Friday, February 22, 2008

Bible Study About The Proverbs 31 Woman

This week's woman in my devotional is the Proverbs 31 woman.

At first glance she can seem a little overwhelming. Reading about her may cause you to think "Gee whiz, who could keep up with her?"
She buys fields, makes all her family clothes to wear, is up before daylight to prepare food for her family, just to name a few things that she does. There's no way I can do ALL of that. The book points out that if you only focus on "all" of the things she accomplishes you would be missing the point. The point is that she uses all of the time God gives her wisely, and uses it to bless her family. And in doing so, she is honoring God. She shows her love for the Lord by the way she lives her life. It's not all of the "chores" that she does that brings God glory, it is her love for Him. That is what makes her worthy of praise.

You can be the most physically beautiful woman, wearing the finest clothes, with a perfectly decorated house located in the best neighborhood, but these things do not matter for eternity. They are not bad things to possess, but they do not have a lasting legacy. They are fleeting. The only thing that matters for eternity is the love you have for the Lord. Period.

Proverbs 31:30
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.


One year at a fall festival at my church, a mom came dressed as the Proverbs 31 woman. She had a cape that had "P 31" on it. She was a Biblical "Super Woman." It was a great costume. Very funny! But in reality, God does not expect us to all be Superwoman. He just wants us to love Him above anyone or anything else in this world.

You can still buy your clothes from a store, and eat your meals at a restaurant and bring glory to God . Use your time doing the things He calls you to do, not what the world asks of you.

The key to opening the door to a fulfilling life with Christ is wisdom. Know what He says about life. His Word is all that matters.

Proverbs 19:8
She who gets wisdom loves her own soul; She who cherishes understanding prospers.


The book ends the Proverbs 31 lesson with this prayer:
"Lord, you know better than I the kind of heart in which wisdom grows best-one in which patience, faith, and humility are there to nourish it. Help me cultivate a heart in which wisdom can quickly take root and flourish. Let wisdom be so much a part of my life that it produces a shelter for others."

1 comment:

Dee said...

Have you had a chance to read my renditon of the Proverbs 31 woman? I wrote it to remind myself of who I'm trying to be.