The Wife of Noble Character
10 [a]A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20 She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20 She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
Many years ago and a few states back, I, through some mentoring that I was doing, became extremely convicted about what kind of wife/mother I was. I had read Proverbs 31:10-31 and realized that I wasn't doing many of those (if any). I became convicted that Proverbs 31 was to be a goal that I should always be working towards. It has become the standard by which I have been challenged to compare my life to and goal my days to look like.
BUT...
Some days I may hit 1 or 2 of those things at best. Some days I hit verse 31:14 (She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.) But somedays my ships may over cook that food from "a far"or "A far" might just be Chinese take out. Somedays I even get verse 15 (She gets up while it is still night;she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants.) Where my alarm goes off and I am up before the sun rises. I come downstairs turn on the coffee, dump a cup of milk in dry muffin mix and sit to read and pray while the oven heats. But as sure as my butt hits the couch I will hear little feet coming down the steps asking when breakfast will be finished. I usually fuss a little about how I am TRYING to have Jesus time and breakfast will be finished after Jesus and I chat about it. It is ironic how grumpy I get about my time with our grace giving, love pouring, sacrificial Saviour. Hmmm?
bringing her food from afar.) But somedays my ships may over cook that food from "a far"or "A far" might just be Chinese take out. Somedays I even get verse 15 (She gets up while it is still night;she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants.) Where my alarm goes off and I am up before the sun rises. I come downstairs turn on the coffee, dump a cup of milk in dry muffin mix and sit to read and pray while the oven heats. But as sure as my butt hits the couch I will hear little feet coming down the steps asking when breakfast will be finished. I usually fuss a little about how I am TRYING to have Jesus time and breakfast will be finished after Jesus and I chat about it. It is ironic how grumpy I get about my time with our grace giving, love pouring, sacrificial Saviour. Hmmm?
I can tell you that I never get verse 24 (She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.)
I have a sewing machine but sometimes it makes me say things and use words that I later have to pray about :# The reality is, if I do get more than 2 things on the Prov 31 list it is a miracle. If I get up before the sun, my children are NOT calling me blessed that evening. Because I am exhausted and grumpy. If I did make them garments to wear, they would hide in the closet because of my sewing skills. My "food from afar" is normally tough, dry, or burned. I pray that I speak with wisdom but if you follow me through Walmart long enough all wisdom and sanity slips away.
Proverbs 31 is a beautiful picture of a woman that honors her husband, her home, her children, and her God. I almost imagine this woman who floats around perfectly loving, and taking care of all that she comes into contact with. She probably even sprinkles glitter on her way.
I have wondered recently if all that Proverbs 31 speaks of is just one day in the life of this woman. One day in the life of a woman who finally pulled it together and got it all right for that one day. But what about the next day. Where she can't get out of bed because she was up so early the day before. Or she has blisters on her fingers from all of the clothing she made and sold. Or she has diarrhea from that food from afar. Or maybe just maybe T.O.M. shows up (Time Of Month) and she is just ticked off at everyone and needs some chocolate.
If there was a Proverbs 32 it might tell of the day after "perfection."
I guess I say all of this, to point out the fact that we aren't perfect. If we were, then we wouldn't need a Savior. Somedays we may get a little closer to being that person God calls us to be, but other days we may fail in a devastating way. It doesn't mean we don't try, it just means that we don't beat our selves up when we don't hit all of those verses.
Proverbs 31 is a beautiful picture of a woman that honors her husband, her home, her children, and her God. I almost imagine this woman who floats around perfectly loving, and taking care of all that she comes into contact with. She probably even sprinkles glitter on her way.
I have wondered recently if all that Proverbs 31 speaks of is just one day in the life of this woman. One day in the life of a woman who finally pulled it together and got it all right for that one day. But what about the next day. Where she can't get out of bed because she was up so early the day before. Or she has blisters on her fingers from all of the clothing she made and sold. Or she has diarrhea from that food from afar. Or maybe just maybe T.O.M. shows up (Time Of Month) and she is just ticked off at everyone and needs some chocolate.
If there was a Proverbs 32 it might tell of the day after "perfection."
I guess I say all of this, to point out the fact that we aren't perfect. If we were, then we wouldn't need a Savior. Somedays we may get a little closer to being that person God calls us to be, but other days we may fail in a devastating way. It doesn't mean we don't try, it just means that we don't beat our selves up when we don't hit all of those verses.
I teach my children when their schooling is hard to NEVER say "I can't" but to always say "I will try". So the standard is set in Proverbs 31 and I will try. The beauty of a statement like "I will try" is that we serve a grace giving, forgiving God. So when those days come and we look more like a Proverbs 32 woman than a 31 woman we can remember that we serve a God that promises in Lamentations 3:22-24
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;[a]
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;[a]
his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
~LL
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