches out her hand to the poor, yet she reaps forth her hand to the needy. She's doing something. He's doing something with the spinning wheel. I got it, I read it, and I was thinking about a spinning wheel. I've never operated a spinning wheel. I don't know, I've just seen people do it.

They get it going, and it's got this pump on there, and it goes, and it's doing something. It's making yarn, and I don't know what it's doing, but it's doing something. But it's operating. for the good of producing yarn or making thread, and it's going to make a garment. But here's this woman, and she's in picture type. She's operating. She's doing something. What she's doing is what she's desiring to do. She's wanting to make a garment. She's wanting to make something.

She didn't produce the thread. She didn't produce the wool. The Lord didn't. She didn't produce the flax. We looked at that. She didn't make that. She's taking what was provided for her by the Lord, and she's producing something. But what she's producing is something that is in her heart. She wants to do it. She's got a desire to do it. Now, let me ask you this. I want you to take, first of all, turn to 1 Corinthians 12, 4 to 27. 1 Corinthians 12, 4 to 7. The more I went over these notes today, the more I thought, Marvin, keep it simple. Keep it as simple as you can. That's what I'm really trying to do. Here's what, here's what, here's the of everything that I've said. Here's a picture. Here's a type. 1 Corinthians 4. I talked about this woman and she's making something. She's doing something.

And relate this picture of this woman as the bride of Christ in the hands of the Lord. This woman is the bride. He's the husband. And this woman is making something. This bride is making something. She's doing something. But in this world, the Bride of Christ is doing something by the power and direction of Almighty God. He's using her for His glory and her good. She's doing something. And what she's doing is at His discretion, His honor, His teaching, His goodness. But something about the Bride that's amazing to me, according to these scriptures, how she's made up, how the Lord has made her.

Now, here's a group of people, and I can look at you, and I know you. I know somewhat what you do or what you did or where you live, and I know some things about you, but there's a oneness about us here. We're all from different places, but there's a oneness in our heart. And we're all here tonight for God's glory and God's honor. And listen to what the Lord has to say about the body and the producing of his church and his honor of his church. Chapter 12, 1 Corinthians chapter 12, starting in verse 4.

Now there are diversities of gifts, but same spirit. their differences of administrations, but the same Lord. The manifestations of a spirit is given to everyone to profit with all. For to one is given by the spirit the word of wisdom, to another word of knowledge by the same spirit, to another faith by the same spirit, to another the gifts of healing by the same spirit, to another the workings of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another diverse kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But all these worketh that one in the selfsame spirit dividing to every man severally as he will.

For as the body is one and hath many members, and all the members of that body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one spirit we all are baptized, oh wait, for by one spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jew, Gentiles, whether we be bond-free, we have been all made to drink into one body. For the body is not one member, but many.

And if the foot shall say, because I'm not the hand, I'm not the body, is it therefore not the body? And if the ear shall say, because I'm not the eye, I'm not of the body, is it therefore not the body? I'm sorry, verse 16. And if the ear shall say, because I am not the eye, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where is the smelling? But now hath God set the members, every one of them, in the body as it had pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now they are many members, yet but one body.

And the eye cannot say into the hand, I have no need of thee, Nor again the head of the feet, I have no need of you, nay, much more those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary. And those members of the body which we think be less honorable, unto these we betroth more abundant honor. And our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. for our comely parts have no need, but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honor to that part, which lacketh that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it. One member be honored, all the members rejoice with it. the body of Christ, members in particular.

Now, here's the point. Back in Proverbs, the scriptures say concerning this woman, she's making a garment. And here's what she's doing. She lays her hands to the spindle. This woman, In whatever she's about to make, she's diligent in what she's doing. She's steadfast in what she's doing. She's wanting to make a garment. She lays her hand to the spindle. She's not lax. She's not lazy. She's diligent. She holds the distaff.

She stretches out her hand to the poor, reaches forth her hands to the needy. When we come together in whatever place the Lord's put us, we strive, we long to be diligent in what we're doing. I want to be found faithful in what the Lord has called me to do. What we've just read, humanly speaking, has something to do with a woman making something. It's an illustration. But concerning our coming together tonight, let me ask you something. What is the Lord's position for each one of us? I don't know. What is the Lord's position truly for you? What is the Lord's position for you? I don't know. And I'll guarantee you, you don't know. You don't know.

Does the I, does my I, I'm just thinking, does my I know that it's an I? I would say if you just asked me that off the cuff, I'd say no, I don't think my eye doesn't have a brain. My eye is an instrument. Does my hand know that it's a hand? No. But the Lord knows it's a hand and the Lord knows it's an eye.

In this body right here, does every person know exactly the ministry that they've been called to? No. We don't know. But I tell you this, the Lord knows. And whatever ministry he's called us to do, I want to do it with all my heart. I want to. Someone says, well, do you know what your ministry is? I don't. But he does. So what do I do? I'm going to lay my hand to the spindle, and I'm going to be honest with the Lord. And so, Lord, I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do. But you do. And I'm asking you, Lord, for your glory and for the good of your people. Lord, direct me. You're the shepherd. I'm the sheep.

I don't know anything. I'm coming here tonight to hear what God has to say. And here's what I've heard him say to me. Marvin, you don't know what I'm doing through you. I have no earthly idea what the Lord, I have no, I've had people say to me, well, I heard you say one time that you so-and-so and so-and-so, I don't even remember saying it.

But that was really, that really helped me. I didn't even know, I didn't think about it. I didn't know what I was doing. But I tell you what I do want to do. I want to be found faithful in what the Lord has called me to do. I want to seek him in prayer and just be honest with him. I've told you before, be honest with the Lord.

Lord, I don't know what to pray. You know how I know that? The Lord told me. We don't know what to pray, but the Spirit makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be honored. Lord, I know this. It's good that I assemble myself with your people. You know it's good, Lord. You said where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of you. You want to know where we're fed? truthfully free. There's something special about meeting together with God's people. There's something special about that. The Lord said, I'm there. And that's good. That's, that's, that's enjoyable. That's pleasurable. That's encouraging to me. I want to be diligent. I want to be diligent in hearing what God has to say. Here again.

My arm doesn't know it's an arm. All this arm does is what the brain tells it to do. The brain just told me just lift this arm up right here. Wiggle their hands. Brain told me that. This hand doesn't know that. This hand is nothing more than a servant of the brain. And here's the body of Christ right here. And I don't know. I don't know what God is doing in this world. Told you that's what Don told me. He said, Marvin, always remember. We never know what God's doing. We never know. We don't know. We think we know. We think we do.

But whatever we do, turn with me to, as I close this, 1 Corinthians 10.31. 1 Corinthians 10.31. The lot's laid, I'm just quoting this when I'm looking at 10.31. The lot is laid into the lap. I've tried to study on this, hours and hours on this message for the night.

Seeking God, seeking his direction, seeking his blessing, praying that God would bless it to the people. It's the next two verses of scriptures and proverbs and that's where I'm going through this book. That's where I just purpose to be. What I wanted to do is read the next two verses that God had laid upon Solomon's heart to write and then expound them. And then take the words that the Lord has written and bless to my heart and pray that God would give me a message and then preach it.

And then pray that God blesses it. Because I can't bless it to you. I can't do it. All I can do is tell you what the Lord has set forth in His word and expound those scriptures. and believe that God is gonna do what God's gonna do. But here's what 1 Corinthians 10 31 says. Whether therefore you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God. Do it to the glory of God.

Again, I came tonight Knowing. These scriptures, in my understanding, are deep. They're very deep. And I don't know the depth of that passage I read tonight, those two verses out of Psalm 31. I don't know the depth of it. I know that God wrote it. And I know this. that faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. I know that.

And the Lord has commissioned every preacher that He's called, you feed my sheep. Now, here's what I'm going to do. The sheep, they want to feed on Christ Himself, and Christ is revealed in His Word. And here's all I've got for you, what the Lord has been pleased to say. So I'm going to close by reading these two verses of scripture that I read. And I'm going to pray that the Lord be pleased to bless them. Verses 19, chapter 31, verse 1920. She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the disc down. She stretches out her hand to the poor. Yea, she reaches forth her hands to the needy.

This is what I got for you tonight. This is what God said. And I can do no better than to tell you what the Lord has said and rest in that. That's all I've got. But that's all we need. What's the Lord going to do with those two passages of Scripture? I don't know. I don't know. That's not my call. My call is to be found faithful. And I pray that God be pleased to bless them. Bless those passages of Scripture to the heart of His people for His glory and our good. Amen.