(Proverbs 31:10-31)
10 An excellent wife, who can find her?
For her worth is far above jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
13 She looks for wool and linen,
And works with her hands in delight.
14 She is like merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
15 And she rises while it is still night
And gives food to her household,
And portions to her attendants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
From her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She surrounds her waist with strength
And makes her arms strong.
18 She senses that her profit is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hands grasp the spindle.
20 She extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies belts to the tradesmen.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the future.
26 She opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the activities of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
29 “Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her the product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
For her worth is far above jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
13 She looks for wool and linen,
And works with her hands in delight.
14 She is like merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
15 And she rises while it is still night
And gives food to her household,
And portions to her attendants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
From her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She surrounds her waist with strength
And makes her arms strong.
18 She senses that her profit is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hands grasp the spindle.
20 She extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies belts to the tradesmen.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the future.
26 She opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the activities of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
29 “Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her the product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
This passage isn't just about the excellent wife, it is about the excellent husband and wife! In fact, here we find a very relevant and very amazing "power-couple"! We can learn a lot of valuable things from both of them. Just as Jesus is our perfect example to follow... except that Jesus is real, and He is God (part of the trinity). Now, we know, and obviously God knows, that we cannot be perfect (yet), but it helps us to get a visual on the things we should be striving towards.
Both husband and wife are believers, who put the Lord first in their lives. Loving God first, this couple clearly applies God's agape love towards each other. The two of them are one flesh and are living it, both working together as a team, in unity. Both are being intentionally good and loving towards each other, saying and doing all things with the best intentions.
What is most noticeable in these verses are the attributes of the perfect wife:
She is God-fearing, and so, does not fear the future or times of struggles. She is joyful, loving, kind, caring and generous in helping those in need. She is supportive, wise, confident and strong in the Lord. She is always ready to help and to teach. She is trustworthy, and hardworking.
Being entrepreneurial, with integrity, the wife is good with money, and pays her employees fairly. She does not selfishly squander money, but with delight, tackles all types of jobs, and even works outside of the home (buying, selling and investing). And while her focus is on her internal beauty, she does not neglect her or her family's external appearance. She is not vain or self-centered, and does not flirt or use feminine charm to get her way. Being faithful, she does not ever neglect or abandon God, her husband, children and household (in that order).
What is not as noticeable are the attributes of this perfect husband:
He is God-fearing and serves as one of the elders. He is also hardworking, as he "sits" (works) at the gate where business negotiations and court hearings take place. Yet, he values his wife more than any worldly possessions, and speaks well of her in public. He trusts his wife with finances, and trusts that she has a healthy balance between work and family life. He encourages her and praises her, and allows her to enjoy the fruit of her labor.
Now let's look at the perfect couple and their household:
This household has servants, because both are working diligently and managing their finances wisely. Well, most of us do not have servants, and that's okay! This is where teamwork continues to step up! Just as it's okay for a woman to work outside of the home, it's more than okay for a man and the children to help out around the house. Notice that the children are well-behaved and respectful, because both parents are pouring into them love, kind instruction and discipline.
It actually all comes down to a very simple thing. While the rest of society is centered around "me" and "myself" and "what do I get?"... as believers, just as Jesus came to serve, we all should be striving to do just that - serve! Serve God and serve each other! And in our service, use God's strength and guidance, and have God's love as our motive in all that we say and do.
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