Proverbs 31 Woman
The continuation of looking at the Proverbs Woman, and applying these important principles to our lives. Life with the Lord, and in His ways, is a joy.
The Bible verses:
Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above
rubies. She seeketh wool, and flax,and worketh willingly with her hands. She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. She stretcheth her hand to the poor;yea,she reacheth forth her
hands to the needy. Her husband is known in the gates,when he sitteth among the
elders of the land. She openeth her mouth with wisdom;and in her tongue is the law of
kindness. Many daughters have done virtuously,but thou excellest them all.
The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her,so that he shall
have no need of spoil.
She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
She is like the merchants ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her
household. and a portion to her maidens.
She considereth a field, and buyeth it; with the fruit of her hands
she planteth a vineyard.
She perceiveth that her merchandise is good:her candle goeth not out
by night.
She layeth her hands to the spindle and her hands hold the distaff.
She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her
household is clothed with scarlet.
She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and
purple.
She maketh fine linen and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto
the merchant.
Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time
to come.
She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the
bread of idleness.
Her children rise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he
praiseth her
Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the
Lord, she shall be praised.
Give her the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in
the gates.
Building a Life Worth Living
ver. 17. Realizing what this verse was saying was a first indication (to me) of the importance of exercise. Yes, physical exercise. It has a purpose in a woman's life -get with a program and strengthen those loins!
ver.18 I love this verse, it is so affirming to me. I'm absolutely serious. This is a verse concerning self-esteem, a woman who has the perception that what she offers is good and has worth. And the next part? You could interpret it on a literal level: that the candle she produced was exceptional. But, I looked at this somewhat differently, the candle often being representative of a person's spirit, her spirit was not extinguished by the darkness of negativity. This woman has a sense of herself. Such a sense comes from the light of her eye; read Matthew 6:22, 23.
ver. 19 As a woman continues in life, she not only has fundamental skills, but hones her accomplishments.Continuing education, you might call it. The spindle and distaff are the next step after the gathering of wool and flax, mentioned in verse 13.
ver. 20 A woman who has learned to meet the needs of her loved ones, values herself, and has her own needs thus met, now is capable of looking beyond herself. Sharing the wealth, you might say. She doesn't just sit and wait for someone to ask, either. This woman is stretching herself to meet the needs of the poor and needy.
ver. 21,22 Here is the reward for taking care of the fundamentals, for consistent attention to the work of life: when lean times come, her family is prepared. I'm amazed at the next statement "her household is clothed with the best". It wasn't an end in itself, but all that diligence accrues. And, you know what? It is not a sin for her to look nice and care for herself, read verse 22 for yourself. I'm sure her husband is surprisingly appreciative- no matter how much a man loves a woman, or maybe because he does, he likes to see her care for her physical appearance.
ver. 23 Her reputation has become a source of honor for her husband. He becomes known for whom he married. That seems like a switch!
ver. 24 The skills and products can become a career, whether full or part time. Instead of scrambling for fulfillment, or bemoaning an empty nest, there is a smooth transition to what sounds like a successful business.
ver. 25 The mature woman who can look forward to her future: strength, honor, and joy. These were the aims of many of the before-mentioned endeavors, and now, a sweet firstfruit harvest to reap. It seems that strength and honor are goals a woman can strive after.
ver. 26 The law of kindness. Things we do not speak, things we must speak. Only a great deal of temperance, training oneself over and over, and cultivating a quiet heart, can begin the acquisition of this type of tongue. Wisdom and kindness are traits to desire and acquire, starting now. We can't start any younger.
ver. 27 Habits summarized and reiterated. It's important to care for those in your sphere of influence, it's worthwhile to have a productive and diligent life. Sometimes we need to hear it again.
ver. 28,29 I think the most important thing to a woman is to be loved. A man needs respect, but a woman needs love; and those qualities are always symbiotic. A woman cannot feel loved if she is not respected, and a man cannot feel respected if he is not loved. Do you doubt this? What famous and/or rich man doesn't want to be loved for himself, even when people respect him for his work and success? And for a woman's husband to place her above all other women in his estimation, is sweet praise,indeed.
ver. 30,31 Favor, the sense of the word is what we term
"popular"; or the definition of a " charming
woman". Along with physical beauty, these are the holy grail
of our youth. And we are so loath to see them fade. Here,
dissected and examined, such favor is termed deceitful. It wasn't
real, and the affection it manufactured was equally vaporous.
Beauty is deemed vain, an empty and futile endeavor: because every
woman's physical beauty fades. Fact of life, plastic surgery,
notwithstanding.
What stands? The praise and honor of those who esteem her, her
fruit, and her works. Outcomes springing from her 'fear of the
Lord'. This is a complex concept and finds little analogy in
modern life. I think it is fear as an emotion, but without the
connotation of horror or terror. 'Fear of the Lord' constitutes
paying attention to His guidelines because you respect Him,
believe the stated consequences, and desire to retain his
affection. We exhibit this type of fear daily, in misplaced ways:
we're afraid of what people think, we're afraid we'll lose
someones love, we're afraid of breaking untold numbers of
imaginary laws, personal taboos of walking under a ladder or -who
knows what? The virtuous woman has simply made choices and based
her life on the Lord's guidelines. Maybe, she would rather have
not worked and risked new ventures, but was afraid to miss out on
God's promises. I do believe she found such a life worthwhile and
fulfilling, and even happy. So, I ask myself, do I want such a
life? Fulfilled, accomplished, honored? Is it worth the
discipline? Rhetorical questions that need to be placed
predominately in my consciousness- because I all too soon forget what
is at stake.