Proverbs 31:10-31
Well we are here; today we finish our study of Proverbs. Tomorrow we start on the book of Daniel. For everyone that has been with us over the past 41 days thank you.
I will be on the road Saturday and Sunday so if my post end up being posted a little late in the afternoon please check back during the day, I do not want to write my post early during this study because if needed we will stay on the topic at hand until we all understand the days study.
Proverbs 31:10-31
New King James Version (NKJV)
The Virtuous Wife
10 Who can find a virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax,
And willingly works with her hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
She brings her food from afar.
15 She also rises while it is yet night,
And provides food for her household,
And a portion for her maidservants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
From her profits she plants a vineyard.
17 She girds herself with strength,
And strengthens her arms.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is good,
And her lamp does not go out by night.
19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hand holds the spindle.
20 She extends her hand to the poor,
Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
For all her household is clothed with scarlet.
22 She makes tapestry 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 sashes for the merchants.
25 Strength and honor are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness.
27 She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her:
29“ Many daughters have done well,
But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
And let her own works praise her in the gates.
My Thoughts:
These verses are not ones to be broken apart and studied, they are by my account the best that the book of proverbs has to offer.
As I thought about these verses I could not help but ask myself the following questions. What should I as a man look for in a woman? And what as a man do I have to offer a woman? These are the things we need to consider when choosing a spouse. Too often in life do we see someone and instead of asking these questions we say that I love them and nothing else matters.
The truth is a man or woman should be looking for someone that will not only love them, but will put them only 2nd to God, be aspiring, be honest (yes this is the hardest one), but most of all put God first in their life. When we put Christ first we are saying I love you so much that I want to be like Christ for you. We are saying that I love you so much that I want to know the type of love that God feels for us (Unconditional Love). But without Him first in our lives, we cannot love like this.
Thought of the Day
I am going to leave you with an Ellen White quote from her book (The Ministry of Healing pages 359, 360):
“As life with its burden of perplexity and care meets the newly wedded pair, the romance with which imagination so often invests marriage disappears. Husband and wife learn each other’s character as it was impossible to learn it in their previous association. This is a most critical period in their experience. The happiness and usefulness of their whole future life depend upon their taking a right course now. Often they discern in each other unsuspected weaknesses and defects; but the hearts that love has united will discern excellencies also heretofore unknown. Let all seek to discover the excellencies rather than the defects. Often it is our own attitude, the atmosphere that surrounds ourselves, which determines what will be revealed to us in another. There are many who regard the expression of love as a weakness, and they maintain a reserve that repels others. This spirit checks the current of sympathy. As the social and generous impulses are repressed, they wither, and the heart becomes desolate and cold. We should beware of this error. Love cannot long exist without expression. Let not the heart of one connected with you starve for the want of kindness and sympathy.
Though difficulties, perplexities, and discouragements may arise, let neither husband nor wife harbor the thought that their union is a mistake or a disappointment. Determine to be all that it is possible to be to each other. Continue the early attentions. In every way encourage each other in fighting the battles of life. Study to advance the happiness of each other. Let there be mutual love, mutual forbearance. Then marriage, instead of being the end of love, will be as it were the very beginning of love. The warmth of true friendship, the love that binds heart to heart, is a foretaste of the joys of heaven.”
Today is the last time you will see this section. So in keeping with the study let’s not only call our prayer partner but call your spouse, or your boy/girlfriend and talk to them about our daily study. And most of all pray with them.
Personal Reflection and Discussion
- What other things do you see in the text?
Prayer Activities
- Call your Partner and discuss this devotional.
- Continue to have a prayer list and continue to praying for them.
- Pray with them and ask for the following;
- For God to give us the partner that He has planned for us.
- For God give us the strength and the humility to keep your relationship strong.
- For the individuals on your pray list.
- Let’s use (Song of Solomon 1:8-10) for today’s prayer verse.
About bobh6
40 Days of study 
I really don’t feel I have anything to offer as a comment here, anymore than I could for your “Partners” blog. I tried to emmulate these verses when I was married but I so missed the mark. I know now that it was not all my fault. Our marriage was one of those in which we did not ask God first. The day we were married, I kept hearing a voice saying “Run! Do not do this.” Any way I still worry that I was the one who caused him to stray, I was the one who could not keep him happy, and I was the one who was the cause of all the strife and contention in our marriage. I know, looking back that I did the best I knew how to do, it just wasn’t the right man or the right time. I understand that marriage is not just 50/50. It is 110/110 percent with God as the center of everything. If I ever have a chance againg, I pray I will do it right.
Even though the standard is set high and we rarely meet it, we shouldn’t be discourage from striving again. We will mess-up and fall short…but God could fill in the blanks on either side. God knows our weaknesses and is able to bring out a greater good either way it ends. My mom used to always say their is no bad that good can not come from. Even at the other side of the ideal, it still serves for good to humble us, remind us of our need, our constant dependence on Him, and reassurance that God is a healer, repairer, and master mind of all of our affairs. We know that with God ALL things work out for good to those who love Him; so we could rest assured that God saw it coming and planned it for good in the long run. Jerem. 29:11
I agree with your mom, it sounds like she is a smart lady.
looks like you did have something to say.
I see in the virtuous women a person who is whole-hearted, motived by love and intergity; doing everything in wisdom. She worked herself out, by other’s standard, yet she enjoyed it and strived. I’m sure she was tempted when tired, or afriad with the thought of rejection after putting so much of herself into to something with no guarentee of success; yet the potential good out weighing the hurt to her pride. She saw a need, recongined her opportunity, and worked for the greater good, without selling her self short. She was faithful to her family, workers, and to helping the poor. Noticed she dressed her family in scarlet even before it says her husband sat at the gate. She set them up for success and success did follow. She had the option to keep her profit, but she chose to continue to invest it and continue work a chosen feild. Love how here husband and family gives her recongintion and praise (which is the best reward to recieve) but notice it’s mentioned at the end. Who knows how long till the recognition came. Kids don’t normally call their mom’s blessed till they mature enough to see things in the greater spectrum. We see she worked, sold and bought, because she has the liberty to do it. The viturous wife actually came out from, the trusting husband.
Remembering this is a lesson from a mother to her son; we see she’s encouraging him to choose the right kind of woman, then give her the liberty to do what she wants, safely trusting her integrity in the Lord. Not only should the man choose his wife wisely, but the woman (or parents of the daughter) needed to choose the right man. There’s a sermon in that. It all comes down to to whom do we give ourselves to, whom can we safely trust. Satan and the world looks to restrict and enslave us, but God lovingly gives us liberty and life in Him and actually through Him. More sybolicly we see the man owns the land (world) and co-owns it with woman. The woman (religion) you choose could lead you astray make you comprimise or loss your inheritence, like Adam did with Eve; but we see Naomi was in danger of lossing her land (inheritence) and yet by putting her trust in Ruth (a virtuous woman) who in turned trusted Boaz, gained back their land and their liberty. Ruth entrusting herself to Boaz by laying at his feet. We as christians today do that by coming to the feet of Jesus at the foot of the cross. Other’s before us has jepordized our inhertence (the earth, life and liberty) but Jesus freely offers it back to us. We, the virtuous woman, or church, in return serve Him in love and gratitude working to give/share with Him the profit of growing His kingdom.