by Gina L. from Virtuous Daughters, January 2017~Volume 16, Number 10 "Panning for Gold" Proverbs 31 Study Series Part 10 ~Proverbs 31:19~ Last year there was to be a new spring musical performed in our area called Letters From Luke which retold the stories from the Gospel of Luke (and a few stories form the book of Acts). Since our family had participated in the Christmas musical, we were asked to audition. Deciding we would be too busy to make the commitment, we declined and went about our busy winter schedule. Soon however, we received an email saying there was an emergency in the cast as a key male actor dropped out and the play was in jeopardy. Always willing to help anyone in need, my son Anthony said he would make the commitment so the musical could continue. We phoned the director, who was overjoyed, and she asked how many of us could be in the play because they were still several people short.
by Gina L. from Virtuous Daughters, December 2016~Volume 16, Number 9 "Panning for Gold" Proverbs 31 Study Series Part 9 ~Proverbs 31:18~ One day when my eldest daughter was about 17 years old, she decided to take all her honed wood-working skills and try her hand at a new feat. After meticulous research, she ordered plans and selected excellent quality maple wood from a local lumber mill, and she disappeared into the loft of our barn for many afternoons to work on her project. A few months later, she emerged with a beautiful looking and sounding full-sized 34-string harp. Each step was done in excellence as her habit had become, and therefore the end result was likewise, exquisite!
Proverbs 31:18 says that the Virtuous Woman perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night. This Virtuous Woman knows that her products are top rate—top quality—because she made them. As she worked with her hands, she did each step unto the Lord and not to men, and so in the end, it was all done right and her merchandise was indeed good. If she made a product or food item or such, she knew exactly what ingredients she used and they were all good, so she has confidence that her end result is also good. by Gina L. from Virtuous Daughters, November 2016~Volume 16, Number 8 "Panning for Gold" Proverbs 31 Study Series Part 8 ~Proverbs 31:17~ One day I was walking down the hallway in my home in Ohio singing, “He has made me strong. He has made me strong. I will rejoice for He has made me strong….” Now I often do sing as I go about my day, and it is not unusual for me to mix up words from various songs like I had done in the above example where the song actually says, “He has made me glad. He has made me glad. I will rejoice for He has made me glad.” The funny thing is I didn’t even realize that I had made an error in the lyrics until I was thinking about writing this down, but the mistake turned out to be a good thing because God taught me much by it.
As I was singing, all of a sudden, I came to a screeching halt as the question, “How has He made me strong?” flashed through my mind. Almost as quickly the answer came: by carrying burdens—weights. Wow! There was a twofold meaning right away in my heart as I stood there in the hallway. by Gina L. from Virtuous Daughters, October 2016~Volume 16, Number 7 "Panning for Gold" Proverbs 31 Study Series Part 7 ~Proverbs 31:16~ A church we attended some time ago that was meeting in a rented building became very excited to come across a beautiful piece of land—5 acres—in a very desirable area. The price was just a fraction of the worth of the field and dreams of building a church were bustling throughout the congregation, no one more excited than the dear pastor himself. They went full speed ahead and were soon in a contract that was contingent upon inspection, and good thing. When the engineer got back with the church, they found that the whole plot was a terrible flood plain, and to build anywhere on it at all would cost a fortune in excavating. The congregation was heartbroken and cancelled the contract. They are still meeting in a rented building, but that field could have financially broken that little church. It is good they considered the field before they bought it.
Proverbs 31:16 says that the Virtuous Woman considereth a field and buyeth it; with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. Over the last few months we have learned much about the Virtuous Woman. She is a trustworthy, willing worker, who always does her husband good and cares greatly about what she feeds her family, even rising early to prepare their food. We have seen much said about her character and working hands, but did you realize that this woman also uses her mind well? She is a thinker. by Gina L. from Virtuous Daughters, September 2016~Volume 16, Number 6 "Panning for Gold" Proverbs 31 Study Series Part 6 ~Proverbs 31:15~ When I was a child, I remember many children whose mothers were sleeping when they left for school in the morning. Not my mom! She was up fixing me and my brothers breakfast (Cream of Wheat, soft boiled eggs and such) and we also had a time of prayer together before we headed off to school. As we got to be older teenagers with differing morning schedules, we often fixed our own breakfast (there was always something on hand) while our mother cared for our new little siblings, but we still had our daily time of prayer before leaving for the school day. Proverbs 31:15 says the Virtuous Woman riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. My mom did indeed rise in the early morning and gave us food throughout our life—physical food and also spiritual nourishment as well.
by Gina L. from Virtuous Daughters, August 2016~Volume 16, Number 5 "Panning for Gold" Proverbs 31 Study Series Part 5 ~Proverbs 31:14~ Proverbs 31:14 says the Virtuous Woman is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar. We must not be so quick to spiritualize everything in Scripture (though I think that we can safely draw some applications in time), but first let us actually consider what is being stated here by God in His Word.
by Gina L. from Virtuous Daughters, July 2016~Volume 16, Number 4 "Panning for Gold" Proverbs 31 Study Series Part 4 ~Proverbs 31:13~ In Proverbs 31:13, we find that the Virtuous Woman seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. Several months ago I was reading this verse and then into the room bounded my little 9 year-old daughter. She is a picture of this verse actually, scurrying about the house with a smile, helping all who are in need, and even today she was hand sewing a little dog bed for the puppy. Just this week we had guests over for lunch and Lydia (age 9, remember) single-handedly made apple crisp from fresh apples and made homemade pizzas, even grinding the whole wheat flour. Though Lydia has just about mastered this verse, I still thought when I saw her walk into the room that I would take time to remind her of its importance lest she forget her industrious ways, but I was in for a surprise. Focusing on the word “work” in the verse, I told her how in many ways the virtuous woman was like Martha—a real servant with busy hands working and serving. I really thought I was doing a good job explaining until Lydia stopped me and said, “But Mom, Martha wasn’t working willingly.”
Wow! How did I miss the importance of that little word? I hardly even saw it there really. How did I overlook the significance of not only obeying the actions God desires in us, but the attitude also? God indeed desires hands that are working, and all women will have opportunities in all stages of their lives to work with their hands, but let us seek to embrace the willingly part. by Gina L. from Virtuous Daughters, June 2016~Volume 16, Number 3 "Panning for Gold" Proverbs 31 Study Part 3 ~Proverbs 31:12~ Proverbs 31:12 states that the Virtuous Woman will do her husband good and not evil all the days of her life.
Many young girls reading this verse think perhaps this sounds like a very easy task. They imagine a sort of knight in shining armor who comes to sweep them off their feet and whisk them to a wonderful land of romance and togetherness where they only desire to do this brave, kind man good and never evil….or maybe they just expect a good Christian young man to come calling, and that since they both love Christ, doing him good will sort of just come naturally. by Gina L. from Virtuous Daughters, May 2016~Volume 16, Number 2 "Panning for Gold" Proverbs 31 Study Series Part 2 ~Proverbs 31:11~ We embark on our journey of discovery, searching for hid treasure in bringing to light the characteristics of a woman of virtue by looking to the acrostic poem in Proverbs 31.
Introducing the Virtuous Woman… In Proverbs 31:11, we find that the heart of her husband safely trusts in her so that he shall have no need of spoil. Notice that it says safely trusts. by Gina L. from Virtuous Daughters, April 2016~Volume 16, Number 1 "Panning for Gold" Proverbs 31 Study Series Part 1 ~Proverbs 31:10~ Society has hammered away at the role of a woman and the definition of fulfillment, success, and strength as they pertain to women for decades. The picture is painted with the brushes of independence, autonomy, freedom, aggressive determination, goal achievement, liberation, and recognition among other strokes and colors which dazzle the viewer—much like dime store glitter—and draw one into the philosophy they expound. Many well-meaning and not so well-meaning religious groups have their own brushes as well and they paint away, defining women in yet another way—with brushes of fear, rules, inferiority, and other various trappings.
With all this information and misinformation confronting us on every side, where does a woman turn to find a true model of a strong woman of virtue? As with all of life’s great questions and quests, there is only one secure, trustworthy place where we can turn and be certain to find truth—God’s Word. God Himself indeed gave us a wonderful place to look to find insight into this very question. |
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