Fear Thou not, for I am with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I with strengthen thee. Yea, I will help thee. Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness. The Bible says that every wise woman builds her house. From the moment a woman decides to follow Jesus Christ, she embarks on a building program that can change the course of the world. Whether you’re in the beginning stages of building your home and it doesn’t seem to matter that much, or you’ve already built a beautiful home that nourishes generations, your life matters. The future of the world is affected by your decision to turn your heart toward home. Every wise woman builds. Susan needs to get to sleep, but her fingers won’t slow down with the clicking to and fro on her phone. She mindlessly clicks over to her Etsy page and sees she has a new review! Yay! That makes two! She reads it, confused at first because it only has two stars. She’s not sure it’s a review for her product until the words penetrate: “Cute idea, but poor execution. The item is cheaply made, lacking skill or creativity. Could have done better to buy the supplies at Walmart and made it myself. Would not recommend.” Like a wound that hasn’t registered yet, her mouth drops open before the emotions hit. Of course, it’s cheaply made. I couldn’t afford more than that and still turn a profit. Did you not appreciate the free shipping, lady? But the defenses dissolve as a tear forms. Every fear she ever had about her ability to do this is unearthed in that review. Have you ever had your worth called into question? It’s one thing to doubt yourself. It’s quite another for someone to confirm that you’re as worthless as you feared. Sarah was named by God. He called her “princess.” She was married to a nomad who believed God was leading him, even though he had no idea where. He also believed God was going to bless them with a great lineage. All around them, there was fertility. Flocks multiplied as God blessed her husband. Those flocks and herds fertilized the ground. Servants multiplied around them. Even her nephew had a growing family. Yet Sarah, the princess, went month after month with no news. Year after year. Empty. A useless eater, never producing the firstborn of that lineage that would multiply like everything else Abraham touched. Today we know Sarah was the mother of nations. She’s the woman God tells every godly woman to emulate. Kings saw her as desirable even when she was old. I wonder, though, how Sarah saw herself. Did she ever wonder if she was worth keeping around? Did she ever feel in the way, as decade after decade revealed her inability to produce the promised child? Did she ever feel the need to apologize for herself, defend herself against accusations only she could hear? Do you? Do I? How different could her life have been if she’d only believed that the God who promised her such a grand future was the one who had a reason to wait to bring that promise to pass? If she could have known the end of the story, she’d have realized that the waiting was necessary for the miracle. How different would the world look today if she’d realized her worth wasn’t in her womb, but in the promise of God? My worth is not in what I own. Nor is yours. Your worth is not found in who greets you in the morning, or how many likes your Instagram has, or in whether your kids call you on Mother’s Day. You are not worthy because the top of your refrigerator is clean, or because your kids sit quietly in church, or because people listen to your podcast. Your worth is revealed by the blood of Creator, shed for you. You. Listen to the words of this song, sung by Keith & Kristyn Getty: My worth is not in what I own Not in the strength of flesh and bone But in the costly wounds of love At the cross My worth is not in skill or name In win or lose, in pride or shame But in the blood of Christ that flowed At the cross Refrain: I rejoice in my Redeemer Greatest Treasure, Wellspr