Whom Thou Hast Given Me

 •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 10
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As a woman, when I think of the phrase, “those whom Thou hast given me,” I tend to think about my own family which the Lord has given me and my responsibility toward them. Although God is sovereign and has everything under His ultimate control, God gives us a certain responsibility toward our husband and children. Proverbs 14:11Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands. (Proverbs 14:1) says, “Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.” Genesis 3:6-126And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 7And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. 8And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. 9And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. 11And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? 12And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. (Genesis 3:6‑12) shows us someone (Adam) who neglected to act responsibly. Not only did he fail to be with the one whom God had given him, to be at her side to help her in time of temptation, but his own weakness led him to behave in disobedience.
By contrast, in John 17:44I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. (John 17:4) the Lord Jesus Himself says, “I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do.” One can see His complete obedience to the Father as He goes on to say in verse 6, “I have manifested Thy name unto the men whom Thou gavest Me out of the world; Thine they were, and Thou gavest them Me; and they have kept Thy word.” He kept the ones the Father entrusted to His care! Farther on in chapter 18:9 He says, “Of them which Thou gavest Me have I lost none.” May this be the answer we can give to our Father about those little ones the Lord has entrusted to us to be raised for Him and for His glory. May we be supportive of our husbands as they go on in their desire to please Him, not burdening them with our demands and complaints, and may we pray that He will increase our talents for the demands of everyday life. There is no way we can do this in our own strength, but in this task of being a wife and mother we can remember that the power is through His name, and that He is able to keep that which is committed unto Him against that day.