Woman of the Lord
“Who can find a virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above rubies.
The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
She seeks wool and flax,
And willingly works with her hands.
She is like the merchant ships,
She brings her food from afar.
She also rises while it is yet night,
And provides food for her household,
And a portion for her maidservants.
She considers a field and buys it;
From her profits she plants a vineyard.
She girds herself with strength,
And strengthens her arms.
She perceives that her merchandise is good,
And her lamp does not go out by night.
She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hand holds the spindle.
She extends her hand to the poor,
Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.
She is not afraid of snow for her household,
For all her household is clothed with scarlet.
She makes tapestry for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies sashes for the merchants.
Strength and honor are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to come.
She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness.
She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her:
’Many daughters have done well,
But you excel them all.’
Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
Give her of the fruit of her hands,
And let her own works praise her in the gates.”
— Proverbs 31:10-31
Welcome to the Table
Welcome, once again, to my table. Take a break from all that is going on and let’s talk about the goodness of our God. And as a woman, where we are in the vast details of His creation. Details that are so finite, like one single bee pollinating, working to produce honey, which would be for pleasure and sustenance of mankind. Such a fine detail in the circle of the earth that our Creator sits above.
“Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain,
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.” — Isaiah 40:21-22
Chosen, Honored and Blessed
As women, we weren’t created just to be a companion for man. We were chosen, honored and blessed to compliment man and God’s marvelous creation.
Now, before you jump to any negative thoughts on that last statement, think of it from this perspective. There is a special place in our God’s own heart for a woman. He chose a woman, a humble woman, to carry and deliver His own Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to save our souls. Our God, who speaks things into existence, could have come and changed things in an instant. But He chose a woman. And then He made her great.
The role of women
In choosing Mary, God designed Jesus’s lineage, the house of David, from women of varied backgrounds. Women like Rahab, a harlot of Jericho, who protected Joshua’s soldiers from being discovered, which led to their victory and the falling of the walls of Jericho. She then became mother to Boaz, who married Ruth, a Moabite woman who turned to God. And became mother to Obed, who was father to Jesse, king David’s father.
And our Lord Jesus first showed himself to a woman when He was risen from the tomb.
Esther: For Such a Time
Let’s not forget Esther, a Hebrew orphan who became Queen to king Ahasuerus, ruler of Persia, who reigned over 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia. She believed that God put her there for such a time and was used by God to debunk a plan to annihilate Jews everywhere.
So, in all of this we know, that no matter what your circumstances, or whatever season you are in at this time, whether you are a single mom, a mom of a prodigal child, or anxious over the world’s goings on. We are not abandoned. As Proverbs 31:10-31 women, we are cherished.
Let’s pull our strength from our Maker.
And united in Christ, let us pray for our families and for each other. And remember to pray for Israel and the Middle East, for all the innocent.
“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” — 1 John 4:4