Prepare

by Christianne
from Virtuous Daughters, April 2008~Volume 8, Number 1

People prepare for many things: they prepare for college, retirement, events, vacation, foreign travel, etc. If they are traveling, they will research the place they are traveling to, the culture, the food, the language, and the people. Since people go to such lengths to prepare for these short-term pursuits, young ladies should be going to great lengths to prepare for something that will last longer—marriage.

As young ladies who love God, we should be ardently preparing for the future that God has for us. If we use our years of singleness as a time of preparation, it will be a great blessing to us and our future husband. If it is not God’s will for us to get married, our years of preparation will still be an asset to us later in life. We can help expectant mothers or mothers with young children. We can also keep blessing our family by serving them.
  
My parents are a very great help to me in this area by letting me help with the running of the household, teaching me to love children, and encouraging me to learn skills that will help me later in life. They also teach me that my relationship with the Lord is more important than any other thing.
  
This is not a list of all the skills that a young lady should be learning, but is just a little scratch on the surface. In this article, I want to look at Proverbs 31 and find applicable skills from it that we can be learning.
 
Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. Proverbs 31:10–12
I want to notice the last verse in this passage. We need to be doing our (future) husbands good all the days of our life. We can do this by preparing for marriage and keeping ourselves pure.
 
She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar. She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. Proverbs 31:13–15
The skills in here are animal husbandry, butchering, and cooking.
   Animal Husbandry: I had the opportunity to raise chickens, ducks, and geese last year. Raising poultry was a very enjoyable experience for our whole family. We are looking forward to doing it again this year.
   Deer Butchering: My dad and brothers hunt white tail deer and I have had the privilege of helping butcher them. I really enjoy doing it. It is fun to be able to know where your food is coming from and what process the meat goes through before cooking.
   Turkey & Chicken Butchering: A family in our church has a chicken butchering business and around last Thanksgiving one of my brothers and I were able to help them for two days. I am thankful for the privilege of being able to help them.
    Cooking is the most important of these four skills. My mom let me watch her cook when I was little and has given my siblings and me responsibility for making meals. If you do not know how to cook, I would suggest that you learn this very important skill.
 
She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planeth a vineyard. Proverbs 31:16
My next topic is gardening. I live in a rural area and enjoy eating fresh fruits and vegetables from my family’s garden. I have not done much with gardening. My sister has had this responsibility. I want to learn this skill soon.
 
She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. Proverbs 31:17
One of my friends and I are accountable to each other to exercise. I think it helps the friendship and makes me want to do it (exercise) more.
 
She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night. Proverbs 31:18
I had the opportunity to have a booth at a local Farmer’s Market last summer. It really showed me how important it is that your merchandise be good.
 
She layeth her hands to spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. Proverbs 31:19–20
 
Jesus saith unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. Matthew 19:21
It is very important that we learn to give out of ourselves to help those in a worse condition that we are in.
 
She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land. She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant. Proverbs 31:21–24
The skill for this passage is sewing. Sewing is a good skill to learn. I learned last fall, and see this as a very important skill to master.
 
Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall recjoice in time to come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth 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 31:25–31
One of the most important things to have is character. The virtuous woman was wise, kind, responsible, industrious, humble, and God-fearing.
  
An important character quality to have is openness to God’s will concerning fruitfulness. The virtuous woman had children, so she obviously was fruitful and multiplied. “And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;” Genesis 35:11
  
​I pray that each one of you will follow the Lord wholeheartedly and serve Him completely.