The Atmosphere

Genesis 2:18 KJV (WS)

And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

God’s work wasn’t complete because man couldn’t reproduce; so He made a helper to enable him to propagate his kind

Help meet - She would be suitable intellectually, morally, and physically—as his counterpart.

She was created because all of the perfection of the Garden of Eden did not give to Adam what he needed.

1 Peter 3:6 KJV (WS)

Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

There she stands with the beauty of Sarah as she made Abraham her lord, with the courage of Deborah as she stood beside Barak in the battle against the enemy, with the depth of Hannah as she prayed for and reared her son, with the royalty of Esther as she stood before the king and spared a nation.

There she is with the grace of Lydia, the poise of Mary, the humility of Phoebe, the friendship of Dorcas, the faith of Rhoda, the ambition of Salome, the worship of Mary, the care of Martha, and the praise of Mary Magdalene.

There she stands, our Miss Universe, with the patience of Anna, the loveliness of Rachel, the love of Jochebed, the gentleness of Elisabeth and the spirit of Lois. Wrapped up in all these personalities is what you ought to be. Take all the good from all the good women of the Word of God and there, dear lady, is what God intended you to be.

Who could have guessed that in the midst of Eden's loveliness, innocence and peace where angels guarded the gates of the garden and where peace, love and joy prevailed, who could have looked at this magnificent creature of God's omnipotence and ever thought that evil could find an entrance! In the loveliness of this woman is also the potential for ugliness.

In her joy is the potential for sadness. In her grace is the potential for selfishness. In her humility is the potential for pride. In her submission is the potential for rebellion. In her faith is the potential for doubt.

Though she is lovely and though all the good qualities of all the women in the Bible are potentially hers, there is another potential that she possesses.

She bears in her breast the potential of Michal, who hated her husband and laughed at him because he got happy and shouted when the Ark of the Covenant came back to God's people. She can, if she chooses, possess the rebellion of Jezebel, who fell and with her took a nation.

She owns the seed of the selfishness of Athaliah, who could kill her own grandchildren for her own rights and privileges.

It's difficult to imagine that this beautiful queen of the Garden of Eden, the one who filled every need of Adam, could possess in her breast the hatred of Herodias, who had John the Baptist's head served in a platter!

It's hard to believe that she could be a soiled Rahab, who could sell her body to the hands and lusts of wicked men.

It's hard to believe that this beautiful one has the potential so that her feet could carry her to Moab with Naomi.

It's hard to believe that these lips could possess the potential of lying as did Sapphira. There behind her smile dwells the possibility of hatred and the disposition of Abigail.

Ladies, it is up to you, as it was to Eve, to decide, for there is in your breast all the loyalty of Sarah, the loveliness of Rachel, the tenderness of Mary, the servitude of Martha, the patience of the mother of Christ (His earthly mother), and the gentleness of Rebecca.

There is also a bit of Jezebel, Michal, and the others. It is up to you to decide.

Whether it be good or bad, there is one thing that woman does.

The Atmosphere

A pervading tone or mood of a place, situation, or work of art.

John 20:16 KJV (WS)

Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.

Luke 24:32 KJV (WS)

And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

Ladies you determines the spirit and the atmosphere of any place where she is present.

Woman was not made to till the soil, she was not made to build the house, she was not made to steer the crane, nor stack the brick, nor hew the stones, nor build the road, nor head the state, nor lead the church, nor reap the harvest.

It is woman's job to determine the atmosphere while the soil is being tilled. It is woman's job to determine the atmosphere while the house is being built.

Though it is not her job to steer the crane, it is her job to make happy the one who steers the crane.

It's not her job to stack the brick nor hew the stone; it's her job to make a wonderful spirit and atmosphere while the brick is being stacked and the stone is being hewn.

It's not her job to build the road, nor head the state, nor lead the church, nor reap the harvest.

Everywhere woman has ever been, it has been her job to provide the spirit of atmosphere while man does his work and changes the course of history.

Woman can make Eden a paradise if she so chooses, or she can curse everything in it, as she did.

She can make an ark a lifeboat and the Nile River a nursery if she wants to, or she can curse her husband in Job's ash heap. It's her choice!

She can ruin a nation as did Jezebel or she can change a house into a church as did Priscilla.

She can make a preaching service great by giving all or ruin one by withholding some as did Sapphira.

She can fill the house with Mary's ointment or she can fill it with Michal's hatred.

She can save a nation as did Esther or she, like Jezebel, can destroy one.

Ladies, I don't think you understand completely how the atmosphere is determined by you.

Woman's spirit determines the tranquility of the home, the spirit of the office, the unity of the church, the reputation of the preacher, the health of her husband and the joy of her children.

She's not the one whose name is put in the headlines of the paper.

She's the one who makes man have a delightful place to be. 'Tis her spirit, her attitude, her disposition.

Any time a woman is present, she determines the spirit and the atmosphere many times more than does the man.

Though she's not the head, she's the neck that determines which way the head looks.

Some women are not listed in the Bible by name--the Shunammite woman, the little maid that pointed Naaman toward the man of God, the widow who gave two mites, the widow at Zarephath, and others.

You see, the honest truth is, though you're not made to have your name in the headlines, break the records, win the wars and fight the battles, God made you for a specific purpose.

You have that power too. It's up to you which one you choose.

You are the mood-determiner, the atmosphere-determiner, the Holy Spirit of the family.